Continental Advanced Lidar Solutions Us, LLC

Continental Autonomous Mobility Us, LLC

Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc.

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Wave Intellectual Property, Inc.

Oplink Communications, Inc.

Patrick Gilliland

Roger Stettner

Brad Short

Laurent Heughebaert

Joseph Spagnolia

Barton Goldstein

Howard W Bailey

Andrew Duerner

Steve Penniman

Laurent Heuhebaert

Bart M Goldstein

Robert W Koseluk

Thomas Laux

Jenkin Angelo Richard

Eric V Chamness

Mihail Milkov

Heiko Leppin

Kyle LaFevre

Nitin Kataria

Laurent Heughebaet

Bob Koseluk

Joe Spagnolia

Robert W Koseluck

Tom Laux

Evgueniy Dimitrov Anguelov

Osman Musa

Roger Frederick DuPont

Chunbai Wu

Bart Goldstein

A LADAR sensor includes a light emitter, a lens having areas of different refraction, a beam-steering device, and a light sensor. The beam-steering device is between the light emitter and the lens to direct light from the light emitter through the lens. The beam-steering device is designed to scan the aim of light from the light emitter to different ones of the areas of different refraction. The light sensor has a plurality of photodetectors. A controller is programmed to selectively power different combinations of the photodetectors based on the aim of the beam-steering device at the areas of different refraction.

Scanning LADAR system with corrective optic

A vehicular collision avoidance system comprising a system controller, pulsed laser transmitter, a number of independent ladar sensor units, a cabling infrastructure, internal memory, a scene processor, and a data communications port is presented herein. The described invention is capable of developing a 3-D scene, and object data for targets within the scene, from multiple ladar sensor units coupled to centralized LADAR-based Collision Avoidance System (CAS). Key LADAR elements are embedded within standard headlamp and taillight assemblies. Articulating LADAR sensors cover terrain coming into view around a curve, at the crest of a hill, or at the bottom of a dip. A central laser transmitter may be split into multiple optical outputs and guided through fibers to illuminate portions of the 360° field of view surrounding the vehicle. These fibers may also serve as amplifiers to increase the optical intensity provided by a single master laser.

Flash LADAR collision avoidance system

In one embodiment, a ladar system includes a laser transmitter with at least one semiconductor laser having a pulsed laser light output. A laser drive circuit is connected to said at least one semiconductor laser and adapted to electrically drive said at least one semiconductor laser in a predetermined sequence. A laser beam steering mechanism is adapted to scan the pulsed laser light output sequentially through the field of view. A two-dimensional array of light sensitive detectors receive reflected light and an integrated circuit calculates a direct time of flight distance measurement.

Beam steering LADAR sensor

A vehicle and ladar sensor assembly system is proposed which makes use of forward mounted long range ladar sensors and short range ladar sensors mounted in auxiliary lamps to identify obstacles and to identify potential collisions with the vehicle. A low cost assembly is developed which can be easily mounted within a body panel cutout of a vehicle, and which connects to the vehicle electrical and computer systems through the vehicle wiring harness. The vehicle has a digital processor which interprets 3D data received from the ladar sensor assembly, and which is in control of the vehicle subsystems for steering, braking, acceleration, and suspension. The digital processor onboard the vehicle makes use of the 3D data and the vehicle control subsystems to avoid collisions and steer a best path.

Automotive auxiliary LADAR sensor

A system for landing or docking a mobile platform is enabled by a flash LADAR sensor having an adaptive controller with Automatic Gain Control (AGC). Range gating in the LADAR sensor penetrates through diffuse reflectors. The LADAR sensor adapted for landing/approach comprises a system controller, pulsed laser transmitter, transmit optics, receive optics, a focal plane array of detectors, a readout integrated circuit, camera support electronics and image processor, an image analysis and bias calculation processor, and a detector array bias control circuit. The system is capable of developing a complete 3-D scene from a single point of view.

LADAR sensor for landing, docking and approach

A collision mitigation system makes use of ladar sensors to identify obstacles and to predict unavoidable collisions therewith, and a duplex radio link in communication with secondary vehicles, and a number of external airbags deployable under the control of an airbag control unit, to reduce the forces of impact on the host vehicle, secondary vehicles, and bipeds and quadrupeds wandering into the roadway. A suspension modification system makes use of ladar sensors to identify road hazards, and make adaptations to a number of active suspension components, each with the ability to absorb shock, elevate or lower the vehicle, and adjust the spring rate of the individual wheel suspensions.

Ladar enabled impact mitigation system

A dual mode ladar system includes a laser transmitter having a wavelength of operation and a modulator connected thereto to impose a modulation thereon. The modulator is configured to impose amplitude modulation and/or frequency modulation. Diffusing optics illuminate a field of view and an array of light sensitive detectors each produce an electrical response signal from a reflected portion of the laser light output.

Personal LADAR sensor

A lightweight, inexpensive LADAR sensor incorporating 3-D focal plane arrays is adapted specifically for modular manufacture and rapid field configurability and provisioning. The sensor generates, at high speed, 3-D image maps and object data at short to medium ranges. The techniques and structures described may be used to extend the range of long range systems as well, though the focus is on compact, short to medium range ladar sensors suitable for use in multi-sensor television production systems and 3-D graphics capture and moviemaking. 3-D focal plane arrays are used in a variety of physical configurations to provide useful new capabilities.

Modular ladar sensor

A receiver circuit for a sensor includes a photosensitive input circuit and a logarithmic-signal circuit including a PN junction coupled to a pulse voltage node. The pulse voltage node may be coupled to the P-type terminal of the PN junction and an output of the photosensitive input circuit. In some examples, the receiver circuit also may include a linear-signal circuit and/or a square-root-signal circuit.

High dynamic range receiver for a LIDAR sensor

A vehicular collision avoidance system comprising a system controller, pulsed laser transmitter, a number of independent ladar sensor units, a cabling infrastructure, internal memory, a scene processor, and a data communications port is presented herein. The described invention is capable of developing a 3-D scene, and object data for targets within the scene, from multiple ladar sensor units coupled to centralized LADAR-based Collision Avoidance System (CAS). Key LADAR elements are embedded within standard headlamp and taillight assemblies. Articulating LADAR sensors cover terrain coming into view around a curve, at the crest of a hill, or at the bottom of a dip. A central laser transmitter may be split into multiple optical outputs and guided through fibers to illuminate portions of the 360&#xb0; field of view surrounding the vehicle. These fibers may also serve as amplifiers to increase the optical intensity provided by a single master laser.

LADAR enabled impact mitigation system

A lidar sensor assembly includes a detector array having a plurality of photodetectors. An integrated circuit is bonded to the detector array via a plurality of connection bumps. A reference trace is defined by conductive material on at least one of the integrated circuit and the detector array. A test trace is defined by conductive material on the detector array, at least two of the connection bumps, and conductive material on the integrated circuit. A resistance measuring device is configured to independently measure a reference resistance along the reference trace and a test resistance along the test trace. The assembly also includes a processor in communication with the resistance measuring device. The processor is configured to receive the reference resistance and the test resistance, subtract the reference resistance from the test resistance to produce a bond resistance, and compare the bond resistance to a predetermined resistance value.

Methods and systems for testing bonding of a sensor assembly

In one embodiment, a ladar system includes a laser transmitter with at least one semiconductor laser having a pulsed laser light output. A laser drive circuit is connected to said at least one semiconductor laser and adapted to electrically drive said at least one semiconductor laser in a predetermined sequence. A laser beam steering mechanism is adapted to scan the pulsed laser light output sequentially through the field of view.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Patrick Gilliland