Patent · US Active

Lidar system

US9823353B2 · kind B2 · utility

135Cited by
78References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 27, 2017
Grant dateNov 21, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 27, 2037

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S2301/02
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A lidar system with a light source to emit a pulse of light into a field of view and a receiver to detect a return pulse of light which is reflected or scattered by a target in the field of view. The receiver may include an avalanche photodiode to generate an electrical-current pulse corresponding to the return pulse and a transimpedance amplifier to produce a voltage pulse that corresponds to the electrical-current pulse. A voltage amplifier may amplify the voltage pulse and a comparator may produce an edge signal when the amplified voltage pulse exceeds a threshold. A time-to-digital converter may determine a time interval based on an emission time of the pulse of light and based on the edge signal. A processor may determine a distance to the target using the time interval.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.