Optical resolution in front of a vehicle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A lidar system comprising:
- a light source configured to emit light pulses;
a scanner configured to scan a field of view of the light source across a field of regard of the lidar system, including direct the light pulses at different angles relative to a forward-facing direction toward different points within the field of regard; and
a receiver configured to detect light from some of the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse, the receiver including;
a lens having a lens plane, wherein the lens is configured to focus the return light pulse; and
a plurality of photodetectors arranged on a detector plane behind the lens, wherein the detector plane is nonparallel to the lens plane to generate a wedge shaped depth of field.
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Abstract
To solve depth of field issues when scanning, transmitting, and receiving light pulses in a lidar system, a receiver in the lidar system may include a lens having a lens plane in front of one or several photodetectors arranged on a detector plane. The lens plane and the detector plane may be nonparallel with respect to each other creating a wedge shaped depth of field. In this manner, return light pulses from far away and nearby targets may stay in focus.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A lidar system comprising:
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a light source configured to emit light pulses; a scanner configured to scan a field of view of the light source across a field of regard of the lidar system, including direct the light pulses at different angles relative to a forward-facing direction toward different points within the field of regard; and a receiver configured to detect light from some of the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse, the receiver including; a lens having a lens plane, wherein the lens is configured to focus the return light pulse; and a plurality of photodetectors arranged on a detector plane behind the lens, wherein the detector plane is nonparallel to the lens plane to generate a wedge shaped depth of field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for improving optical resolution in front of a vehicle when detecting light from light pulses scattered by remote targets in a lidar system, the method comprising:
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emitting light pulses by a light source in a lidar system; scanning, by a scanner in the lidar system, a field of view of the light source across a field of regard of the lidar system, including directing the light pulses toward different points within the field of regard; generating a wedge shaped depth of field for detecting light from some of the light pulses scattered by one more remote targets at a receiver in the lidar system, including; configuring a lens having a lens plane to focus the light pulses at a plurality of photodetectors arranged on a detector plane behind the lens; and arranging the lens and the plurality of photodetectors such that the detector plane for the plurality of photodetectors is nonparallel to the lens plane for the lens; and detecting, by the receiver having the wedge shaped depth of field, light from some of the light pulses scattered by the one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An autonomous vehicle comprising:
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one or more components configured to maneuver the autonomous vehicle; a lidar system configured to detect objects within a threshold distance of the autonomous vehicle, the lidar system including; a light source configured to emit light pulses; a scanner configured to scan a field of view of the light source across a field of regard of the lidar system, including direct the light pulses at different angles relative to a forward-facing direction toward different points within the field of regard; and a receiver configured to detect light from some of the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse to generate respective pixels corresponding to a point cloud representing the field of regard, the receiver including; a lens having a lens plane, wherein the lens is configured to focus the return light pulse; and a plurality of photodetectors arranged on a detector plane behind the lens, wherein the detector plane is nonparallel to the lens plane to generate a wedge shaped depth of field; and a controller configured to provide control signals to the one or more components to maneuver the autonomous vehicle in accordance with data from the point cloud. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification