IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0426907
(2003-04-29)
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등록번호 |
US-7830442
(2010-11-25)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Griffis, Andrew
- Fetzer, Gregory
- Redman, Brian
- Sitter, David
- Gelbart, Asher
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
11 인용 특허 :
6 |
초록
▼
A lidar pulse is time resolved in ways that avoid costly, fragile, bulky, high-voltage vacuum devices—and also costly, awkward optical remappers or pushbroom layouts—to provide preferably 3D volumetric imaging from a single pulse, or full-3D volumetric movies. Delay lines or programmed
A lidar pulse is time resolved in ways that avoid costly, fragile, bulky, high-voltage vacuum devices—and also costly, awkward optical remappers or pushbroom layouts—to provide preferably 3D volumetric imaging from a single pulse, or full-3D volumetric movies. Delay lines or programmed circuits generate time-resolution sweep signals, ideally digital. Preferably, discrete 2D photodiode and transimpedance-amplifier arrays replace a continuous 1D streak-tube cathode. For each pixel a memory-element array forms range bins. An intermediate optical buffer with low, well-controlled capacitance avoids corruption of input signal by these memories.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A lidar system comprising: means for generating a measurement signal that is at least one-dimensional, corresponding to a received at-least-one-dimensional lidar-beam pulse; means for time-resolving the measurement signal, said resolving means comprising: multiple memory elem
What is claimed is: 1. A lidar system comprising: means for generating a measurement signal that is at least one-dimensional, corresponding to a received at-least-one-dimensional lidar-beam pulse; means for time-resolving the measurement signal, said resolving means comprising: multiple memory elements for receiving and holding successive portions of the measurement signal respectively, digital means for forming a digital sweep signal defining multiple digital states corresponding to the respective memory elements, and means for applying the digital sweep signal to control distribution of the successive measurement-signal portions into the respective memory elements; wherein the forming means comprise a logic circuit generating a series of digital pointers addressing the memory elements respectively; means for reading the measurement-signal portions from the memory elements; and multiple buffer switches transferring the successive measurement-signal portions to the multiple memory elements respectively; each buffer switch having a respective enable terminal actuated by a respective one of the digital pointers. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: multiple electrooptical converters respectively receiving the successive measurement-signal portions from the buffer switches, respectively, and in response generating corresponding optical signals; and multiple optoelectronic converters receiving the corresponding optical signals and in response generating new corresponding measurement-signal portions for application to the multiple memory elements. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein: the electrooptical converters are selected from the group consisting of VCSELs, LEDs, and organic LEDs. 4. The system of claim 2, wherein: the optoelectronic converters are selected from the group consisting of CMOS elements, organic phase-shift molecular devices, and a printed-circuit stack of thin-film devices. 5. A lidar system comprising: means for generating a measurement signal that is at least one-dimensional, corresponding to a received at-least-one-dimensional lidar-beam pulse; means for time-resolving the measurement signal, said resolving means comprising: multiple memory elements for receiving and holding successive portions of the measurement signal respectively, digital means for forming a digital sweep signal defining multiple digital states corresponding to the respective memory elements, and means for applying the digital sweep signal to control distribution of the successive measurement-signal portions into the respective memory elements; and means for reading the measurement-signal portions from the memory elements; wherein: the forming means comprise a tapped delay line having multiple taps addressing the multiple memory elements respectively. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein: the memory elements comprise a dynamic RAM or other capacitive array receiving the measurement signal-portions substantially directly from the distribution controlled by the delay-line taps. 7. The system of claim 5, further comprising: multiple buffer switches transferring the successive measurement-signal portions to the multiple memory elements respectively; each buffer switch having a respective enable terminal actuated by a respective one of the delay-line taps. 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising: multiple electrooptical converters respectively receiving the successive measurement-signal portions from the buffer switches, respectively, and in response generating corresponding optical signals; and multiple optoelectronic converters receiving the corresponding optical signals and in response generating new corresponding measurement-signal portions for application to the multiple memory elements. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein: the electrooptical converters are selected from the group consisting of VCSELs, LEDs, and organic LEDs. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein: the optoelectronic converters are selected from the group consisting of CMOS elements, organic phase-shift molecular devices, and a printed-circuit stack of thin-film devices. 11. A lidar system comprising: means for generating a measurement signal that is at least one-dimensional, corresponding to a received at-least-one-dimensional lidar-beam pulse; means for time-resolving the measurement signal, said resolving means comprising: multiple memory elements for receiving and holding successive portions of the measurement signal respectively, digital means for forming a digital sweep signal defining multiple digital states corresponding to the respective memory elements, and means for applying the digital sweep signal to control distribution of the successive measurement-signal portions into the respective memory elements; and means for reading the measurement-signal portions from the memory elements; wherein: the forming means comprise a delay line that comprises the memory elements; the delay line itself has clock signals serving as the digital sweep signal; and the delay line responds to the clock signals by successively advancing the received successive measurement-signal portions into the delay line. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein: the memory elements comprise a dynamic RAM or other capacitive array receiving the measurement signal-portions substantially directly from the distribution controlled by the clock signals. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein: the delay line is a shift register; the memory elements are successive positions in the shift register itself; and the reading means comprise parallel circuits for reading plural measurement-signal portions substantially simultaneously from the shift register. 14. The system of claim 11, further comprising: an analog-to-digital converter, digitizing the successive measurement-signal portions for application to the delay line. 15. A lidar system comprising: means for generating a measurement signal corresponding to a received lidar-beam pulse; means for time-resolving the measurement signal; multiple electrooptical converters respectively receiving time-resolved measurement-signal portions from the resolving means, and in response forming new corresponding optical signals; and means for reading the measurement-signal portions as the new corresponding optical signals from the electrooptical converters. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein: the electrooptical converters are LEDs. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein: the electrooptical converters are organic LEDs. 18. The system of claim 15, wherein: the electrooptical converters are VCSELs. 19. The system of claim 18, further comprising: multiple optoelectronic converters receiving the corresponding new optical signals from the VCSELs and in response forming new corresponding measurement-signal portions for readout by the reading means. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein: the optoelectronic converters are CMOS elements. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein: the optoelectronic converters are optical phase-shift molecules. 22. The system of claim 19, wherein: the optoelectronic converters are printed-circuit stacks of thin-film devices. 23. The system of claim 15, further comprising: multiple optoelectronic converters receiving the new corresponding optical signals and in response forming new corresponding measurement-signal portions for readout by the reading means. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein: the optoelectronic converters are CMOS elements. 25. The system of claim 15, wherein: the resolving means comprise multiple buffer switches directing the time-resolved measurement-signal portions to the multiple electrooptical converters, respectively; the multiple buffer switches comprise respective enable terminals actuated by a synchronous enable signal. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein: the synchronous enable signal is substantially in controlled-delay synchronism with the lidar-beam pulse. 27. The system of claim 25, wherein: before said synchronous enable signal, each enable terminal is connected to receive a bias input that holds the respective electrooptical converter just within a quiescent state. 28. The system of claim 27, wherein: readout from the respective electrooptical converter is terminated by another synchronous signal after a time interval allowing for collection of the time-resolved measurement-signal portion from that respective electrooptical converter. 29. The system of claim 15, for detecting and ranging objects; said system further comprising: means for projecting an at-least-one-dimensional light pulse toward such objects; and means for receiving an at-least-one-dimensional reflected light pulse from such objects; wherein the generating means comprise means for generating said measurement signal in response to the received light pulse. 30. A lidar system comprising: means for generating an at-least-one-dimensional measurement signal corresponding to an at-least-one-dimensional received lidar-beam pulse; means for time-resolving the measurement signal; multiple memory elements, comprising a dynamic RAM or other capacitive array, respectively receiving and holding time-resolved measurement-signal portions substantially directly from the resolving means; and means for reading the held measurement-signal portions from the memory elements; and multiple buffer switches transferring the time-resolved measurement-signal portions from the resolving means substantially directly to the multiple memory elements respectively; each buffer switch having a respective enable terminal actuated by the resolving means. 31. The system of claim 30, for detecting and ranging objects; said system further comprising: means for projecting an at-least-one-dimensional light pulse toward such objects; and means for receiving an at-least-one-dimensional reflected light pulse from such objects; wherein the generating means comprise means for generating said measurement signal in response to the received light pulse.
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