LIDAR Based 3-D Imaging With Varying Pulse Repetition
First Claim
1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, comprising:
- a pulsed illumination source emitting a sequence of pulses of illumination light having a first repetition pattern from the LIDAR device into a three dimensional environment;
a photosensitive detector that detects an amount of light reflected from the three dimensional environment illuminated by each of the pulses of illumination light and generates an output signal indicative of the detected amount of light associated with each of the pulses of illumination light; and
a computing system configured to;
receive the output signal indicative of the detected amount of light;
determine a distance between the LIDAR device and an object in the three dimensional environment based on a difference between a time when a pulse is emitted from the LIDAR device and a time when the photosensitive detector detects an amount of light reflected from the object illuminated by the pulse of illumination light; and
generate a command signal that causes the pulsed illumination source to change the sequence of pulses of illumination light to a second repetition pattern that is different from the first repetition pattern.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for performing three dimensional LIDAR measurements with different pulse repetition patterns are described herein. Each repetitive pattern is a sequence of measurement pulses that repeat over time. In one aspect, the repetition pattern of a pulsed beam of illumination light emitted from a LIDAR system is varied to reduce total energy consumption and heat generated by the LIDAR system. In some examples, the repetitive pattern is varied by skipping a number of pulses. In some examples, the repetitive pattern of pulses of illumination light emitted from the LIDAR system is varied by changing a repetition rate of the sequence of emitted pulses. In some examples, the pulse repetition pattern is varied based on the orientation of the LIDAR device. In some examples, the repetition pattern is varied based on an object detected by the LIDAR device or another imaging system.
156 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, comprising:
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a pulsed illumination source emitting a sequence of pulses of illumination light having a first repetition pattern from the LIDAR device into a three dimensional environment; a photosensitive detector that detects an amount of light reflected from the three dimensional environment illuminated by each of the pulses of illumination light and generates an output signal indicative of the detected amount of light associated with each of the pulses of illumination light; and a computing system configured to; receive the output signal indicative of the detected amount of light; determine a distance between the LIDAR device and an object in the three dimensional environment based on a difference between a time when a pulse is emitted from the LIDAR device and a time when the photosensitive detector detects an amount of light reflected from the object illuminated by the pulse of illumination light; and generate a command signal that causes the pulsed illumination source to change the sequence of pulses of illumination light to a second repetition pattern that is different from the first repetition pattern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, comprising:
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a pulsed illumination source emitting a sequence of pulses of illumination light having a first repetition pattern from the LIDAR device into a three dimensional environment; a photosensitive detector that detects an amount of light reflected from the three dimensional environment illuminated by each of the pulses of illumination light and generates an output signal indicative of the detected amount of light associated with each of the pulses of illumination light; and a non-transient computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions that when read by a computing system cause the computing system to; receive the output signal indicative of the detected amount of light; determine a distance between the LIDAR device and an object in the three dimensional environment based on a difference between a time when a pulse is emitted from the LIDAR device and a time when the photosensitive detector detects an amount of light reflected from the object illuminated by the pulse of illumination light; and generate a command signal that causes the pulsed illumination source to change the sequence of pulses of illumination light to a second repetition pattern that is different from the first repetition pattern. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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emitting a sequence of pulses of illumination light having a first repetition pattern from a LIDAR device into a three dimensional environment; detecting an amount of light reflected from the three dimensional environment illuminated by each of the pulses of illumination light; generating an output signal indicative of the detected amount of light associated with each of the pulses of illumination light; receiving the output signal indicative of the detected amount of light; determining a distance between the LIDAR device and an object in the three dimensional environment based on a difference between a time when a pulse is emitted from the LIDAR device and a time when the photosensitive detector detects an amount of light reflected from the object illuminated by the pulse of illumination light; and generating a command signal that causes the pulsed illumination source to change the sequence of pulses of illumination light to a second repetition pattern that is different from the first repetition pattern. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification