Hybrid lidar system
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorsScott W. Ramsey, Jonathan C. Jarok, James B. Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hybrid LIDAR system 100 includes a flash-based LIDAR detector array. A broad laser emitter is operatively connected to the LIDAR detector array for flash-based LIDAR sensing. A first beam steering mechanism is operatively connected with the broad laser emitter for scanning a scene with a broad beam from the broad laser emitter. A second beam steering mechanism is operatively connected with the LIDAR detector array for directing returns of the broad beam from the scene to the LIDAR detector array.
Claims18
A hybrid LIDAR system comprising:
- a flash-based LIDAR detector array;
- a broad laser emitter operatively connected to the LIDAR detector array for flash-based LIDAR sensing;
- a first beam steering mechanism operatively connected with the broad laser emitter for scanning a scene with a broad beam from the broad laser emitter;
- and
- a second beam steering mechanism operatively connected with the LIDAR detector array for directing returns of the broad beam from the scene to the LIDAR detector array.
A hybrid LIDAR system comprising:
- a platform;
- a flash-based LIDAR detector array mounted to the platform;
- a broad laser emitter mounted to the platform and operatively connected to the LIDAR detector array for flash-based LIDAR sensing;
- a first Risley prism pair mounted to the platform and optically coupled to the broad laser emitter for scanning a scene with a broad beam from the broad laser emitter;
- a second Risley prism pair mounted to the platform and optically coupled to the LIDAR detector array for directing returns of the broad beam from the scene to the LIDAR detector array;
- at least one controller operatively connected to the first and second Risley prism pairs to maintain alignment of the LIDAR detector array and the broad laser emitter and to control LIDAR actuation;
- at least one sensor subsystem operatively connected to the platform for generating metadata associated with returns of the broad beam detected by the LIDAR detector array;
- and
- a real-time computer operatively connected to the at least one sensor subsystem and to the LIDAR detector array to associate metadata from the at least one sensor subsystem with LIDAR data from the LIDAR detector array.
A method of generating LIDAR data comprising:
- directing a laser beam from a wide beam laser emitter through a first beam steering mechanism to scan a scene;
- directing returns of the laser beam from the scene with a second beam steering mechanism to a LIDAR detector array;
- generating time of flight data for returns of the laser beam for a plurality of detector points in the LIDAR detector array for each pulse of the laser beam;
- and
- associating positional data with the time of flight data to generate LIDAR data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.