Lidar system selectively changing a size of the field of view

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020400788-A1
Application number	US-202016904170-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2020
Priority date	Jun 24, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided. The LIDAR system comprises at least two lasers configured to emit aligned beams of light and a mirror configured to deflect the beams of light emitted by the lasers. The mirror is supported to be pivotable with respect to an axis of the mirror so as to allow the beams of light to scan a field of view of the LIDAR system. The LIDAR system further comprises a driver configured to drive the mirror into oscillations and a controller. The controller is configured to control at least one laser so as to selectively change a size of the field of view and/or to control the driver so as to selectively change the size of the field of view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising:
at least two lasers configured to emit aligned beams of light; a mirror configured to deflect the aligned beams of light emitted by the lasers, the mirror pivotable with respect to an axis of the mirror so as to allow the aligned beams of light to scan a field of view of the LIDAR system; a driver configured to drive the mirror into oscillations about the axis as an oscillating mirror; and a controller configured to control at least one laser of the at least two lasers so as to selectively change a size of the field of view.

2 . The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to selectively change the size of the field of view for at least a duration of a scan of the field of view.

3 . The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to selectively change the size of the field of view based on information obtained from one or more previous scans of the field of view, or based on information provided to the LIDAR system by an external controller, or by a user input provided to the LIDAR system.

4 . The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two lasers comprise a first subset of one or more lasers and a second subset of one or more lasers, and in a first mode of operation, the controller is configured to select for scanning the one or more lasers of the first subset and deselect for scanning the one or more lasers of the second subset so as to reduce the size of the field of view in a first direction.

5 . The LIDAR system of claim 4 , wherein:
in a second mode of operation, the controller is configured to select for scanning the one or more lasers of the first subset and the one or more lasers of the second subset, wherein the controller is configured to operate the one or more lasers of the first subset and the one or more lasers of the second subset at a first pulse repetition frequency, in a first mode of operation, the controller is configured to operate the one or more lasers of the first subset at a second pulse repetition frequency that is greater than the first pulse repetition frequency and the one or more lasers of the second subset are disabled.

6 . The LIDAR system of claim 4 , wherein:
the controller is configured to select for scanning the at least one laser at least two lasers when a value representing an angular position of the oscillating mirror is within a first range of values and deselect for scanning the at least one laser when the value representing the angular position of the oscillating mirror is within a second range of values so as to reduce the size of the field of view in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

7 . The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein:
in a first mode of operation, the controller is configured to select for scanning the at least one laser at least two lasers when a value representing an angular position of the mirror in oscillation is within a first range of values and deselect for scanning the at least one laser when the value representing the angular position of the mirror in oscillation is within a second range of values so as to reduce the size of the field of view in one direction

8 . The LIDAR system of claim 7 , wherein:
in a second mode of operation, the controller is configured to, when the value representing the angular position of the oscillating mirror is within the first range of values and the second range of values, operate the at least one laser at a first pulse repetition frequency in a first mode of operation, the controller is configured to, when the value representing the angular position of the oscillating mirror is within the first range of values, operate the at least one laser at a second pulse repetition frequency that is greater than the first pulse repetition frequency.

9 . The LIDAR system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control the driver so as to selectively change the size of the field of view.

10 . A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising:
at least two lasers configured to emit aligned beams of light; a mirror configured to deflect the aligned beams of light emitted by the lasers, the mirror pivotable with respect to an axis of the mirror so as to allow the aligned beams of light to scan a field of view of the LIDAR system; a driver configured to drive the mirror into oscillations about the axis as an oscillating mirror; and a controller configured to control the driver so as to selectively change the size of the field of view.

11 . The LIDAR system of claim 10 , wherein:
the controller is configured to adjust an amplitude of the oscillations of the mirror to correspond to an amplitude reference value so as to reduce the size of the field of view in a first direction.

12 . The LIDAR system of claim 11 , wherein:
the controller is configured to limit a rate of change of the amplitude reference value such that the rate of change is below a predetermined value.

13 . The LIDAR system of claim 11 , wherein:
the controller is configured to, in response to determining a change in the amplitude reference value, deselect for scanning at least one laser of the at least two lasers for a predetermined period of time.

14 . The LIDAR system of claim 11 , wherein:
the controller is configured to, in response to determining a change in the amplitude reference value, replace one or more parameters of a regulator used to adjust the amplitude of the oscillations of the mirror with temporary parameters for a predetermined period of time.

15 . The LIDAR system of claim 11 , wherein:
the controller is configured to, in response to determining a change in the amplitude reference value, replace a structural component of a regulator used to adjust the amplitude of the oscillations of the mirror with a temporary structural component for a predetermined period of time.

16 . The LIDAR system of claim 14 , wherein:
the regulator comprises at least one integral component, and the controller is configured to, in response to determining the change in the amplitude reference value, disable the regulator, then set a predetermined value as an output of the integral component of the regulator, and then enable the regulator.

17 . The LIDAR system of claim 16 , wherein:
the predetermined value is a value expected to be assumed when the amplitude of the oscillations of the mirror corresponds to the amplitude reference value.

18 . The LIDAR system of claim 11 , wherein:
the driver is an electrostatic driver to which a voltage is alternately switched to drive the mirror into the oscillations, and the controller is configured to, in response to determining a change in the amplitude reference value, if the change in the amplitude reference value is negative, invert the voltage being alternately switched to the electrostatic driver for a predetermined period of time.

19 . The LIDAR system of claim 11 , wherein:
the driver is an electrostatic driver to which a voltage is alternately switched to drive the mirror into oscillations, and the controller is configured to, in response to determining a change in the amplitude reference value, if the change in the amplitude reference value is positive, control the driverfor a predetermined period of time such that a phase between the voltage applied to the electrostatic drive and an oscillating motion of the mirror is lower than a predetermined value.

20 . The LIDAR system of cla

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Van Lierop Hendrikus
• Druml Norbert
• Garcia Izquierdo Alberto
• Kudla Wojciech

Classifications

• G01S17/87

  Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S17/10 Primary

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

• G01S7/486

  Receivers · CPC title

• G01S7/484

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S7/4817 Primary

  relating to scanning · CPC title