Cepton Technologies, Inc.

Tokyo Electron Limited

Jun Pei

Mark Armstrong McCord

Dongyi Liao

Jun Ye

Yupeng Cui

Liqun Han

Roger David Cullumber

Daryoosh Rejaly

Junwei Bao

Wei Wei

Ching-Ling Meng

Holger Tuitje

Mihail Mihaylov

June Ye

Henrik K Nielsen

Ying Xu

Mark Mccord

Mark A Mccord

A LiDAR system includes a fixed frame, a first platform, an electro-optic assembly including one or more laser sources and one or more detectors mounted on the first platform; a flexure assembly flexibly coupling the first platform to the fixed frame; a drive mechanism configured to translate the first platform with respect to the fixed frame in two dimensions in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the LiDAR system; and a controller configured to cause the drive mechanism to translate the first platform in a first direction with a first frequency and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction with a second frequency that is different from the first frequency, acquire a point cloud, and output the point cloud at a frame rate that is an integer times a difference between the second frequency and the first frequency, the integer being greater than one.

Half and quarter lissajous scan patterns for LiDAR

A scanning lidar system includes a first lens having a first lens center and characterized by a first optical axis and a first surface of best focus, a second lens having a second lens center and characterized by a second optical axis, a platform separated from the first lens and the second lens along the first optical axis, and an array of laser sources mounted on the platform. Each laser source of the array of laser sources has an emission surface lying substantially at the first surface of best focus of the first lens and positioned at a respective laser position. The scanning lidar system further includes an array of photodetectors mounted on the platform. Each photodetector of the array of photodetectors is positioned at a respective photodetector position that is optically conjugate with a respective laser position of a corresponding laser source.

Mounting apparatuses for optical components in a scanning lidar system

A method of three-dimensional imaging includes scanning a LiDAR system in a first direction with a first frequency and in a second direction with a second frequency that is different from the first frequency, so that a laser beam emitted by each laser source of the LiDAR system follows a Lissajous pattern. The method further includes emitting, using each laser source, a plurality of laser pulses as the LiDAR system is scanned in the first direction and the second direction; detecting, using each detector of the LiDAR system, a portion of each laser pulse of the plurality of laser pulses reflected off of one or more objects; determining, using a processor, a time of flight for each respective laser pulse from emission to detection; and acquiring a point cloud of the one or more objects based on the times of flight of the plurality of laser pulses.

Methods for scanning a LiDAR system in two dimensions

A scanning LiDAR system includes a base frame, an optoelectronic assembly, and a lens assembly. The optoelectronic assembly includes one or more laser sources and one or more photodetectors, and is fixedly attached to the base frame. The lens assembly includes one or more lenses. The one or more lenses have a focal plane. The scanning LiDAR system further includes a first flexure assembly flexibly coupling the lens assembly to the base frame. The first flexure assembly is configured such that the one or more laser sources and the one or more photodetectors are positioned substantially at the focal plane of the one or more lenses. The first flexure assembly is further configured to be flexed so as to scan the lens assembly laterally in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the emission lens.

Scanning lidar systems with moving lens assembly

A LiDAR system includes a first optical lens, and one or more first optoelectronic packages spaced apart from the first optical lens along the optical axis of the first optical lens. Each respective first optoelectronic package includes a first plurality of optoelectronic components positioned on the respective first optoelectronic package such that a surface of each respective optoelectronic component lies substantially on the first surface of best focus. The LiDAR system further includes a second optical lens, and one or more second optoelectronic packages spaced apart from the second optical lens along the optical axis of the second optical lens. Each respective second optoelectronic package includes a second plurality of optoelectronic components positioned on the respective second optoelectronic package such that a surface of each respective optoelectronic component lies substantially on the second surface of best focus.

Mounting configurations for optoelectronic components in LiDAR systems

A lidar system includes a laser source, an emission lens configured to collimate and direct a laser beam emitted by the laser source, a receiving lens configured to receive and focus a return laser beam reflected off of one or more objects to a return beam spot at a focal plane of the receiving lens, and a detector including a plurality of photo sensors arranged as an array at the focal plane of the receiving lens. Each photo sensor has a respective sensing area and is configured to receive and detect a respective portion of the return laser beam. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine a respective time of flight for each respective portion of the return laser beam, and construct a three-dimensional image of the one or more objects based on the respective time of flight for each respective portion of the return laser beam.

Detector designs for improved resolution in lidar systems

A headlamp module of a vehicle includes a housing including a window, an illumination submodule disposed inside the housing and configured to provide illumination light to be transmitted through the window toward a scene in front of the vehicle, and a first LiDAR sensor disposed inside the housing and laterally displaced from the illumination submodule. The first LiDAR sensor includes one or more laser sources configured to emit laser beams to be transmitted through the window toward the scene, the laser beams being reflected off of one or more objects in the scene, thereby generating return laser beams to be transmitted through the window toward the first LiDAR sensor and one or more detectors configured to receive and detect the return laser beams.

Systems for incorporating LiDAR sensors in a headlamp module of a vehicle

An optical system includes a laser source having an emission area that has a first width in a first direction and a first height in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the first width being greater than the first height. The optical system further includes a cylindrical lens having a negative power and positioned in front of the laser source. The cylindrical lens is oriented such that a power axis of the cylindrical lens is along the first direction. The cylindrical lens is configured to transform the emission area of a laser beam emitted by the laser source into a virtual emission area having a virtual width and a virtual height, where the virtual width is less than the first width. The optical system further includes an rotationally symmetric lens positioned downstream from the cylindrical lens and configured to collimate and direct the laser beam towards a far-field.

Optical designs using cylindrical lenses for improved resolution in lidar systems

An imaging system includes a base, an imaging lens fixedly attached to the base, a board, a first set of flexures flexibly attaching the board to the base, and a detector mounted on the board and positioned at an image plane of the imaging lens. The imaging system further includes a driving mechanism configured to scan the board via the first set of flexures in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the imaging lens, thereby scanning the detector to a plurality of image positions in the image plane. The imaging system further includes electronic circuitry configured to read out a respective electrical signal output by the detector as the detector is scanned to each respective image position of the plurality of image positions in the image plane, and generate an image based on the electrical signals read out from the detector at the plurality of image positions.

Systems and methods for imaging using mechanical scanning mechanisms

A lidar system includes a laser source, a photodetector, an emission lens, a receiving lens, and a processor. The laser source is configured to be translated through a plurality of emission locations, and to emit a plurality of laser pulses therefrom. The emission lens is configured to collimate and direct the plurality of laser pulses towards an object. The receiving lens is configured to focus the portion of each of the plurality of laser pulses reflected off of the object to a plurality of detection locations. The photodetector is configured to be translated through the plurality of detection locations, and to detect the portion of each of the plurality of laser pulses. The processor is configured to determine a time of flight for each of the plurality of laser pulses from emission to detection, and construct a three-dimensional image of the object based on the determined time of flight.

Scanning lidar systems for three-dimensional sensing

A scanning lidar system includes an external frame, an internal frame attached to the external frame by vibration-isolation mounts, and an electro-optic assembly movably attached to the internal frame and configured to be translated with respect to the internal frame during scanning operation of the scanning lidar system.

Systems for vibration cancellation in a lidar system

A LiDAR system includes a first lens, a second lens, a first set of light sources and a first set of detectors positioned at a focal plane of the first lens, and a second set of light sources and a second set of detectors positioned at a focal plane of the second lens. Each detector of the second set of detectors is located at a respective detector position on the focal plane of the second lens that is optically conjugate with a position of a corresponding light source of the first set of light sources. Each detector of the first set of detectors is located at a respective detector position on the focal plane of the first lens that is optically conjugate with a position of a corresponding light source of the second set of light sources.

Lidar system including a transceiver array

A scanning lidar system includes a fixed frame, a first platform, and a first electro-optic assembly. The first electro-optic assembly includes a first laser source and a first photodetector mounted on the first platform. The scanning lidar system further includes a first flexure assembly flexibly coupling the first platform to the fixed frame, and a drive mechanism configured to scan the first platform with respect to the fixed frame in two dimensions in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the lidar system. The scanning lidar system further includes a controller coupled to the drive mechanism. The controller is configured to cause the drive mechanism to scan the first platform in a first direction with a first frequency and in a second direction with a second frequency. The second frequency is similar but not identical to the first frequency.

Apparatuses for scanning a lidar system in two dimensions

A three-dimensional imaging system includes a first illumination source configured to project a first fan of light toward an object in a field of view, and a second illumination source configured to project a second fan of light substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first fan of light. The first illumination source and the second illumination source are further configured to scan the first fan of light and the second fan of light synchronously laterally across the field of view. The three-dimensional imaging system further includes a camera configured to capture a plurality of image frames of the field of view as the first fan of light and the second fan of light are scanned over a plurality of regions the object, and a processor coupled to the camera and configured to construct a three-dimensional image of the object based on the plurality of image frames.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Jun Pei