LIDAR system with non-uniform sensitivity response
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorBoris Kirillov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a light detector having a first scanning mirror and a light sensor aligned with the first scanning mirror. The first scanning mirror is configured to rotate about a first axis and to reflect incident light pulses toward the light sensor at different angles of rotation with respect to the first axis. The light sensor is configured to detect reflected light pulses from the first scanning mirror over a range of the angles of rotation. An input area of the light detector has a non-uniform sensitivity response along a first direction.
Claims20
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising:
- a light detector including a first scanning mirror and a light sensor aligned with the first scanning mirror,
- wherein the first scanning mirror is configured to rotate about a first axis and to reflect incident light pulses toward the light sensor at different angles of rotation with respect to the first axis,
- wherein the light sensor is configured to detect reflected light pulses from the first scanning mirror over a range of the angles of rotation, and
- wherein an input area of the light detector has a non-uniform sensitivity response along a first direction,
- the LIDAR system further comprising a light transmitter configured to emit light pulses, wherein the rotation of the first scanning mirror is synchronized to a scanning of the light transmitter.
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising:
- a first scanning mirror;
- an array of light sensors;
- and
- a gradient optical filter interposed between the array of light sensors and the first scanning mirror,
- wherein the first scanning mirror is configured to reflect incident light pulses toward the array of light sensors at different angles of rotation with respect to a first axis, and
- wherein the gradient optical filter has a non-uniform filter characteristic along a first direction.
A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system having a scanning light transmitter configured to emit light pulses and a light detector that includes a first scanning mirror and a light sensor aligned with the first scanning mirror, an input area of the light detector having a non-uniform sensitivity response along a first direction, the method comprising:
- rotating the first scanning mirror about a first axis, in synchronization with the scanning light transmitter, to reflect incident light pulses toward the light sensor at different angles of rotation with respect to the first axis, wherein at a first angle of rotation the first scanning mirror reflects a first light pulse transmitted by a transmit scanner of the LIDAR system in a first transmit direction and reflected by an object at a first distance from the LIDAR system toward a first region of the input area of the light detector, and wherein at a second angle of rotation the first scanning mirror reflects a second light pulse transmitted by the transmit scanner in the first transmit direction and reflected by an object at a second distance from the LIDAR system toward a second region of the input area of the light detector, wherein the first and second regions of the input area of the light detector have different sensitivity responses;
- and
- detecting reflected light pulses from the first scanning mirror at the light sensor over a range of the angles of rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.