The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 20, 2017
Filed:
Oct. 20, 2014
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Eduardo Bartolome, Dallas, TX (US);
Fernando Alberto Mujica, Los Altos, CA (US);
Sandeep Oswal, Bangalore, IN;
Abhaya Kumar, Mahadevapura, IN;
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
Samples of a light radar ('LIDAR') return signal are stored in an analog circular buffer following the transmission of a LIDAR pulse. Sampling continues for a fixed period of time or number of samples during a post-trigger sampling period after the occurrence of a trigger signal from a trigger circuit. The trigger circuit indicates the receipt of a return pulse associated with a target object based upon one or more return signal characteristics. Following the post-trigger sampling period, the stored analog samples are sequentially read out and converted to digital sample values. The digital sample values may be analyzed in a digital processor to further confirm the validity of the returned LIDAR pulse, to determine a time of arrival of the LIDAR pulse, and to calculate a distance to the target object. Some versions include multiple circular buffers and capture clocks, enabling the capture of samples from multiple return pulses.