Multi-wavelength pulse steering in lidar systems

Abstract

A LiDAR system includes a steering system and a light source. In some cases, the steering system includes a rotatable polygon with reflective sides and/or a dispersion optic. The light source produces light signals, such as light pulses. In some cases, the light sources products light pulses at different incident angles and/or different wavelengths. The steering system scans the light signals. In some cases, the light pulses are scanned based on the wavelength of the light pulses.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system comprising:
 a light source configured to produce a first plurality of pulses including a first pulse and a second plurality of pulses including a second pulse, wherein the first plurality of pulses have a first wavelength and the second plurality of pulses have a second wavelength different than the first wavelength; and   a pulse steering system having a dispersion optic configured to receive along a receive path the first pulse and the second pulse from the light source and to direct the first pulse along a first scan path and the second pulse along a second scan path different than the first scan path.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the pulse steering system further includes a rotatable polygon having a plurality of reflective sides. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the rotatable polygon has an axis of rotation parallel to a direction of dispersion of the dispersion optic. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the pulse steering system further includes a scanning mirror. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the scanning mirror is a mirror galvanometer. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the dispersion optic is a prism or an optical grating. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the light source includes a tunable seed laser. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the light source includes a fiber configured to deliver the first plurality of light pulses and the second plurality of light pulses to the dispersion optic. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the light source is further configured to produce a third plurality of pulses, wherein the third plurality of pulses have a third wavelength different than the first wavelength and the second wavelength. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the light source is configured to provide light pulses of at least 50 different wavelengths. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the light source is configured to provide light pulses of at least 300 different wavelengths. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the light source is configured to provide light pulses having wavelengths that differ by less than 1 nm.