Eye-Safe Long-Range Solid-State LIDAR System

Abstract

A solid-state LIDAR system includes a plurality of lasers, each generating an optical beam having a FOV when energized. A plurality of detectors is positioned in an optical path of the optical beams generated by the plurality of lasers. A FOV of at least one of the plurality of optical beams generated by the plurality of lasers overlaps a FOV of at least two of the plurality of detectors. A controller is configured to generate bias signals at a plurality of laser control outputs that energize a selected group of the plurality of lasers in a predetermined time sequence and is configured to detect a predetermined sequence of detector signals generated by the plurality of detectors.

1 - 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . A solid-state Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
 a) a plurality of lasers, each of the plurality of lasers generating an optical beam having a Field of View (FOV) when energized;   b) a plurality of detectors positioned in an optical path of the optical beams generated by the plurality of lasers, each of the plurality of detectors having a detector signal output, wherein a FOV of at least one of the plurality of optical beams generated by the plurality of lasers overlaps a FOV of at least two of the plurality of detectors; and   c) a controller having a plurality of laser control outputs and a plurality of detector inputs, each of the plurality of laser control outputs being electrically connected to a bias input of one of the plurality of lasers and each of the plurality of detector inputs being electrically connected to the detector signal output of one of the plurality of detectors, the controller being configured to generate bias signals at the plurality of laser control outputs that energize a selected group of the plurality of lasers in a sequence that is selected to maintain eye safe conditions, and being configured to generate a detection event sequence that is based on a position of at least two of the plurality of detectors.   
     
     
         58 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the detection event sequence is further based on a detection duration. 
     
     
         59 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the detection event sequence is further based on a duty cycle of the sequence. 
     
     
         60 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the detection event sequence is further based on a measurement method of the detection. 
     
     
         61 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein at least some of the plurality of lasers comprise vertical cavity surface emitting lasers. 
     
     
         62 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein at least some of the plurality of lasers emit laser light at different wavelengths. 
     
     
         63 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the plurality of lasers comprises a two-dimensional array of lasers. 
     
     
         64 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 63  wherein one row of the two-dimensional array of lasers emits laser light at one wavelength when energized by the controller and another row of the two-dimensional array of lasers emits laser light at a second wavelength when energized by the controller. 
     
     
         65 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 63  wherein the selected group of the plurality of lasers comprises a row of the two-dimensional array. 
     
     
         66 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 63  wherein the selected group of the plurality of lasers comprises a column of the two-dimensional array. 
     
     
         67 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the plurality of detectors comprises a two-dimensional array of detectors. 
     
     
         68 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the controller is configured to sequentially sample detector signals from one row of the two-dimensional array of detectors. 
     
     
         69 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 68  wherein the controller is configured to sequentially sample detector signals from one column of the two-dimensional array of detectors. 
     
     
         70 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the controller is further configured to repeat the generation of the bias signals at the plurality of laser control outputs that energize the selected group of the plurality of lasers in the predetermined time sequence a plurality of times. 
     
     
         71 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the controller is configured to detect a predetermined sequence of detector signals generated by the plurality of detectors in a sequence that is repeated a plurality of times. 
     
     
         72 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the controller is configured to generate bias signals at the plurality of laser control outputs that energize a selected group of the plurality of lasers with different wavelengths in the predetermined time sequence. 
     
     
         73 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the controller is configured to generate bias signals at the plurality of laser control outputs that energize a selected group of the plurality of lasers to emit light in a predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         74 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 73  wherein the controller is configured to detect a predetermined sequence of detector signals generated by the plurality of detectors corresponding to the predetermined pattern of light emitted from the plurality of lasers. 
     
     
         75 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the controller is configured to generate bias signals at the plurality of laser control outputs that energize the selected group of the plurality of lasers to emit light in a predetermined pattern that maintains Class 1 eye safe optical power levels in the predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         76 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the controller is configured to generate bias signals at the plurality of laser control outputs that energize the selected group of the plurality of lasers to maintain a predetermined thermal dissipation. 
     
     
         77 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 57  wherein the controller is configured to detect a predetermined sequence of detector signals generated by detectors that are positioned in a region that is illuminated by a single laser beam FOV. 
     
     
         78 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 77  wherein the detectors that are positioned in the region that is illuminated by the single laser beam FOV includes all detectors that are illuminated by the single laser beam FOV. 
     
     
         79 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 77  wherein the detectors that are positioned in the region that is illuminated by the single laser beam FOV includes a subset of detectors that are illuminated by the single laser beam FOV. 
     
     
         80 . The solid-state LIDAR system of  claim 79  wherein the subset of detectors comprises detectors forming a shape that provides a desired angular resolution for a particular measurement. 
     
     
         81 . A solid-state Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
 a) a plurality of lasers, each of the plurality of lasers generating an optical beam having a Field of View (FOV) when energized;   b) a plurality of detectors positioned in an optical path of the optical beams generated by the plurality of lasers, each of the plurality of detectors having a detector signal output, wherein a FOV of at least one of the plurality of optical beams generated by the plurality of lasers overlaps a FOV of at least two of the plurality of detectors; and   c) a controller having a plurality of laser control outputs and a plurality of detector inputs, each of the plurality of laser control outputs being electrically connected to a bias input of one of the plurality of lasers and each of the plurality of detector inputs being electrically connected to the detector signal output of one of the plurality of detectors, the controller being configured to generate bias signals at the plurality of laser control outputs that energize a selected group of the plurality of lasers in a sequence such that a measurement rate of the LIDAR system is less than a firing rate constraint of at least one laser of the selected group of the plurality of lasers.   
     
     
         82 . A solid-state Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
 a) a plurality of lasers, each of the plurality of lasers generating an optical beam having a Field of View (FOV) when energized;   b) a plurality of detectors positioned in an optical path of the optical beams generated by the plurality of lasers, each of the plurality of detectors having a detector signal output, wherein a FOV of at least one of the plurality of optical beams generated by the plurality of lasers overlaps a FOV of at least two of the plurality of detectors; and   c) a controller having a plurality of laser control outputs and a plurality of detector inputs, each of the plurality of laser control outputs being electrically connected to a bias input of one of the plurality of lasers and each of the plurality of detector inputs being electrically connected to the detector signal output of one of the plurality of detectors, the controller being configured to generate bias signals at the plurality of laser control outputs that energize a selected group of the plurality of lasers in a sequence such that a detector having a FOV that overlaps a FOV of an optical beam generated at a first point in the sequence is not immediately adjacent to a detector having a FOV that overlaps a FOV of an optical beam generated at a second point in the sequence that immediately follows the first point in the sequence.