Waymo LLC

Google Inc.

Uatc, LLC

Aurora Operations, Inc.

Gaetan Pennecot

Pierre-yves Droz

Daniel Gruver

Luke Wachter

Anthony Scott Levandowski

Drew Eugene Ulrich

Zachary Morriss

William McCann

Samuel William Lenius

Bernard G Fidric

Dorel Ionut Iordache

Pierre-Yves Droz

Rahim Pardhan

Blaise Gassend

Benjamin T Ingram

Scott McCloskey

Peter Avram

William Mccann

Anthony Levandowski

Bernard Fidric

Zach Morriss

Timothy John Prachar

Ionut Iordache

Martin Millischer

Florin Cornel Ignatescu

Scott Mccloskey

Daniel Fredric Gruver

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that facilitate light detection and ranging operations. An example transmit block includes at least one substrate with a plurality of angled facets. The plurality of angled facets provides a corresponding plurality of elevation angles. A set of angle differences between adjacent elevation angles includes at least two different angle difference values. A plurality of light-emitter devices is configured to emit light into an environment along the plurality of elevation angles toward respective target locations so as to provide a desired resolution and/or a respective elevation angle. The present disclosure also relates to adjusting shot power and a shot schedule based on the desired resolution and/or a respective elevation angle.

Variable beam spacing, timing, and power for vehicle sensors

A laser diode firing circuit for a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device that includes an inductively coupled feedback system is disclosed. The firing circuit includes a laser diode coupled in series with a transistor, such that current through the laser diode is controlled by the transistor. The laser diode is configured to emit a pulse of light in response to current flowing through the laser diode. A feedback loop is positioned to be inductively coupled to a current path of the firing circuit that includes the laser diode. As such, a change in current flowing through the laser diode induces a voltage in the feedback loop. A change in voltage across the leads of the feedback loop can be detected and the timing of the voltage change can be used to determine the time that current begins flowing through the laser diode.

Laser diode timing feedback using trace loop

A vehicle is provided that includes one or more wheels positioned at a bottom side of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a first light detection and ranging device (LIDAR) positioned at a top side of the vehicle opposite to the bottom side. The first LIDAR is configured to scan an environment around the vehicle based on rotation of the first LIDAR about an axis. The first LIDAR has a first resolution. The vehicle also includes a second LIDAR configured to scan a field-of-view of the environment that extends away from the vehicle along a viewing direction of the second LIDAR. The second LIDAR has a second resolution. The vehicle also includes a controller configured to operate the vehicle based on the scans of the environment by the first LIDAR and the second LIDAR.

Vehicle with multiple light detection and ranging devices (LIDARs)

A LIDAR device may transmit light pulses originating from one or more light sources and may receive reflected light pulses that are then detected by one or more detectors. The LIDAR device may include a lens that both (i) collimates the light from the one or more light sources to provide collimated light for transmission into an environment of the LIDAR device and (ii) focuses the reflected light onto the one or more detectors. The lens may define a curved focal surface in a transmit path of the light from the one or more light sources and a curved focal surface in a receive path of the one or more detectors. The one or more light sources may be arranged along the curved focal surface in the transmit path. The one or more detectors may be arranged along the curved focal surface in the receive path.

Devices and methods for a rotating LIDAR platform with a shared transmit/receive path

Systems and methods are described that relate to a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. The LIDAR device includes a fiber laser configured to emit light within a wavelength range, a scanning portion configured to direct the emitted light in a reciprocating manner about a first axis, and a plurality of detectors configured to sense light within the wavelength range. The device additionally includes a controller configured to receive target information, which may be indicative of an object, a position, a location, or an angle range. In response to receiving the target information, the controller may cause the rotational mount to rotate so as to adjust a pointing direction of the LIDAR. The controller is further configured to cause the LIDAR to scan a field-of-view (FOV) of the environment. The controller may determine a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the environment based on data from scanning the FOV.

Long range steerable LIDAR system

A LIDAR system is provided. The LIDAR system includes an emitter. The emitter includes a light source and one or more lenses positioned along a transmit path. The light source is configured to emit a primary laser beam through the one or more lenses in the transmit path to provide a transmit beam. The LIDAR system includes a receiver spaced apart from the emitter. The receiver includes one or more lenses positioned along a receive path such that the one or more lenses receive a reflected laser beam. The LIDAR system includes an optical element positioned along the transmit path. The optical element is configured to direct a portion of the primary laser beam in a direction towards the receive path as a secondary laser beam.

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system

A method is provided that involves mounting a transmit block and a receive block in a LIDAR device to provide a relative position between the transmit block and the receive block. The method also involves locating a camera at a given position at which the camera can image light beams emitted by the transmit block and can image the receive block. The method also involves obtaining, using the camera, a first image indicative of light source positions of one or more light sources in the transmit block and a second image indicative of detector positions of one or more detectors in the receive block. The method also involves determining at least one offset based on the first image and the second image. The method also involves adjusting the relative position between the transmit block and the receive block based at least in part on the at least one offset.

Methods and systems for LIDAR optics alignment

A LIDAR system is provided. In one example, the LIDAR system can include an emitter configured to emit a light signal through one or more transmit lenses positioned along a transmit path to provide transmit signals to a surrounding environment. The LIDAR system can include a receiver spaced apart from the emitter. The receiver configured to detect return signals corresponding to reflected transmit signals from the surrounding environment. The return signals can be received via one or more receive lenses positioned along a receive path. The LIDAR system can include an actuator coupled to the one or more transmit lenses. The actuator can be operable to impart a motion to the one or more transmit lenses to provide for steering of the transmit signals in the surrounding environment.

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) steering using collimated lenses

Vehicle with multiple light detection and ranging devices (LIDARS)

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Gaetan Pennecot