Hybrid LIDAR with optically enhanced scanned laser
US12399278B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 24, 2021 |
| Grant date | Aug 26, 2025 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2044 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/89
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An autonomous vehicle LIDAR system includes: a laser; optical transmission system to shape/scan the light beam along light paths toward a target; an optical reception system collecting reflected laser light; and an electronic system synchronizing the beam scan, performing time-of-arrival measurements, and determining target range. The reception system includes an objective lens and a one-dimensional sensor array, each sensor formed of a grid of sub-pixels. A first transmission system includes: a cylindrical lens, scanning mirror, and collimating lens. The cylindrical lens expands the laser beam only in a first orthogonal direction to the optical path, producing an oval beam. A second transmission system includes: a focusing lens, scanning mirror, and second lens with lenslets being sequentially illuminated by the optical paths that individually focus the light that's collimated by a third lens creating spots on the target. Each sensor includes an FET that selectively couples sub-pixels to a readout channel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.