Scan sensors on the exterior surfaces of a vehicle
AssigneeLuminar Technologies, Inc.
InventorJason M. Eichenholz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes a body with multiple interior and exterior surfaces and a lidar system including a set of one or more sensor units. Each sensor unit includes a light source configured to emit light, a scanner configured to direct the emitted light to scan a field of regard of the sensor unit according to a scan pattern, a receiver configured to detect the light scattered by one or more remote targets, and a housing enclosing the light source, the scanner, and the receiver. The housing of each sensor unit is embedded in one of the interior or exterior surfaces, so that a first portion of the housing projects out of the body and a second portion of the housing is inside the body.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a body including a roof having an exterior surface;
- and
- a lidar sensor unit including:
- a light source configured to emit light,
- a scanner configured to direct the emitted light to scan a field of regard of the sensor unit according to a scan pattern,
- a receiver configured to detect a portion of the emitted light that is scattered by one or more remote targets, and
- a housing enclosing the light source, the scanner, and the receiver, wherein the housing includes (i) a first portion comprising a window and (ii) a second portion;
- wherein the housing of the sensor unit is embedded in the exterior surface of the roof, wherein:
- the first portion of the housing projects out of the exterior surface, wherein the emitted light and the light scattered by the one or more remote targets travel through the window of the first portion;
- and
- the second portion of the housing is located inside the body, under the exterior surface of the roof.
A lidar system configured to operate in a vehicle that has a vehicle body with a roof having an exterior surface, the lidar system comprising:
- a laser disposed inside the vehicle;
- a sensor unit embedded in the exterior surface of the roof of the vehicle body;
- and
- a laser-sensor link via which the laser provides light to the sensor unit;
- wherein the sensor unit includes:
- a scanner configured to direct the light from the laser to scan a field of regard of the sensor unit according to a scan pattern,
- a receiver configured to detect a portion of the light from the laser that is scattered by one or more remote targets, and
- a housing enclosing the scanner and the receiver, the housing including (i) a first portion comprising a window and (ii) a second portion, wherein:
- the first portion projects out of the exterior surface, wherein the light from the laser and the light scattered by the one or more remote targets travel through the window of the first portion;
- and
- the second portion is located inside the vehicle body, under the exterior surface of the roof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.