Lidar with smart safety-conscious laser intensity
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- generating with a laser range finder, having a field of view;
a first set of laser pulses in an adaptive-intensity region of the field of view, each with an intensity at the laser range finder above a threshold intensity; and
a guard set of laser pulses in a guard region of the field of view, each with an intensity at the laser range finder at or below the threshold intensity;
detecting with a detector in the laser range finder a set of laser reflections from the guard set of laser pulses;
sensing a trajectory of an object using the set of laser reflections and determining if the trajectory of the object is directed into the adaptive-intensity region; and
in response to sensing the trajectory of the object, discontinuing the first set of laser pulses and generating a second set of laser pulses in the adaptive-intensity region each with an intensity at the laser range finder at or below the threshold intensity when the trajectory of the object is directed into the adaptive-intensity region.
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Abstract
In one embodiment a laser range finder generates high-intensity laser pulses with intensities above a threshold intensity (e.g. above an eye-safe intensity) in an adaptive-intensity region of the field of view. The laser range finder further generates lower intensity (e.g. eye-safe) laser pulses in a protective guard region (e.g. a guard ring) that surrounds the high-intensity laser pulses. The guard region is located in the FOV such that ingress paths to the adaptive-intensity region must first traverse the lower-intensity guard region. The laser range finder analyzes laser reflections from the guard region to improve timely prediction of object intrusion into the adaptive-intensity region, thereby providing time to determine object trajectory or object classification. Upon determination that an object is likely to intersect the high-intensity laser pulses the laser range finder can discontinue the high-intensity laser pulses and instead generate laser pulses below the threshold intensity (e.g. eye-safe intensity laser pulses).
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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generating with a laser range finder, having a field of view; a first set of laser pulses in an adaptive-intensity region of the field of view, each with an intensity at the laser range finder above a threshold intensity; and a guard set of laser pulses in a guard region of the field of view, each with an intensity at the laser range finder at or below the threshold intensity; detecting with a detector in the laser range finder a set of laser reflections from the guard set of laser pulses; sensing a trajectory of an object using the set of laser reflections and determining if the trajectory of the object is directed into the adaptive-intensity region; and in response to sensing the trajectory of the object, discontinuing the first set of laser pulses and generating a second set of laser pulses in the adaptive-intensity region each with an intensity at the laser range finder at or below the threshold intensity when the trajectory of the object is directed into the adaptive-intensity region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method comprising:
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generating with a laser range finder, having a field of view and a detector, a first set of laser pulses in an adaptive-intensity region of the field of view, each with an intensity at the laser range finder above a threshold intensity, and a guard set of laser pulses in a guard region of the field of view, each with an intensity at the laser range finder at or below the threshold intensity; detecting with the detector a set of laser reflections corresponding to the guard set of laser pulses and thereby generating reflection data; sensing a trajectory of an object using the set of laser reflections comprising;
processing at least some of the reflection data to identify one or more aspects of the object in the guard region including the trajectory, and determining if the trajectory of the object is directed into the adaptive-intensity region; andin response to identifying the one or more aspects of the object, discontinuing the first set of laser pulses and generating a second set of laser pulses in the adaptive-intensity region each with an intensity at the laser range finder at or below the threshold intensity before the object enters the adaptive-intensity region when the trajectory of the object is directed into the adaptive-intensity region. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A laser range finder comprising:
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a steerable laser assembly comprising one or more laser generators; to generate a first set of laser pulses in an adaptive-intensity region of a field of view, each with an intensity at the laser range finder above a threshold intensity; and to generate a guard set of laser pulses in a guard region of the field of view, each with an intensity at the laser range finder at or below the threshold intensity; a detector to detect a set of laser reflections from the guard region, corresponding to the guard set of laser pulses; and electronic circuitry operably coupled to the detector; to sense, using the set of laser reflections, at least one aspect of an object in the guard region including a trajectory, and to determine if the trajectory of the object is directed into the adaptive-intensity region; and in response to sensing the at least one aspect of the object in the guard region, to instruct the steerable laser assembly to discontinue the first set of laser pulses and to generate a second set of laser pulses in the adaptive-intensity region, each with an intensity at the laser range finder at or below the threshold intensity before the object enters the adaptive-intensity region when the trajectory of the object is directed into the adaptive-intensity region. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification