# US 10,310,088 B2 · Dynamic illumination allocation in highway driving > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,088 B2 - Document ID: US10310088B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/861,110 - Filed: 2018-01-03 - Published: 2018-05-24 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-20 - Assignees: Innoviz Technologies Ltd. - Applicants: Innoviz Technologies Ltd. - Inventors: David Elooz; Amit Steinberg; Nir Osiroff; Oren Rosenzweig - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310088B2 ## CPC - G01S 7/4812: {transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path} - G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) - B60Q 1/0023: {the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera} - B60Q 1/26: the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic - G01S 7/4808: {Evaluating distance, position or velocity data} - G01S 7/4814: {of transmitters alone} - G01S 7/4815: {using multiple transmitters} - G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning} - G01S 7/484: Transmitters - G01S 7/486: Receivers - G01S 7/4861: Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out - G01S 7/4863: Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates - G01S 7/4868: {Controlling received signal intensity or exposure of sensor} - G01S 7/4876: {by removing unwanted signals (G01S7/495 takes precedence)} - G01S 7/4918: {Controlling received signal intensity, gain or exposure of sensor} - G01S 7/497: Means for monitoring or calibrating - G01S 7/4972: {Alignment of sensor} - G01S 17/04: Systems determining the presence of a target - G01S 17/10: using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) - G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging - G01S 17/93: for anti-collision purposes - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - G02B 26/0858: {the reflecting means being moved or deformed by piezoelectric means} - G02B 26/10: Scanning systems - G05D 1/024: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)} - G08G 1/04: using optical or ultrasonic detectors - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - 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 - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A LIDAR system for use with a roadway vehicle traveling on a highway may include at least one processor configured to control at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux of light from at least one light source to vary over a scanning cycle of a field of view. The processor may also be configured to control at least one deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source in order to scan the field of view. The processor may also be configured to coordinate the control of the at least one light source with the control of the at least one light deflector such that during scanning of the field of view that encompasses a central region, a right peripheral region, and a left peripheral region, more light is directed to the central region than to the peripheral regions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A LIDAR system for use with a roadway vehicle traveling on a highway, the LIDAR system comprising: at least one processor configured to: control at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux of light from at least one light source to vary over a scanning cycle of a field of view; control at least one deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source in order to scan the field of view, wherein the field of view is dividable into a central region generally corresponding to the highway on which the vehicle is traveling, a right peripheral region generally corresponding to an area right of the highway, and a left peripheral region generally corresponding to an area left of the highway; obtain input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel; and in response to the input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel, coordinate the control of the at least one light source with the control of the at least one light deflector such that during scanning of the field of view that encompasses the central region, the right peripheral region, and the left peripheral region, light projected toward at least one field of view pixel associated with the central region is of a higher light intensity than a light intensity of light projected to the right peripheral region and to the left peripheral region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the at least one light deflector such that during a scanning cycle of the field of view the at least one light deflector is located in a plurality of different instantaneous positions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The LIDAR system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to coordinate the at least one light deflector and the at least one light source such that when the at least one light deflector is located at a particular instantaneous position, a portion of a light beam is deflected by the at least one light deflector from the at least one light source towards an object in the field of view, and reflections of the portion of the light beam from the object are deflected by the at least one light deflector toward at least one sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The LIDAR system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of light sources aimed at the at least one light deflector, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the at least one light deflector such that when the at least one light deflector is located at a particular instantaneous position, light from the plurality of light sources is projected towards a plurality of independent regions in the field of view. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel from a navigation system of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel based on information received from at least one sensor configured to detect reflections of light associated with the light projected from the at least one light source. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine an existence of an object in the central region at a distance greater than detection distances associated with the right peripheral region and the left peripheral region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The LIDAR system of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the at least light source such that a detection distance in the central region is at least two times greater than the detection distances in the right peripheral region and in the left peripheral region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the right peripheral region includes a plurality of subregions, and wherein the at least one processor is configured such that during a scan of the field of view, more light is directed to one of the plurality of sub-regions than to another of the plurality of sub-regions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a spatial light scanning pattern associated with a plurality of scanning cycles upon obtaining data indicative of a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The LIDAR system of claim 10, wherein the type of road includes at least one of: an urban road, a highway road, an undivided road, a road with a single lane per direction, a road with a plurality of lanes per direction, and a road with a public transportation lane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The LIDAR system of claim 11, wherein upon obtaining data indicative of a change of the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling, less light is directed to the central region and more light is directed to the right peripheral region and the left peripheral region compared to the light projected in a prior scanning cycle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The LIDAR system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to alter the spatial light scanning pattern upon obtaining data indicative of a driving event, such that more light is directed to at least a portion of the right peripheral region than was directed to the at least a portion of the right peripheral region in a prior scanning cycle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The LIDAR system of claim 13, wherein the driving event includes at least one of a traffic-related event, a road-related event, an approach to a predefined establishment, and a weather-related event. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to coordinate the control of the at least one light source with the control of the at least one light deflector such that during a first scanning cycle a light having a first light flux is directed to the central region and during a second scanning cycle light having a second light flux is directed to the central region, and wherein the second light flux is greater than the first light flux. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein a detection range of the central region is greater than a detection range of the right peripheral region and a detection range of the left peripheral region. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein the at least one field of view pixel corresponds to a portion of the field of view from which reflected light is translated into a single data point. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The LIDAR system of claim 1, wherein a higher number of pulses are projected toward at least one field of view pixel associated with the central region than projected to the right peripheral region and to the left peripheral region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The LIDAR system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: control the at least one light deflector such that during a scanning cycle of the field of view the at least one light deflector is located in a plurality of different instantaneous positions; and coordinate the at least one light deflector and the at least one light source such that when the at least one light deflector is located at a particular instantaneous position, a portion of a light beam is deflected by the at least one light deflector from the at least one light source towards an object in the field of view, and reflections of the portion of the light beam from the object are deflected by the at least one light deflector toward at least one sensor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The LIDAR system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine an existence of an object in the central region at a distance greater than detection distances associated with the right peripheral region and the left peripheral region. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The LIDAR system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the at least light source such that a detection distance in the central region is at least two times greater than the detection distances in the right peripheral region and in the left peripheral region. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The LIDAR system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a spatial light scanning pattern associated with a plurality of scanning cycles upon obtaining data indicative of a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling, and wherein the type of road includes at least one of: an urban road, a highway road, an undivided road, a road with a single lane per direction, a road with a plurality of lanes per direction, and a road with a public transportation lane. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The LIDAR system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to alter the spatial light scanning pattern upon obtaining data indicative of a driving event, such that more light is directed to at least a portion of the right peripheral region than was directed to the at least a portion of the right peripheral region in a prior scanning cycle, and wherein the driving event includes at least one of a traffic-related event, a road-related event, an approach to a predefined establishment, and a weather-related event. ### Claim 24 A method for detecting objects in a path of a vehicle using LIDAR, the method comprising: controlling at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux of light from at least one light source to vary over a scanning cycle of a field of view; controlling at least one deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source in order to scan the field of view, wherein the field of view is dividable into a central region generally corresponding to the highway on which the vehicle is traveling, a right peripheral region generally corresponding to an area right of the highway, and a left peripheral region generally corresponding to an area left of the highway; obtaining input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel; and in response to the input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel, coordinating the control of the at least one light source with the control of the at least one light deflector such that during scanning of the field of view that encompasses the central region, the right peripheral region, and the left peripheral region, light projected toward at least one field of view pixel associated with the central region is of a higher light intensity than a light intensity of light projected to the right peripheral region and to the left peripheral region. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein a higher number of pulses are projected toward at least one field of view pixel associated with the central region than projected to the right peripheral region and to the left peripheral region. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising: controlling the at least one light deflector such that during a scanning cycle of the field of view the at least one light deflector is located in a plurality of different instantaneous positions; and coordinating the at least one light deflector and the at least one light source such that when the at least one light deflector is located at a particular instantaneous position, a portion of a light beam is deflected by the at least one light deflector from the at least one light source towards an object in the field of view, and reflections of the portion of the light beam from the object are deflected by the at least one light deflector toward at least one sensor. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising: determining an existence of an object in the central region at a distance greater than detection distances associated with the right peripheral region and the left peripheral region; and controlling the at least light source such that a detection distance in the central region is at least two times greater than the detection distances in the right peripheral region and in the left peripheral region. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein a detection range of the central region is greater than a detection range of the right peripheral region and a detection range of the left peripheral region. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising determining an existence of an object in the central region at a distance greater than detection distances associated with the right peripheral region and the left peripheral region. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the right peripheral region includes a plurality of sub-regions, and wherein the at least one processor is configured such that during a scan of the field of view, more light is directed to one of the plurality of sub-regions than to another of the plurality of sub-regions. ### Claim 31 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising determining a spatial light scanning pattern associated with a plurality of scanning cycles upon obtaining data indicative of a type of highway road in which the vehicle is traveling. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising altering the spatial light scanning pattern upon obtaining data indicative of a driving event such that more light is directed to at least a portion of the left peripheral region than light was directed to the at least a portion of the right peripheral region in a prior scanning cycle. ### Claim 33 A vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body; at least one processor located within the vehicle body and configured to: control at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux of light from at least one light source to vary over a scanning cycle of a field of view; control at least one deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source in order to scan the field of view, wherein the field of view is dividable into a central region generally corresponding to the highway on which the vehicle is traveling, a right peripheral region generally corresponding to an area right of the highway, and a left peripheral region generally corresponding to an area left of the highway; obtain input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel; and in response to the input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel, coordinate the control of the at least one light source with the control of the at least one light deflector such that during scanning of the field of view that encompasses the central region, the right peripheral region, and the left peripheral region, light projected toward at least one field of view pixel associated with the central region is of a higher light intensity than a light intensity of light projected to the right peripheral region and to the left peripheral region. ### Claim 34 A vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body; at least one processor located within the vehicle body and configured to: control at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux of light from at least one light source to vary over a scanning cycle of a field of view; control at least one deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source in order to scan the field of view, wherein the field of view is dividable into a central region generally corresponding to the highway on which the vehicle is traveling, a right peripheral region generally corresponding to an area right of the highway, and a left peripheral region generally corresponding to an area left of the highway; obtain input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel; and in response to the input that the vehicle is in a mode corresponding to highway travel, coordinate the control of the at least one light source with the control of the at least one light deflector such that during scanning of the field of view that encompasses the central region, the right peripheral region, and the left peripheral region, light projected toward at least one field of view pixel associated with the central region is of a higher light intensity than a light intensity of light projected to the right peripheral region and to the left peripheral region, wherein a higher number of pulses are projected toward at least one field of view pixel associated with the central region than projected to the right peripheral region and to the left peripheral region; and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: determine an existence of an object in the central region at a distance greater than detection distances associated with the right peripheral region and the left peripheral region; and control the at least light source such that a detection distance in the central region is at least two times greater than the detection distances in the right peripheral region and in the left peripheral region.