Glare mitigation in LIDAR applications
OwnerBrent Fisher, Dietrich Dehlingerinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus includes one or more optical elements configured to direct incident light in one or more directions, and a detector array including a plurality of detector pixels configured to output detection signals responsive to light provided thereto by the one or more optical elements. The light includes scattered light that is redirected relative to the one or more directions. A circuit is configured to receive the detection signals and generate corrected image data based on the detection signals and an expected spread function for the light. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.
Claims19
A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus, comprising:
- one or more optical elements configured to direct incident light in one or more directions;
- a detector array comprising a plurality of detector pixels configured to output detection signals responsive to light provided thereto by the one or more optical elements, wherein the light comprises scattered light that is redirected relative to the one or more directions;
- and
- a circuit configured to receive the detection signals and generate corrected image data based on the detection signals and an expected spread function for the light,
- wherein the expected spread function comprises a scattered light intensity map comprising respective scatter intensities of the scattered light over a field of view of the detector array, and wherein the circuit is configured to generate the corrected image data based on subtraction of the scattered light intensity map from image data represented by the detection signals.
A method of operating a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus, the method comprising:
- performing, by a circuit of the LIDAR apparatus, operations comprising:
- receiving detection signals output from detector pixels of a detector array responsive to light provided thereto by one or more optical elements configured to direct incident light in one or more directions, wherein the light comprises scattered light that is redirected relative to the one or more directions;
- and
- generating corrected image data based on the detection signals and an expected spread function for the light, wherein the expected spread function comprises a scattered light intensity map comprising respective scatter intensities of the scattered light over a field of view of the detector array, and wherein generating the corrected image data is based on subtraction of the scattered light intensity map from image data represented by the detection signals.
A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus, comprising:
- one or more optical elements configured to direct incident light in one or more directions;
- a detector array comprising a plurality of detector pixels configured to output detection signals responsive to light provided thereto by the one or more optical elements, wherein the light comprises scattered light that is redirected relative to the one or more directions;
- and;
- and
- a circuit configured to determine a distance range of at least one retroreflective target in a field of view of the detector array, generate detector control signals based on the distance range of the at least one retroreflective target, and generate corrected image data based on the detection signals responsive to determining the distance range of the at least one retroreflective target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.