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US 11,635,500 B2Granted
Lidar phase noise cancellation system
AssigneeOURS Technology, LLC
InventorsAndrew Steil Michaels, Sen Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a LIDAR measurement unit, a reference measurement unit, and a phase cancellation unit. The LIDAR measurement unit estimates a time for which a laser beam travels. The reference measurement unit determines a phase of a laser source. The phase cancellation unit identifies phase noise and cancels the phase noise from the laser beam, at least partially based on the phase of the laser source and the time for which the laser beam travels. The denoised signal is used to determine the range between a laser source and a target.
Claims20
A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for an autonomous vehicle, the LIDAR system comprising:
- a laser source that is configured to generate a laser beam;
- LIDAR measurement circuitry configured to measure a travel time of the laser beam based on a signal representing the laser beam, the travel time representing a time of travel for which the laser beam is transmitted to an environment of the autonomous vehicle, is reflected from an object in the environment of the autonomous vehicle, and is received by the LIDAR system;
- reference measurement circuitry configured to determine a phase of the laser source;
- and
- noise cancellation circuitry configured to reduce phase noise from the signal representing the laser beam, at least partially based on (i) the phase of the laser source and (ii) the travel time of the laser beam,
- wherein the noise cancellation circuitry reduces the phase noise by delaying the phase of a reference signal from a reference interferometer using the travel time to identify the phase noise for a particular time, wherein the reference interferometer is configured to generate the reference signal based on the laser beam.
3 more elements
An autonomous vehicle control system comprising:
- a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system including:
- a laser source that is configured to generate a laser beam;
- LIDAR measurement circuitry;
- reference measurement circuitry;
- and
- noise cancellation circuitry;
- wherein the LIDAR measurement circuitry is configured to measure a travel time of the laser beam based on a signal representing the laser beam, the travel time representing a time of travel for which the laser beam is transmitted to an environment of the autonomous vehicle, is reflected from an object in the environment of the autonomous vehicle, and is received by the LIDAR system,
- wherein the reference measurement circuitry is configured to determine a phase of the laser source,
- wherein the noise cancellation circuitry is configured to reduce phase noise from the signal representing the laser beam, at least partially based on (i) the phase of the laser source and (ii) the travel time of the laser beam, and
- wherein the noise cancellation circuitry reduces the phase noise with a delay operation applied to the phase of a reference signal from a reference interferometer to identify the phase noise for a particular time, the delay having a duration of the travel time, wherein the reference interferometer is configured to generate the reference signal based on the laser beam;
- and
- one or more processors to control the autonomous vehicle control system in response to signals output by the noise cancellation circuitry.
9 more elements
An autonomous vehicle comprising:
- a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system including:
- a laser source that is configured to generate a laser beam;
- LIDAR measurement circuitry;
- reference measurement circuitry;
- and
- noise cancellation circuitry;
- wherein the LIDAR measurement circuitry is configured to measure a travel time of the laser beam based on a signal representing the laser beam, the travel time representing a time of travel for which the laser beam is transmitted to an environment of the autonomous vehicle, is reflected from an object in the environment of the autonomous vehicle, and is received by the LIDAR system,
- wherein the reference measurement circuitry is configured to determine a phase of the laser source,
- wherein the noise cancellation circuitry is configured to reduce phase noise from the signal representing the laser beam, at least partially based on (i) the phase of the laser source and (ii) the travel time of the laser beam, and
- wherein the noise cancellation circuitry reduces the phase noise by delaying the phase of a reference signal from a reference interferometer using the travel time to identify the phase noise for a particular time, wherein the reference interferometer is configured to generate the reference signal based on the laser beam;
- and
- one or more processors to control the autonomous vehicle in response to signals output by the noise cancellation circuitry.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.