# US 12,007,509 B2 · Systems and methods for pre-blinding LIDAR detectors

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- Number: US 12,007,509 B2
- Document ID: US12007509B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/031,633
- Filed: 2020-09-24
- Published: 2022-03-24
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-09-24
- Assignees: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: LG Innotek Co ., Ltd
- Inventors: Dane P Bennington
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007509B2

## CPC

- G01S 7/484: Transmitters
- G01S 17/10: using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32)
- G01S 7/4868: {Controlling received signal intensity or exposure of sensor}
- G01S 7/487: Extracting wanted echo signals {, e.g. pulse detection}
- G01S 7/495: Counter-measures or counter-counter-measures {using electronic or electro-optical means}
- G01S 17/931: of land vehicles
- G01S 7/4812: {transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path}
- G01S 7/4865: Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak (peak detection in noise, signal conditioning G01S7/487)
- G01S 7/497: Means for monitoring or calibrating
- H10F 30/225: the potential barrier working in avalanche mode, e.g. avalanche photodiodes
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for a systems and methods for pre-blinding light detectors. An example method may include sending, by a processor of a LIDAR system and at a first time, a signal to a light source of the LIDAR system, the signal causing the light source to provide a light input to a photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to initiate a recovery period. The example method may also include emitting, by a laser of the LIDAR system, a first light pulse into an environment at a second time. The example method may also include receiving, by the photodetector, return light associated with the first light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light reaching the photodetector at a third time, the third time being after the photodetector has ended the recovery period.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
sending, by a processor of a LIDAR system and at a first time, a signal to a light source of the LIDAR system, the signal causing the light source to provide a light input to a photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to initiate a recovery period;
emitting, by a laser of the LIDAR system, a first light pulse into an environment at a second time after the light input is provided to the photodetector;
receiving, by the photodetector, return light associated with the first light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light reaching the photodetector at a third time, the third time being after the photodetector has ended the recovery period;
determining, based on an amount of time between the processor causing to send the signal and the light source producing the light input, an internal delay of the LIDAR system; and
adjusting, based on the internal delay, a time at which the signal is sent to the light source of the LIDAR system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first time is based on a recovery period time of the photodetector and an amount of time the first light pulse takes to travel from the laser to the environment, wherein the environment is external to the LIDAR system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the light source is at least one of: a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an Infrared (IR) LED, or a photonic emitter that emits a wavelength in a detection range of the photodetector.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
sending, by a processor of the LIDAR system and at a fourth time, a second signal to the light source of the LIDAR system, the second signal causing the light source to provide a second light input to the photodetector, wherein the second light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to enter a second recovery period;
emitting, by the laser of an LIDAR system, a second light pulse into the environment at a fifth time; and
receiving, by the photodetector, return light associated with the second light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light reaching the photodetector at a sixth time, the sixth time being after the photodetector has ended the second recovery period.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the sixth time corresponds to a region of interest in the environment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the photodetector is an Avalanche Photodiode operating in Geiger Mode.

### Claim 7

A LIDAR system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
send, by a processor of the LIDAR system and at a first time, a signal to a light source of the LIDAR system, the signal causing the light source to provide a light input to a photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to initiate a recovery period;
emit, by a laser of the LIDAR system, a first light pulse into an environment at a second time after the light input is provided to the photodetector;
receive, by the photodetector, return light associated with the first light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light reaching the photodetector at a third time, the third time being after the photodetector has ended the recovery period;
determine, based on an amount of time between the processor causing to send the signal and the light source producing the light input, an internal delay of the LIDAR system; and
adjust, based on the internal delay, a time at which the signal is sent to the light source of the LIDAR system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the first time is based on a recovery period time of the photodetector and an amount of time the first light pulse takes to travel from the laser to the environment, wherein the environment is external to the LIDAR system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the light source is at least one of: a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an Infrared (IR) LED, or a photonic emitter that emits a wavelength in a detection range of the photodetector.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:
send, at a fourth time, a second signal to the light source of the LIDAR system, the second signal causing the light source to provide a second light input to the photodetector, wherein the second light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to enter a second recovery period;
emit, by the laser of the LIDAR system, a second light pulse into the environment at a fifth time; and
receive, by the photodetector, return light associated with the second light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light reaching the photodetector at a sixth time, the sixth time being after the photodetector has ended the second recovery period.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the sixth time corresponds to a region of interest in the environment.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the photodetector is an Avalanche Photodiode operating in Geiger Mode.

### Claim 13

A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a wireless access point, cause the one or more processors to perform operations of:
causing to send, by a processor of a LIDAR system and at a first time, a signal to a light source of the LIDAR system, the signal causing the light source to provide a light input to a photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to initiate a recovery period;
causing to emit, by a laser of the LIDAR system, a first light pulse into an environment at a second time after the light input is provided to the photodetector, wherein return light associated with the first light pulse is received by a photodetector of the LIDAR system from an object in the environment, the return light reaching the photodetector at a third time, the third time being after the photodetector has ended the recovery period;
determining, based on an amount of time between the processor causing to send the signal and the light source producing the light input, an internal delay of the LIDAR system; and
adjusting, based on the internal delay, a time at which the signal is sent to the light source of the LIDAR system.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first time is based on a recovery period time of the photodetector and an amount of time the first light pulse takes to travel from the laser to the environment, wherein the environment is external to the LIDAR system.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the light source is at least one of: a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an Infrared (IR) LED, or a photonic emitter that emits a wavelength in a detection range of the photodetector.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations of:
sending, by a processor of the LIDAR system and at a fourth time, a second signal to the light source of the LIDAR system, the second signal causing the light source to provide a second light input to the photodetector, wherein the second light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to enter a second recovery period;
emitting, by the laser of an LIDAR system, a second light pulse into the environment at a fifth time; and
receiving, by the photodetector, return light associated with the second light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light reaching the photodetector at a sixth time, the sixth time being after the photodetector has ended the second recovery period.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the sixth time corresponds to a region of interest in the environment.