Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device having multiple receivers

US11860305B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Waymo LLC · US

Inventors

• Pierre-Yves Droz · Los Altos, US
• Caner Onal · Palo Alto, US
• William McCann · San Francisco, US
• Bernard Fidric · Cupertino, US
• Vadim Gutnik · Mountain View, US
• Laila Mattos · Palo Alto, US
• Rahim Pardhan · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 26, 2019
• Grant date: Jan 2, 2024
• Expiry date: Nov 2, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D1/024
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Described herein is a LIDAR device that may include a transmitter, first and second receivers, and a rotating platform. The transmitter may be configured to emit light having a vertical beam width. The first receiver may be configured to detect light at a first resolution while scanning the environment with a first FOV and the second receiver may be configured to detect light at a second resolution while scanning the environment with a second FOV. In this arrangement, the first resolution may be higher than the second resolution, the first FOV may be at least partially different from the second FOV, and the vertical beam width may encompass at least a vertical extent of the first and second FOVs. Further, the rotating platform may be configured to rotate about an axis such that the transmitter and first and second receivers each move based on the rotation.