Systems and methods for pulsed-wave LIDAR
AssigneeAurora Innovation, Inc.
InventorsZeb Barber, Randy Reibel, Devlin Baker, Emil Kadlec
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for pulsed-wave LIDAR to support the operation of a vehicle. In some implementations, the system and method include modulating an optical signal to generate a modulated optical signal; selecting a plurality of pulses from the modulated optical signal to generate a pulsed envelope signal; transmitting the pulsed envelope signal via one or more optical elements; receiving a reflected signal responsive to transmitting the pulsed envelope signal; and determining a range to an object based on an electrical signal associated with the reflected signal.
Claims16
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
- a laser source configured to provide an optical signal at a first signal power;
- an amplifier having a plurality of gain configurations, wherein the amplifier is configured to receive the optical signal and amplify the optical signal based on a gain configuration of the plurality of gain configurations;
- one or more processors configured to:
- adjust the gain configuration of the amplifier across two or more of the plurality of gain configurations to cause the amplifier to generate a pulse envelope signal at a second signal power, wherein the second signal power is greater than the first signal power by at least an amount corresponding to an inverse of a duty cycle of the optical signal.
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
- a laser source configured to provide an optical signal at a first signal power;
- a pulse envelope generator configured to generate a pulse envelope signal at a second signal power by:
- determining a relative phase difference between a first optical signal associated with the optical signal and a second optical signal associated with the optical signal, wherein the second signal power is greater than the first signal power by at least an amount corresponding to an inverse of a duty cycle of the optical signal;
- and
- an amplifier configured to amplify the pulse envelope signal and transmit the amplified pulse envelope signal via one or more optical elements.
A method comprising:
- modulating an optical signal at a first signal power to generate a modulated optical signal;
- selecting a plurality of pulses from the modulated optical signal to generate a pulsed envelope signal at a second signal power, wherein the second signal power is greater than the first signal power by at least an amount corresponding to an inverse of a duty cycle of the optical signal;
- transmitting the pulsed envelope signal via one or more optical elements;
- receiving a reflected signal responsive to transmitting the pulsed envelope signal;
- and
- determining a range to an object based on an electrical signal associated with the reflected signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.