Adjustable Pulse Characteristics for Ground Detection in Lidar Systems
AssigneeLuminar Technologies, Inc.
InventorJason M. Eichenholz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method in a lidar system for scanning a field of regard of the lidar system is provided. The method includes identifying, within the field of regard, a ground portion that overlaps a region of ground located ahead of the lidar system; causing a light source to emit pulses of light; scanning at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light along a scan pattern contained within the field of regard, including adjusting a scan parameter so that at least one of a resolution or a pulse energy for the ground portion of the field of regard is modified relative to another portion of the field of regard; and detecting at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by one or more remote targets.
Claims36
A lidar system comprising:
- a light source configured to emit pulses of light;
- a scanner configured to scan at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light along a scan pattern contained within a field of regard of the lidar system, wherein the field of regard includes a ground portion that overlaps a region of ground located ahead of the lidar system;
- a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by one or more remote targets;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- identify the ground portion of the field of regard, and
- when the emitted pulses scan the ground portion of the field of regard during a subsequent scan of the field of regard, adjust a pulse energy for the ground portion of the field of regard so that the pulse energy for the ground portion is modified relative to another portion of the field of regard.
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A method in a lidar system for scanning a field of regard of the lidar system, the method comprising:
- identifying, within the field of regard, a ground portion that overlaps a region of ground located ahead of the lidar system;
- causing a light source to emit pulses of light;
- scanning at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light along a scan pattern contained within the field of regard, including adjusting a pulse energy for the ground portion of the field of regard so that the pulse energy for the ground portion is modified relative to another portion of the field of regard;
- and
- detecting at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by one or more remote targets.
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An autonomous vehicle comprising:
- vehicle maneuvering components to effectuate at least steering, acceleration, and braking of the autonomous vehicle;
- and
- a lidar system including:
- a light source configured to emit pulses of light,
- a scanner configured to scan at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light along a scan pattern contained within a field of regard of the lidar system, wherein the field of regard includes a ground portion that overlaps a region of ground located ahead of the lidar system, and
- a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by one or more remote targets;
- and
- a vehicle controller communicatively coupled to the vehicle maneuvering components and the lidar system, the vehicle controller configured to control the vehicle maneuvering components using the signals generated by the lidar system;
- wherein the lidar system is configured to:
- identify the ground portion of the field of regard, and
- when the emitted pulses scan the ground portion of the field of regard during a subsequent scan of the field of regard, adjust a pulse energy for the ground portion of the field of regard so that the pulse energy for the ground portion is modified relative to another portion of the field of regard.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.