Beam scanning methods for improved eye safety in LiDAR systems

US12235362B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Michael G. Moebius · Somerville, US
• Steven J. Spector · Lexington, US
• Steven J. Byrnes · Watertown, US
• Christopher Bessette · Melrose, US
• Scott Lennox · Arlington, US
• Matthew A. Sinclair · Stoneham, US
• Francis J. Rogomentich · Wilmington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 25, 2019
• Grant date: Feb 25, 2025
• Expiry date: Jan 27, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/1305
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern in a way that reduces risk of eye injury from the laser light.