Lidar system and autonomous driving system using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020003902-A1
Application number	US-201916558031-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Aug 5, 2019
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lidar system includes: light sources generating light of a linear light source type; a light emission unit including a diffractive optical element disposed ahead of the light sources and separating incident light from the light sources into point light sources, and a scanner moving the light separated by the diffractive optical element, and radiating light of a point light source to an object; and a reception sensor converting light received after reflection by the object into an electrical signal. Spectrum angles of point light sources that have passed through the diffractive optical element may be different according to a position of the diffractive optical element. According to the lidar system, an autonomous vehicle, AI device, and/or external device may be linked with an artificial intelligence module, drone ((Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV), robot, AR (Augmented Reality) device, VR (Virtual Reality) device, a device associated with 5G services, etc.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A lidar system comprising:
two or more light sources that generate light of a linear light source type; a light emission unit that includes a diffractive optical element disposed ahead of the light sources and separating incident light from the light sources into several point light sources, and a scanner moving the light separated by the diffractive optical element, and radiates light of a point light source to an object; and a reception sensor that converts light received after reflected by the object into an electrical signal, wherein spectrum angles of point light sources that have passed through the diffractive optical element are different in accordance with a position of the diffractive optical element.

2 . The lidar system of claim 1 , wherein the light sources are vertical linear light sources, and
the scanner includes a one-dimensional scanner that horizontally reciprocates the light of a linear light source type.

3 . The lidar system of claim 2 , wherein the reception sensor includes a light sensor array in which light sensors are arranged vertically and horizontally in a matrix shape.

4 . The lidar system of claim 3 , wherein a spectrum angle of light passing through a center portion of the diffractive optical element us smaller than that of light passing through upper and lower surrounding portions of the diffraction unit.

5 . The lidar system of claim 4 , wherein the light sensor array includes:
a first sensing unit that senses a point light source that has low resolution and is radiated to the object through the center portion of the diffractive optical element; a second sensing unit that senses a point light source that has high resolution and is radiated to the object through the upper surrounding portion of the diffractive optical element; and a third sensing unit that senses a point light source that has low resolution and is radiated to the object through the lower surrounding portion of the diffractive optical element.

6 . The lidar system of claim 1 , further comprising a light source driving unit that drives the light sources by supplying a current to the light sources and changes intensity of the current that is supplied to the light sources in accordance with a sensing distance.

7 . The lidar system of claim 6 , wherein the light source driving unit adjusts the driving current of each of the light sources in accordance with driving environment information on a route received through a network.

8 . An autonomous driving system comprising:
a lidar system that senses an object outside a vehicle by radiating a laser beam to the outside of the vehicle; and an autonomous device that receives sensor data input from the lidar system and reflects information of the object to movement control of the vehicle, wherein the lidar system includes: two or more light sources that generate light of a linear light source type; a light emission unit that includes a diffractive optical element disposed ahead of the light sources and separating incident light from the light sources into several point light sources, and a scanner moving the light separated by the diffractive optical element, and radiates light of a point light source to an object; and a reception sensor that converts light received after reflected by the object into an electrical signal, and spectrum angles of point light sources that have passed through the diffractive optical element are different in accordance with a position of the diffractive optical element.

9 . The autonomous driving system of claim 8 , wherein the light sources are vertical linear light sources, and
the scanner includes a one-dimensional scanner that horizontally reciprocates the light of a linear light source type.

10 . The autonomous driving system of claim 9 , wherein the reception sensor includes a light sensor array in which light sensors are arranged vertically and horizontally in a matrix shape.

11 . The autonomous driving system of claim 10 , wherein a spectrum angle of light passing through a center portion of the diffractive optical element us smaller than that of light passing through upper and lower surrounding portions of the diffraction unit.

12 . The autonomous driving system of claim 11 , wherein the light sensor array includes:
a first sensing unit that senses a point light source that has low resolution and is radiated to the object through the center portion of the diffractive optical element; a second sensing unit that senses a point light source that has high resolution and is radiated to the object through the upper surrounding portion of the diffractive optical element; and a third sensing unit that senses a point light source that has low resolution and is radiated to the object through the lower surrounding portion of the diffractive optical element.

13 . The autonomous driving system of claim 9 , the lidar system further includes a light source driving unit that drives the light sources by supplying a current to the light sources and changes intensity of the current that is supplied to the light sources in accordance with a sensing distance.

14 . The autonomous driving system of claim 13 , wherein the light source driving unit adjusts the driving current of each of the light sources in accordance with driving environment information on a route received through a network.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jejong

Classifications

• G01S7/4815 Primary

  using multiple transmitters · CPC title

• G01S17/42

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

• G01S7/4817

  relating to scanning · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title