LiDAR System Comprising A Single-Photon Detector
First Claim
1. A method for developing a map of objects relative to a first location, the method comprising:
- transmitting a first optical pulse at a first time, the first optical pulse having a wavelength within the range of approximately 1350 nm to approximately 1475 nm;
detecting a first reflection of the first optical pulse from a first object within the detection field, wherein the first reflection is detected at a second time; and
computing a distance between the first location and the first object based on the difference between the first time and the second time.
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Abstract
A method for developing a map of objects in a region surrounding a location is disclosed. The method includes interrogating the region along a detection axis with a series of optical pulses and detecting reflections of the optical pulses that originate at objects located along the detection axis. A multi-dimensional map of the region is developed by scanning the detection axis about the location in at least one dimension. The reflections are detected via a single-photon detector that is armed using a sub-gating scheme such that the single-photon detector selectively detects photons of reflections that originate only within each of a plurality of zones that collectively define the detection field. In some embodiments, the optical pulses have a wavelength within the range of 1350 nm to 1390 nm, which is a spectral range having a relatively high eye-safety threshold and a relatively low solar background.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for developing a map of objects relative to a first location, the method comprising:
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transmitting a first optical pulse at a first time, the first optical pulse having a wavelength within the range of approximately 1350 nm to approximately 1475 nm; detecting a first reflection of the first optical pulse from a first object within the detection field, wherein the first reflection is detected at a second time; and computing a distance between the first location and the first object based on the difference between the first time and the second time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 22, 23, 24)
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8. A method for developing a map of objects within a detection field, the method including interrogating each detection axis of a plurality thereof by operations comprising:
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(1) establishing a plurality of detection frames, frame-1 through frame-N; (2) for each detection frame-i, where i=1 through N; (i) transmitting an optical pulse-i at a first time-i; (ii) separating the detection field into M zones, zone-1 through zone-M; and (iii) for each zone-j, where j=1 through M, (a) enabling a receiver to detect a reflection-i-j of the optical pulse only when the reflection originates within zone-j; and (b) establishing a detection time-i-j based on receipt of reflection-i-j at the receiver; and (3) computing a separation distance between a first location and an object at which a reflection originates, the separation distance being based a difference between at least one first time-i and at least one detection time-i-j. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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14. A system comprising:
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a transmitter operative for providing an optical pulse at a first time, the optical pulse having a wavelength within the range of approximately 1350 nm to approximately 1475 nm; a receiver including a single-photon detector operative for detecting a reflection of the optical pulse from an object within a detection field at a second time; and a processor operative for estimating a separation distance between a first location and the object based the difference between the first time and the second time. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification