System and method for pre-blinding lidar detectors

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed directed to systems and methods for pre-blinding a light detector. An example method can include sending, by a processor of a LIDAR system, a signal to a light source of the LIDAR system at a first time, the signal causing the light source to provide a light input to a photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to initiate a recovery period. The example method can also include emitting, by a laser of the LIDAR system, a first light pulse into an environment at a second time. The example method can additionally include receiving, by the photodetector, return light associated with the first light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light reaching the photodetector at a third time, the third time being a time after the photodetector has completed the recovery period.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] In some LiDAR systems (e.g., coaxial beampath LiDAR systems), the power transmitted from and received back from the LiDAR system can follow the same or largely the same optical path. This presents several challenges: the transmitted energy may find its way back to the receiver without leaving the LiDAR system, or in a range where the LiDAR system may be insensitive. This can be a problem for systems based on avalanche photodetectors (e.g., systems using avalanche photodiodes (APDs)), which generate a large signal after receiving a relatively small amount of photon energy, but may require an additional recovery period before the photodiode responds to subsequent initial photon returns. That is, the photodetector may be temporarily "blinded" when it receives the returning light pulse and may remain blind for a period depending on its recovery period, during which any initial light energy may produce a limited response or even no response in the photodetector. Since some uninteresting light returns (e.g., internal reflections) are inevitable in coaxial beampath LiDAR systems, there may be an undesirable period of LiDAR insensitivity after the laser beam leaves the range of uninteresting reflections. Attached Figure Description

[0002] Specific embodiments are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and show only exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. The drawings are provided to facilitate understanding of this disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of this disclosure. In the drawings, one or more leftmost numerals of the reference numerals identify the drawing in which the reference numeral first appears. The use of the same reference numerals indicates similar, but not necessarily identical or completely identical, parts. However, different reference numerals can also be used to identify similar parts. Various embodiments may utilize elements or components other than those shown in the drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. Depending on the context, the use of singular terms to describe a part or element may cover a plurality of such parts or elements, and vice versa.

[0003] Figure 1 Example processes are shown according to one or more example implementations of this disclosure.

[0004] Figure 2 Example methods according to one or more example implementations of this disclosure are shown.

[0005] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an example system architecture according to one or more example implementations of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0006] Overview

[0007] This disclosure relates in particular to systems and methods for pre-blinding LIDAR detectors. In some cases, a LIDAR detector may be referred to herein as a "photodetector," "photodiode," etc. Additionally, a single "photodetector" or "photodiode" may be mentioned herein, but the LIDAR system described herein may similarly include any number of such detectors. In some cases, the detector may be a photodiode, which may be a diode capable of converting photons of incoming light into an electrical signal. A photodiode can be implemented in a LIDAR system that emits light into the environment and subsequently uses a photodetector to detect (e.g., by reflection from objects in the environment) any light returning to the LIDAR system. As an example implementation, the LIDAR system may be implemented in a vehicle (e.g., an autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle, or any other type of vehicle), but the LIDAR system can also be implemented in other environments. More specifically, the photodetector may also be an avalanche photodiode (APD), which can function in the same manner as a normal photodiode, but can also operate with internal gain. Therefore, an APD that receives the same number of incoming photons as a normal photodiode can generate a much larger electrical signal through an electron "avalanche," which may allow the APD to be more sensitive to a smaller number of incoming photons than a normal photodiode. The APD can also operate in Geiger Mode, which can significantly increase the APD's internal gain. The APD may also need to undergo a recovery period after the avalanche. APD extinguishing can refer to reducing the APD's voltage below its breakdown voltage so that the APD can detect subsequent photons. This recovery period can take tens of nanoseconds to complete, which can be problematic if light emitted from the LIDAR system is reflected from components inside the LIDAR system and detected by the photodetector. Such internal reflections can cause the photodetector to avalanche prematurely, and the recovery period for the photodetector begins after the emitter (e.g., a laser diode) within the LIDAR system emits light, but before the emitted light leaves the LIDAR system and enters the environment. The environment can, for example, refer to the spatial region close to the LIDAR system. For example, if a LiDAR system is located on a vehicle crossing an intersection and emits a light pulse, the environment can refer to the portion of the intersection where the light pulse is being emitted. However, this is merely an example, and the environment can similarly refer to any other physical space outside the LiDAR system. Continuing the explanation above, photodetector avalanche due to internal reflections can cause the photodetector to be in its recovery period for a period of time after the emitted light has entered the environment, because the recovery time of the photodetector may be longer than the time it takes for the emitted light to leave the LiDAR system.Therefore, photodetectors may actually be "unaware" of short-range reflected light (e.g., unable to detect photons). That is, if any object exists within short range of the LiDAR system that reflects the emitted light back to the photodetector, and the photodetector is still in its recovery period, the photodetector may not be able to determine that an object is present in front of the LiDAR system. This can be problematic because any system relying on information captured by the LiDAR system may not be able to accurately and consistently detect when an object is within short range of the LiDAR system. For example, autonomous vehicles that rely on LiDAR systems to perform object detection may typically need to be able to detect objects as close as 10 centimeters to the vehicle. Light may take less than a nanosecond to travel this distance, so if the detector's recovery period is longer than this, the object at this distance may not be detected.

[0008] In some implementations, to mitigate the apparent “insensitivity” of photodetectors to short-range objects that can occur when internal reflections occur within a LIDAR system, the photodetector can be “pre-blinded” in a way that forces it into its recovery period. For example, this pre-blinding can be achieved while the emitted light is traveling through the interior of the LIDAR system, but it can also be achieved at any other time. Pre-blinding the photodetector may involve forcing it to avalanche by emitting light from an external source toward the photodetector (e.g., light that may not necessarily have been emitted by the transmitter in the LIDAR system, but rather from another external light source pointing in the direction of the photodetector). This light input can be used to force the photodetector to avalanche in a manner similar to how the photodetector might avalanche due to reflected light from the environment reaching it. The light input can be provided by any number of light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Using high-speed LEDs may be advantageous because it may not require the power of a laser, but it may have a fast response time for wavelengths that the photodetector can detect. Compared to the transmitter of a LIDAR system (e.g., transmitter 102), the photodetector may be sensitive to a wider range of wavelengths, so the pre-blinded LED used for the photodetector may not need to have the same wavelength as the transmitter. This may allow for optical wavelength filtering to prevent pre-blinded photons from the LED from bouncing back and forth inside the LIDAR and contaminating the received signal. The light source may also include any other type of photon emitter that can emit at least some energy at a wavelength detectable by the photodetector (the photon emitter may, for example, be controllable) (to list a few additional examples, the light source may include infrared (IR) LEDs, incandescent light sources, halogen lamps, gas lasers, etc.).

[0009] In some implementations, the light source may be electrically connected to a controller included within the LIDAR system (e.g., reference). Figure 1 The controller 105 described is relative to Figure 3 The described computational section 313 (or any other controller described herein) can be used to control the timing at which a light source is triggered to provide light to a photodetector, causing the photodetector to avalanche. However, in some cases, the light source may also be connected to circuitry that may allow the light source to be turned on at various intervals without the use of a controller. The light source can be positioned relative to the photodetector at any number of orientations or distances, as long as the photodetector can receive the light emitted by the light source. For example, the light source may be positioned in front of the photodetector. The light source may need to be positioned so as not to block any light emitted by the transmitter of the LIDAR system. Additionally, the distance of the light source positioning from the photodetector may change the timing at which the controller sends a signal to illuminate the light source, because any increased distance between the light source and the photodetector may additionally increase the travel time of light from the light source to the photodetector, which may add an additional time delay. This may need to be taken into account to ensure that the light source is triggered at an appropriate time before the light is emitted from the transmitter of the LIDAR system, so as to ensure that the photodetector completes its recovery period when the emitted light leaves the LIDAR system and enters the environment. The photodetector may not end its recovery period at the exact time the emitted light leaves the LIDAR system, but it may similarly end its recovery period before or after that time.

[0010] In some implementations, this pre-blinding can be performed even before light is emitted from the transmitter of the LIDAR system, allowing the photodetector to begin its recovery period before light is emitted from the transmitter. By having the photodetector in its recovery period while the emitted light is passing through the interior of the LIDAR system (and even before the light is emitted and enters the interior of the LIDAR system), avalanche of light due to internal reflections within the LIDAR system can be prevented. Therefore, this prevents the photodetector from beginning its recovery period while the emitted light is passing through the interior of the LIDAR system, which, as explained above, could be undesirable because, considering the amount of time it might take to extinguish the photodetector, the recovery period could extend beyond the point at which the emitted light enters the environment. The photodetector can be forced to avalanche and enter its recovery period before light is emitted from the transmitter because the photodetector's recovery period may be longer than the time it takes for the emitted light to pass through the interior of the LIDAR system. The exact time at which a photodetector ends its recovery period when emitted light enters the environment, which can be forced into avalanche mode, may depend on several factors, such as the recovery time of the specific photodetector, the distance the emitted light needs to travel through the LIDAR system before reaching the environment, the distance between the photodetector and the light source that forces the photodetector into avalanche (as may be described below), and other factors such as temperature and the bias voltage applied to the photodetector. Additionally, in some cases, the timing of forcibly blinding the photodetector may allow it to end its recovery period after the emitted light leaves the LIDAR system.

[0011] In some implementations, the timing of forcing avalanche of the photodetector may also depend on data feedback. For example, data feedback is received from the environment and / or components of the LIDAR system, such as photodetectors. As a first example, a first photodetector may be pre-blinded at a first time, and its recovery period may be determined. Based on this determined recovery period, the timing of avalanche of the first photodetector may be adjusted. A second photodetector (in a LIDAR system with more than one photodetector) may be pre-blinded at a first time (or any other time), and its recovery period may be determined. In some cases, the recovery period of the second photodetector may differ from that of the first photodetector, and therefore the timing of forced avalanche of the second photodetector may be adjusted to differ from the timing of forced avalanche of the first photodetector. As a third example, as described below, pre-blinding of the photodetector may be used to ensure that the photodetector is not blinded before a light pulse emitted from the LIDAR system enters the region of interest in the environment. That is, data received from the environment can provide an indication of the region of interest, and the timing of blinding the detector may be adjusted to correspond to a certain time prior to the region of interest.

[0012] In some implementations, the photodetector may also be pre-blinded for a period of time before the emitted light passes through the interior of the LIDAR system. For example, there may be certain regions of interest in the environment from which the LIDAR system may want to preferentially receive information. Regions of interest may include areas at a specific distance from the LIDAR system. For example, if the LIDAR system is implemented on a vehicle, focusing on an area three feet in front of the vehicle may be important (any example provided). Regions of interest may also involve areas previously identified as including known objects expected to be tracked by the LIDAR system. For example, the LIDAR system may detect the presence of a vehicle in an area in front of it at an early stage and may want to ensure that the return light from said vehicle is preferentially processed so that tracking of said vehicle can continue. However, one problem that may arise when tracking these regions of interest may include the same problem that occurs when internal reflections from the LIDAR system cause the photodetector to avalanche and push it into its recovery period. That is, the photodetector may avalanche just before the time when the return light from the region of interest will reach it, which could result in the photodetector being in its recovery period when the return light from the region of interest arrives. This could render the photodetector unaware of return light originating in the region of interest. This problem can be mitigated in a manner similar to the methods discussed above for reducing photodetector blinding at short distances. That is, the photodetector can be forced to avalanche and enter its recovery period before the time when return light from the environment might originate in the region of interest. The timing of the forced avalanche can be established so that the photodetector ends its recovery period and is able to detect the return light at a time corresponding to the time when return light from the environment might originate in the region of interest. This pre-blinding can therefore be performed at any time when it is desired that the photodetector will not be in its recovery period and will be able to detect the return light.

[0013] In some implementations, the light source can also be used for purposes other than pre-blinding the photodetector. For example, the light source can be used for calibration purposes. Specifically, LIDAR receiving systems typically have an internal delay, existing between the time a photon arrives at the photodetector and the time it takes for the LIDAR system to record that the light has been detected. This delay can be variable and adds additional unknowns to data processing that can be performed based on data determined by the LIDAR system (e.g., light returning as detected by the photodetector). To add more predictability to the internal LIDAR delay time, a measurable controller provides the delay between the signal to turn on the LED and the LED actually turning on. This delay can then be used as an estimate of the internal LIDAR delay time, which can also provide an estimate of the receiving system delay time. This can be beneficial for data processing on the LIDAR system because it provides a clearer estimate of when the returning light from the environment actually arrives at the photodetector.

[0014] Refer to the attached diagram. Figure 1 This includes a schematic diagram of an example process 100 for an exemplary LIDAR system 101, which can be used to pre-blind photodetectors within the LIDAR system 101 as described above. Referring to the elements shown in process 100, the LIDAR system 101 may include at least one or more transmitters 102 (which may be shown as "laser 102"), one or more detectors 103 (which may be shown as "APD 103", but may include any other type of detector device described herein or otherwise), one or more light sources 104, and / or one or more controllers 105. The LIDAR system 101 may also include a light source driver 115 for driving the light source 104 and one or more signal conditioning elements 116. The light source driver 115 may be a high-speed transistor and gate driver with turn-on and / or turn-off delays. The signal conditioning element 116 may be any signal post-processing element capable of processing any data output by, for example, the detector device 103. The LIDAR system 101 may also optionally include one or more transmitter-side optics (e.g., the transmitter-side optics may be associated with, for example, the detector device 103). Figure 3 (The described one or more optical elements 304 are identical) and / or one or more receiver-side optical elements (e.g., the receiver-side optical elements may be similar to those described relative to...) Figure 3 (The one or more optical elements 308 described are the same). Additionally, outside the LIDAR system 101 may be an environment 108 that may include one or more objects (e.g., object 107a and / or object 107b). In the following text, elements such as “emitting device,” “detector device,” “light source,” “controller,” and / or “object” may be referred to, but such references can similarly apply to multiple such elements.

[0015] In some embodiments, the emitting device 102 may be a laser diode for emitting light pulses (e.g., as referred to below). Figure 3 The transmitter 302 is described. The detector device 103 may be a photodetector (e.g., as referred to below). Figure 3 The described detector 306 may be, for example, an avalanche photodiode (APD), or more specifically, an APD capable of operating in Geiger mode (however, any other type of photodetector or photodiode may also be used). It should be noted that the terms "photodetector" and "detector device" may be used interchangeably herein. The controller 105 may be a computing system that can be used to control any operation described with respect to process 100 (e.g., hereinafter, relative to...). Figure 3 The calculation section 313 is described. For example, controller 105 can be used to control the timing at which light source 104 is driven to force detector device 103 to avalanche. Additionally, objects 107A, 107b, and / or 107c can be any object that can be detected in environment 108 of LIDAR system 101 (e.g., object 107a can be a pedestrian, object 107b can be a stop sign, and object 107c can be a vehicle, but any other number or type of object may also be present in environment 108).

[0016] In some embodiments, the light source 104 may be a component for generating light, which can be used to force the detector device 103 to avalanche as described above. The light source 104 may be positioned in front of and facing the detector device 103 such that when the light source 104 is turned on, the light emitted from the light source 104 is detected by the detector device 103. The light source 104 may also be positioned relative to the detector device 103 at any number of orientations and / or distances, as long as the detector device 103 can detect the light emitted from the light source 104. However, the light source 104 may need to be positioned such that it does not physically block any light emitted from the emitting device 102 (e.g., light pulse 106 as described below). The distance of the light source 104 from the detector device 103 may also affect the timing at which the light source 104 needs to be triggered to provide light to the detector device 103. The farther the light source 104 is from the detector device 103, the longer it may take for the light from the light source 104 to reach the detector device 103, which may result in a longer period before the detector device 103 avalanches and enters its recovery period. Based on this, the greater the distance between the light source 104 and the detector device 103, the earlier the light source 104 may need to be triggered. In some embodiments, the steps of process 100 may be performed as follows. Process 100 may begin with the emission of a light pulse 106 by the emitting device 102. The light pulse 106 may not immediately leave the LIDAR system 101 and enter the environment 108, but instead may pass through the interior of the LIDAR system 101, which can be shown in the figure as a distance d1. As explained above, when the light pulse 106 passes through a distance d1 within the LIDAR system 101, at least some of the light pulse 106 may be internally reflected within the LIDAR system 101 and reflected back towards the detector device 103. For example, some of the light pulse 106 may be reflected by optical elements, housing components, dust, grease, or any other elements that may be present within the LIDAR system. The internally reflected light may cause the detector device 103 to avalanche and thus enter a recovery period, during which the detector device may be unable to detect any additional returned light. This recovery period may extend beyond the time it takes for the portion of the light pulse 106 that has not undergone internal reflection to reach the end 109 of the LIDAR system 101 and enter the environment 108 to travel toward an object in the environment (e.g., object 107a, object 107b, and / or object 107c).

[0017] In some implementations, to prevent the detector device 103 of the LIDAR system 101 from avalancing and entering a recovery period due to internal reflection of the light pulse 106 within the LIDAR system 106, the detector device 103 can be forced to avalance and enter its recovery period during the time period during which the light pulse 106 travels a distance d1 within the LIDAR system. This forced entry of the detector device 103 into its recovery period can be achieved by a light source 104. That is, the light source 104 can be triggered so that the detector device 103 receives light from the light source 104, which may cause the detector device 103 to avalance and enter its recovery period. More specifically, if the light source is an LED 104, the controller 105 can provide a signal to the light source driver 115 to provide a signal to trigger the LED to turn on. The controller 105 can control the timing at which the light source 104 is triggered to cause the detector device 103 to avalance. In some cases, the controller 105 can provide a signal to trigger the light source 104 at a time point before the transmitter 102 emits the light pulse 106. As described above, it may be necessary to trigger the light source 104 before emitting the light pulse 106 to force the detector device 103 to avalanche, because the recovery time of the detector device 103 may be longer than the time it takes for the light pulse 106 to travel a distance d1 through the LIDAR system 101.

[0018] Explanatory methods

[0019] Figure 2 This is an example method 200 for pre-blinding a LIDAR detector according to one or more example embodiments of this disclosure.

[0020] exist Figure 2At block 202 of method 200, the method may include a processor of the LIDAR system sending a signal to a light source of the LIDAR system at a first moment, the signal causing the light source to provide light input to a photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to initiate a recovery period. In some cases, the photodetector may be a photodiode, which may be a diode capable of converting photons of incoming light into an electrical signal. A photodiode can be implemented in a LIDAR system that emits light into the environment and can subsequently be used by the photodetector to detect (e.g., by reflection from objects in the environment) any light returning to the LIDAR system. As an example implementation, the LIDAR system may be implemented in a vehicle (e.g., an autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle, or any other type of vehicle), but the LIDAR system can also be implemented in other environments. More specifically, the photodetector may also be an avalanche photodiode (APD), which can function in the same manner as a normal photodiode, but can also operate with internal gain. Therefore, an APD that receives the same number of incoming photons as a normal photodiode can generate a much larger electrical signal through an electron "avalanche," which may allow the APD to be more sensitive to a smaller number of incoming photons than a normal photodiode. The APD can also operate in Geiger mode, which can significantly increase the APD's internal gain. The APD may also need to undergo a recovery period after the avalanche. APD extinguishing can refer to reducing the APD's voltage below its breakdown voltage so that the APD can detect subsequent photons. This recovery period can take tens of nanoseconds to complete, which can be problematic if light emitted from the LIDAR system is reflected from components inside the LIDAR system and detected by the photodetector. Such internal reflections can cause the photodetector to avalanche prematurely, and the recovery period for the photodetector begins after the emitter (e.g., a laser diode) within the LIDAR system emits light, but before the emitted light leaves the LIDAR system and enters the environment. The environment can, for example, refer to the spatial region close to the LIDAR system. For example, if a LiDAR system is located on a vehicle crossing an intersection and emits a light pulse, the environment can refer to the portion of the intersection where the light pulse is being emitted. However, this is merely an example, and the environment can similarly refer to any other physical space outside the LiDAR system. Continuing the explanation above, photodetector avalanche due to internal reflections can cause the photodetector to be in its recovery period for a period of time after the emitted light has entered the environment, because the recovery time of the photodetector may be longer than the time it takes for the emitted light to leave the LiDAR system. Therefore, the photodetector may actually be "unaware" of short-range return light (e.g., unable to detect photons).In other words, if any object exists within a short distance of the LiDAR system that reflects the emitted light back to the photodetector, and the photodetector is still in its recovery period, the photodetector may not be able to determine that an object is present in front of the LiDAR system. This can be problematic because any system that relies on information captured by the LiDAR system may not be able to accurately and consistently detect when an object is within the short distance of the LiDAR system. For example, autonomous vehicles that rely on LiDAR systems to perform object detection may typically need to be able to detect objects as close as 10 centimeters to the vehicle. Light may take less than a nanosecond to travel this distance, so if the detector's recovery period is longer than this, the object at this distance may not be detected.

[0021] In some implementations, to mitigate the apparent “insensitivity” of photodetectors to short-range objects that can occur when internal reflections occur within a LIDAR system, the photodetector can be “pre-blinded” in a way that forces it into its recovery period. For example, this pre-blinding can be achieved as the emitted light travels through the interior of the LIDAR system, but it can also be achieved at any other time. Pre-blinding the photodetector may involve forcing it to avalanche by emitting light from a light source toward the photodetector (e.g., light from another external light source that may not necessarily have been emitted by the transmitter in the LIDAR system, but rather from a direction pointed toward the photodetector). This light input can be used to force the photodetector to avalanche in a manner similar to how the photodetector might avalanche due to reflected light from the environment reaching it. The light input can be provided by any number of light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Using high-speed LEDs may be advantageous because it may not require the power of a laser, but it may have a fast response time for wavelengths that the photodetector can detect. Compared to the transmitter of a LIDAR system (e.g., transmitter 102), the photodetector may be sensitive to a wider range of wavelengths, so the pre-blinded LED used for the photodetector may not need to have the same wavelength as the transmitter. This may allow for optical wavelength filtering to prevent pre-blinded photons from the LED from bouncing back and forth inside the LIDAR and contaminating the received signal. The light source may also include any other type of photon emitter that can emit at least some energy at a wavelength detectable by the photodetector (the photon emitter may, for example, be controllable) (to list a few additional examples, the light source may include infrared (IR) LEDs, incandescent light sources, halogen lamps, gas lasers, etc.).

[0022] Block 204 of method 200 may include the emission of a first light pulse into the environment by a laser from a LIDAR system at a second time. Block 206 of method 200 may include the reception of a return light associated with the first light pulse from an object in the environment by a photodetector, the return light arriving at the photodetector at a third time, the third time being after the photodetector has completed its recovery period.

[0023] As expected in the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, in Figure 2 The operations described and illustrated in the illustrative process flow can be implemented or performed in any suitable order. Additionally, in some example embodiments, at least a portion of the operations can be implemented in parallel. Furthermore, in some example embodiments, more operations can be performed... Figure 2 The operations shown are fewer, more, or different from those.

[0024] Example LIDAR system

[0025] Figure 3 An example LIDAR system 300 according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure is shown. The LIDAR system 300 may represent any number of elements described herein, such as relative to... Figure 1 The LIDAR system 100 described herein, as well as any other LIDAR system described herein. The LIDAR system 300 may include at least a transmitter section 301, a detector section 305, and a computing section 313.

[0026] In some embodiments, the emitter portion 301 may include at least one or more emitters 302 (for simplicity, "emitter" may be referred to hereinafter, but multiple emitters are equally applicable) and / or one or more optical elements 304. The emitter 302 may be a device capable of emitting light into the environment. Once the light enters the environment, it travels toward the object 312. As may be described below, the light may then be reflected from the object and return toward the LIDAR system 300, and detected by the detector portion 305 of the LIDAR system 300. For example, the emitter 302 may be a laser diode as described above. The emitter 302 may be capable of emitting light in a continuous waveform or as a series of pulses. The optical element 304 may be an element that can be used to modify the light emitted from the emitter 302 before it enters the environment. For example, the optical element 304 may be a lens, collimator, or waveplate. In some cases, a lens may be used to focus the emitter light. A collimator may be used to collimate the emitted light. That is, a collimator may be used to reduce the divergence of the emitter light. Waveplates can be used to change the polarization state of emitted light. Any number of different types of optical elements 304 or combinations thereof (including optical elements not listed herein) can be used in the LIDAR system 300.

[0027] In some embodiments, detector section 305 may include at least one or more detectors 306 (hereinafter referred to as "detector" for simplicity, but multiple detectors may be used equivalently) and / or one or more optical elements 308. The detector may be a device capable of detecting reflected light from the environment (e.g., light emitted by LIDAR system 300 and reflected by object 312). For example, the detector may be a photodiode. The photodiode may specifically include an avalanche photodiode (APD), which in some cases can operate in Geiger mode. However, any other type of photodetector may also be used. The function of detector 306 in capturing reflected light from the environment can serve to allow LIDAR system 100 to detect information related to object 312 in the environment. That is, LIDAR system 100 may be able to determine information such as the distance of the object from LIDAR system 100, and the shape and / or size of object 312, as well as other information. Optical element 308 may be an element that can be used to modify the reflected light traveling toward detector 306. For example, optical element 308 may be a lens, waveplate, or filter such as a bandpass filter. In some cases, lenses can be used to focus the returned light onto detector 306. Waveplates can be used to change the polarization state of the returned light. Filters can be used to allow only light of a specific wavelength to reach the detector (e.g., light of a certain wavelength emitted by transmitter 302). Any number of different types of optical elements 308 or combinations thereof (including optical elements not listed herein) can be used in the LIDAR system 300.

[0028] In some embodiments, computing portion 313 may include one or more processors 314 and memory 316. In some cases, computing portion 313 may be controller 105, or any other controller described herein. However, computing portion 313 may not be limited to a controller. Processor 314 may execute instructions stored in one or more memory devices (referred to as memory 316). Instructions may be, for example, instructions for implementing the functions described as implemented by one or more modules and systems disclosed above, or instructions for implementing one or more of the methods disclosed above. One or more processors 314 may be embedded in, for example, a CPU, multiple CPUs, a GPU, multiple GPUs, a TPU, multiple TPUs, a multi-core processor, a combination thereof, etc. In some embodiments, one or more processors 314 may be arranged in a single processing device. In other embodiments, one or more processors 314 may be distributed across two or more processing devices (e.g., multiple CPUs; multiple GPUs; a combination thereof, etc.). Processors may be implemented as a combination of processing circuitry or computing processing units (such as a CPU, a GPU, or a combination of both). Therefore, for the purposes of illustration, "processor" may refer to a single-core processor; a single processor with software multithreading capabilities; a multi-core processor; a multi-core processor with software multithreading capabilities; a multi-core processor with hardware multithreading technology; a parallel processing (or computing) platform; and a parallel computing platform with distributed shared memory. Additionally, or as another example, "processor" may refer to an integrated circuit (IC), an ASIC, a digital signal processor (DSP), an FPGA, a PLC, a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed or otherwise configured (e.g., manufactured) to perform the functions described herein.

[0029] One or more processors 314 may access memory 316 via a communication architecture (e.g., a system bus). The communication architecture may be suited to a particular arrangement (localized or distributed) and type of one or more processors 314. In some embodiments, the communication architecture 306 may include one or more bus architectures, such as a memory bus or memory controller; a peripheral bus; an accelerated graphics port; a processor or local bus; combinations thereof, etc. For illustration, such architectures may include an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, an Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a Fast PCI bus, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) bus, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), etc.

[0030] The memory components or memory devices disclosed herein may be embodied as volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Furthermore, the memory components or memory devices may be removable or non-removable, and / or located internally or externally to a computing device or component. Examples of various types of non-transitory storage media may include hard disk drives, zip drives, CD-ROMs, digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other optical storage media, magnetic tape cassettes, magnetic tapes, disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory cards or other types of memory cards, cartridges, or any other non-transitory media suitable for storing desired information and accessible by a computing device.

[0031] For illustration, non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM), which acts as an external cache memory. For illustration and without limitation, RAM may be obtained in many forms, such as synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct bus random access memory (Rambus) RAM (DRRAM). The memory devices or memory intentions disclosed in the operating or computing environment described herein include one or more of these and / or any other suitable types of memory. In addition to storing executable instructions, memory 316 may also hold data.

[0032] Each computing device 300 may also include a mass storage 317 accessible by one or more processors 314 via a communication architecture 306. The mass storage 317 may include machine-accessible instructions (e.g., computer-readable instructions and / or computer-executable instructions). In some embodiments, the machine-accessible instructions may be encoded in the mass storage 317 and may be arranged in components that can be built (e.g., linked and compiled) and stored in a computer-executable form in the mass storage 317 or in one or more other machine-accessible non-transitory storage media included in the computing device 300. Such components may embody or constitute one or more of the various modules disclosed herein. Such a module is shown as a detector pre-blinding module 320.

[0033] For example, a detector pre-blinding module 320, which includes computer-executable instructions, code, etc., responding to the execution of one or more of one or more processors 314, may execute relative to Figure 2The function described herein refers to the execution of any of the functions described. Additionally, functions may include the execution of any other methods and / or processes described herein.

[0034] It should also be understood that, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the LIDAR system 300 may include alternative and / or additional hardware, software, or firmware components in addition to those described or shown. More specifically, it should be understood that the software, firmware, or hardware components shown as part of the computing device 300 are merely illustrative, and some components may not be present, or additional components may be provided in various embodiments. While various illustrative program modules have been shown and described as software modules stored in data storage, it should be understood that the functions described as being supported by program modules can be implemented by any combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. It should also be understood that each of the modules mentioned above may represent a logical partition of supported functionality in various embodiments. Such logical partitions are shown for ease of explanation of functionality, and said logical partitions may not represent the structure of the software, hardware, and / or firmware used to implement the functionality. Therefore, it should be understood that the functionality described as being provided by a particular module may be provided at least in part by one or more other modules in various embodiments. In addition, one or more modules shown may not be present in some embodiments, while in other embodiments, additional modules not shown may be present and said additional modules may support at least a portion of the described functionality and / or additional functionality. Furthermore, while some modules may be shown and described as submodules of another module, in some implementations such modules may be provided as independent modules or submodules of other modules.

[0035] Although specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous other modifications and alternative embodiments are also within the scope of this disclosure. For example, any functionality and / or processing capability described with respect to a particular device or component may be performed by any other device or component. Furthermore, while various illustrative implementations and architectures have been described according to embodiments of this disclosure, those skilled in the art will understand that numerous other modifications to the illustrative implementations and architectures described herein are also within the scope of this disclosure.

[0036] The foregoing description of block diagrams and flowcharts of systems, methods, apparatuses, and / or computer program products according to example embodiments has described certain aspects of this disclosure. It will be understood that one or more blocks in the block diagrams and flowcharts, as well as combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowcharts, can be implemented accordingly by executing computer-executable program instructions. Similarly, some blocks in the block diagrams and flowcharts may not necessarily need to be performed in the presented order, or may not necessarily need to be fully performed according to some embodiments. Furthermore, additional components and / or operations beyond those shown in the blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts may exist in some embodiments.

[0037] Therefore, the boxes in block diagrams and flowcharts support combinations of tools for performing a specified function, combinations of elements or steps for performing a specified function, and program instruction tools for performing a specified function. It will also be understood that each box in a block diagram and flowchart, as well as combinations of boxes in block diagrams and flowcharts, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs a specified function, element, or step.

[0038] The contents described herein in this specification and accompanying drawings include examples of systems, apparatuses, technologies, and computer program products that individually and in combination permit the automatic provision of updates to vehicle profile packages. It is certainly impossible to describe every conceivable combination of components and / or methods for the purpose of describing the various elements of this disclosure, but it will be appreciated that many other combinations and variations of the disclosed elements are possible. Therefore, it may be apparent that various modifications can be made to this disclosure without departing from its scope or spirit. Furthermore, or as an alternative, other embodiments of this disclosure may become apparent upon consideration of this specification and accompanying drawings, and the practice of this disclosure as presented herein. The examples presented in this specification and accompanying drawings are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

[0039] As used herein, the terms “environment,” “system,” “unit,” “module,” “architecture,” “interface,” “component,” etc., refer to a computer-related entity or an entity associated with an operating device that has one or more defined functions. The terms “environment,” “system,” “module,” “component,” “architecture,” “interface,” and “unit” are used interchangeably and are generally referred to as functional elements. Such entities can be hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. As an example, a module can be embodied as a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable portion of software, a thread of execution, a program, and / or a computing device. As another example, both a software application executing on a computing device and the computing device itself can be embodied as a module. As yet another example, one or more modules can reside within a process and / or a thread of execution. A module may be confined to a single computing device or distributed across two or more computing devices. As disclosed herein, modules can be executed from various computer-readable non-transitory storage media on which various data structures are stored. The module may communicate via local and / or remote processes, for example, based on signals (analog or digital) having one or more data packets (e.g., data from a component that interacts with another component of a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network such as a wide area network with respect to other systems).

[0040] As yet another example, a module may be embodied as or may include a device having defined functions provided by mechanical parts operated by electrical or electronic circuitry controlled by a software or firmware application executed by a processor. Such a processor may be internal or external to the device and may execute at least a portion of the software or firmware application. Still in another example, a module may be embodied as or may include a device that provides defined functions through electronic components without mechanical parts. The electronic components may include a processor to execute software or firmware that at least partially permits or otherwise facilitates the functions of the electronic components.

[0041] In some implementations, modules may communicate via local and / or remote processes, for example, based on signals (analog or digital) having one or more data packets (e.g., data from a component that interacts with another component in a local system, a distributed system, and / or across a network such as a wide area network). Additionally or in other implementations, modules may communicate or be coupled via thermal, mechanical, electrical, and / or electromechanical coupling mechanisms (such as conduits, connectors, combinations thereof). Interfaces may include input / output (I / O) components and associated processors, applications, and / or other programming components.

[0042] Furthermore, in this specification and accompanying drawings, terms such as “storage,” “storage medium,” “data storage,” “data storage medium,” “memory,” “repository,” and virtually any other information storage component relating to the operation and function of the components of this disclosure may refer to a memory component, an entity embodied in one or more memory devices, or a component forming a memory device. It should be noted that the memory component or memory device described herein embodies or includes a non-transitory computer storage medium that can be read or otherwise accessed by a computing device. Such a medium may be implemented using any method or technique for storing information, such as machine-accessible instructions (e.g., computer-readable instructions), information structures, program modules, or other information objects.

[0043] Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in the context in which they are used, conditional language such as “can,” “may,” “possibly,” or “may” is generally intended to express that certain features, elements, and / or steps may be included in some implementations, even though they are not included in other implementations. Therefore, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that the stated features, elements, and / or operations are required by any one or more implementations in any way, or that one or more implementations must include logic for determining whether to include or perform such features, elements, and / or operations in any particular implementation, in the presence or absence of user input or prompts.

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising: The processor of the LIDAR system sends a signal to the light source of the LIDAR system in the first instant. The signal causes the light source to provide light input to the photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to start a recovery period. After the light input is provided to the photodetector, the laser of the LIDAR system emits a first light pulse into the environment at a second time. The photodetector receives a return light associated with the first light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light arriving at the photodetector at a third time, the third time being after the photodetector has completed its recovery period; Based on the amount of time between the processor initiating the transmission of the signal and the light source generating the light input, the processor determines the internal delay of the LIDAR system; as well as Based on the internal delay, the processor adjusts the timing of sending the signal to the light source of the LIDAR system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time is based on the recovery time of the photodetector and the amount of time it takes for the first light pulse to travel from the laser to the environment, wherein the environment is outside the LIDAR system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the light source is at least one of the following: a light-emitting diode (LED), an infrared (IR) LED, or any other suitable photon emitter emitting wavelengths within the detection range of the photodetector.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The processor of the LIDAR system sends a second signal to the light source of the LIDAR system at a fourth time, the second signal causing the light source to provide a second light input to the photodetector, wherein the second light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to enter a second recovery period; The laser of the LIDAR system emits a second light pulse into the environment at the fifth time. as well as The photodetector receives a return light associated with the second light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light arriving at the photodetector at a sixth time, the sixth time being after the photodetector has completed its second recovery period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sixth time corresponds to a region of interest in the environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the photodetector is an avalanche photodiode operating in Geiger mode.

7. A LiDAR system, the LiDAR system comprising: processor; as well as A memory that stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: A signal is sent to the light source of the LIDAR system at the first moment, the signal causing the light source to provide light input to the photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to initiate a recovery period; After the light input is provided to the photodetector, the laser of the LIDAR system emits a first light pulse into the environment at a second time. The photodetector receives a return light associated with the first light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light arriving at the photodetector at a third time, the third time being after the photodetector has completed its recovery period; The internal delay of the LIDAR system is determined based on the amount of time between the processor transmitting the signal and the light source generating the light input. as well as Based on the internal delay, the timing of sending the signal to the light source of the LIDAR system is adjusted.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first time is based on the recovery time of the photodetector and the amount of time it takes for the first light pulse to travel from the laser to the environment, wherein the environment is outside the LIDAR system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the light source is at least one of: a light-emitting diode (LED), an infrared (IR) LED, or any other suitable photon emitter emitting wavelengths within the detection range of the photodetector.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to perform the following operations: In the fourth time period, a second signal is sent to the light source of the LIDAR system, the second signal causing the light source to provide a second light input to the photodetector, wherein the second light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to enter a second recovery period; The laser of the LIDAR system emits a second light pulse into the environment at a fifth time; and The photodetector receives a return light associated with the second light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light arriving at the photodetector at a sixth time, the sixth time being after the photodetector has completed its second recovery period.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sixth time corresponds to a region of interest in the environment.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the photodetector is an avalanche photodiode operating in Geiger mode.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the computer-executable instructions causing the one or more processors, when executed by one or more processors of a wireless access point: The processor of the LIDAR system sends a signal to the light source of the LIDAR system at the first moment. The signal causes the light source to provide light input to the photodetector of the LIDAR system, wherein the light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to start a recovery period. After providing the light input to the photodetector, the laser of the LIDAR system emits a first light pulse into the environment at a second time, wherein the photodetector receives a return light associated with the first light pulse from an object in the environment, and the return light arrives at the photodetector at a third time, which is after the photodetector has completed its recovery period; The internal delay of the LIDAR system is determined based on the amount of time between the processor transmitting the signal and the light source generating the light input. as well as Based on the internal delay, the timing of sending the signal to the light source of the LIDAR system is adjusted.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first time is based on the recovery time of the photodetector and the amount of time it takes for the first light pulse to travel from the laser to the environment, wherein the environment is outside the LIDAR system.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the light source is at least one of: a light-emitting diode (LED), an infrared (IR) LED, or any other suitable photon emitter emitting wavelengths within the detection range of the photodetector.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations: The processor of the LIDAR system sends a second signal to the light source of the LIDAR system at a fourth time, the second signal causing the light source to provide a second light input to the photodetector, wherein the second light input to the photodetector causes the photodetector to enter a second recovery period; The laser of the LIDAR system emits a second light pulse into the environment at the fifth time. as well as The photodetector receives a return light associated with the second light pulse from an object in the environment, the return light arriving at the photodetector at a sixth time, the sixth time being after the photodetector has completed its second recovery period.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the sixth time corresponds to a region of interest in the environment.

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