US 8,736,818 B2Granted

Electronically steered flash LIDAR

AssigneeBall Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

InventorsCarl S. Weimer, Tanya M. Ramond, Carl M. Adkins, Jeff T. Applegate, Thomas P. Delker, Lyle S. Ruppert

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Abstract

Methods and systems for adaptively controlling the illumination of a scene are provided. In particular, a scene is illuminated, and light reflected from the scene is detected. Information regarding levels of light intensity received by different pixels of a multiple pixel detector, corresponding to different areas within a scene, and/or information regarding a range to an area within a scene, is received. That information is then used as a feedback signal to control levels of illumination within the scene. More particularly, different areas of the scene can be provided with different levels of illumination in response to the feedback signal.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for illuminating a scene, comprising:

outputting light in a first illumination pattern, wherein the first illumination pattern includes a first plurality of beams that illuminate the scene at a first point in time;
determining at least one of an intensity of light reflected from the scene as a result of illumination of the scene by the first illumination pattern or a range to an area of the scene determined from light included in the first illumination pattern;
in response to determining the at least one of an intensity of light reflected from the scene as a result of illumination of the scene by the first illumination pattern or a range to an area of the scene determined from light included in the first illumination pattern, outputting light in a second illumination pattern, wherein the second illumination pattern includes a second plurality of beams that illuminate the scene at a second point in time, and wherein the first illumination pattern differs from the second illumination pattern.

A lidar system, including:

a light source, wherein the light source generates at least a first light pulse comprising a first beam of light;
a first acoustic optic modulator, wherein the beam of light generated by the light source is provided to the first acoustic optic modulator;
a first radio frequency driver, wherein a selected number of radio frequencies are output to the first acoustic optic modulator by the first radio frequency driver, and wherein a first illumination pattern including a number of steerable beams corresponding to the selected number of radio frequencies are output from the first acoustic optic modulator in response to the selected number of radio frequencies at a first point in time;
a focal plane array;
a controller, wherein the controller is in communication with at least the light source, the first radio frequency driver, and the focal plane array, wherein a time at which the first light pulse is generated by the light source and a time at which a return signal comprising at least some light from the first light pulse is received at the focal plane array provides range information, wherein information regarding an intensity of the return signal is provided to the controller, wherein the information regarding an intensity of the return signal is used to determine at least one parameter of a control signal provided by the controller to the first radio frequency driver, wherein the at least one parameter of the control signal provided by the controller to the first radio frequency driver is applied in outputting a second illumination pattern at a second point in time, and wherein the first and second illumination patterns are different from one another.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.