# US 10,120,067 B2 · Range data compression

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- Number: US 10,120,067 B2
- Document ID: US10120067B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/826,427
- Filed: 2015-08-14
- Published: 2016-03-03
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-08-29
- Assignees: Leica Geosystems AG
- Applicants: Leica Geosystems AG
- Inventors: Gregory Charles Walsh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120067B2

## CPC

- G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning}
- G01S 7/4808: {Evaluating distance, position or velocity data}
- G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

A laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LIDAR) system may include a scanner and a compression module. The scanner may be configured to generate a scan including multiple range values associated with multiple scan points of the scan. The compression module may be configured to map multiple range values to multiple integers. The multiple integers may represent multiple range intervals. The multiple range intervals may include multiple differently sized range intervals. The size of the range intervals may be a function of range according to an interval size function.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
a scanner configured to generate a scan including a plurality of scan points and a plurality of range values, each range value of the plurality of range values associated with a different scan point of the plurality of scan points; and
a compression module configured to map each range value of the plurality of range values to an integer of a plurality of integers, the plurality of integers representing a plurality of range intervals associated with the range values of the plurality of range values of the scan,
wherein the plurality of range intervals include a plurality of differently sized range intervals, and wherein the size of the range intervals of the plurality of range intervals is a function of range according to an interval size function.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the interval size function includes a polynomial function.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the interval size function is defined for a plurality of regions of ranges and integers, and
wherein the interval size function includes a plurality of regional interval size functions associated with the plurality of regions of ranges and integers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The LIDAR system of claim 3, wherein the interval size function is continuous over the plurality of regions of ranges and integers.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The LIDAR system of claim 4, wherein the interval sizes are proportional to a range uncertainty of the LIDAR system for associated range values of the plurality of range values.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The LIDAR system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of regions includes a constant region and a linear region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The LIDAR system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of regions further includes a quadratic region.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The LIDAR system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of regions further includes a cubic region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the scanner includes a terrestrial laser scanner.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the scanner includes an aircraft-based scanner.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the scanner includes a ground-vehicle-based scanner.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the scanner includes a targeting wedge prism scanner.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the scanner includes a vertical deflector configured to rotate a laser beam about a substantially horizontal axis, the scanner further configured to rotate the vertical deflector about a substantially vertical axis.

### Claim 14

A method of compressing scan data, the method comprising:
generating, at a laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LIDAR) system, a scan including a plurality of scan points and a plurality of range values, each range value of the plurality of range values associated with a different scan point of the plurality of scan points; and
mapping, at the LIDAR system, each range value of the plurality of range values to an integer of a plurality of integers representing a plurality of differently sized range intervals associated with the range values of the plurality of range values of the scan,
wherein the size of the range intervals of the plurality of differently sized range intervals is a function of range according to an interval size function.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A method of claim 14, wherein the interval size function includes a polynomial function.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

A method of claim 14, wherein the interval size function is defined for a plurality of regions of ranges and integers, and
wherein the interval size function includes a plurality of regional interval size functions associated with the plurality of regions of ranges and integers.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method of claim 16, wherein the interval size function is continuous over the plurality of regions of ranges and integers.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

A method of claim 16, wherein the interval sizes are proportional to a range uncertainty of a LIDAR system for associated range values of the plurality of range values.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of regions of ranges and integers include a constant interval size region and a linear region.

### Claim 20

A terrestrial laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LIDAR) comprising:
a scanning device configured to generate a scan including a plurality of scan points and a plurality of range values, each range value of the plurality of range values associated with a different scan point of the plurality of scan points; and
a compression module configured to map each range value of the plurality of range values to an integer of a plurality of integers, the plurality of integers representing a plurality of range intervals associated with the range values of the plurality of range values of the scan,
wherein the plurality of range intervals include a plurality of differently sized range intervals,
wherein the size of the range intervals of the plurality of range intervals is a function of range according to an interval size function defined for a plurality of regions of ranges and integers, the interval size function defining:
a constant interval size region associated with a first region of ranges, and
a linear region associated with a second region of ranges, and
wherein the size of the range intervals of the first region of ranges is based at least in part on range-independent uncertainty associated with the scanning device and the size of the range intervals of the second region of ranges is based at least in part on range-dependent uncertainty associated with the scanning device.