Diffractive optical element in a lidar system to correct for backscan

• US 10,061,019 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luminar Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Luminar Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Campbell, Scott R., Eichenholz, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abraham, Samantha K
• Application Number:
  US15/728,950
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/10 using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4814 of transmitters alone
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/484 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4865 Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak peak detection in noise, signal conditioning G01S7/487

Abstract

To detect return light pulses in a lidar system when scanning in the forward-scanning and reverse-scanning directions, a light source may transmit first light pulses having a first wavelength when scanning in the forward-scanning direction and may transmit second light pulses having a second wavelength when scanning in the reverse-scanning direction. A diffractive optical element (DOE) is configured to deflect the two wavelengths in opposite directions, so that light pulses are transmitted ahead of the field of view of the detector in the scanning direction of the lidar system. A controller may determine the scanning direction of a scanner in the lidar system and transmit a control signal to a light source indicative of a wavelength that corresponds to the scanning direction. The light source may then transmit light pulses at the requested wavelength.

Claims

1. A lidar system comprising:

one or more light sources configured to transmit light pulses comprising a plurality of first light pulses having a first wavelength and a plurality of second light pulses having a second wavelength;

a diffractive optical element that deflects the first and second light pulses at different angles according to the respective first and second wavelengths;

a scanner configured to scan a field of view of the one or more light sources in a forward-scanning direction during a first time interval and a reverse-scanning direction during a second time interval; and

a detector configured to detect;

scattered light from at least a portion of the first light pulses when the scanner is scanning the field of view in the forward-scanning direction during the first time interval; and

scattered light from at least a portion of the second light pulses when the scanner is scanning the field of view in the reverse-scanning direction during the second time interval.

2. The lidar system of claim 1, wherein:

the scanner alternately scans the field of view of the one or more light sources in the forward-scanning and reverse-scanning directions; and

the one or more light sources include a single light source configured to transmit the plurality of first light pulses when the scanner is scanning in the forward-scanning direction and the plurality of second light pulses when the scanner is scanning in the reverse-scanning direction.

3. The lidar system of claim 1, wherein a pixel corresponds to an angle of a field of view of the detector or the one or more light sources and the diffractive optical element is configured to:

deflect the first light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the forward-scanning direction so that, when scanning in the forward-scanning direction, each of the first light pulses is transmitted ahead of a field of view of the detector by less than or equal to one pixel; and

deflect the second light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the reverse-scanning direction so that, when scanning in the reverse-scanning direction, each of the second light pulses is transmitted ahead of the field of view of the detector by less than or equal to one pixel.

4. The lidar system of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources include a first laser diode configured to produce light at the first wavelength and a second laser diode configured to produce light at the second wavelength.

5. The lidar system of claim 1, wherein the detector is aligned with the light source such that the field of view of the light source and a field of view of the detector are at least partially overlapped.

6. The lidar system of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources include a first light source configured to transmit the plurality of first light pulses and a second light source configured to transmit the plurality of second light pulses.

7. The lidar system of claim 6, wherein the first light source transmits the plurality of first light pulses when the scanner is scanning in the forward-scanning direction and the second light source transmits the plurality of second light pulses when the scanner is scanning in the reverse-scanning direction.

8. The lidar system of claim 1, wherein a pixel corresponds to an angle of a field of view of the detector or the one or more light sources and the diffractive optical element is configured to:

deflect the first light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the forward-scanning direction; and

deflect the second light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the reverse-scanning direction.

9. A method for bi-directional scanning of a field of regard, the method comprising:

generating light pulses by one or more light sources in a lidar system, the light pulses comprising a plurality of first light pulses having a first wavelength and a plurality of second light pulses having a second wavelength;

deflecting, by a diffractive optical element in the lidar system, the first and second light pulses at different angles according to the respective first and second wavelengths;

scanning, by a scanner in the lidar system, a field of view of the one or more light sources in a forward-scanning direction during a first time interval and a reverse-scanning direction during a second time interval;

detecting, by a receiver of the lidar system, scattered light from the first light pulses when the scanner is scanning the field of view in the forward-scanning direction during the first time interval; and

detecting, by the receiver of the lidar system, scattered light from the second light pulses when the scanner is scanning the field of view in the reverse-scanning direction during the second time interval.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

scanning the field of view of the one or more light sources includes alternately scanning, by the scanner, the field of view of the one or more light sources in the forward-scanning and reverse-scanning directions; and

wherein the one or more light sources include a single light source configured to transmit the plurality of first light pulses when the scanner is scanning in the forward-scanning direction and the plurality of second light pulses when the scanner is scanning in the reverse-scanning direction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detector is aligned with the light source such that the field of view of the light source and a field of view of the detector are at least partially overlapped.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a pixel corresponds to an angle of a field of view of the detector or the one or more light sources and wherein deflecting the first and second light pulses includes:

deflecting, by the diffractive optical element, the first light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the forward-scanning direction so that, when scanning in the forward-scanning direction, each of the first light pulses is transmitted ahead of a field of view of the detector by less than or equal to one pixel; and

deflecting, by the diffractive optical element, the second light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the reverse-scanning direction so that, when scanning in the reverse-scanning direction, each of the second light pulses is transmitted ahead of the field of view of the detector by less than or equal to one pixel.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more light sources include a first laser diode configured to produce light at the first wavelength and a second laser diode configured to produce light at the second wavelength.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more light sources include a first light source configured to transmit the plurality of first light pulses and a second light source configured to transmit the plurality of second light pulses.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first light source transmits the plurality of first light pulses when the scanner is scanning in the forward-scanning direction and the second light source transmits the plurality of second light pulses when the scanner is scanning in the reverse-scanning direction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a pixel corresponds to an angle of a field of view of the detector or the light sources and wherein deflecting the first and second light pulses includes:

deflecting, by the diffractive optical element, the first light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the forward-scanning direction; and

deflecting, by the diffractive optical element, the second light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the reverse-scanning direction.

17. A controller in a lidar system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to;

determine a scanning direction of a field of view of a light source, the scanning direction including a forward-scanning direction during a first time interval or a reverse-scanning direction during a second time interval; and

in response to determining the scanning direction, provide a control signal to the light source to emit first light pulses having a first wavelength or second light pulses having a second wavelength in accordance with the scanning direction, wherein the first light pulses are emitted for the forward-scanning direction and the second light pulses are emitted for the reverse-scanning direction;

wherein a pixel corresponds to an angle of a field of view of the detector or the light source and a diffractive optical element is configured to;

deflect the first light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the forward-scanning direction so that, when scanning in the forward-scanning direction during the first time interval, each of the first light pulses is transmitted ahead of a field of view of the detector by less than or equal to one pixel; and

deflect the second light pulses by less than or equal to one pixel in the reverse-scanning direction, so that, when scanning in the reverse-scanning direction during the second time interval, each of the second light pulses is transmitted ahead of the field of view of the detector by less than or equal to one pixel.

18. The controller of claim 17, wherein the light source includes a plurality of light sources including a first light source configured to transmit the plurality of first light pulses and a second light source configured to transmit the plurality of second light pulses;

and

wherein to provide a control signal to the light source to emit first light pulses having a first wavelength or second light pulses having a second wavelength, the instructions cause the controller to provide a first control signal to the first light source to transmit the first plurality of light pulses in response to determining the forward-scanning direction and the instructions cause the controller to provide a second control signal to the second light source to transmit the second plurality of light pulses in response to determining the reverse-scanning direction.

19. The controller of claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the controller to determine the scanning direction of the field of view of the light source based at least in part on a change in the scanning direction.

20. The controller of claim 19, wherein in response to determining that the scanning direction changed, the instructions cause the controller to provide a control signal to the light source to switch from the first light pulses to the second light pulses or from the second light pulses to the first light pulses.