LIDAR DISTANCE MEASUREMENT WITH SCANNER AND FLASH LIGHT SOURCE

• US 20200132839A1
• Filed: 06/05/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2017
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Blickfeld GmbH
• Original Assignee: Blickfeld GmbH
• Inventors: Muller, Mathias
• Application Number:
  US16/619,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132839A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/10 using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/4975 of sensor obstruction by, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating, e.g. by reflection measurement on front-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4815 using multiple transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating

Abstract

A device comprises a first emission beam path, which extends from a pulsed first light source via a scanner to surroundings of the device. The device also comprises a reception beam path, which extends from the surroundings via the scanner to a detector. The device also comprises at least one second emission beam path, which extends from at least one pulsed second light source and not via the scanner to the surroundings.

Claims

1. A device, which comprises:

a first emission beam path, which extends from a pulsed first light source via a scanner to surroundings of the device,

a reception beam path, which extends from the surroundings via the scanner to a detector, and

at least one second emission beam, which extends from at least one pulsed second light source and not via the scanner to the surroundings,

a controller, which is configured to activate the pulsed first light source to emit a first light pulse along the first emission beam path, and to activate the at least one pulsed second light source, to emit a second light pulse along the at least one second emission beam path, and

wherein the controller is furthermore configured to activate the detector to detect a reflection of the first light pulse along the reception beam path and to detect a reflection of the second light pulse along the reception beam path.

2. The device as claimed recited in claim 1, further including

at least one outer pane, which separates the device from the surroundings,

wherein the first emission beam path and the at least one second emission beam path encounter the at least one outer pane in different regions.

3. The device as claimed recited in claim 1, further including

a screen, which is arranged between at least one outer pane of the device and the detector and is configured to block light of the at least one pulsed second light source reflected on at least one outer pane of the device.

4. The device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the at least one second emission beam path, with respect to a single pulse of the at least one pulsed second light source, illuminates the surroundings in an angle range of not less than 40°

.

5. The device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the at least one second emission beam path, with respect to a single pulse of the at least one pulsed second light source, illuminates the surroundings in an angle range which is not less than 40% of a scanning range of the scanner.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, further including

a diffusor, which is arranged in the at least one second emission beam path and is configured to enlarge a divergence of the at least one second emission beam path and/or to fan out the at least one second emission beam path.

7. The device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the reception beam path and the first emission beam path extend at least partially congruently.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller

configured to activate the pulsed first light source to emit the first light pulse along the first emission beam path at a first point in time, and to activate the at least one pulsed second light source to emit the second light pulse along the at least one second emission beam path at a second point in time, and further

wherein an absolute value of a duration between the first point in time and the second point in time is not greater than 2% of a scanning period of the scanner.

9. The device as recited in claim 8,

wherein the controller is configured to receive a measurement signal associated with the second light pulse from the detector and to determine an emission power of the first light pulse based on the measurement signal.

11. The device as recited in claim 2, further including:

a screen, which is arranged between at least one outer pane of the device and the detector and is configured to block light of the at least one pulsed second light source reflected on at least one outer pane of the device.

12. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one second emission beam path, with respect to a single pulse of the at least one pulsed second light source, illuminates the surroundings in an angle range of not less than 100°

.

13. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one second emission beam path, with respect to a single pulse of the at least one pulsed second light source, illuminates the surroundings in an angle range of not less than 150°

.

14. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one second emission beam path, with respect to a single pulse of the at least one pulsed second light source, illuminates the surroundings in an angle range which is not less than 70% of a scanning range of the scanner.

15. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one second emission beam path, with respect to a single pulse of the at least one pulsed second light source, illuminates the surroundings in an angle range which is not less than 100% of a scanning range of the scanner.

16. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the reception beam path and the first emission beam path extend non-congruently.

10. A method, which comprises:

activating a pulsed first light source to emit a first light pulse along a first emission beam path via a scanner into surroundings,

activating a detector to detect a reflection of the first light pulse along a reception beam path, which extends from the surroundings via the scanner,

activating at least one pulsed second light source to emit a second light pulse along at least one second emission beam path and not via the scanner into the surroundings, and

activating the detector to detect a reflection of the second light pulse along the reception beam path.