US 2018/0003803 A1 · OPTICAL SYSTEMS FOR REMOTE SENSING RECEIVERS

Abstract

Optical systems that may, for example, be used in remote sensing systems, for example in systems that implement combining laser pulse transmission in LiDAR and that include dual transmit and receive systems. A dual receiver system may include a receiver including an optical system with a relatively small aperture and wide field of view for capturing reflected light from short-range (e.g., <20 meters) objects, and a receiver that includes an optical system with a relatively large aperture and small field of view for capturing reflected light from long-range (e.g., >20 meters) objects. The optical systems may refract the reflected light to photodetectors (e.g., single photo-avalanche detectors (SPADs)) that capture the light. Light captured at the photodetectors may, for example, be used to determine range information for objects or surfaces in the environment.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A remote sensing system, comprising:

two transmitters that transmit light through a common optical path to an object field;
and
two receivers that detect reflections of the transmitted light received at the system through the common optical path, wherein the two receivers include:
a short-range optical system including a plurality of refractive lens elements that refract a portion of the light reflected from a range of 20 meters or less to a first sensor that captures the light, wherein field of view of the short-range optical system is between 45 and 65 degrees, and wherein F-number of the short-range optical system is 2.0 or less;
and
a long-range optical system including a plurality of refractive lens elements that refract a portion of the light reflected from a range of 20 meters or more to a second sensor that captures the light, wherein field of view of the long-range optical system is 15 degrees or less, and wherein F-number of the long-range optical system is 1.2 or less.

3 more elements

A long-range optical system for receiving reflected light from an object field, comprising:

five refractive lens elements that refract light reflected from a range of 20 meters or more to a photodetector, wherein surfaces of the refractive lens elements are spherical, even-aspheric, or flat/plano surfaces;
wherein field of view of the optical system is 15 degrees or less, and wherein F-number of the optical system is 1.2 or less.

A short-range optical system for receiving reflected light from an object field, comprising:

a plurality of refractive lens elements that refract light reflected from a range of 20 meters or less to a photodetector, wherein surfaces of the refractive lens elements are spherical, even-aspheric, or flat/plano surfaces;
wherein field of view of the short-range optical system is between 45 and 65 degrees, and wherein F-number of the short-range optical system is 2.0 or less.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical systems for remote sensing receivers

Life of this patent

Optical systems for remote sensing receivers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21