Lidar beam walk-off correction
AssigneeOURS Technology, LLC
InventorsAndrew Steil Michaels, Sen Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device includes a pixel, a mirror, and a birefringent material. The pixel is configured to emit light having a first polarization orientation. The mirror is configured to reflect the light to a surface. The birefringent material is disposed between the pixel and the mirror. The birefringent material introduces an offset in a position of the emitted light having the first polarization orientation propagating through the birefringent material. The birefringent material shifts a reflected beam in space horizontally back on the pixel.
Claims18
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
- a pixel configured to emit light having a first polarization orientation;
- a mirror configured to reflect the light to a surface;
- a birefringent material disposed between the pixel and the mirror, wherein the birefringent material causes an offset in a position of the light having the first polarization orientation and propagating through the birefringent material, and wherein the birefringent material shifts a reflected beam that has a second polarization orientation, wherein the birefringent material shifts the reflected beam in space horizontally back on the pixel, wherein a tilt angle of the birefringent material or a thickness of the birefringent material is configured for detection of objects at a detection distance of 50 meters or greater;
- a splitter configured to provide a first percentage of split light for being emitted by the pixel as the light and a second percentage of split light;
- and
- an optical mixer configured to generate an output by mixing the second percentage of split light with the reflected beam.
An autonomous vehicle control system for an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle control system comprising:
- a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device including:
- a pixel configured to emit light having a first polarization orientation, wherein the pixel includes an optical mixer configured to receive a reflected beam of the light reflecting off of objects in an environment of the autonomous vehicle;
- a mirror configured to reflect the light to the objects;
- and
- a birefringent material introducing an offset in a position of the light having the first polarization orientation propagating through the birefringent material, wherein the birefringent material shifts the reflected beam in space horizontally back on the pixel, the reflected beam having a second polarization orientation orthogonal to the first polarization orientation, wherein a tilt angle of the birefringent material or a thickness of the birefringent material is configured for detection of the objects at a detection distance of 50 meters or greater;
- and
- one or more processors configured to control the autonomous vehicle in response to an output of the optical mixer of the pixel.
An autonomous vehicle comprising:
- a pixel configured to emit infrared light having a first polarization orientation and configured to receive infrared reflected light reflected from objects in an environment of the autonomous vehicle;
- a birefringent material introducing an offset in a position of the infrared light propagating through the birefringent material, wherein the birefringent material shifts an infrared reflected beam in space horizontally back on the pixel, the infrared reflected beam having a second polarization orientation orthogonal to the first polarization orientation, wherein a tilt angle of the birefringent material or a thickness of the birefringent material is configured for detection of the objects at a detection distance of 50 meters or greater;
- a control system configured to control the autonomous vehicle in response to the infrared reflected beam;
- and
- a rotating mirror configured to direct the infrared light to the objects while the rotating mirror is in a first position, and wherein the rotating mirror is configured to direct the infrared reflected beam back to the pixel when the rotating mirror is in a second position different from the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.