LIDAR laser health diagnostic

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12306299-B2
Application number	US-202117155217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2021
Priority date	Jan 22, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A sensor diagnostic system includes a first sensor configured to receive a reflected signal that corresponds to a portion of a transmitted signal transmitted from a second sensor and reflected from a surface, a wavelength determination module configured to determine a first wavelength of the reflected signal that is indicative of a second wavelength of the transmitted signal, a wavelength shift detection module configured to determine a shift in at least one of the first wavelength and the second wavelength, and a sensor health analysis module configured to perform diagnostics on the second sensor based on the determined shift.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor diagnostic system, comprising:
a first sensor configured to receive a reflected signal, wherein the reflected signal corresponds to a portion of a transmitted signal transmitted from a second sensor and reflected from a surface;
a wavelength determination module configured to determine a first wavelength of the reflected signal, wherein the first wavelength is indicative of a second wavelength of the transmitted signal;
a wavelength shift detection module configured to determine a shift in at least one of the first wavelength and the second wavelength; and
a sensor health analysis module configured to perform diagnostics on the second sensor based on the determined shift,
wherein the second sensor is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor,
wherein the sensor health analysis module is configured to determine a change in at least one operating characteristic of the LIDAR sensor based on the determined shift and perform the diagnostics on the LIDAR sensor based on the determined change in the at least one operating characteristic, and
wherein the operating characteristic is one of die temperature, mode hopping, and optical cavity stability.

2. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operating characteristic includes die temperature.

3. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor health analysis module is configured to determine the change in the at least one operating characteristic of the LIDAR sensor based on a lookup table correlating the determined shift with the change in the at least one operating characteristic.

4. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor health analysis module is configured to perform the diagnostics of the LIDAR sensor based on a comparison between the change in the at least one operating characteristic and a threshold.

5. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , further comprising an autonomous module configured to (i) selectively control functions of a vehicle and (ii) based on the diagnostics, one of discontinue controlling functions of the vehicle, disable the LIDAR sensor, and activate an indicator.

6. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the wavelength shift detection module is configured to determine the shift based on a comparison between (i) the at least one of the first wavelength and the second wavelength and (ii) a reference wavelength.

7. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a spectrometer and a spectroradiometer configured to determine the first wavelength of the reflected signal.

8. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid crystal metasurface.

9. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged in a passenger cabin of a vehicle.

10. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged within a same housing.

11. A vehicle comprising the sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged in a passenger cabin of the vehicle.

12. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operating characteristic includes mode hopping.

13. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operating characteristic includes optical cavity stability.

14. A sensor diagnostic system for a vehicle, the sensor diagnostic system comprising:
a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, wherein the LIDAR sensor includes a transmitting portion and a receiving portion, wherein the transmitting portion is configured to transmit a signal, and wherein the receiving portion is configured to receive, as a received signal, a first portion of the transmitted signal that is reflected from an object in an environment external to the vehicle;
a reflected signal sensor positioned to receive a reflected signal corresponding to a second portion of the transmitted signal that is reflected from a surface of vehicle; and
a sensor diagnostic module configured to (i) determine a first wavelength of the reflected signal, wherein the first wavelength is indicative of a second wavelength of the transmitted signal, (ii) determine a shift in at least one of the first wavelength and the second wavelength, and (iii) perform diagnostics on the LIDAR sensor based on the determined shift,
wherein the sensor diagnostic module is configured to determine a change in at least one operating characteristic of the LIDAR sensor based on the determined shift and perform the diagnostics on the LIDAR sensor based on the determined change in the at least one operating characteristic, and
wherein the operating characteristic is one of die temperature, mode hopping, and optical cavity stability.

15. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 14 , wherein the sensor diagnostic module is configured to perform the diagnostics of the LIDAR sensor based on a comparison between the change in the at least one operating characteristic and a threshold.

16. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 14 , further comprising an autonomous module configured to (i) selectively control functions of a vehicle and (ii) based on the diagnostics, one of discontinue controlling functions of the vehicle, disable the LIDAR sensor, and activate an indicator.

17. The sensor diagnostic system of claim 14 , wherein the sensor diagnostic module is configured to determine the shift based on a comparison between (i) the at least one of the first wavelength and the second wavelength and (ii) a reference wavelength.

18. A method of diagnosing a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor of a vehicle, the method comprising:
transmitting a signal, from the LIDAR sensor, from a passenger cabin of the vehicle;
receiving, as a received signal, a first portion of the transmitted signal that passes through a windshield of the vehicle and is reflected from an object in an environment external to the passenger cabin;
receiving, using a reflected signal sensor arranged within the passenger cabin of the vehicle, a reflected signal corresponding to a second portion of the transmitted signal that is reflected from an interior surface within the passenger cabin without passing through the windshield;
determining a first wavelength of the reflected signal, wherein the first wavelength is indicative of a second wavelength of the transmitted signal;
determining a shift in at least one of the first wavelength and the second wavelength;
performing diagnostics on the LIDAR sensor based on the determined shift; and
determining a change in at least one operating characteristic of the LIDAR sensor based on the determined shift,
wherein the performing the diagnostics includes performing the diagnostics on the LIDAR sensor based on the determined change in the at least one operating characteristic, and
wherein the operating characteristic is one of die temperature, mode hopping, and optical cavity stability.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one operating characteristic includes mode hopping.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one operating characteristic includes optical cavity stability.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Avlas Leon N
• Hart Nathaniel W
• Wright Adam L

Classifications

• G01S7/499

  using polarisation effects · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/865

  Combination of radar systems with lidar systems · CPC title

• G01S17/86

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title