LIDAR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING SPACE

• US 20120286136A1
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Krill, Jerry A., Gross, Michael C., Papadakis, Stergios J., Ricciardi, Gerald F., Bankman, Isaac N., O'Driscoll, Michael J., Peri, Joseph S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,829,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/206
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/292 by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering controlled diffraction for optical switching G02F1/31

Abstract

A device for detecting a presence of an object includes an optical phased array, a detector, a processing portion and an indicator. The optical phased array can transmit a first optical beam to a first location at a first time and can transmit a second optical beam to a second location at a second time. The detector can detect a first reflected beam based on the first optical beam and can detect a second reflected beam based on the second optical beam. The processing portion can determine the presence of the object based on the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam. The indicator can generate an indicator signal based on the presence of the object.

Claims

1. A device for detecting a presence of an object, said device comprising:

an optical phased array operable to transmit a first optical beam to a first location at a first time and to transmit a second optical beam to a second location at a second time;

a detector operable to detect a first reflected beam based on the first optical beam and to detect a second reflected beam based on the second optical beam;

a processing portion operable to determine the presence of the object based on the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam; and

an indicator operable to generate an indicator signal based on the presence of the object.

2. The device of claim 1,

wherein said optical phased array is further operable to transmit a third optical beam to a third location at a third time, and

wherein the first location, the second location and the third location are disposed in a line.

3. The device of claim 2,

wherein said optical phased array is further operable to transmit a fourth optical beam to a fourth location at a fourth time, a fifth optical beam to a fifth location at a fifth time and a sixth optical beam to a sixth location at a sixth time, and

wherein the fourth location, the fifth location and the sixth location are disposed in a second line.

4. The device of claim 1,

wherein said optical phased array is further operable to transmit an information optical beam to a third location at a third time, and

wherein the information optical beam includes information based on the indicator signal.

5. A device for detecting a presence of an object, said device comprising:

an optical phased array operable to scan a first plurality of points at a first time and to scan along a second plurality of points at a second time;

a detector operable to detect a first set of reflected beams based on the first plurality of points and to detect a second set of reflected beams based on the second plurality of points; and

a processing portion operable to determine the presence of the object at the second time based on the first reflected beams and the second reflected beams,

wherein, when said processing portion determines the presence of the object at the second time, said processing portion is further operable to instruct said optical phased array to scan along a third plurality of points at a third time, and

wherein the third plurality of points is greater in number than the first plurality of points.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said processing portion is further operable to instruct said optical phased array to scan along the third plurality of points such that the third plurality of points cover a smaller area than the first plurality of points.

7. The device of claim 6,

wherein said optical phased array is further operable to scan along a fourth plurality of points at a fourth time,

wherein said detector is further operable to detect a third set of reflected beams based on the third plurality of points and to detect a fourth set of reflected beams based on the fourth plurality of points,

wherein said processing portion is further operable to track a vector of the object at the fourth time based on the third reflected beams and the second reflected beams.

8. A method of monitoring an area, said method comprising:

searching a first area via an optical phased array at a first time;

deriving, via a processing portion, a first signal based on said searching the first area via the optical phased array at the first time;

searching the first area via the optical phased array at a second time;

deriving, via the processing portion, a second signal based on said searching the first area via the optical phased array at the second time; and

detecting, via the processing portion, an object within the first area based on the first signal and the second signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising searching, via the optical phased array, a second area including the object, the second area being smaller than the first area.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising deriving, via the processing portion, a third signal based on said searching, via the optical phased array, the second area including the object.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising classifying the object based on a priori information and the third signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, via a transmitter, object information based on said classifying the object based on a priori information and the third signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising tracking, via the optical phased array, movement of the object.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting, via the transmitter, object movement information based on said tracking, via the optical phased array, movement of the object.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, via a receiver, the object movement information from the transmitter;

deriving, via a second processing portion, a third area to search at a fourth time; and

searching third area via a second optical phased array at the fourth time.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising tracking, via the optical phased array, movement of the object.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting, via a transmitter, object movement information based on said tracking, via the optical phased array, movement of the object.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, via a receiver, the object movement information from the transmitter;

deriving, via a second processing portion, a third area to search at a fourth time; and

searching third area via a second optical phased array at the fourth time.