Varying lidar illumination responsive to ambient light levels

Abstract

A LIDAR system is provided. The LIDAR system may include at least one processor configured to: control at least one light deflector to deflect light from a plurality of light sources towards a region in a field of view while the at least one light deflector is in a particular instantaneous position; control the at least one light deflector such that while the at least one light deflector is at the particular instantaneous position, light reflections from the field of view are received on at least one common area along a plurality of return paths to at least one sensor; and receive from at least one of a plurality of light detectors included in the at least one sensor, signals associated with beam spots of the received light reflections, wherein each of the beam spots impinges on more than one of the plurality of light detectors.

1 - 390 . (canceled) 
     
     
         391 . A LIDAR system, comprising:
 at least one processor configured to:
 control at least one light deflector to deflect light from a plurality of light sources towards a region in a field of view while the at least one light deflector is in a particular instantaneous position; 
 control the at least one light deflector such that while the at least one light deflector is at the particular instantaneous position, light reflections from the field of view are received on at least one common area of the at least one light deflector along a plurality of return paths to at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of light detectors; and 
 receive from at least one of the plurality of light detectors included in the at least one sensor, signals associated with beam spots of the received light reflections, wherein each of the signals is associated with at least one of the beam spots, and wherein each of the beam spots impinges on more than one of the plurality of light detectors included in the at least one sensor. 
   
     
     
         392 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein the at least one light deflector includes a reflector unit configured to pivot along two or more axes. 
     
     
         393 . The LIDAR system of  claim 392 , wherein the reflector unit includes a MEMS mirror. 
     
     
         394 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein the at least one light deflector includes a mechanical scanning polygon. 
     
     
         395 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein the at least one light deflector is a two-dimensional scanner. 
     
     
         396 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein the at least one light deflector includes a reflector array, the reflector array including a plurality of reflector units. 
     
     
         397 . The LIDAR system of  claim 396 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select a first one of the reflector units for an outbound path along which at least portion of the light from the plurality of light sources is directed to the field of view. 
     
     
         398 . The LIDAR system of  claim 397 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select a second one of the reflector units for one of the plurality of return paths. 
     
     
         399 . The LIDAR system of  claim 396 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select one of the reflector units for one of the plurality of return paths. 
     
     
         400 . The LIDAR system of  claim 396 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select all the reflector units for one of the plurality of return paths. 
     
     
         401 . The LIDAR system of  claim 396 , wherein at least two of the plurality of reflector units are configured to pivot synchronously. 
     
     
         402 . The LIDAR system of  claim 396 , wherein at least two of the plurality of reflector units are configured to pivot asynchronously. 
     
     
         403 . The LIDAR system of  claim 396 , wherein an area of the reflector array is in a range of 75 to 150 mm 2 . 
     
     
         404 . The LIDAR system of  claim 396 , wherein at least one of the plurality reflector units has a width of 10 μm. 
     
     
         405 . The LIDAR system of  claim 396 , wherein the reflector array includes 9 or more reflector units. 
     
     
         406 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein the plurality of light sources includes at least three separate light sources, each light source being associated with a differing region of the field of view. 
     
     
         407 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein at least one of the signals associated with at least one of the beam spots includes at least two different values. 
     
     
         408 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein a first portion of at least one beam spot impinges on at least one detector included in the at least one sensor earlier in time than a second portion of the at least one beam spot. 
     
     
         409 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein each light detector includes a plurality of detection elements. 
     
     
         410 . The LIDAR system of  claim 409 , wherein the plurality of detection elements for a particular light detector are in a rectangular arrangement. 
     
     
         411 . The LIDAR system of  claim 391 , wherein the at least one light deflector includes at least two light deflectors, and each of the at least two light deflectors includes a MEMS mirror. 
     
     
         412 . A method for detecting objects using a LIDAR, the method comprising:
 controlling at least one light deflector to deflect light from a plurality of light sources towards a region in a field of view while the at least one light deflector is in a particular instantaneous position;   controlling the at least one light deflector such that while the at least one light deflector is at the particular instantaneous position, light reflections from the field of view are received on at least one common area of the at least one light deflector along a plurality of return paths to at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of light detectors; and   receiving from at least one of the plurality of light detectors included in the at least one sensor, signals associated with beam spots of the received light reflections, wherein each of the signals is associated with at least one of the beam spots, and wherein each of the beam spots impinges on more than one of the plurality of light detectors included in the at least one sensor.