Direct detection LiDAR system and method with frequency modulation (FM) transmitter and quadrature receiver
First Claim
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1. A LiDAR system, comprising:
- a signal generator for generating an output signal having a variable frequency;
a modulation circuit for receiving the output signal from the signal generator and applying the output signal from the signal generator to an optical signal to generate an envelope-modulated optical signal having a frequency-modulated modulation envelope;
optical transmission elements for transmitting the envelope-modulated optical signal into a region;
optical receiving elements for receiving reflected optical signals from the region; and
receive signal processing circuitry for receiving the reflected optical signals and using quadrature detection to process the reflected optical signals, wherein the receive signal processing circuitry includes phase shifting circuitry for splitting the output signal from the signal generator into a pair of split signals and applying a phase shift to one of the pair of split signals to generate a first LO signal and a second phase-shifted LO signal, the first LO signal and the second phase shifted LO signal being applied to respective second inputs of respective ones of the pair of I/O mixers.
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Abstract
A LiDAR system and method include a signal generator generating an output signal having a variable frequency. A modulation circuit receives the output signal from the signal generator and applies the output signal from the signal generator to an optical signal to generate an envelope-modulated optical signal having a frequency-modulated (FM) modulation envelope. Optical transmission elements transmit the envelope-modulated optical signal into a region. Optical receiving elements receive reflected optical signals from the region. Receive signal processing circuitry receives the reflected optical signals and uses quadrature detection to process the reflected optical signals.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A LiDAR system, comprising:
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a signal generator for generating an output signal having a variable frequency; a modulation circuit for receiving the output signal from the signal generator and applying the output signal from the signal generator to an optical signal to generate an envelope-modulated optical signal having a frequency-modulated modulation envelope; optical transmission elements for transmitting the envelope-modulated optical signal into a region; optical receiving elements for receiving reflected optical signals from the region; and receive signal processing circuitry for receiving the reflected optical signals and using quadrature detection to process the reflected optical signals, wherein the receive signal processing circuitry includes phase shifting circuitry for splitting the output signal from the signal generator into a pair of split signals and applying a phase shift to one of the pair of split signals to generate a first LO signal and a second phase-shifted LO signal, the first LO signal and the second phase shifted LO signal being applied to respective second inputs of respective ones of the pair of I/O mixers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification