Lockheed Martin Corporation

Luminar Technologies, Inc.

R & J Innovations, Inc.

John G Hughes

Sean P Hughes

Jason M Eichenholz

Scott R Campbell

Austin K Russell

James Randy Myers

Mark T Myers

Thomas E Higgins, Jr

Kevin F Williams

Jeff Cole

Christopher A Engberg

Lloyd Daniel Griffin, Jr

Nicholas Ventola

John P Engberg, Jr

A lidar system includes a light source configured to produce a beam of light, a scanner configured to scan a field of regard of the lidar system, and a receiver configured to detect light from the beam of light scattered by a remote target. The scanner includes a polygon mirror having a block with a first wall, a second wall, and several reflective surfaces angularly offset from one another along a periphery of the block, the polygon mirror configured to rotate about a scan-mirror rotation axis to scan the beam of light across the field of regard. The scanner further includes a bracket adjacent to the polygon mirror, where at least one of the polygon mirror or the bracket includes a noise-reducing feature configured to reduce acoustic noise produced when pressure waves generated by the polygon mirror during rotation are incident on one or more components of the scanner.

Lidar system with a polygon mirror and a noise-reducing feature

A lidar system comprises a light source configured to emit light, a scanner configured to direct the emitted light to scan a field of regard of the lidar system in accordance with a scan pattern, a receiver configured to detect the light scattered by one or more remote targets, and a controller configured to control motion of at least the second mirror to modify the scan pattern. The scanner includes a rotatable polygon mirror having a block having a first wall, a second wall, and reflective surfaces extending between the first and second walls, the reflective surfaces being angularly offset from one another along a periphery of the block. The scanner also includes a polygon mirror axle extending into the block through at least one of the first and second walls, about which the block rotates, and a second mirror pivotable along an axis orthogonal to the polygon mirror axle.

Low profile lidar scanner with polygon mirror

A lidar system comprises a light source to emit pulses of light, a scanner, a receiver, and a controller. The scanner includes a rotatable polygon mirror with reflective surfaces, the reflective surfaces being angularly offset from one another along a periphery of the block. The scanner further includes a polygon mirror axle extending into the block, about which the block rotates, a rotary encoder having a rotational component with an axis of rotation aligned with the polygon mirror axle, the rotational component having one or more characteristics configured to cause the rotary encoder to return a signal, and a second mirror pivotable along an axis orthogonal to the polygon mirror axle. The controller is configured to determine a rotational parameter of the polygon mirror in response to the signal returned from the rotary encoder.

Monitoring rotation of a mirror in a lidar system

A lidar system includes a light source configured to produce a first and second beams of light, receivers to configured to detect light from the first and second beams of light and scattered by one or more remote targets, and a scanner including a first scan mirror configured to pivot along a first-mirror pivot axis to scan the first beam of light along a first direction, a second scan mirror configured to pivot along a second-mirror pivot axis to scan the second beam of light along the first direction, and a polygon with multiple reflective surfaces configured to rotate about a polygon-mirror rotation axis to scan the first and second beams of light along a second direction.

Multi-beam lidar system with polygon mirror

A magnetic levitation system comprising a control system configured to control six degrees of freedom of a levitated object, wherein each degree of freedom has at least a third order roll off. Another system and a method are also disclosed.

System and method for providing vibration isolation by magnetic levitation

A method for optical dithering and a dither device comprising a mounting structure, a refractive optic, an optic mounting structure surrounding the optic, and one or more linear drive motors. Four linear coils are preferably employed together with a control system operating in open loop mode. The dither device and method provides double resolution to a detector receiving output therefrom. The invention can operate in a single axis or in two axes.

Method and apparatus for optical dithering

An active damping method for a stabilized mirror, and a corresponding active damper apparatus, comprising providing a tachometer measuring speed of a motor driving the mirror, employing compensation electronics receiving input from said tachometer and the motor, and employing drive electronics providing output to the motor.

Active damper for stabilized mirrors

An apparatus and method for predicting attractive magnetic levitation force comprising measuring flux density for a component of an attractive magnetic levitation system and computing a predicted attractive magnetic levitation force from the flux density.

Magnetic levitation force control

A magnetically levitated transporter comprising a plurality of bogies attached thereto and traveling over a track comprising a plurality of rails, and a method for operating such transporter, comprising a plurality of magnets attached to each bogie, a plurality of the magnets being offset outboard with respect to the rails and a plurality of the magnets being offset inboard with respect to the rails, and a computer control system employing gain scheduling to control current provided to each of the magnets.

Magnetically levitated transporter

A fast steering mirror method and apparatus comprising employing a plurality of linear actuators and a plurality of springs. Four actuators and four springs may be employed, with one at each corner of the mirror. If only two amplifiers are employed, the linear actuators are then cross coupled. Control means supplies current to the plurality of linear actuators, preferably with each actuator providing force proportional to current supplied, each comprising a motor and one or more current loops around the motor, with the control means causing displacement of the spring paired with a corresponding linear actuator by a distance approximately proportional to current supplied to the corresponding linear actuator and with the control means causing rotation of the mirror by an angle approximately equal to the displacement of the spring divided by the moment arm from the center line of the mirror to the center of the corresponding linear actuator.

Low cost fast steering mirror

The present invention relates to a gimbal assembly having a belt driven mirror, wherein an active vibra-acoustic damper is used to reduce vibra-acoustic energy induced line of sight disturbances resulting from belt mode resonant amplification. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention improve system performance far beyond the capability of a passive damper by actively countering vibra-acoustic disturbance torque and line of sight disturbances (i.e., substantially reducing and/or effectively canceling these disturbances).

Active vibra-acoustic damper

An optical scanner includes a support frame which rotatably supports a mirror. A stepper motor is provided for turning a cam which abuts the mirror. The motor imparts force to the mirror to define a scan profile when the cam is rotated. The scanner further includes a resilient member which applies force to the mirror, which, in turn, counteracts and cancels the force provided by the cam. Due to the cancellation of the force provided by the cam and the resilient member, no bending forces are applied to the mirror. The optical scanner further includes a control mechanism for applying sinusoidal currents to the stepper motor. More specifically, the control mechanism provides sine and cosine waveforms, and the control mechanism commutates the motor with the sine and cosine waveforms. The sine and cosine waveforms are pre-stored in a memory. In exemplary embodiments, the control mechanism provides constant velocity in one direction, and a fast retrace in an opposite direction. The control mechanism controls the motor without the use of feedback, thereby reducing the complexity and cost of the scanner.

Optical scanner

A tool for the tapping of a bone hole and installation of an implant in dentistry has a knob manually rotatable externally of a patient's mouth on one end of an arm and a bit, releasably secured on a sprocket, rotatable inside the patient's mouth in response to rotation of the knob. A chain connects the bit sprocket to a sprocket attached to the knob, so that the bit rotates about an axis parallel to, but laterally offset by the arm from, the axis of rotation of the knob. For bone tapping purposes, a tapping bit is used and a 'T'-shaped handle attaches to the knob to increase the lever arm for torque application. For screwing implant components together or into the tapped bone, a screwing bit is used. A resilient elastomer sleeve is releasably stretched over the implant component and over the screwing bit for initial positioning. Multiple, interchangeable bits are provided to match different-sized implant components. The shank of each bit is recessed intermediate cylindrical portions, for receiving a set screw.

Tapping tool and method for implant dentistry

A tool for the installation of an abutment or screw in implant dentistry has a knob manually rotatable externally of a patient's mouth on one end of an arm and a bit, releasably secured on a sprocket, rotatable inside the patient's mouth in response to rotation of the knob. A chain connects the bit sprocket to a sprocket attached to the knob, so that the bit rotates about an axis parallel to, but laterally offset by the arm from, the axis of rotation of the knob. A resilient elastomer sleeve is releasably stretched over the abutment or screw and over the bit for initial positioning. Mutliple, interchangeable bits are provided to match different sized abutment or screw heads. The bit shank is recessed intermediate cylindrical portions, for receiving a set screw.

Growing community of inventors

Casselberry, FL, United States of America

John G Hughes