Retro-reflectometer for measuring retro-reflectivity of objects in an outdoor environment
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorHui Seong Son
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes an optical emitter configured to emit a first optical signal along an optical path towards a target object in an outdoor environment. The apparatus includes an optical detector positioned collinearly with respect to the optical emitter. The optical detector is configured to detect a second optical signal that is retro-reflected from the target object. The apparatus includes a lock-in amplifier coupled to the optical detector. The lock-in amplifier is configured to generate, based on the first optical signal and the second optical signal, a signal indicative of a retro-reflectivity of the target object in the outdoor environment.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- an optical emitter configured to emit a first optical signal along an optical path towards a target object in an outdoor environment;
- an optical detector positioned collinearly to the optical emitter with respect to an optical axis corresponding to the optical emitter, the optical detector configured to detect a second optical signal that is retro-reflected from the target object;
- and
- a lock-in amplifier coupled to the optical detector, the lock-in amplifier configured to generate, based on the first optical signal and the second optical signal, a signal indicative of a retro-reflectivity of the target object in the outdoor environment.
A method comprising:
- emitting, by an optical emitter, a first optical signal along an optical path towards a target object in an outdoor environment;
- detecting, by an optical detector positioned collinearly to the optical emitter with respect an optical axis corresponding to the optical emitter, a second optical signal that is retro-reflected from the target object;
- and
- generating a signal indicative of a retro-reflectivity of the target object in the outdoor environment based on the first optical signal and the second optical signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.