Patent US10520592

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device with an off-axis receiver
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US10520592

1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device comprising: (7) (6)

a light source that emits light;

a transmit lens that directs the emitted light to define a field-of-view (FOV) of the LIDAR device, wherein the emitted light illuminates a region of an environment within the FOV defined by the transmit lens;

a receive lens that receives light from the environment, wherein the receive lens focuses light propagating toward the LIDAR device from the illuminated region of the environment along a predefined optical path;

an array of light detectors positioned along the predefined optical path to intercept and detect the light propagating toward the LIDAR device from the illuminated region of the environment focused by the receive lens along the predefined optical path;

an offset light detector positioned outside the predefined optical path to intercept and detect light propagating toward the LIDAR device from a region of the environment other than the illuminated region; and

a controller that: (i) collects sensor data obtained using the array of light detectors, and (ii) based on at least output from the offset light detector, determines whether the collected sensor data includes sensor data associated with another light source different than the light source of the LIDAR device.

2. The LIDAR device of claim 1, further comprising: (1) (1)

4. The LIDAR device of claim 1, further comprising: (0) (1)

5. The LIDAR device of claim 1, wherein the controller detects one or more objects in the environment of the LIDAR device based on at least the collected sensor data. (0)

6. The LIDAR device of claim 1, wherein the controller: (1) (2)

compares optical characteristics of light detected by the offset light detector to optical characteristics of the light emitted by the light source of the LIDAR device,

wherein determining whether the collected sensor data includes sensor data associated with another light source is based on the comparison.

7. The LIDAR device of claim 6, wherein the controller modifies the collected sensor data in response to the comparison indicating a match between the optical characteristics of the light detected by the offset light detector and the optical characteristics of the light emitted by the light source of the LIDAR device. (1) (0)

9. The LIDAR device of claim 1, wherein the controller further selects data from a sensor different than the LIDAR device for scanning the illuminated region of the environment in response to a determination that the collected sensor data includes sensor data associated with another light source different than the light source of the LIDAR device. (0)

10. The LIDAR device of claim 1, wherein the LIDAR device is included in a vehicle, and wherein the controller further modifies a navigation operation of the vehicle in response to a determination that the collected sensor data includes sensor data associated with another light source different than the light source of the LIDAR device. (0)

11. The LIDAR device of claim 1, further comprising: (0) (1)

12. A method comprising: (3) (7)

emitting light via a light source of a LIDAR device;

directing, via a transmit lens, the emitted light to define a field-of-view (FOV) of the LIDAR device, wherein the emitted light illuminates a region of an environment within the FOV defined by the transmit lens;

focusing, via a receive lens, light propagating toward the LIDAR device from the illuminated region of the environment along a predefined optical path;

detecting, at an array of light detectors positioned along the predefined optical path, the light propagating toward the LIDAR device from the illuminated region of the environment focused by the receive lens along the predefined optical path;

detecting, at an offset light detector positioned outside the predefined optical path, light propagating toward the LIDAR device from a region of the environment other than the illuminated region;

collecting sensor data obtained using the array of light detectors; and

based on at least the detected light at the offset light detector, determining whether the collected sensor data includes sensor data associated with another light source different than the light source of the LIDAR device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the collected sensor data includes sensor data associated with another light source comprises: (1) (1)

comparing optical characteristics of light detected by the offset light detector to optical characteristics of the emitted light.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: (0) (2)

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising: (0) (1)

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising: (0) (1)

17. A system comprising: (1) (6)

a LIDAR transmitter that comprises: (i) a light source that emits light, and (ii) a transmit lens that directs the emitted light to define a field-of-view (FOV) of the LIDAR transmitter, wherein the emitted light illuminates a region of an environment within the FOV defined by the transmit lens;

a LIDAR receiver that comprises: (i) a receive lens that receives light from the environment, wherein the receive lens focuses light propagating toward the LIDAR receiver from the illuminated portion of the environment along a predefined optical path, (ii) an array of light detectors positioned along the predefined optical path to intercept and detect the light propagating toward the LIDAR receiver from the illuminated portion of the environment focused by the receive lens along the predefined optical path, and (iii) an offset light detector positioned outside the predefined optical path to intercept and detect light propagating toward the LIDAR receiver from a region of the environment other than the illuminated region;

one or more processors; and

data storage storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

collecting sensor data obtained using the array of light detectors; and

based on at least output from the offset light detector, determining whether the collected sensor data includes sensor data associated with another light source different than the light source of the LIDAR transmitter.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: (2) (1)

determining a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the environment based on at least the collected sensor data and the output from the offset light detector.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein determining the 3D representation comprises: (0) (2)

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising: (0) (1)

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Patent US10520592

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device with an off-axis receiver

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