Lidar device having a smart power management system and an operating method of the lidar device implementing the smart power management system

A Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) device with a smart power management system comprising:

• a laser emitting unit configured to emit laser;
• a laser detecting unit configured to detect laser emitted from the laser emitting unit;
• and
• a controller configured to operate the LiDAR device in a first operation mode and a second operation mode in which a power consumption per unit time is lower than a power consumption per unit time of the first operation mode,
• wherein, in response to the LiDAR device operating in the first operation mode, a first sampling period for obtaining a first point data and a second sampling period for obtaining a second point data are sequential,
• wherein in the first sampling period a first emitter is configured to emit laser N times, and in the second sampling period a second emitter is configured to emit laser M times, wherein the first emitter is different from the second emitter,
• wherein a first time interval is provided between the first sampling period and the second sampling period,
• wherein in response to the LiDAR device operating in the second operation mode, a third sampling period for obtaining a third point data and a fourth sampling period for obtaining a fourth point data are sequential,
• wherein in the third sampling period the first emitter is configured to emit laser L times, and in the fourth sampling period a third emitter is configured to emit laser P times,
• wherein a second time interval is provided between the third sampling period and the fourth sampling period,
• wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval, wherein N, M, L, and P are each integers greater than 1, and
• wherein the controller is configured to operate such that the power consumption per unit time in the second operation mode is lower than the power consumption per unit time in the first operation mode by satisfying any one of the following conditions;
• i) a first condition where the third emitter is set to be the same as the second emitter, the N is set equal to the L, the M is set equal to the P, and the second time interval is set to be longer than the first time interval so as to reduce a frame generation rate,
• ii) a second condition where the third emitter is set to be the same as the second emitter, the second time interval is set to be longer than the first time interval, and the Lis set to be less than the N and the P is set to be less than the M, so that the frame generation rate is maintained in both the first and second operation modes, while the power consumption in the second operation mode is reduced compared to the first operation mode, or
• iii) a third condition where the N is set equal to the L, the M is set equal to the P, the second time interval is set to be longer than the first time interval, the third emitter is configured such that a distance between the third emitter and the first emitter is greater than a distance between the second emitter and the first emitter, so that the frame generation rate is maintained in both the first and second operation mode, while the power consumption in the second operation mode is reduced compared to the first operation mode, and a number of point data included in a frame data generated in the second operation mode is smaller than a number of point data included in a frame data generated in the first operation mode.