System and Method For LIDAR Signal Conditioning
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorsHarvey Weinberg, Robert Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments provide systems and methods that allow a LIDAR system to sense nearby objects with relatively low-cost elements, and fewer elements than traditional LIDAR systems by sampling an infrared pulse at a high sample rate and storing the samples in the analog domain. The samples may then be digitized at a rate slower than the sample rate.
Claims20
A method of processing an analog signal, the method comprising:
- capturing, at a sampling frequency, a plurality of samples of the analog signal in the analog domain, such that the plurality of samples represents the analog signal at a plurality of sequential times;
- storing each of the plurality of samples in a corresponding plurality of analog storage elements;
- and
- sequentially retrieving, at a retrieval frequency, each of the plurality of stored samples from the plurality of analog storage elements, the retrieval frequency being slower than the sampling frequency.
A method of detecting an object using infrared pulses, comprising:
- transmitting a plurality of infrared pulses from an infrared transmitter;
- receiving, at an infrared receiver, a plurality of infrared reflections, the plurality of infrared reflections comprising reflections of the transmitted pulses from the object;
- in a sample capture phase, for each of the plurality of infrared reflections:
- capturing a plurality of analog samples at a plurality of distinct sample times;
- and
- summing, in the analog domain, each of the plurality of analog samples with all samples from corresponding sample times from all previous infrared reflections, in a corresponding plurality of analog storage elements, such that each of the plurality of analog storage elements stores an analog value representing a sum of corresponding samples.
A system for sampling a plurality of infrared pulses impinging on a receiver, the system comprising:
- an infrared receiver configured to provide an analog output as a function of infrared radiation impinging on the infrared receiver;
- a switching network comprising a first terminal coupled to the infrared receiver and configured to receive the analog output, and a plurality of output terminals;
- and
- a plurality of analog storage elements, each of the analog storage elements coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of output terminals and configured to hold a plurality of sequential samples,
- such that, in a sample capture configuration, the analog output of the infrared receiver may be sequentially coupled via the switching network to the plurality of analog storage elements to as to sequentially capture, in each of the analog storage elements, a plurality of samples.
A system for sampling a plurality of infrared pulses impinging on a receiver, the system comprising:
- transducing means configured to convert the plurality of infrared pulses to a corresponding plurality of current pulses;
- sampling means configured to sample, in the analog domain, the plurality of current pulses;
- means for summing, in the analog domain, the plurality of current pulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.