Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Luminar, LLC

Liam J McGregor

Jason M Eichenholz

Austin K Russell

Matthew D Weed

Lane A Martin

In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light. The emitted pulses of light include one or more series of standard-resolution pulses alternating with one or more series of high-resolution pulses. Each series of the standard-resolution pulses includes multiple pulses having a standard pulse period, and each series of the high-resolution pulses includes multiple pulses having a high-resolution pulse period. The standard pulse period is greater than or equal to a round-trip time associated with a maximum range of the lidar system, and the high-resolution pulse period is less than the standard pulse period. The lidar system also includes a scanner configured to scan at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard.

Lidar system with adjustable pulse period

In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light and a scanner configured to scan at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard. The field of regard contains all or part of a target located a distance from the lidar system that is less than or equal to a maximum range of the lidar system, and one or more of the emitted pulses of light are scattered by the target. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the pulses of light scattered by the target. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target based at least in part on a round-trip time of flight for an emitted pulse of light.

To increase the effective pulse rate of a light source in a lidar system, a controller provides control signals to the light source to transmit a light pulse once the previous light pulse has been received. The controller may communicate with a receiver in the lidar system that detects received light signals. In response to detecting a received light signal, the receiver may provide an indication of the received light signal to the controller which may in turn provide a control signal to the light source to transmit the next light pulse. The receiver may also provide characteristics of the received light signal to the controller, such as the peak power for the received light signal, the average power for the received light signal, the pulse duration of the received light signal, etc. Then the controller may analyze the characteristics to determine whether to transmit another light pulse.

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San Juan Capistrano, CA, United States of America

Liam J McGregor