US 9,958,545 B2Granted

Lidar system

AssigneeLuminar Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJason M. Eichenholz, Austin K. Russell, Scott R. Campbell, Alain Villeneuve, Rodger W. Cleye, Joseph G. LaChapelle, Matthew D. Weed, Lane A. Martin

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Abstract

A lidar system with a light source to emit a pulse of light and a receiver to detect a return pulse of light. The receiver can include a first channel to receive a first portion of the return pulse and produce a first digital output signal, and a second channel to receive a second portion of the return pulse and produce a second digital output signal. The receiver can include a logic circuit to produce an output electrical-edge signal in response to receiving the digital output signals. The receiver can also include a time-to-digital converter to determine a time interval based on an emission time of the pulse of light and based on the electrical-edge signal. The lidar system can also include a processor to determine a distance to a target based at least in part on the time interval.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A lidar system comprising:

a light source configured to emit a pulse of light;
a receiver configured to detect a return pulse of light which comprises at least a portion of the emitted pulse of light which is scattered by a target, the receiver comprising:
a first receiver channel configured to receive a first portion of the return pulse of light and produce a first digital output signal corresponding to the first portion of the return pulse of light;
a second receiver channel configured to receive a second portion of the return pulse of light and produce a second digital output signal corresponding to the second portion of the return pulse of light;
a logic circuit coupled to the first and second receiver channels and configured to produce an output electrical-edge signal in response to receiving the first and second digital output signals from the respective first and second receiver channels;
and
a time-to-digital converter configured to receive the electrical-edge signal from the logic circuit and determine a time interval based on an emission time of the pulse of light and based on the received electrical-edge signal;
and
a processor configured to determine a distance to the target based at least in part on the time interval.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/818,501Filed 20 Nov 2017 · continuation
Priority: 30 Nov 2015
Published: US 2018/0088236 A129 Mar 2018
Granted: 1 May 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification49 codes

G01S 17/14
Using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves: wherein a voltage or current pulse is initiated and terminated in accordance with the…
G01S 7/4804
Of systems according to group G01S17/00: auxiliary means for detecting or identifying lidar signals or the like, e.g. laser illuminators
G01S 7/4811
Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements: common to transmitter and receiver
G01S 7/4814
Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements: of transmitters alone

Family

Application62/261,214Us provisional application · filed 30 Nov 2015
Application15/364,085Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Nov 2016
Application15/470,735Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Mar 2017
US 2018/0088236 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Mar 2018
US 9,823,353 B2Parent of this continuation
US 10,557,940 B2Related patent
US 2017/0299721 A1Published application
US 2018/0364356 A1Published application
US 9,958,545 B2This patent

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