Adaptive control of Ladar shot selection using spatial index of prior Ladar return data
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An adaptive ladar system comprising:
- a ladar transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of ladar pulse shots into a coordinate space toward a plurality of range points;
a ladar receiver configured to receive incident light and detect ladar returns based on the received incident light;
a memory configured to store data about a plurality of ladar returns from prior ladar pulse shots in a spatial index, the spatial index associating the ladar return data with a plurality of locations in the coordinate space; and
a processor configured to adapt a shot selection for the ladar transmitter based on an analysis of the ladar return data in the spatial index associated with locations within a defined vicinity of an identified location in the coordinate space, wherein the adapted shot selection includes a new ladar pulse shot that targets a defined range point in the coordinate space;
wherein the ladar transmitter is further configured to transmit the new ladar pulse shot toward the defined range point; and
wherein the processor is further configured to add synthetic ladar return data to a plurality of range points in a ladar frame based on the analysis, and wherein the adapted shot selection comprises an elimination of a plurality of ladar shots that were targeted toward range points corresponding to the added synthetic ladar return data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein are examples of ladar systems and methods where data about a plurality of ladar returns from prior ladar pulse shots gets stored in a spatial index that associates ladar return data with corresponding locations in a coordinate space to which the ladar return data pertain. This spatial index can then be accessed by a processor to retrieve ladar return data for locations in the coordinate space that are near a range point to be targeted by the ladar system with a new ladar pulse shot. This nearby prior ladar return data can then be analyzed by the ladar system to help adapt a shot selection for use by the ladar system with respect to new ladar pulse shots.
202 Citations
70 Claims
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1. An adaptive ladar system comprising:
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a ladar transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of ladar pulse shots into a coordinate space toward a plurality of range points; a ladar receiver configured to receive incident light and detect ladar returns based on the received incident light; a memory configured to store data about a plurality of ladar returns from prior ladar pulse shots in a spatial index, the spatial index associating the ladar return data with a plurality of locations in the coordinate space; and a processor configured to adapt a shot selection for the ladar transmitter based on an analysis of the ladar return data in the spatial index associated with locations within a defined vicinity of an identified location in the coordinate space, wherein the adapted shot selection includes a new ladar pulse shot that targets a defined range point in the coordinate space; wherein the ladar transmitter is further configured to transmit the new ladar pulse shot toward the defined range point; and wherein the processor is further configured to add synthetic ladar return data to a plurality of range points in a ladar frame based on the analysis, and wherein the adapted shot selection comprises an elimination of a plurality of ladar shots that were targeted toward range points corresponding to the added synthetic ladar return data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An adaptive ladar system comprising:
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a ladar transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of ladar pulse shots into a coordinate space toward a plurality of range points; a ladar receiver configured to receive incident light and detect ladar returns based on the received incident light; a memory configured to store data about a plurality of ladar returns from prior ladar pulse shots in a spatial index, the spatial index associating the ladar return data with a plurality of locations in the coordinate space; and a processor configured to adapt a shot selection for the ladar transmitter based on an analysis of the ladar return data in the spatial index associated with locations within a defined vicinity of an identified location in the coordinate space, wherein the adapted shot selection includes a new ladar pulse shot that targets a defined range point in the coordinate space; wherein the ladar transmitter is further configured to transmit the new ladar pulse shot toward the defined range point; wherein the processor is further configured to compute a static scene intensity map based on the analysis; and wherein the adaptive shot selection comprises a reduction in a number of ladar shots that are targeted toward elements of the static scene intensity map. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An adaptive ladar system comprising:
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a ladar transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of ladar pulse shots into a coordinate space toward a plurality of range points; a ladar receiver configured to receive incident light and detect ladar returns based on the received incident light; a memory configured to store data about a plurality of ladar returns from prior ladar pulse shots in a spatial index, the spatial index associating the ladar return data with a plurality of locations in the coordinate space; and a processor configured to adapt a shot selection for the ladar transmitter based on an analysis of the ladar return data in the spatial index associated with locations within a defined vicinity of an identified location in the coordinate space, wherein the adapted shot selection includes a new ladar pulse shot that targets a defined range point in the coordinate space; wherein the ladar transmitter is further configured to transmit the new ladar pulse shot toward the defined range point; and wherein the ladar transmitter and the processor are configured to generate a rolling ladar frame based on a rolling shutter technique. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An adaptive ladar system comprising:
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a ladar transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of ladar pulse shots into a coordinate space toward a plurality of range points; a ladar receiver configured to receive incident light and detect ladar returns based on the received incident light; a memory configured to store data about a plurality of ladar returns from prior ladar pulse shots in a spatial index, the spatial index associating the ladar return data with a plurality of locations in the coordinate space; and a processor configured to adapt a shot selection for the ladar transmitter based on an analysis of the ladar return data in the spatial index associated with locations within a defined vicinity of an identified location in the coordinate space, wherein the adapted shot selection includes a new ladar pulse shot that targets a defined range point in the coordinate space; wherein the ladar transmitter is further configured to transmit the new ladar pulse shot toward the defined range point; wherein the adapted shot selection comprises an adapted shot location for the new ladar pulse shot; and wherein the processor is further configured to (1) compute optical flow data for a plurality of ladar frames, and (2) use the spatial index to interpolate intensity data with respect to the computed optical flow data to build a static object intensity map for a scene. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An adaptive ladar system comprising:
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a ladar transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of ladar pulse shots into a coordinate space toward a plurality of range points; a ladar receiver configured to receive incident light and detect ladar returns based on the received incident light; a memory configured to store data about a plurality of ladar returns from prior ladar pulse shots in a spatial index, the spatial index associating the ladar return data with a plurality of locations in the coordinate space; and a processor configured to adapt a shot selection for the ladar transmitter based on an analysis of the ladar return data in the spatial index associated with locations within a defined vicinity of an identified location in the coordinate space, wherein the adapted shot selection includes a new ladar pulse shot that targets a defined range point in the coordinate space; wherein the ladar transmitter is further configured to transmit the new ladar pulse shot toward the defined range point wherein the adapted shot selection comprises an adapted shot time for the new ladar pulse shot; and wherein the processor is further configured to (1) compute optical flow data for a plurality of ladar frames, and (2) use the spatial index to interpolate intensity data with respect to the computed optical flow data to build a static object intensity map for a scene. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method for adaptively controlling a ladar system that interrogates a coordinate space with a plurality of ladar pulse shots, the method comprising:
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spatially indexing ladar return data for a plurality of prior ladar pulse shots by location in the coordinate space; adapting a shot selection for the ladar system based on a look up and analysis of spatially indexed ladar return data for locations in the coordinate space that are within a defined vicinity around a targeted location in the coordinate space; transmitting ladar pulse shots toward targeted locations in the coordinate space based on the adapted shot selection; and adding synthetic ladar return data to a plurality of range points in a ladar frame based on the analysis, and wherein the adapted shot selection comprises an elimination of a plurality of ladar shots that were targeted toward range points corresponding to the added synthetic ladar return data.
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59. An adaptive ladar system comprising:
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a ladar transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of ladar pulse shots into a coordinate space toward a plurality of range points; a memory that spatially indexes ladar return data for prior ladar pulse shots by location in the coordinate space; and a processor configured to compute a static scene intensity map based on a look up and analysis of spatially indexed ladar return data stored in the memory for locations in the coordinate space that are within a defined vicinity around locations in the coordinate space classified as being static objects. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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Specification