US 2020/0348404 A1 · LASER POWER CALIBRATION AND CORRECTION

Abstract

A LIDAR system emits laser pulses, wherein each pulse is associated with a power level. A laser emitter is adjusted during operation of a LIDAR system using power profile data associated with the laser. The power profile data is obtained during a calibration procedure and includes information that associates charge duration for a laser power supply with the actual power output by laser. The power profiles can be used during operation of the LIDAR system. A laser pulse can be emitted, the reflected light from the pulse received and analyzed, and the power of the next pulse can be adjusted based on a lookup within the power profile for the laser. For instance, if the power returned from a pulse is too high (e.g., above some specified threshold), the power of the next pulse is reduced to a specific value based on the power profile.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a laser light source to emit emitted light;
a light sensor that produces light signals in response to sensing reflected light associated with the emitted light;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to the laser light source, the controller being operative to:
cause a charge circuit to charge for a charge duration to emit the emitted light;
sense the reflected light associated with the emitted light;
and
store an association between the charge duration and a property of the reflected light in a profile.

5 more elements

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

causing a charge circuit included in an electrical circuit to charge for a specified charge duration to emit emitted light;
sensing, using a light sensor, reflected light associated with the emitted light;
and
storing an association between the specified charge duration and a property of the reflected light in a profile.

1 more element

A method, comprising:

causing a charge circuit included in an electrical circuit to charge for a specified charge duration to emit emitted light;
sensing, using a light sensor, reflected light associated with the emitted light;
and
storing an association between the specified charge duration and a property of the reflected light in a profile.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/947,137Filed 20 Jul 2020

Priority

30 Dec 2016

Published

5 Nov 2020

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G01S 7/497
Of systems according to group G01S17/00: means for monitoring or calibrating
G01S 7/484
Details of pulse systems: transmitters
G01S 7/4868
Receivers: controlling received signal intensity or exposure of sensor
G01S 17/06
Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves: systems determining position data of a target

Family

Application62/440,734Us provisional application · filed 30 Dec 2016

Application15/487,170Continuation · filed 13 Apr 2017

Application16/100,757Continuation · filed 10 Aug 2018

Application16/947,137Continuation

US 10,048,358 B2Related patent

US 10,718,857 B1Related patent

US 11,231,490 B2Related patent

US 2018/0188360 A1Published application

US 2020/0348404 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Laser power calibration and correction

Life of this patent

Laser power calibration and correction

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20