Highly multiplexed coherent LIDAR system
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorsTyler Adam Dunn, Andrew William Sparks, Michael Ziemkiewicz, Miles R. Bennett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprises a laser diode; a laser diode driver circuit configured generate a laser beam using the laser diode and to frequency chirp the generated laser beam according to a frequency chirp period; a laser splitter to split the generated laser beam into N transmit laser beams pointed at different angles, wherein N is an integer greater than one, and a frequency chirp period of each of the N transmit laser beams is the frequency chirp period of the generated laser beam; and multiple return beam paths to receive N return beams and determine time of flight values for the N return beams in parallel.
Claims22
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, the system comprising:
- a laser diode;
- a laser diode driver circuit configured to generate a laser beam using the laser diode and to frequency chirp the generated laser beam according to a frequency chirp period;
- a laser splitter configured to split the generated laser beam into N transmit laser beams pointed at different angles and transmit at the same time, wherein N is an integer greater than one, and a frequency chirp period of each of the N transmit laser beams is the frequency chirp period of the generated laser beam;
- and
- multiple return beam paths to receive N return beams and determine time of flight values for the N return beams in parallel.
A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, the method comprising:
- generating a laser beam and frequency chirping the generated laser beam using a frequency chirp period;
- splitting the generated laser beam into N transmit laser beams pointed at multiple different angles and transmitting the N transmit laser beams at the same time, wherein N is an integer greater than one, and a chirp period of each of the N transmit laser beams is the frequency chirp period of the generated laser beam;
- receiving N return beams at the LIDAR system;
- and
- determining multiple time of flight values in parallel using the N return beams.
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, the system comprising:
- means for generating a laser beam using the laser diode;
- means for frequency chirping the generated laser beam according to a frequency chirp period;
- means for splitting the generated laser beam into N transmit laser beams pointed at different angles and transmitting the N transmit laser beams at the same time, wherein N is an integer greater than one, and a frequency chirp period of each of the N transmit laser beams is the frequency chirp period of the generated laser beam;
- means for receiving N return beams;
- and
- means for determining time of flight values for the N return beams in parallel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.