Optical resolution in front of a vehicle
AssigneeLuminar Technologies, Inc.
InventorGeorge C. Curatu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To solve depth of field issues when scanning, transmitting, and receiving light pulses in a lidar system, a receiver in the lidar system may include a lens having a lens plane in front of one or several photodetectors arranged on a detector plane. The lens plane and the detector plane may be nonparallel with respect to each other creating a wedge shaped depth of field. In this manner, return light pulses from far away and nearby targets may stay in focus.
Claims20
A lidar system comprising:
- a light source configured to emit light pulses;
- a scanner configured to scan a field of view of the light source across a field of regard of the lidar system, including direct the light pulses at different angles relative to a forward-facing direction toward different points within the field of regard;
- and
- a receiver configured to detect light from some of the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse, the receiver including:
- a lens having a lens plane, wherein the lens is configured to focus the return light pulse;
- and
- a plurality of photodetectors arranged on a detector plane behind the lens, wherein the detector plane is nonparallel to the lens plane to generate a wedge shaped depth of field.
A method for improving optical resolution in front of a vehicle when detecting light from light pulses scattered by remote targets in a lidar system, the method comprising:
- emitting light pulses by a light source in a lidar system;
- scanning, by a scanner in the lidar system, a field of view of the light source across a field of regard of the lidar system, including directing the light pulses toward different points within the field of regard;
- generating a wedge shaped depth of field for detecting light from some of the light pulses scattered by one more remote targets at a receiver in the lidar system, including:
- configuring a lens having a lens plane to focus the light pulses at a plurality of photodetectors arranged on a detector plane behind the lens;
- and
- arranging the lens and the plurality of photodetectors such that the detector plane for the plurality of photodetectors is nonparallel to the lens plane for the lens;
- and
- detecting, by the receiver having the wedge shaped depth of field, light from some of the light pulses scattered by the one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse.
An autonomous vehicle comprising:
- one or more components configured to maneuver the autonomous vehicle;
- a lidar system configured to detect objects within a threshold distance of the autonomous vehicle, the lidar system including:
- a light source configured to emit light pulses;
- a scanner configured to scan a field of view of the light source across a field of regard of the lidar system, including direct the light pulses at different angles relative to a forward-facing direction toward different points within the field of regard;
- and
- a receiver configured to detect light from some of the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse to generate respective pixels corresponding to a point cloud representing the field of regard, the receiver including:
- a lens having a lens plane, wherein the lens is configured to focus the return light pulse;
- and
- a plurality of photodetectors arranged on a detector plane behind the lens, wherein the detector plane is nonparallel to the lens plane to generate a wedge shaped depth of field;
- and
- a controller configured to provide control signals to the one or more components to maneuver the autonomous vehicle in accordance with data from the point cloud.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.