COST-EFFECTIVE LIDAR SENSOR FOR MULTI-SIGNAL DETECTION, WEAK SIGNAL DETECTION AND SIGNAL DISAMBIGUATION AND METHOD OF USING SAME

• US 20140211194A1
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Quanergy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quanergy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: PACALA, ANGUS, YU, TIANYUE, ELDADA, LOUAY
• Application Number:
  US14/165,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20140211194A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/5.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/483 Details of pulse systems

Abstract

A lidar-based apparatus and method are used for multi-signal detection, weak signal detection and signal disambiguation through waveform approximation utilizing a multi-channel time-to-digital converter (TDC) electronic circuit, with each TDC having an individually adjustable voltage threshold. This advanced TDC-based pulse width time-of-flight (ToF) approach achieves the low cost associated with the TDC-based pulse width ToF approach while solving the signal quality issues associated with the standard single-threshold TDC-based approach.

Claims

1. A time-of-flight lidar ranging apparatus comprising an electronic circuit that comprises a plurality of time-to-digital converters with individually adjustable voltage thresholds.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of time-to-digital converters are capable of recording unlimited pulses.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said unlimited pulses are recorded at a continuous return pulse rate of up to 2 GHz.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said unlimited pulses are recorded at a continuous return pulse rate of up to 200 MHz.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic circuit comprises four time-to-digital converters with individually adjustable voltage thresholds.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said electronic circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said four time-to-digital converters are capable of recording unlimited pulses.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said unlimited pulses are recorded at a continuous return pulse rate of up to 2 GHz.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said unlimited pulses are recorded at a continuous return pulse rate of up to 200 MHz.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said four time-to-digital converters have their individual voltage thresholds set at different values to support waveform approximation.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the time-to-digital converter with the lowest voltage threshold has a trigger setting that allows the detection of weak signals slightly above the noise level.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic circuit comprises two time-to-digital converters with individually adjustable voltage thresholds.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said electronic circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said two time-to-digital converters are capable of recording unlimited pulses.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said unlimited pulses are recorded at a continuous return pulse rate of up to 2 GHz.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said unlimited pulses are recorded at a continuous return pulse rate of up to 200 MHz.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said two time-to-digital converters have their individual voltage thresholds set at different values to support trapezoidal waveform approximation.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the time-to-digital converter with the lower voltage threshold has a trigger setting that allows the detection of weak signals slightly above the noise level.

20. A method for ranging utilizing a time-of-flight lidar apparatus comprising an electronic circuit that comprises a plurality of time-to-digital converters with individually adjustable voltage thresholds.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said electronic circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said plurality of time-to-digital converters are capable of recording unlimited pulses.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said electronic circuit comprises four time-to-digital converters with individually adjustable voltage thresholds.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said electronic circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said four time-to-digital converters are capable of recording unlimited pulses.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein said four time-to-digital converters have their individual voltage thresholds set at different values to support waveform approximation.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the time-to-digital converter with the lowest voltage threshold has a trigger setting that allows the detection of weak signals slightly above the noise level.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein said electronic circuit comprises two time-to-digital converters with individually adjustable voltage thresholds.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said electronic circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said two time-to-digital converters are capable of recording unlimited pulses.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said two time-to-digital converters have their individual voltage thresholds set at different values to support trapezoidal waveform approximation.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the time-to-digital converter with the lower voltage threshold has a trigger setting that allows the detection of weak signals slightly above the noise level.