Lidar sensor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9857473-B2
Application number	US-201414445325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a lidar sensor system, including: a transmission unit including one DV lens which emits laser light to a front area of a vehicle, and two SV lenses which emit laser light to left and right side areas of the vehicle; and a reception unit including one DV reception lens which receives light reflected from the front area of the vehicle, and two SV reception lenses which receive light reflected from the left and right side areas of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lidar sensor system, comprising:
a transmission unit comprising a transmission lens configured to emit laser light to a front area of a vehicle, a left side area of the vehicle, and a right side area of the vehicle; and
a reception unit comprising:
a dense view (DV) reception lens configured to receive light reflected from the front area of the vehicle,
a first sparse view (SV) reception lens configured to receive light reflected from the left side area of the vehicle, and
a second SV reception lens configured to receive light reflected from the right side area of the vehicle, and
a detector comprising a photodiode array and configured to collect the light received by the DV reception lens at a center area of the array, to collect the light received by the first SV reception lens at a left side area of the array, and to collect the light received by the second SV reception lens at a right side area of the array.

2. The lidar sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the transmission lens comprises:
a DV transmission lens unit having a focus so as to densely emit laser light to the front area of the vehicle with a long distance; and
SV transmission lens units having a focus so as to emit laser light to the left and right side areas of the vehicle to a short distance.

3. The lidar sensor system of claim 2 , wherein the SV transmission lens units are disposed to be bilaterally symmetric based on the DV transmission lens unit.

4. The lidar sensor system of claim 3 , wherein two SV transmission lens units are among the SV lens unit are symmetrically disposed to each other.

5. The lidar sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the transmission lens is formed as a single lens having a focus so as to emit laser light to the front area of the vehicle, the left side area of the vehicle, and right side areas of the vehicle.

6. The lidar sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the reception lens comprises:
a dense view (DV) reception lens unit configured to receive laser light reflected from the front area of the vehicle; and
sparse view (SV) reception lens units configured to receive laser light reflected from the left side area of the vehicle and right side areas of the vehicle.

7. The lidar sensor system of claim 6 , wherein the SV reception lens units are disposed to be bilaterally symmetric based on the DV reception lens.

8. The lidar sensor system of claim 7 , wherein two SV reception lens units from among the SV reception units are symmetrically disposed to each other.

9. A lidar sensor system, comprising:
a transmission unit comprising:
a dense view (DV) transmission lens configured to emit laser light to a front area of a vehicle, and
a sparse view (SV) transmission lenses configured to emit laser light to a left side area of the vehicle and a right side areas of the vehicle; and

a reception unit comprising:
a DV reception lens configured to receive light reflected from the front area of the vehicle,
a first SV reception lens configured to receive light reflected from the left side area of the vehicle, and
a second SV reception lens configured to receive light reflected from the right side area of the vehicle, and
a detector comprising a photodiode array and configure to collect the light received by the DV reception lens at a center area of the array, to collect the light received by the first SV reception lens at a left side area of the array, and to collect the light received by the second SV reception lens at a right side area of the array.

10. The lidar sensor system of claim 9 , wherein:
the DV transmission lens is configured to emit laser light so as to detect an obstacle at a long distance in the front area of the vehicle; and
the SV transmission lenses are configured to emit laser light so as to detect an obstacle at a short distance in the left side area of the vehicle and right side area of the vehicle.

11. The lidar sensor system of claim 10 , wherein the DV transmission lens and the SV transmission lenses are integrally formed in a single lens.

12. The lidar sensor system of claim 10 , wherein the DV transmission lens and the SV transmission lenses are separately manufactured.

13. The lidar sensor system of claim 9 , wherein the detector is configured to collect the light received by the DV reception lens and the light received by the SV reception lenses.

14. The lidar sensor system of claim 13 , wherein the detector comprises:
a DV detection unit in which the reflected light of the DV reception lens is collected; and
SV detection units in which the reflected light of the SV reception lenses is collected.

15. The lidar sensor system of claim 14 , wherein:
the DV detection unit positioned at a center area of the detector; and
the SV detection units positioned at both sides of the DV detection unit.

16. The lidar sensor system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a processing unit configured to detect an obstacle from the reflected light received through the reception unit and process the detected obstacle,
wherein the processing unit comprises:
an obstacle detection unit configured to calculate information about an obstacle in the front area of the vehicle based on the reflected light received by the DV detection unit,
an obstacle classification unit configured to classify the type of obstacle in the front area of the vehicle based on the information about the obstacle received from the obstacle detection unit,
a cut-in detection unit configured to calculate information about a cutting-in vehicle (obstacle) in the side areas of the vehicle based on the reflected light received by the SV detection units, and
a controller configured to control the vehicle based on the information about the obstacle received from either one or both of the cut-in detection unit or the obstacle classification unit.

17. The lidar sensor system of claim 16 , wherein:
the obstacle detection unit is configured to transmit detected position and speed information on the obstacle to the obstacle classification unit; and
the cut-in detection unit is configured to transmit detected position and speed information on the obstacle to the controller.

18. The lidar sensor system of claim 17 , wherein the obstacle classification unit is configured to:
classify the obstacle as a vehicle or a pedestrian based on the detected position and speed information on the obstacle; and
transmits information on the type, the position, and the speed of the obstacle to the controller.

19. The lidar sensor system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to:
generates a warning signal for a driver in response to the object being detected; or
automatically control steering or braking of the vehicle in response to the object being detected.

Assignees

• Hyundai Mobis Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Young Shin

Classifications

• G01S17/93

  for anti-collision purposes · CPC title

• G01S7/4816

  of receivers alone · CPC title

• G01S17/42

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

• G01S7/4802

  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section · CPC title

• G01S17/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title