LIDAR device including a dynamic filter, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11531091-B2
Application number	US-201816499918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Apr 4, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A LIDAR device for scanning a scanning angle, including at least one radiation source for generating at least one electromagnetic beam, including a rotatable mirror for deflecting the at least one electromagnetic beam along the scanning angle, including a receiving unit for receiving at least one incoming electromagnetic beam and for deflecting the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam to at least one detector, and including at least one filter, the at least one filter being adaptable to the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam. Moreover, a method for scanning a scanning angle with the aid of such a LIDAR device is described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A LIDAR device for scanning a scanning angle, comprising:
at least one radiation source to generate at least one electromagnetic beam, which is a generated beam having a wavelength in a non-visible infrared range;
a rotatable mirror to deflect the at least one electromagnetic beam along the scanning angle;
a receiving unit to receive at least one incoming electromagnetic beam and to deflect the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam to at least one detector; and
at least one filter, of the receiving unit, adaptable to the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam;
wherein the rotatable mirror is configured to deflect the generated beam along a defined horizontal scanning angle, wherein the rotatable mirror is swivel-able along a rotational axis and orthogonally with respect to the horizontal scanning angle (H) so as to cover a vertical scanning angle (V), so as to scan a solid angle (V×H) for locating an object positioned in the solid angle (V×H), and
wherein the rotational axis extends orthogonally through an x-y plane of the receiving unit, wherein an incidence angle of the incoming beam includes a component of the horizontal scanning angle (H) and a component of the vertical scanning angle (V), wherein the at least one, filter is rotatably mounted and is rotated synchronously with the rotatable mirror or is periodically swiveled along another rotational axis, which extends in parallel to the rotational axis, for scanning in the horizontal scanning angle (H), wherein the filter is adjusted so that the incoming beam can impact perpendicularly the filter, wherein the filter does not have an adaptation of its angle when the object is situated frontally or slightly offset with respect to an optical axis, and wherein when the object is located farther from the optical axis, the incoming beam has a greater incidence angle, wherein since the filter is swiveled synchronously with the mirror, the incidence angle is greater in relation to the optical axis, but the incidence angle in relation to the adjusted filter is 0°, so that the incoming beam can transmit through the filter and enter the receiving unit.

2. The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is rotatable along the scanning angle.

3. The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is rotatable in relation to the rotatable mirror in an angularly offset or angularly synchronous manner.

4. The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is an adjustable Fabry-Pérot cavity, including semi-reflecting mirrors, each of the semi-reflecting mirrors includes a glass substrate and a semi-reflecting coating, wherein one of the semi-reflecting mirrors is stationary and cannot be displaced, and wherein one of the semi-reflecting mirror is situated so as to be displaceable.

5. The LIDAR device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one filter has an adjustable cavity length, which is provided by displacing one of the semi-reflecting mirrors, so that a cavity length or a distance between the semi-reflecting mirrors can be changed.

6. The LIDAR device of claim 4 , wherein the cavity length is adjustable depending on an orientation of the rotatable mirror.

7. The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter has an adjustable refraction index.

8. The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein the refraction index is adjustable depending on the orientation of the rotatable mirror.

9. The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein at least two filters for filtering the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam are situatable with angular offset with respect to one another.

10. The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter for filtering the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam has a curvature.

11. A method for scanning a scanning angle with a LIDAR device, the method comprising:
generating, via at least one radiation source, at least one electromagnetic beam, which is a generated beam having a wavelength in a non-visible infrared range;
deflecting, via a rotatable mirror, the at least one electromagnetic beam along the scanning angle;
receiving and filtering, via a receiving unit and at least one filter, at least one incoming beam reflected on an object; and
detecting the at least one reflected incoming beam;
wherein at least one filter is adapted according to a wavelength and/or an incidence angle of the at least one incoming beam, and
wherein the LIDAR device includes:
the at least one radiation source to generate the at least one electromagnetic beam;
the rotatable mirror to deflect the at least one electromagnetic beam along the scanning angle;
the receiving unit to receive the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam and to deflect the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam to at least one detector; and

the at least one filter adaptable to the at least one incoming electromagnetic beam;
wherein the rotatable mirror is configured to deflect the generated beam along a defined horizontal scanning angle, wherein the rotatable mirror is swivel-able along a rotational axis and orthogonally with respect to the horizontal scanning angle (H) so as to cover a vertical scanning angle (V), so as to scan a solid angle (V×H) for locating an object positioned in the solid angle (V×H), and
wherein the rotational axis extends orthogonally through an x-y plane of the receiving unit, wherein an incidence angle of the incoming beam includes a component of the horizontal scanning angle (H) and a component of the vertical scanning angle (V), wherein the at least one, filter is rotatably mounted and is rotated synchronously with the rotatable mirror or is periodically swiveled along another rotational axis, which extends in parallel to the rotational axis, for scanning in the horizontal scanning angle (H), wherein the filter is adjusted so that the incoming beam can impact perpendicularly the filter, wherein the filter does not have an adaptation of its angle when the object is situated frontally or slightly offset with respect to an optical axis, and wherein when the object is located farther from the optical axis, the incoming beam has a greater incidence angle, wherein since the filter is swiveled synchronously with the mirror, the incidence angle is greater in relation to the optical axis, but the incidence angle in relation to the adjusted filter is 0°, so that the incoming beam can transmit through the filter and enter the receiving unit.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Spiessberger Stefan
• Holleczek Annemarie
• Heussner Nico

Classifications

• G01S7/4816 Primary

  of receivers alone · CPC title

• G01S7/481

  Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements · CPC title

• H01Q3/14

  for varying the relative position of primary active element and a refracting or diffracting device · CPC title