Flash LADAR collision avoidance system

• US 8,692,980 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Autonomous Mobility US LLC (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: Gilliland, Patrick, Stettner, Roger, Heughebaert, Laurent, Goldstein, Bart
• Primary Examiner(s): RATCLIFFE, LUKE D
• Application Number:
  US13/285,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 356 301- 315, 356 401- 41, 356 501- 515, 356 6- 22, 356/28, 356/28.5
• US Class Current: 356/5.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/566 including wiping devices B60S1/563, B60S1/583 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/4977 including means to prevent or remove the obstruction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 Alignment of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S

Abstract

A vehicular collision avoidance system comprising a system controller, pulsed laser transmitter, a number of independent ladar sensor units, a cabling infrastructure, internal memory, a scene processor, and a data communications port is presented herein. The described invention is capable of developing a 3-D scene, and object data for targets within the scene, from multiple ladar sensor units coupled to centralized LADAR-based Collision Avoidance System (CAS). Key LADAR elements are embedded within standard headlamp and taillight assemblies. Articulating LADAR sensors cover terrain coming into view around a curve, at the crest of a hill, or at the bottom of a dip. A central laser transmitter may be split into multiple optical outputs and guided through fibers to illuminate portions of the 360° field of view surrounding the vehicle. These fibers may also serve as amplifiers to increase the optical intensity provided by a single master laser.

Claims

1. A ladar sensor with a field of view and a headlamp having a forward illuminating pattern housed within a common envelope and mounted to a vehicle, said envelope with at least one transparent face adapted to transmit visible wavelengths of light and infrared laser light, said ladar sensor comprising:

a pulsed laser transmitter having a pulsed light output and diffusing optic for illuminating a scene in the field of view of said ladar sensor;

a two dimensional array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal point of a light collecting and focusing lens, each of said light sensitive detectors with an output adapted to produce an electrical pulse when illuminated by a reflected portion of the pulsed light output;

an electrical circuit connected to each light sensitive detector outputfor amplifying and detecting said electrical pulse, said electrical circuit having a detected pulse output;

a timing circuit connected to each detected pulse output;

said timing circuit further connected to a reference signal indicating the start time of said pulsed light output; and

said timing circuit producing an elapsed time signal indicating the time delay between the start time of the said pulsed light output and an electrical pulse produced by said detected pulse output from said electrical circuit;

said headlamp further including;

at least one visible light source with a visible light output beam; and

at least one visible light transmitting optical element adapted to condition said visible light output beam to create said headlamp forward illuminating pattern.

2. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the pulsed laser transmitter is formed in a solid state crystal containing an element from the group consisting of:

erbium, neodymium, yttrium, and aluminum.

3. The lader sensor of claim 1 wherein the pulsed laser transmitter comprises an optically pumped solid state laser gain media coupled to a Q-switch and said solid state laser gain media has a cross section selected from the group consisting of:

square, hexagonal, octagonal, circular, rectangular, and elliptical.

4. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the common envelope is made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

a polymer and glass.

5. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the pulsed light output is from a disc shaped solid state laser.

6. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the diffusing optic is an array of diffractive elements.

7. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the common envelope is mounted to a bracket, and said bracket is mounted to a mounting point of a vehicle.

8. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the common envelope is mounted to a motorized pivot, and said motorized pivot is mounted to a mounting point of a vehicle.

9. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the common envelope is mounted within a recess in a body panel of a vehicle.

10. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the two dimensional focal plane array of infrared light sensitive detectors is comprised of light sensitive detectors selected from the group of:

avalanche photodiodes, PIN photodiodes, NIP photodiodes, and microchannel plates.

11. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the said at least one visible light source is selected from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode, an incandescent light bulb, a halogen light bulb, and a mercury vapor light bulb.

12. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the common envelope with at least one transparent face is provided with a wiper connected to a motor, and said wiper is positioned and held in place so a substantial portion of said at least one transparent face is wiped when the motor is actuated by an electrical signal.

13. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the common envelope with at least one transparent face is provided with a washer fluid pumping tube and washer fluid spray nozzle, and said washer fluid spray nozzle is positioned and held in place so a substantial portion of said at least one transparent face is washed when a washer fluid is forced through said washer fluid pumping tube.

14. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the common envelope has a connector mounted thereon which provides electrical connectivity to the vehicle.

15. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the pulsed laser light output is from a semiconductor laser.

16. The ladar sensor system of claim 1 wherein the said light collecting and focusing lens comprises a reflecting mirror.

18. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the common envelope is made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

a polymer and a glass.

19. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the diffusing optic is an array of diffractive elements.

20. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the common envelope is mounted to an interior surface of a host vehicle.

21. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the common envelope is mounted within a recess in a body panel of a host vehicle.

22. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the two dimensional focal plane array of infrared light sensitive detectors is selected from the group of:

avalanche photodiodes, PIN photodiodes, NIP photodiodes, and microchannel plates.

23. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the at least one visible light source is selected from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode, an incandescent light bulb, a halogen light bulb, and a mercury vapor light bulb.

24. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the at least one visible light transmitting optical element for conditioning said visible light output beam is a reflector.

25. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein a small retro-reflecting surface is formed on the at least one transparent face of said common envelope which causes a sample of said laser light output to fall on at least one of said infrared light sensitive detectors.

26. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the said common envelope has a connector mounted thereon which provides electrical connectivity to the host vehicle.

27. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the laser light output is from a semiconductor laser.

28. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the laser light output is from a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

29. The ladar sensor system of claim 16 wherein the light collecting and focusing lens comprises a reflecting mirror.

31. The ladar sensor system of claim 29 wherein the common envelope is made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

a polymer and a glass.

32. The ladar sensor system of claim 29 wherein the diffusing optic is an array of diffractive elements.

33. The ladar sensor of claim 29 wherein the common envelope is mounted to an interior surface of a vehicle.

34. The ladar sensor of claim 29 wherein the common envelope is mounted within a recess in a body panel of a vehicle.

35. The ladar sensor system of claim 29 wherein the two dimensional focal plane array of infrared light sensitive detectors is selected from the group of:

avalanche photodiodes, PIN photodiodes, NIP photodiodes, and microchannel plates.

36. The ladar sensor system of claim 29 wherein the at least one visible light source is selected from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode, an incandescent light bulb, a halogen light bulb, and a mercury vapor light bulb.

37. The ladar sensor system of claim 29 wherein the common envelope has a connector mounted thereon which provides electrical connectivity to the vehicle.

38. The ladar sensor system of claim 29 wherein the laser light output is from a semiconductor laser.

39. The ladar sensor system of claim 29 wherein the said laser light output is from a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

41. The collision avoidance system of claim 39 wherein at least one of the ladar sensor modules shares a common housing with a vehicle headlamp.

42. The collision avoidance system of claim 39 wherein at least one of the ladar sensor modules shares a common housing with a vehicle auxiliary lamp.

17. A ladar sensor system with a field of view and auxiliary lamp, with a lateral illuminating pattern, housed within a common envelope and mounted to a vehicle, said envelope with at least one transparent face adapted to transmit visible wavelengths of light and infrared laser light, said ladar sensor system comprising:

a pulsed laser light output and diffusing optic for illuminating a scene in the field of view of said ladar sensor system;

a two dimensional array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal point of a light collecting and focusing lens, each of said light sensitive detectors having an output adapted to produce an electrical pulse from a reflected portion of the pulsed laser light output;

an electrical circuit connected to an output of each light sensitive detector , said electrical circuit adapted to amplify and detect said electrical pulse, said electrical circuit having a detected pulse output; and

a timing circuit connected to each detected pulse output;

said timing circuit further connected to a reference signal indicating the start time of said pulsed laser light output, said timing circuit producing an elapsed time signal indicating the time delay between the start time of the pulsed laser light output and an electrical pulse produced by said detected pulse output from said electrical circuit,

said auxiliary lamp further including;

at least one visible light source with a visible light output beam; and

at least one visible light transmitting optical element for conditioning said visible light output beam to create said auxiliary lamp lateral illuminating pattern.

30. A ladar sensor system with a field of view and auxiliary lamp with rearward illuminating pattern housed within a common envelope and mounted to a vehicle, said envelope with at least one transparent face adapted to transmit visible wavelengths of light and infrared laser light, said ladar sensor system comprising:

a pulsed laser light output and diffusing optic for illuminating a scene in the field of view of said ladar sensor system;

a two dimensional array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal point of a light collecting and focusing lens, each of said light sensitive detectors having an output adapted to produce an electrical pulse from a reflected portion of the pulsed laser light output;

an electrical circuit connected to an output of each light sensitive detector, said electrical circuit adapted to amplify and detect said electrical pulse, said electrical circuit having a detected pulse output; and

a timing circuit connected to each detected pulse output;

said timing circuit further connected to a reference signal indicating the start time of said pulsed laser light output, said timing circuit producing an elapsed time signal indicating the time delay between the start time of the said pulsed laser light output and an electrical pulse indicated by said detected pulse output from said electrical circuit,

said auxiliary lamp further including;

at least one visible light source with a visible light output beam; and

at least one visible light transmitting optical element adapted to condition said visible light output beam to create said auxiliary lamp rearward illuminating pattern.

40. A collision avoidance system comprising:

a plurality of ladar sensor modules mounted on a vehicle; and

a central ladar system controller;

each of said ladar sensor modules connected to said ladar system controller via bidirectional connections; and

each of said bidirectional connections including a cable assembly routed through the vehicle, said cable assembly further including;

a connector at a first end for connecting to the central ladar system controller;

a plurality of electrically conductive signal wires; and

a connector at a second end for connecting to a vehicle mounted ladar sensor module.