# US 2022/0035032 A1 · Lidar system and method

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- Number: US 2022/0035032 A1
- Document ID: US20220035032A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/371,347
- Filed: 2021-07-09
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-07
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Mark Marshall Meyers; Michael Feldmann; Loucas Tsakalakos
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220035032A1

## CPC

- G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48)
- G01S 7/4812: {transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path}
- G01S 7/4814: {of transmitters alone}
- G01S 7/4815: {using multiple transmitters}
- G01S 7/4816: {of receivers alone}
- G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning}
- G01S 17/10: using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32)
- G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46)
- G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging
- G01S 17/931: of land vehicles
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system includes light sources configured to generate separate beams of light, a lens array configured to receive the separate beams of light from the light sources and to collimate the separate beams of light into collimated outgoing light that is directed toward an examined area of interest, a light sensitive detector configured to sense reflection of at least part of the collimated outgoing light, and one or more processors configured to determine a distance to one or more objects off which the at least part of the collimated outgoing light was reflected toward the light sensitive detector. The one or more processors are configured to determine the distance based on the reflection of the at least part of the collimated outgoing light.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light detection system comprising:
light sources configured to generate separate beams of light;
a lens array configured to collimate the generated beams of light into outgoing light collimated in first and second directions, the second direction being different from the first direction;
first and second mirrors configured to respectively move the collimated outgoing light in the first and second directions, the movement sweeping the collimated outgoing light in the first and second directions across a field of regard to reflect off an object;
a detector configured to sense at least part of the reflected light; and
one or more processors configured to determine a distance to the object based upon characteristics of the sensed reflected light.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light detection system of claim 1, wherein the system is a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The light detection system of claim 1, wherein the first and second direction include horizontal and vertical directions, respectively.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The light detection system of claim 1, wherein the lens array includes plural lenses positioned to each receive a different beam of light from the separate beams of light.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The light detection system of claim 1, further comprising a polarizing beam splitter disposed between the (i) lens array and (ii) the first mirror and the second mirrors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The light detection system of claim 1, wherein the first and second mirrors are scanning mirrors.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The light detection system of claim 6, wherein one or more of the first scanning mirror or the second scanning mirror is configured to sweep and reflect the collimated outgoing light back-and-forth across the field of regard.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The light detection system of claim 1, further comprising a thermoelectric cooler interconnected with the light sources.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The light detection system of claim 1, further comprising a window through which the collimated outgoing light passes after exiting the lens array, wherein the window includes an antireflection layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The light detection system of claim 1, further comprising an antireflection layer on the lens array.