Search All Patents in Automobile Vision: LIDAR
Patent US10012723
Issued 2018-07-03
Modular Lidar System
A modular LIDAR system may be formed of multiple LIDAR components. Each LIDAR component may include a laser emitter and a laser detector configured in a frame. Multiple LIDAR components may be arranged on a rotatable swivel housing. The rotatable housing may rotate about a first axis that is perpendicular to a plane defined by a mounting base. The multiple LIDAR components may be aimed outward from the swivel housing at different directions, which may range up to 90 degrees or up to 180 degrees in separation in some embodiments. When the rotatable housing is rotated completely around the first axis, the multiple LIDAR components may scan a first field of view of 360 degrees around the first axis and may scan a second field of view of substantially 180 degrees about a second axis. The modular LIDAR system may be implemented with an aircraft for navigational purposes.
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- 1. A LIDAR system comprising:
a swivel housing rotatably coupled to a frame of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the swivel housing configured to rotate about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane defined by the frame; LIDAR components coupled to the swivel housing, the LIDAR components aimed outward from the swivel housing at different orientations between a first orientation along the first axis and a second orientation along a second axis that is angularly offset relative to the first axis, each LIDAR component including at least one laser emitter and at least one laser detector; and a motor to cause rotation of the swivel housing relative to the frame, wherein a full 360 degrees rotation of the swivel housing about the first axis creates a horizontal field of view that provides capture of data to perform distance measurement of objects in substantially 180 degrees of a vertical field of view.
- 5. An apparatus comprising:
a mounting base; a swivel housing rotatably coupled to the mounting base, the swivel housing configured to rotate about a first axis that is perpendicular to a plane defined by the mounting base; and LIDAR components coupled to the swivel housing, the LIDAR components aimed outward from the swivel housing at different orientations between a first orientation along the first axis and a second orientation along a second axis that is angularly offset relative to the first axis, each LIDAR component including at least one laser emitter and at least one laser detector, wherein in a full rotation of the swivel housing about a horizontal field of view provides capture of data to perform distance measurement of objects in at least 180degrees of vertical field of view.
- 17. A system comprising:
a swivel housing rotatably coupled to a frame, the swivel housing configured to rotate about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane defined by the frame; LIDAR components coupled to the swivel housing, the LIDAR components aimed outward from the swivel housing at different orientations between a first orientation along the first axis and a second orientation along a second axis that is angularly offset relative to the first axis, wherein at least one LIDAR component is aimed along the first orientation along the first axis; and a motor to cause a full 360 degrees rotation of the swivel housing relative to the frame and about the first axis to create a horizontal field of view that provides capture of data to perform distance measurement of objects in a vertical field of view defined between the first orientation along the first axis and the second orientation along a second axis that is angularly offset relative to the first axis.
