Combined LOAS and LIDAR system
First Claim
1. A combined system of a laser obstacle awareness system (LOAS) and a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for obstacle detection and flow velocity measurement, said combined system comprising:
- a LIDAR arrangement of optical elements for generating a first coherent beam of light at a first predetermined wavelength;
a LOAS arrangement of optical elements for generating a second coherent beam of light at a second predetermined wavelength;
a beam expander;
a dichroic filter optical element for directing said first and second coherent beams of light substantially on a first common optical path towards an aperture of said beam expander, said beam expander being aligned to accept and expand said first and second coherent beams and exit said expanded first and second coherent beams along a second common optical path at an output thereof;
at least one output optical element, said second common optical path being incident on said at least one output optical element which directs both of said expanded first and second coherent beams of light from said system, said at least one output optical element also for receiving reflections of said first and second coherent beams of light and directing said reflections to said beam expander wherein said beam reflections are collected;
said dichroic filter optical element for separating the collected light corresponding to said first coherent beam from the collected light corresponding to said second coherent beam, the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam being directed back to said LIDAR arrangement of optical elements, and the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam being directed back to said LOAS arrangement of optical elements;
a first light detector for converting light representative of the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam to first electrical signals representative thereof;
a second light detector for converting light representative of the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam to second electrical signals representative thereof; and
processing means coupled to the first and second light detectors for detecting at least one object and determining flow velocity using said first and second electrical signals.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A combined system of a LOAS and a LIDAR system comprises: a LIDAR arrangement of optical elements for generating a first coherent beam of light at a first predetermined wavelength; a LOAS arrangement of optical elements for generating a second coherent beam of light at a second predetermined wavelength; a dichroic filter optical element for directing the first and second coherent beams of light substantially on a first common optical path towards an aperture of a beam expander; at least one output optical element which directs both of the expanded first and second coherent beams of light from the system, the at least one output optical element also for receiving and directing reflections of the first and second coherent beams of light to the beam expander wherein the beam reflections are collected; and wherein the dichroic filter optical element separates and directs the collected light corresponding to the first coherent beam back to the LIDAR arrangement of optical elements for use in determining flow velocity, and separates and directs the collected light corresponding to the second coherent beam back to the LOAS arrangement of optical elements for use in detecting at least one object.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. A combined system of a laser obstacle awareness system (LOAS) and a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for obstacle detection and flow velocity measurement, said combined system comprising:
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a LIDAR arrangement of optical elements for generating a first coherent beam of light at a first predetermined wavelength;
a LOAS arrangement of optical elements for generating a second coherent beam of light at a second predetermined wavelength;
a beam expander;
a dichroic filter optical element for directing said first and second coherent beams of light substantially on a first common optical path towards an aperture of said beam expander, said beam expander being aligned to accept and expand said first and second coherent beams and exit said expanded first and second coherent beams along a second common optical path at an output thereof;
at least one output optical element, said second common optical path being incident on said at least one output optical element which directs both of said expanded first and second coherent beams of light from said system, said at least one output optical element also for receiving reflections of said first and second coherent beams of light and directing said reflections to said beam expander wherein said beam reflections are collected;
said dichroic filter optical element for separating the collected light corresponding to said first coherent beam from the collected light corresponding to said second coherent beam, the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam being directed back to said LIDAR arrangement of optical elements, and the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam being directed back to said LOAS arrangement of optical elements;
a first light detector for converting light representative of the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam to first electrical signals representative thereof;
a second light detector for converting light representative of the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam to second electrical signals representative thereof; and
processing means coupled to the first and second light detectors for detecting at least one object and determining flow velocity using said first and second electrical signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
a first rotationally operated optical element for receiving the expanded first and second coherent beams of light and directing said received beams therefrom with their respectively corresponding first and second predetermined patterns; and
a second rotationally operated optical element for receiving the first and second beams from said first rotationally operated optical element and directing said received beams with their predetermined patterns in an azimuthal scan.
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12. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the first rotationally operated optical element comprises a mirrored optical element rotated at a predetermined nutation angle;
- and wherein said expanded first and second coherent beams of light being received and reflected from a surface of said mirrored optical element.
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13. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the first rotationally operated optical element comprises a dichroic wedge optical element which directs light substantially of the first coherent beam from a one surface thereof and directs light substantially of the second coherent beam from another surface thereof.
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14. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the first rotationally operated optical element comprises a dichroic wobble mirror optical element which reflects light substantially of the first coherent beam from one surface thereof and directs light substantially of the second coherent beam from another surface thereof.
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15. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the first rotationally operated optical element comprises a mirrored optical element having one surface inclined at a predetermined angle relative to a surface opposite thereto, said optical element being rotated about an axis normal to said opposite surface;
- and wherein said expanded first and second beams being received and reflected from said inclined surface of said mirrored optical element.
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16. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the first rotationally operated optical element comprises a Palmer mirror;
- and wherein said expanded first and second beams being received and reflected from a surface of said Palmer mirror.
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17. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the second rotationally operated optical element comprises a mirrored optical element;
- and wherein the directed beams from said first rotationally operated optical element are received and reflected from a surface of said mirrored optical element.
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18. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the second rotationally operated optical element is configured as a fold mirror.
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19. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the first rotationally operated optical element is configured as a fold mirror.
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20. The combined system of claim 11 wherein the first rotationally operated optical element is rotated at a rotational speed substantially greater than the rotational speed of the second rotationally operated optical element.
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21. A block arrangement of optical elements for use as a transmitter/receiver for a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, said block arrangement comprising:
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a plurality of glass modules aligned together as a block to form a plurality of optical paths therein and secured together to maintain said alignment;
a collimated light source for generating a coherent beam of light over at least one optical path in said block which guides said coherent beam of light to an exit point of said block;
a light detector;
said block for receiving a return coherent beam of light and configured to conduct said return coherent beam of light to said light detector over at least one other optical path formed in said block; and
wherein said block includes an opening for securing an acousto-optic modulator (AOM). - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A combined system of a laser obstacle awareness system (LOAS) and a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for obstacle detection and flow velocity measurement, said combined system comprising:
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a LIDAR arrangement of optical elements for generating a first coherent beam of light at a first predetermined wavelength;
a LOAS arrangement of optical elements for generating a second coherent beam of light at a second predetermined wavelength;
a dichroic filter optical element for directing said first and second coherent beams of light substantially along a common optical path;
a scan head including a beam expander for accepting and expanding light from said common optical path; and
at least one output optical element, for directing both of said expanded first and second coherent beams of light from said scan head, said at least one output optical element also for receiving reflections of said first and second coherent beams of light and directing said reflections to said beam expander wherein said beam reflections are collected and returned to said dichroic filter optical element along said common optical path;
said dichroic filter optical element for separating the collected light corresponding to said first coherent beam from the collected light corresponding to said second coherent beam, the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam being directed back to said LIDAR arrangement of optical elements, and the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam being directed back to said LOAS arrangement of optical elements;
a first light detector for converting light representative of the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam to first electrical signals representative thereof;
a second light detector for converting light representative of the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam to second electrical signals representative thereof; and
processing means coupled to the first and second light detectors for detecting at least one object and determining flow velocity using said first and second electrical signals. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A combined system of a laser obstacle awareness system (LOAS) and a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for obstacle detection and flow velocity measurement, said combined system comprising:
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a LIDAR arrangement of optical elements for generating a first coherent beam of light at a first predetermined wavelength;
a LOAS arrangement of optical elements for generating a second coherent beam of light at a second predetermined wavelength;
a dichroic filter optical element for directing said first and second coherent beams of light substantially along a common optical path;
a scan head for accepting light from said common optical path; and
including at least one output optical element, for directing both of said first and second coherent beams of light from said scan head, said at least one output optical element also for receiving reflections of said first and second coherent beams of light and directing said reflections to said common optical path wherein said beam reflections are collected and returned to said dichroic filter optical element;
said dichroic filter optical element for separating the collected light corresponding to said first coherent beam from the collected light corresponding to said second coherent beam, the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam being directed back to said LIDAR arrangement of optical elements, and the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam being directed back to said LOAS arrangement of optical elements;
a first light detector for converting light representative of the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam to first electrical signals representative thereof;
a second light detector for converting light representative of the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam to second electrical signals representative thereof; and
processing means coupled to the first and second light detectors for detecting at least one object and determining flow velocity using said first and second electrical signals. - View Dependent Claims (55, 60)
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56. The combined system of claim 56 including a plurality of scan heads;
- and an optical switch controllable to couple light between the common optical path and a selected scan head of said plurality along a corresponding optical path.
- View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59)
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61. A combined system of a laser obstacle awareness system (LOAS) and a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for obstacle detection and flow velocity measurement, said combined system comprising:
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a LIDAR arrangement of optical elements for generating a first coherent beam of light at a first predetermined wavelength;
a LOAS arrangement of optical elements for generating a second coherent beam of light at a second predetermined wavelength;
a dichroic filter optical element for directing said first and second coherent beams of light substantially along a common optical path;
a plurality of scan heads;
an optical switch controllable to couple light between the common optical path and a selected scan head of said plurality along a corresponding optical path;
each scan head for accepting light from said optical switch; and
including at least one output optical element for directing both of said first and second coherent beams of light from said scan head, said at least one output optical element also for receiving reflections of said first and second coherent beams of light and directing said reflections to said optical switch wherein said beam reflections are collected and returned to said dichroic filter optical element; and
said dichroic filter optical element for separating the collected light corresponding to said first coherent beam from the collected light corresponding to said second coherent beam, the separated light corresponding to said first coherent beam being directed back to said LIDAR arrangement of optical elements for use in determining flow velocity, and the separated light corresponding to said second coherent beam being directed back to said LOAS arrangement of optical elements for use in detecting at least one object. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64)
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Specification