Patent US7969558B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US7969558B2
Active / In Force
US
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High definition lidar system
Assignee: Velodyne Lidar USA Inc
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Filing: 2007-07-13
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Granted: 2011-06-28
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Expires: 2027-07-13
Abstract
Abstract A lidar-based 3-D point cloud measuring system and method. An example system includes a base, a housing, a plurality of photon transmitters and photon detectors contained within the housing, a rotary motor that rotates the housing about the base, and a communication component that allows transmission of signals generated by the photon detectors to external components. The rotary component includes a rotary power coupling configured to provide power from an external source to the rotary motor, the photon transmitters, and the photon detectors. In another embodiment, the photon transmitters and detectors of each pair are held in a fixed relationship with each other. In yet another embodiment, a single detector is “shared” among several lasers by focusing several detection regions onto a single detector, or by using a single, large detector.
Inventors
- 👤 David S. Hall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:05
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S17/00; G01S17/88; G01S17/89; G01S7/00; G01S7/48; G01S7/481; G01S7/4811; G01S7/4813; G01S7/4817; H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/04; H01S5/042; H01S5/0428; H01S5/06; H01S5/062; H01S5/06209; H01S5/06216
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
A lidar-based 3-D point cloud system comprising: a support structure; a plurality of laser emitters supported by the support structure; a plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors supported by the support structure; and a rotary component configured to rotate the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors at a speed of at least 200 RPM.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
58 words
A lidar-based 3-D point cloud system comprising: a support structure; a plurality of laser emitters supported by the support structure; a plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors supported by the support structure; and a rotary component configured to rotate the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors at a speed of at least 200 RPM.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a rotary power coupling configured to provide power from an external source to the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of laser emitters is paired with a separate one of the plurality of photon detectors in a fixed position to form a plurality of pairs of laser emitters and avalanche photodiode detectors.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 3 , wherein each one of the plurality of pairs of laser emitters and avalanche photodiode detectors is aligned in a direction that is angularly separated from each other one of the pairs of laser emitters and avalanche photodiode detectors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 4 , wherein the angular separation between each one of the plurality of pairs of laser emitters and avalanche photodiode detectors is ⅓°.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
The system of claim 3 , wherein the support structure is mountable to a vehicle, and further wherein each one of the plurality of pairs of laser emitters and avalanche photodiode detectors is aligned in a direction that is angularly separated from each other one of the pairs of laser emitters and avalanche photodiode detectors, the plurality of pairs of laser emitters and avalanche photodiode detectors being aligned to locations between 20 feet and 500 feet from the vehicle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotary power coupling is further configured to transmit signals to and from the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotary component is configured to rotate the support structure through a full 360 degree rotation at the rotation speed of at least 200 RPM.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a communication component configured to allow transmission of signals generated by the avalanche photodiode detectors to an external component.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the support structure further comprises a housing and a base, the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors being secured within the housing, the rotary component further being configured to rotate the housing about the base.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 10 , further comprising a rotary encoder configured to determine rotational location of the housing relative to the base.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laser emitters comprises sixteen laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors comprises at least sixteen avalanche photodiode detectors.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the avalanche photodiode detectors is configured to receive reflections from more than one laser emitter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laser emitters is configured to pulse at a rate of more than about 1 million pulses per second.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the support structure is mounted to a vehicle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor in signal communication with the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors and the plurality of laser emitters, the processor being configured to cause the laser emitters to emit pulses of a reduced power level when at least one of the avalanche photodiode detectors detects a return signal above a threshold level.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor in signal communication with the plurality of laser emitters, the processor being configured to prevent the laser emitters from firing when the rotary component is not rotating.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor in signal communication with the plurality of laser emitters, the processor being configured to prevent the laser emitters from firing when the rotary component is rotating below a threshold level.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of generating a 3-D point cloud comprising: providing a lidar system having: a support structure, a plurality of laser emitters supported by the support structure; a plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors supported by the support structure, and a rotary component configured to rotate the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors at a speed of at least 200 RPM; rotating the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors at a speed of at least 200 RPM; and emitting light from the plurality of laser emitters.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of generating a 3-D point cloud comprising: providing a lidar system having: a support structure, a plurality of laser emitters supported by the support structure; a plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors supported by the support structure, and a rotary component configured to rotate the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors at a speed of at least 200 RPM; rotating the plurality of laser emitters and the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors at a speed of at least 200 RPM; and emitting light from the plurality of laser emitters.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 19 , further comprising mounting the support structure to a vehicle, and further wherein each one of the laser emitters is aligned in a direction that is angularly separated from each other one of the laser emitters, the laser emitters being aligned to locations substantially evenly spaced between 20 feet and 500 feet from the vehicle.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the support structure further comprises a housing and a base, the method further comprising determining a rotational location of the housing relative to the base.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of emitting light further comprises pulsing the laser emitters at a rate of more than about 1 million pulses per second.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
106 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the lidar system further comprises a processor in signal communication with the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors and the plurality of laser emitters, the processor being configured to cause the laser emitters to emit pulses of a reduced power level when at least one of the avalanche photodiode detectors detects a return signal above a threshold level, the step of emitting light from the plurality of laser emitters further comprising causing the laser emitters to emit pulses of a reduced power level when at least one of the avalanche photodiode detectors detects a return signal above a threshold level.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the lidar system further comprises a processor in signal communication with the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors and the plurality of laser emitters, the processor being configured to prevent the laser emitters from firing when the rotary component is not rotating, the step of emitting light from the plurality of laser emitters further comprising causing the laser emitters to emit light only when the rotary component is rotating.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
82 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the lidar system further comprises a processor in signal communication with the plurality of avalanche photodiode detectors and the plurality of laser emitters, the processor being configured to control the firing of the laser emitters in relation to the rotation of the rotary component, the step of emitting light from the plurality of laser emitters further comprising causing the laser emitters to emit light only when the rotary component is rotating above a threshold level.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2014-06-27 | 2014-12-27 | 2015-06-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2018-06-27 | 2018-12-27 | 2019-06-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2022-06-27 | 2022-12-27 | 2023-06-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |