SCANNING SYSTEM FOR LIDAR

• US 20100053715A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonosys, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autonosys, Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Kevin, Moore, William T., O'Neill, James, Bruce, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/199.300
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 Alignment of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/105 with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors G02B26/101 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a scanning system optimized for lidar that includes a nodding mirror, a rotary electromagnetic drive, a rotary optical encoder, and control circuitry. The rotary electromagnetic drive includes a yoke incorporating a permanent magnet, and an arm having a coil at one end of the arm. The coil is enclosed within the yoke, and an opposite end of the arm is coupled to the nodding mirror, such that movement of the coil within the yoke in response to a current causes the nodding mirror to rotate. The rotary optical encoder produces an output signal in response to rotation of the nodding mirror, which serves as feedback to the control circuitry. The control circuitry adjusts the current provided to the rotary electromagnetic drive in response to the output signal, such that the nodding mirror rotates in a reference scan pattern.

Claims

1. A scanning system for lidar comprising:

a nodding mirror having a nodding axis and a centered position;

a rotary electromagnetic drive configured to rotate the nodding mirror clockwise and counterclockwise about the nodding axis, comprising;

a yoke including a permanent magnet, and

an arm including a coil at one end of the arm,

wherein the coil is enclosed within the yoke, and an opposite end of the arm is coupled to the nodding mirror, such that movement of the coil within the yoke in response to a current causes the nodding mirror to rotate;

a rotary optical encoder configured to produce an output signal in response to rotation of the nodding mirror; and

control circuitry configured to adjust the current provided to the rotary electromagnetic drive in response to the output signal of the rotary optical encoder, such that the nodding mirror rotates in a reference scan pattern.

2. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the arm of the rotary electromagnetic drive is coupled to one end of the nodding mirror, and the rotary optical encoder is coupled to an opposite end of the nodding mirror.

3. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the yoke is shaped as a circular arc, and the nodding mirror is coupled to the arm at a distance of a radius of the circular arc from the coil.

4. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the yoke includes a core and a shell, wherein a plurality of permanent magnets are mounted on the shell, such that like magnetic poles of the permanent magnets face the core.

5. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the rotary optical encoder produces a sinusoidal output signal.

6. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is programmed with the reference scan pattern.

7. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is programmed with a plurality of scan patterns, further comprising a human-machine interface for selecting the reference scan pattern.

8. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry comprises a position-counting circuit configured to determine an angular position of the nodding mirror, and a velocity-control circuit configured to control an angular velocity of the nodding mirror.

9. The scanning system of claim 5 wherein the control circuitry comprises an interpolation circuit configured to interpolate the output signal of the rotary optical encoder.

10. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the reference scan pattern is a triangular scan pattern.

11. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the reference scan pattern includes a reference angular range and a reference angular velocity, wherein the reference angular velocity varies in magnitude over the reference angular range.

12. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the reference scan pattern is a sinusoidal scan pattern.

13. The scanning system of claim 6 further comprising a computer configured to select an updated reference scan pattern and to reprogram the control circuitry with the updated reference scan pattern while the scanning system is in operation.

14. The scanning system of claim 6 further comprising a human-machine interface for reprogramming the control circuitry with an updated reference scan pattern while the scanning system is in operation.

15. The scanning system of claim 1 further comprising a pitch-angle detector configured to produce an output signal in response to a pitch angle of the scanning system, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust the reference scan pattern in response to the output signal of the pitch-angle detector.

16. The scanning system of claim 1 wherein the nodding mirror has a rotation axis, further comprising a rotary drive configured to rotate the nodding mirror about the rotation axis.

17. The scanning system of claim 16 wherein the rotation axis is orthogonal to the nodding axis and is at an angle of 45 degrees to the centered position.

18. The scanning system of claim 1 further comprising a rotating mirror having a rotation axis, wherein the rotation axis of the rotating mirror is orthogonal to the nodding axis of the nodding mirror, and a rotary drive configured to rotate the rotating mirror about the rotation axis.

19. The scanning system of claim 18 wherein the rotation axis of the rotating mirror is at an angle of 45 degrees to the rotating mirror and to the centered position of the nodding mirror.

20. The scanning system of claim 1 further comprising a second nodding mirror having a second nodding axis and a second centered position, wherein the second nodding axis of the second nodding mirror is orthogonal to the nodding axis of the nodding mirror, and a second rotary drive configured to rotate the second nodding mirror clockwise and counterclockwise about the second nodding axis.

21. The scanning system of claim 20 wherein the nodding axis of the nodding mirror is at an angle of 45 degrees to the second centered position of the second nodding mirror, and the second nodding axis of the second nodding mirror is at an angle of 45 degrees to the centered position of the nodding mirror.

22. The scanning system of claim 20 wherein the second rotary drive is a second rotary electromagnetic drive comprising:

a second yoke including a second permanent magnet, and

a second arm including a second coil at one end of the second arm,

wherein the second coil is enclosed within the second yoke, and an opposite end of the second arm is coupled to the second nodding mirror, such that movement of the second coil within the second yoke in response to a second current causes the second nodding mirror to rotate,

further comprising;

a second rotary optical encoder configured to produce a second output signal in response to rotation of the second nodding mirror, and

second control circuitry configured to adjust the second current provided to the second rotary electromagnetic drive in response to the second output signal of the second rotary optical encoder, such that the second nodding mirror rotates in a second reference scan pattern.

23. The scanning system of claim 22 wherein the reference scan pattern and the second reference scan pattern are triangular scan patterns.

24. The scanning system of claim 22 wherein the reference scan pattern and the second reference scan pattern are sinusoidal scan patterns.

25. The scanning system of claim 1 further comprising a polygonal mirror having a rotation axis, wherein the rotation axis of the polygonal mirror is orthogonal to the nodding axis of the nodding mirror, and a rotary drive configured to rotate the polygonal mirror about the rotation axis.