Implementation of the focal plane 2d apd array for hyperion lidar system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017212223-A1
Application number	US-201615266618-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 15, 2016
Priority date	Sep 18, 2015
Publication date	Jul 27, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure are related to a Lidar device, comprising: a vibrating fiber optic cantilever system on a transmit (TX) path; and a two-dimensional (2D) light sensor array on a receive (RX) path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A Lidar device, comprising:
a vibrating fiber optic cantilever system on a transmit (TX) path; and a two-dimensional (2D) light sensor array on a receive (RX) path.

2 . The Lidar device of claim 1 , wherein the vibrating fiber optic cantilever system further comprises a piezo ceramic tube and a fiber optic cable, and a free end of the fiber optic cable extends outside a free end of the piezo ceramic tube by a predetermined length, and wherein the piezo ceramic tube is driven by a signal to vibrate at a resonant frequency of the vibrating fiber optic cantilever system such that the vibration is amplified at the free end of the fiber optic cable.

3 . The Lidar device of claim 2 , wherein a motion of the free end of the fiber optic cable follows a predetermined scanning pattern.

4 . The Lidar device of claim 3 , further comprising a laser emitting element that emits laser pulses at intervals.

5 . The Lidar device of claim 4 , further comprising TX optics, wherein a laser pulse exits from the free end of the fiber optic cable and is projected through the TX optics and onto a target.

6 . The Lidar device of claim 5 , further comprising RX optics, wherein light reflected off the target is collected by the RX optics onto the 2D light sensor array.

7 . The Lidar device of claim 6 , further comprising a dynamic switch and one or more time measuring converters, wherein based on a direction in which the laser pulse is projected, the dynamic switch routes outputs from one or more particular light sensors in the 2D light sensor array that are expected to receive the reflected light to the time measuring converters.

8 . The Lidar device of claim 7 , wherein the time measuring converters are either Time-to-Digital Converters (TDCs) or Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs).

9 . The Lidar device of claim 1 , wherein the 2D light sensor array comprises avalanche photodiodes (APDs) or PIN photodiodes.

10 . A method for implementing a Lidar device, comprising:
implementing a vibrating fiber optic cantilever system on a transmit (TX) path; and implementing a two-dimensional (2D) light sensor array on a receive (RX) path.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the vibrating fiber optic cantilever system further comprises a piezo ceramic tube and a fiber optic cable, and a free end of the fiber optic cable extends outside a free end of the piezo ceramic tube by a predetermined length, and wherein the piezo ceramic tube is driven by a signal to vibrate at a resonant frequency of the vibrating fiber optic cantilever system such that the vibration is amplified at the free end of the fiber optic cable.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a motion of the free end of the fiber optic cable follows a predetermined scanning pattern.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising implementing a laser emitting element that emits laser pulses at intervals.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising implementing TX optics, wherein a laser pulse exits from the free end of the fiber optic cable and is projected through the TX optics and onto a target.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising implementing RX optics, wherein light reflected off the target is collected by the RX optics onto the 2D light sensor array.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising implementing a dynamic switch and one or more time measuring converters, wherein based on a direction in which the laser pulse is projected, the dynamic switch routes outputs from one or more particular light sensors in the 2D light sensor array that are expected to receive the reflected light to the time measuring converters.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the time measuring converters are either Time-to-Digital Converters (TDCs) or Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs).

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the 2D light sensor array comprises avalanche photodiodes (APDs) or PIN photodiodes.

19 . A Lidar device, comprising:
a vibrating fiber optic cantilever means on a transmit (TX) path; and a two-dimensional (2D) light sensing means on a receive (RX) path.

20 . The Lidar device of claim 19 , wherein the vibrating fiber optic cantilever means further comprises a piezo ceramic tube and a fiber optic cable, and a free end of the fiber optic cable extends outside a free end of the piezo ceramic tube by a predetermined length, and wherein the piezo ceramic tube is driven by a signal to vibrate at a resonant frequency of the vibrating fiber optic cantilever system such that the vibration is amplified at the free end of the fiber optic cable.

21 . The Lidar device of claim 20 , wherein a motion of the free end of the fiber optic cable follows a predetermined scanning pattern.

22 . The Lidar device of claim 21 , further comprising a laser emitting means that emits laser pulses at intervals.

23 . The Lidar device of claim 22 , further comprising TX optics, wherein a laser pulse exits from the free end of the fiber optic cable and is projected through the TX optics and onto a target.

24 . The Lidar device of claim 23 , further comprising RX optics means, wherein light reflected off the target is collected by the RX optics onto the 2D light sensor array.

25 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method comprising:
driving a vibrating fiber optic cantilever system on a transmit (TX) path of a Lidar device; and driving a two-dimensional (2D) light sensor array on a receive (RX) path of the Lidar device.

26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the vibrating fiber optic cantilever system further comprises a piezo ceramic tube and a fiber optic cable, and a free end of the fiber optic cable extends outside a free end of the piezo ceramic tube by a predetermined length, and wherein the piezo ceramic tube is driven by a signal to vibrate at a resonant frequency of the vibrating fiber optic cantilever system such that the vibration is amplified at the free end of the fiber optic cable.

27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein a motion of the free end of the fiber optic cable follows a predetermined scanning pattern.

28 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27 , further comprising code for driving a laser emitting element that emits laser pulses at intervals.

29 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28 , further comprising code for driving TX optics, wherein a laser pulse exits from the free end of the fiber optic cable and is projected through the TX optics and onto a target.

30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29 , further comprising code for driving RX optics, wherein light reflected off the target is collected by the RX optics onto the 2D light sensor array.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Slobodyanyuk Volodimir
• Arabi Karim
• Gousev Evgeni

Classifications

• G02B26/103

  having movable or deformable optical fibres, light guides or waveguides as scanning elements (light guides per se G02B6/00) · CPC title

• G01S17/42 Primary

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G01S17/14

  wherein a voltage or current pulse is initiated and terminated in accordance with the pulse transmission and echo reception respectively, e.g. using counters · CPC title

• G01S17/10

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) · CPC title

• G01S17/06 Primary

  Systems determining position data of a target · CPC title