Dimmable glass for eye safety for LiDAR technology

• US 10,578,717 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2018
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bucina, Miroslav
• Primary Examiner(s): Tra, Tuyen
• Application Number:
  US15/885,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20190235056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 2441293, 2441294, 2441295, 359296, 359265-275, 180271, 296 9619, 700217, 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/04 adjustable in transparency
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4814 of transmitters alone
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4815 using multiple transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4818 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/484 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/172 based on a suspension of orientable dipolar particles, e.g. suspended particles displays

Abstract

An eye safety assembly for a vehicle based laser beam generating system is provided. The assembly includes at least one panel of dimmable glass that is positioned within a path of at least one laser beam generated from the laser generating system and a controller configured to control a dimming of the at least one panel of dimmable glass based at least in part on information received from vehicle systems.

Claims

1. An eye safety assembly for a vehicle based laser beam generating system comprising:

at least one panel of dimmable glass positioned within a path of at least one laser beam generated from the laser generating system, wherein the laser beam generating system is a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR);

a transmitter configured to transmit the laser beam;

a receiver configured to receive a reflected laser beam in response to the transmitted laser beam; and

a controller configured to control a dimming of the at least one panel of dimmable glass based at least in part on information received from vehicle systems, the controller further configured to monitor power levels of reflected beams and based on the monitored power levels of the reflected beams, doing at least one of verifying desired operation of the at least one dimmable glass, calibrating the at least one dimmable glass to achieve a desired power output level and adjusting a power output of the LiDAR.

2. The eye safety assembly for a vehicle based laser beam generating system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the power level of the at least one laser beam generated by the laser beam generating system.

3. The eye safety assembly for a vehicle based laser beam generating system of claim 1, wherein the information from the vehicle system relates to at least one of vehicle position and environmental conditions.

4. The eye safety assembly for a vehicle based laser beam generating system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory to store instructions implemented by the controller in the dimming of the at least one panel.

5. The eye safety assembly for a vehicle based laser beam generating system of claim 1, further wherein:

the at least one panel of dimmable glass includes a plurality of panels of dimmable glass; and

the controller further configured to independently control the dimming of each panel of dimmable glass.

6. The eye safety assembly for a vehicle based laser beam generating system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

7. A dimmable glass assembly for a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) based system comprising:

at least one panel of dimmable glass positioned in a path of at least one output of a laser beam generator of the LiDAR based system, the dimmable glass configured and arranged to block a selectable percentage of the output of the laser beam generator;

a transmitter configured to transmit the laser beam;

a receiver configured to receive a reflected laser beam in response to the transmitted laser beam; and

a controller configured to monitor power levels of reflected beams and based on the monitored power levels of the reflected beams, doing at least one of verifying desired operation of the at least one dimmable glass, calibrating the at least one dimmable glass to achieve a desired power output level and adjusting a power output of the LiDAR.

8. The dimmable glass assembly for the LiDAR based system of claim 7, further wherein the at least one panel of dimmable glass is located in a path of at least one of an output of a breakout box, an output of a splitter, an output of a transmitter, an input of a receiver, an input to receive optics and within a scatter shield.

9. The dimmable glass assembly for the LiDAR based system of claim 7, further wherein the at least one panel of dimmable glass replaces at least one shutter of the LiDAR based system.

10. The dimmable glass assembly for the LiDAR based system of claim 7, further comprising:

the controller configured to control operation of the at least one panel of dimmable glass based at least in part on a then current location of a vehicle housing the LiDAR based system.

11. The dimmable glass assembly for the LiDAR based system of claim 7, further comprising:

the controller configured to control operation of the at least one panel of dimmable glass based at least in part on environmental conditions.

12. The dimmable glass assembly for the LiDAR based system of claim 7, further wherein the controller is further configured to control the power output of laser beams of the LiDAR based system.

13. A method of selectively controlling power level outputs of a multichannel LiDAR based system, the method comprising:

selectively dimming at least one dimmable glass that is positioned in a path of at least one channel output of the multichannel LiDAR based system to selectively reduce a power output of at least one associated channel of the multichannel LiDAR based system therein allowing a single laser operating at a set power output level to supply channel outputs at different output power levels;

monitoring power levels of reflected beams; and

based on the monitored power levels of the reflected beams, doing at least one of verifying desired operation of the at least one dimmable glass, calibrating the at least one dimmable glass to achieve a desired power output level and adjusting a power output of the single laser.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selectively dimming of the at least one of the dimmable glass is associated with at least one channel output that is selectively directed in an area that may be incident upon human eyes.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

gathering information from vehicle systems; and

dimming the at least one dimmable glass when the gathered information indicates an adjustment is needed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information gathered relates to a then current location of a vehicle housing the LiDAR based system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the information gathered relates to environmental conditions.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

dimming the at least one dimmable glass and adjusting a power output level of the single laser to achieve a select power output of the at least one associated channel.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one dimmable glass includes a plurality of dimmable glass, the method comprising:

controlling the dimming of each of the dimmable glass independently.