Lidar system

Abstract

To enable improvement of reflectivity, reduction of scattering, and / or optical improvement of a special beam shape or the like that is preferred for an autonomous travel vehicle.SOLUTION: A LIDAR (optical detection and distance measurement) system includes a laser source and a polygon scanner 300. The laser source generates a first beam. The polygon scanner includes a frame 308, and a plurality of mirrors 304 that are coupled to the frame 308, each mirror 304 being constituted of a glass material. At least one aspect is related to an autonomous travel vehicle control system. The autonomous travel vehicle control system includes a laser source, a polygon scanner 300, and one or more processors.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 592,286, filed February 3, 2022. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 592,286 is incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Optical sensing of distance using lasers, often referred to as mnemonics, and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), often referred to as "laser RADAR," are used in a variety of applications, including imaging and collision avoidance. LIDAR offers finer-scale range resolution with smaller beam sizes than traditional microwave ranging systems such as RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging). Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] At least one aspect relates to a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system including a laser source configured to generate a beam and a polygon scanner, the polygon scanner including a frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror including a glass material.

[0004] At least one embodiment relates to an autonomous vehicle control system. The autonomous vehicle control system includes a laser source, a polygon scanner, and one or more processors. The laser source is configured to generate a first beam. The polygon scanner includes a frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror including a glass material, and the polygon scanner is configured to reflect the first beam into a second beam. The one or more processors are configured to determine at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object using a third beam received from at least one of reflection or scattering of the second beam by the object, and to control operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to at least one of the distance or velocity.

[0005] At least one embodiment relates to an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle includes a laser source configured to generate a first beam and a LIDAR system including a frame and a polygon scanner including a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror including a glass material. The autonomous vehicle also includes a steering system, a braking system, and a vehicle controller including one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to determine at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object using a third beam received from at least one of reflection or scattering of the second beam by the object, and to control operation of at least one of the steering system and the braking system in response to at least one of the distance or velocity.

[0006] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this Summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Features described herein may be used with any other features, and any subset of these features may be used in combination, according to various embodiments. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the apparatus and / or processes described herein, as defined solely by the claims, will become apparent from the detailed description disclosed herein and considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] Embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

[0008] [Figure 1a] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system environment for an autonomous vehicle;

[0009] [Figure 1b] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system environment for an autonomous commercial truck;

[0010] [Figure 1c] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system environment for an autonomous commercial truck;

[0011] [Figure 1d] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system environment for an autonomous commercial truck;

[0012] [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a LIDAR system;

[0013] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a polygon scanner used in a LIDAR system;

[0014] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the polygon scanner of FIG. 3;

[0015] [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the top of the polygon scanner of FIG. 3;

[0016] [Figure 6] 1 is a chart showing an example of a thermal load test for a polygon scanner;

[0017] [Figure 7] 1 is a chart showing an example of a polygon scanner bonding test;

[0018] [Figure 8] 10 is a chart showing an example of a mirror displacement test for a polygon scanner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] A LIDAR system can generate and transmit a light beam that can be reflected or scattered by an object as a return beam corresponding to the transmitted beam. The LIDAR system can receive the return beam and process the return beam or its properties to determine parameters related to the object, such as range and velocity. The LIDAR system can apply various frequency or phase modulations to the transmitted beam, which can facilitate correlating the return beam with the transmitted beam to determine parameters related to the object.

[0020] The LIDAR system may include a laser source and a polygon scanner. The laser source is configured to generate a first beam. The polygon scanner includes a frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror including a glass material. The mirrors can reflect the first beam to output a second beam, which can be scanned across a field of view and reflected or scattered by an object as a third beam, which can be used to determine distance, velocity, and Doppler information associated with the object to control operation of the autonomous vehicle.

[0021] Systems and methods according to the present disclosure can embody LIDAR systems in which the scanner is fabricated by machining (e.g., a computer numerical control (CNC) process), e.g., as compared to polygon scanners fabricated from diamond-turned aluminum, where the polygon scanner has multiple facets of polished glass mirrors mounted on a frame. Using polished glass mirrors for the facets can provide flatter, less rough surfaces for the facets, which can enable optical improvements such as increased reflectivity, reduced scattering, and / or more specialized beam shapes (e.g., beam shapes with fewer degrees of variation from an ideal Gaussian beam) preferred for autonomous vehicles. For example, flatter and / or less rough facets can reduce the likelihood of reflections or scattering occurring within the surface of the facet itself (such reflections or scattering can have a Doppler shift or add noise to signal processing). Additionally, assembled polygon scanners can reduce weight and / or inertia compared to polygon scanners fabricated from solid metal blocks, improving the reliability of the motors that rotate the polygon scanner and allowing greater flexibility in facet form factors (e.g., allowing for larger facets or facets of various shapes, e.g., concave or convex facets). Assembled polygon scanners can be manufactured through less complex and more scalable processes. However, the aforementioned advantages of assembled polygon scanners are not limited to autonomous vehicles. They can be advantageous for any type of vehicle equipped with a LIDAR sensor. 1. System environment for autonomous vehicles

[0022] FIG. 1a is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous vehicle according to some embodiments. FIG. 1a illustrates an exemplary autonomous vehicle 100 in which various technologies disclosed herein can be implemented. For example, vehicle 100 may include a prime mover 104 powered by an energy source 106, a powertrain 102 that can power a drivetrain 108, and a control system 110 that includes direction control 112, powertrain control 114, and brake control 116. Vehicle 100 can be implemented in a variety of types, including vehicles capable of transporting people and / or cargo and operating in a variety of environments. The aforementioned components 102-116 can vary widely based on the type of vehicle in which they are used, such as a passenger car, a van, a truck, and a wheeled land vehicle such as a bus. Prime mover 104 may include one or more electric motors and / or an internal combustion engine (among other things). Energy source 106 may include, for example, a fuel system (e.g., providing gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, etc.), a battery system, solar panels or other renewable energy source, and / or a fuel cell system. Drivetrain 108 includes wheels and / or tires along with a transmission and / or any other mechanical drive components suitable for converting the power output of prime mover 104 into vehicle motion, one or more brakes configured to controllably stop or slow vehicle 100, and direction or steering components suitable for controlling the trajectory of vehicle 100 (e.g., a rack and pinion steering linkage that allows one or more wheels of vehicle 100 to pivot about a generally vertical axis to change the angle of the wheel's plane of rotation relative to the vehicle's longitudinal axis). In some embodiments, a combination of powertrain and energy source can be used (e.g., in the case of an electric / gas hybrid vehicle), and in some embodiments, multiple electric motors (e.g., dedicated to individual wheels or axles) can be used as prime movers.

[0023] Directional control 112 may include one or more actuators and / or sensors for controlling and receiving feedback from directional or steering components to enable vehicle 100 to follow a desired trajectory. Powertrain control 114 is configured to control the speed and / or direction of vehicle 100 by controlling the output of powertrain 102, such as by controlling the output power of prime mover 104 and controlling the gears of a transmission in drivetrain 108. Brake control 116 may be configured to control one or more brakes, such as disc or drum brakes coupled to the wheels of the vehicle, to slow or stop vehicle 100.

[0024] Other vehicle types, including, but not limited to, off-road vehicles, all-terrain or tracked vehicles, construction equipment, etc., may use different powertrains, drivetrains, energy sources, directional control, powertrain control, and brake control. Additionally, in some embodiments, some of the components may be combined, for example, directional control of the vehicle is primarily handled by varying the output of one or more prime movers.

[0025] The various levels of autonomous control for vehicle 100 are embodied in vehicle control system 120, which may include one or more processors 122 and one or more memories 124, each processor 122 configured to execute program code instructions 126 stored in memory 124. The processors may include, for example, graphics processing units (GPU(s)) and / or central processing units (CPU(s)).

[0026] The sensors 130 may include various sensors suitable for collecting information from the vehicle's surrounding environment for use in controlling the vehicle's operation. For example, the sensors 130 may include a RADAR sensor 134, a LIDAR sensor 136, a 3D positioning sensor 138, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or a satellite navigation system such as GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema, or Global Navigation Satellite System), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Galileo, or Compass. The 3D positioning sensor 138 can be used to determine the vehicle's position on Earth using satellite signals. The sensors 130 may include a camera 140 and / or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 142. The camera 140 may be a monographic or stereographic camera and can record still and / or video images. The IMU 142 may include multiple gyroscopes and accelerometers capable of detecting linear and rotational motion of the vehicle in three directions. One or more encoders 144, such as wheel encoders, may be used to monitor the rotation of one or more wheels of the vehicle 100. Each sensor 130 may output sensor data at a different data rate than the data rates of the other sensors 130.

[0027] The outputs of the sensors 130 may be provided to a series of control subsystems 150, including a localization subsystem 152, a perception subsystem 154, a planning subsystem 156, and a control subsystem 158. The localization subsystem 152 is primarily responsible for accurately determining the position and orientation (sometimes referred to as “pose” or “pose estimate”) of the vehicle 100 within the surrounding environment and generally within some reference frame. The perception subsystem 154 is primarily responsible for detecting, tracking, and / or identifying objects within the vehicle 100's environment. Machine learning models, according to some embodiments, can be utilized to track the objects. The planning subsystem 156 is primarily responsible for planning the trajectory or path of travel of the vehicle 100 over some time frame given a desired destination, as well as stationary and moving objects in the environment. The autonomous vehicle's position can be compared to the positions of additional vehicles in the same environment as part of generating labeled autonomous vehicle data. The perception subsystem 154 may perform functions such as detecting, tracking, determining, and / or identifying objects in the environment surrounding the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, machine learning models can be utilized to track objects. Planning subsystem 156 can perform functions such as planning a trajectory for vehicle 100 over a time frame given a desired destination as well as stationary and moving objects in the environment. In some embodiments, machine learning models can be utilized to plan a vehicle trajectory. Control subsystem 158 can perform functions such as generating appropriate control signals to control various controllers of vehicle control system 120 to implement a planned trajectory for vehicle 100. Machine learning models can be utilized to generate one or more signals to control the autonomous vehicle to implement the planned trajectory.

[0028] Multiple sensors of the type shown in FIG. 1a can be used for redundancy and / or to cover different areas around the vehicle, and other types of sensors can be used. Various types and / or combinations of control subsystems can be used. Some or all of the functionality of subsystems 152-158 can be embodied in program code instructions 126 resident in one or more memories 124 and executed by one or more processors 122, and in some cases, these subsystems 152-158 can be implemented using the same processor and / or memory. The subsystems can be implemented, at least in part, using various dedicated circuit logic, various processors, various field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), various application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), various real-time controllers, etc., and as previously described, multiple subsystems can use circuits, processors, sensors, and / or other components. Additionally, the various components of vehicle control system 120 can be networked in various manners.

[0029] In some embodiments, vehicle 100 may further include a secondary vehicle control system (not shown) that may be used as a redundant or backup control system for vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the secondary vehicle control system may be capable of fully operating autonomous vehicle 100 in the event of an adverse event occurring in vehicle control system 120, while in other embodiments, the secondary vehicle control system may have only limited functionality, such as performing a controlled stop of vehicle 100 in response to an adverse event detected by primary vehicle control system 120. In still other embodiments, the secondary vehicle control system may be omitted.

[0030] The various components shown in FIG. 1 can be implemented using a variety of architectures, including various combinations of software, hardware, circuit logic, sensors, and networks. Each processor can be embodied, for example, as a microprocessor, and each memory can include not only random access memory (RAM) devices, including main memory, but also any secondary levels of memory, such as cache memory, non-volatile or backup memory (e.g., programmable or flash memory), read-only memory, etc. Each memory can also be considered to include memory storage devices physically located elsewhere in vehicle 100, such as any cache memory within the processor, as well as any storage capacity used as virtual memory, such as stored in a mass storage device or other computer controller. One or more of the processors shown in FIG. 1a, or entirely separate processors, can be used to implement additional functions within vehicle 100 other than those for autonomous control, such as controlling the entertainment system, operating doors, lights, convenience functions, etc.

[0031] Additionally, for additional storage, vehicle 100 may include one or more mass storage devices, such as a removable disk drive, a hard disk drive, a direct access storage device (DASD), an optical drive (e.g., a CD drive, a DVD drive, etc.), a solid state storage drive (SSD), network attached storage, a storage area network, and / or a tape drive.

[0032] Additionally, vehicle 100 may include a user interface 164, such as one or more displays, touchscreens, voice and / or gesture interfaces, buttons and tactile controls, etc., that enables vehicle 100 to receive multiple inputs from a user or operator and generate outputs therefor. Alternatively, user inputs may be received via an app or web interface on another computer or electronic device, such as a mobile device.

[0033] Additionally, vehicle 100 may include one or more network interfaces, e.g., network interface 162, suitable for communication with one or more networks 170 (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless network, and / or the Internet) to enable communication of information with other computers and electronic devices, including, for example, a central service such as a cloud service, from which vehicle 100 may receive environmental and other data usable for autonomous control. Data collected by one or more sensors 130 may be uploaded via network 170 to computing system 172 for further processing. In some embodiments, a timestamp may be added to each instance of vehicle data before uploading.

[0034] 1a, as well as various additional controllers and subsystems disclosed herein, generally operate under the control of an operating system and execute or rely on various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data structures, etc., as described in more detail below. The various applications, components, programs, objects, modules, etc. may also execute on one or more processors of other computers connected to vehicle 100 via network 170, e.g., in a distributed, cloud-based, or client-server computing environment, where the processing required to implement the functionality of a computer program may be allocated across multiple computers and / or services via the network.

[0035] Generally, the routines performed to implement various embodiments described herein are referred to herein as "program code," whether embodied as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module, or instruction sequence, or as a subset thereof. Program code generally consists of one or more instructions that reside at various times in various memories and storage devices and that, when read and executed by one or more processors, perform the steps necessary to carry out the steps or elements embodying various aspects of the present disclosure. Also, while embodiments are described in the context of fully functional computers and systems, it should be understood that the various embodiments described herein can be distributed as program products in various forms, and that such embodiments can be embodied independently of the particular type of computer-readable medium used to actually achieve distribution.

[0036] Examples of computer-readable media include tangible, non-transitory media such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices, floppy and other removable disks, solid-state drives, hard disk drives, magnetic tape, and optical disks (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.).

[0037] Additionally, various program code described below may be identified based on the application in which it is implemented in a particular embodiment. However, any particular program nomenclature below is used merely for convenience, and thus the present disclosure should not be limited to use with only any particular application identified and / or implied by such nomenclature. Furthermore, the manner in which a computer program may be organized into routines, procedures, methods, modules, objects, etc. is generally endless, and the present disclosure is not limited to the particular structure and allocation of program functionality described herein, given the various ways in which program functionality is allocated among the various software layers residing within a typical computer (e.g., operating system, libraries, APIs, applications, applets, etc.). 2. LIDAR for Automotive Applications

[0038] The truck may include a LIDAR system (e.g., vehicle control system 120 of FIG. 1a and LIDAR system 200 of FIG. 2, among others described herein). In some embodiments, a LIDAR system may encode an optical signal using frequency modulation and scatter the encoded optical signal into free space using optics. By detecting the frequency difference between the encoded optical signal and a return signal reflected from an object, a frequency modulation (FM) LIDAR system can determine the object's location and / or accurately measure the object's velocity using the Doppler effect. In some embodiments, the FM LIDAR system may use continuous wave (referred to as "FMCW LIDAR") or quasi-continuous wave (referred to as "FMQW LIDAR"). In some embodiments, the LIDAR system may encode an optical signal using phase modulation (PM) and scatter the encoded optical signal into free space using optics.

[0039] In some cases, an object (e.g., a pedestrian wearing dark clothing) may have low reflectivity in that only a small amount of light (e.g., 10% or less) that strikes the object is reflected back to the FM or PM LIDAR system's sensor (e.g., sensor 130 in FIG. 1a). In other cases, an object (e.g., a shiny road sign) may have high reflectivity (e.g., 10% or more) in that a large amount of light that strikes the object is reflected back to the FM LIDAR system's sensor.

[0040] Regardless of the object's reflectivity, FM LIDAR systems can detect (e.g., classify, recognize, locate, etc.) objects at greater distances (e.g., twice as far) than conventional LIDAR systems. For example, FM LIDAR systems can detect low-reflectivity objects over 300 meters and high-reflectivity objects over 400 meters.

[0041] To achieve this improvement in detection capabilities, FM LIDAR systems can use sensors (e.g., sensor 130 in FIG. 1a). In some embodiments, these sensors can be single-photon sensitive, meaning they can detect the smallest possible amount of light. In some applications, FM LIDAR systems can use infrared wavelengths (e.g., 950 nm, 1550 nm, etc.), but are not limited to infrared wavelength ranges (e.g., near-infrared: 800 nm to 1500 nm, mid-infrared: 1500 nm to 5600 nm, and far-infrared: 5600 nm to 1,000,000 nm). By operating an FM or PM LIDAR system at infrared wavelengths, the FM or PM LIDAR system can broadcast stronger light pulses or beams than traditional LIDAR systems.

[0042] That is, by detecting objects at greater distances, FM LIDAR systems have more time to react to unexpected obstacles. Indeed, even a few extra milliseconds can improve response time and comfort, especially for large vehicles (e.g., commercial trucking vehicles) traveling at highway speeds.

[0043] FM LIDAR systems can instantly provide accurate velocity for each data point. In some embodiments, velocity measurements are achieved using the Doppler effect, which shifts the frequency of light received from an object based on at least one of the radial velocity (e.g., the direction vector between the detected object and the sensor) or the frequency of the laser signal. For example, for speeds occurring in road conditions where speeds are less than 100 m / s, this shift at a wavelength of 1550 nm (nanometers) corresponds to a frequency shift of less than 130 MHz. This frequency shift is small enough to be difficult to detect directly in the optical domain. However, by using coherent detection in FMCW, PMCW, or FMQW LIDAR systems, the signal can be converted to the RF domain and the frequency shift can be calculated using various signal processing techniques. This allows autonomous vehicle control systems to process the received data more quickly.

[0044] Instantaneous velocity calculations also make it easier for an FM LIDAR system to determine distant or sparse data points as objects and / or track how these objects are moving over time. For example, an FM LIDAR sensor (e.g., sensor 130 in FIG. 1a) may receive only a few returns (e.g., hits) for an object 300 m away, but if these returns provide a velocity value of interest (e.g., moving toward the vehicle at a speed >70 mph), the FM LIDAR system and / or autonomous vehicle control system can determine individual weights for the probability associated with the object.

[0045] The FM LIDAR system's faster identification and / or tracking gives the autonomous vehicle control system more time to steer the vehicle. Having a better understanding of how fast an object is moving also allows the autonomous vehicle control system to plan a more appropriate response.

[0046] FM LIDAR systems may have less static noise than conventional LIDAR systems. That is, conventional LIDAR systems, which are designed to be more sensitive to light, generally do not operate properly in bright sunlight. Such systems tend to suffer from crosstalk (e.g., when sensors are crossed by each other's light pulses or light beams) and self-interference (e.g., when sensors are crossed by previous light pulses or light beams). To overcome this drawback, vehicles using conventional LIDAR systems often require additional hardware, complex software, and / or more computing power to manage these "noises."

[0047] In contrast, FM LIDAR systems do not experience these types of problems because each sensor is specifically designed to respond only to its own light characteristics (e.g., light beam, light wave, light pulse). If the returning light does not match the timing, frequency, and / or wavelength of the originally transmitted light, the FM sensor can filter (e.g., remove, ignore, etc.) that data point. This allows FM LIDAR systems to produce (e.g., generate, derive, etc.) more accurate data with fewer hardware or software requirements, allowing for smoother driving.

[0048] FM LIDAR systems can be more scalable than traditional LIDAR systems. As more autonomous vehicles (e.g., automobiles, commercial trucks, etc.) appear on the roads, vehicles powered by FM LIDAR systems will not have to face interference issues due to sensor crosstalk. FM LIDAR systems also use less optical peak power than traditional LIDAR sensors. This allows some or all of the optical components for FM LIDAR to be produced on a single chip, which provides unique advantages as discussed herein. 2.1 Commercial Trucking

[0049] FIG. 1b is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for autonomous commercial trucks, according to some embodiments. The environment 100B includes a commercial truck 102B for carrying cargo 106B. In some embodiments, the commercial truck 102B may include a vehicle configured for long-haul freight transportation, regional freight transportation, intermodal freight transportation (i.e., a road-based vehicle is used as one of several transportation modes to transport cargo), and / or any other road-based freight transportation application. In some embodiments, the commercial truck 102B may be a flatbed truck, a refrigerated truck (e.g., a reefer truck), a ventilated van (e.g., a dry van), a moving truck, etc. In some embodiments, the cargo 106B may be goods and / or products. In some embodiments, the commercial truck 102B may include a trailer for carrying the cargo 106B, such as a flatbed trailer, a lowboy trailer, a step deck trailer, an extendable flatbed trailer, a sidekit trailer, etc.

[0050] The environment 100B includes an object 110B (shown as another vehicle in FIG. 1b) within a distance range of 30 meters or less from the truck.

[0051] The commercial truck 102B may include a LIDAR system 104B (e.g., an FM LIDAR system, the vehicle control system 120 of FIG. 1a, or the LIDAR system 200 of FIG. 2a) for determining the distance to the object 110B and / or measuring the speed of the object 110B. While FIG. 1b shows one LIDAR system 104B mounted on the front of the commercial truck 102B, the number of LIDAR systems on the commercial truck and the mounting areas of the LIDAR systems are not limited to a particular number and area. The commercial truck 102B may include any number of LIDAR systems 104B (or components thereof, such as sensors, modulators, coherent signal generators, etc.) mounted on any area (e.g., the front, back, sides, top, bottom, lower, and / or bottom) to facilitate detection of objects in any free space about the commercial truck 102B.

[0052] As shown, the LIDAR system 104B of the environment 100B may be configured to detect objects (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, trees, road signs, potholes, etc.) at short range (e.g., 30 meters or less) from the commercial truck 102B.

[0053] 1c is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for autonomous commercial trucks, according to some embodiments. Environment 100C includes the same components included in environment 100B (e.g., commercial truck 102B, cargo 106B, LIDAR system 104B, etc.).

[0054] Environment 100C includes object 110C (shown as other vehicles in FIG. 1c) within a distance range of (i) 30 meters or more and (ii) 150 meters or less from commercial truck 102B. As shown, LIDAR system 104B of environment 100C may be configured to detect objects (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, trees, road signs, potholes, etc.) a certain distance (e.g., 100 meters) from commercial truck 102B.

[0055] 1d is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for autonomous commercial trucks, according to some embodiments. Environment 100D includes the same components included in environment 100B (e.g., commercial truck 102B, cargo 106B, LIDAR system 104B, etc.).

[0056] Environment 100D includes object 110D (shown as another vehicle in FIG. 1d) within a distance range of 150 meters or more from commercial truck 102B. As shown, LIDAR system 104B of environment 100D may be configured to detect objects (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, trees, road signs, potholes, etc.) at a distance (e.g., 300 meters) from commercial truck 102B.

[0057] In commercial trucking applications, the increased weight and resulting longer stopping distances make effective object detection at all ranges important. FM LIDAR systems (e.g., FMCW and / or FMQW systems) or PM LIDAR systems are ideally suited for commercial trucking applications due to the advantages discussed above. Ultimately, commercial trucks equipped with such systems may be better able to safely transport both people and goods over short or long distances. In various embodiments, these FM or PM LIDAR systems can be used in semi-autonomous applications, where a driver is on board the commercial truck and some functions of the commercial truck operate autonomously using the FM or PM LIDAR system, or in fully autonomous applications, where the commercial truck operates entirely by the FM or LIDAR system alone or in combination with other vehicle systems. 3. LIDAR system

[0058] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a LIDAR system 200. The LIDAR system 200 can be used to determine parameters related to an object, such as distance and velocity, and output the parameters to a remote system. For example, the LIDAR system 200 can output the parameters for use by a vehicle controller (e.g., vehicle controller 298), which can control the operation of the vehicle in response to the received parameters, or a display, which can provide a representation of the parameters. The LIDAR system 200 can be a coherent detection system. The LIDAR system 200 can be used to embody various features and components of the systems described with reference to FIGS. 1a-1d. The LIDAR system 200 can include components for various detection approaches, such as operating with an amplitude modular LIDAR system or a coherent LIDAR system. The LIDAR system 200 can be used to perform time-of-flight distance determination. In some embodiments, various components or combinations of components of the LIDAR system 200, such as the laser source 204 and the modulator 214, can be within the same housing, provided on the same circuit board or other electronic component, or otherwise integrated. In some embodiments, various components or combinations of components of LIDAR system 200 may be provided as separate components, such as components that generate and / or receive optical signals, such as light beams, using optical coupling (e.g., optical fibers), or components that generate and receive electrical (e.g., data) signals using wired or wireless electronic connections.

[0059] The LIDAR system 200 may include a laser source 204 that generates and emits a beam 206, such as a carrier light beam. A splitter 208 may split the beam 206 into a beam 210 and a reference beam 212 (e.g., a reference signal). In some embodiments, any suitable optical, electronic, or optoelectronic components may be used to provide the beam 210 and the reference beam 212 from the laser 204 to other components.

[0060] The modulator 214 can modulate one or more attributes of the input beam 210 to generate the beam 216 (e.g., the target beam). In some embodiments, the modulator 214 can modulate the frequency of the input beam 210 (e.g., the optical frequency corresponding to the optical wavelength, where c = λν, where c is the speed of light, λ is the wavelength, and ν is the frequency). For example, the modulator 214 can linearly modulate the frequency of the input beam 210, such that the frequency of the beam 216 increases or decreases linearly over time. As another example, the modulator 214 can nonlinearly (e.g., exponentially) modulate the frequency of the input beam 210. In some embodiments, the modulator 214 can modulate the phase of the input beam 210 to generate the beam 216. However, the modulation technique is not limited to frequency modulation and phase modulation. Any suitable modulation technique can be used to modulate one or more attributes of the beam. Returning to FIG. 2, modulator 214 can modulate beam 210 after splitting beam 206 by splitter 208 so that reference beam 212 is not modulated, or modulator 214 can modulate beam 206 and provide the modulated beam to splitter 208, thereby causing it to be split into a target beam and a reference beam via splitter 208.

[0061] The beam 216 used to output the transmitted signal may have most of the energy of the beam 206 output by the laser source 204, while the reference beam 212 may have significantly less energy but may have enough energy to allow mixing with the return beam 248 (e.g., returned light) scattered from the object. The reference beam 212 may be used as a local oscillator (LO) signal. The reference beam 212 may pass through a reference path and be provided to a mixer 260. An amplifier 220 may amplify the beam 216 to output beam 222, and a collimator 224 may collimate it to output beam 226.

[0062] 2, circulator 228 may be positioned between collimator 224 and optics 232 to receive beam 226 and output beam 230 to optics 232. Circulator 228 may be positioned between laser source 204 and collimator 224. Circulator 228 may receive return beam 248 from optics 232 and provide return beam 248 to mixer 260. Optical system 232 may be scanning optics, such as one or more polygon reflector deflectors, that adjust the angle of the received beam relative to the output beam based on the orientation of an outer surface (e.g., facet) of the optics relative to the received beam, or a solid-state component (e.g., phased array, electro-optic crystal) configured to modify the direction of the received light.

[0063] The optical system 232 can define a field of view 244 that corresponds to the angle scanned (e.g., swept) by the beam 242 (e.g., the transmitted beam). For example, the beam 242 can scan in a particular plane, such as an azimuth plane or an elevation plane (e.g., relative to an object to which the LIDAR system 200 is coupled, such as an autonomous vehicle). The optical system 232 can be oriented such that the field of view 244 sweeps an azimuth plane relative to the optical system 232.

[0064] At least one motor 240 may be coupled to the optical system 232 to control at least one of the position or orientation of the optical system 232 relative to the beam 230. For example, if the optical system 232 includes a reflector or deflector, the motor 240 may rotate the optical system 232 so that the surface of the optical system 232 at which the beam 230 is received changes angle or direction relative to the beam 230, thereby changing the angle or direction of the beam 242 when it is output from the optical system 232.

[0065] Beam 242 may be output from optical system 232 and may be reflected or scattered by an object (not shown) as return beam 248 (e.g., a return signal). Return beam 248 may be received at a receive path, which may include circulator 228, and provided to mixer 260.

[0066] Mixer 260 may be an optical hybrid, such as a 90-degree optical hybrid. Mixer 260 may receive reference beam 212 and return beam 248, mix reference beam 212 and return beam 248, and output signal 264 responsive to reference beam 212 and return beam 248. Signal 264 may include an in-phase (I) component 268 and a quadrature (Q) component 272.

[0067] LIDAR system 200 may include a receiver 276 that receives signal 264 from mixer 260. Receiver 276 may generate signal 280, which may be an electronic (e.g., radio frequency) signal, in response to signal 264. Receiver 276 may include one or more photodetectors that output signal 280 in response to signal 264.

[0068] LIDAR system 200 may include a processing system 290, which may be embodied using features of vehicle control system 120 described with reference to FIG. 1a. Processing system 290 may process data received associated with return beam 248, such as signal 280, to determine parameters related to the object, such as range and velocity. Processing system 290 may include a scanner controller 292 that may provide scan signals to control motor 240 to control operation of optics 232 such that motor 240 rotates optics 232 to achieve a target scan pattern, such as a sawtooth scan pattern or a step function scan pattern. Processing system 290 may include a Doppler compensator 294 that may determine the sign and magnitude of a Doppler shift associated with processing return beam 248 and a range of corrections based thereon, along with other corrections. Processing system 290 may include a modulator controller 296 that may send one or more electrical signals to drive modulator 214.

[0069] Processing system 290 may include or be communicatively coupled to a vehicle controller 298 to control the operation of a vehicle in which LIDAR system 200 is installed (e.g., to provide fully or semi-autonomous control of the vehicle). For example, vehicle controller 298 may be embodied by at least one of LIDAR system 200 or vehicle control circuitry. Vehicle controller 298 may control the operation of the vehicle in response to at least one of a distance to an object or a velocity of the object determined by processing system 290. For example, vehicle controller 298 may send control signals to at least one of a steering system or a braking system of the vehicle to control at least one of the speed or direction of the vehicle.

[0070] 3-5 illustrate one embodiment of scanner optics 300. The scanner includes optics 232 and motor 240, as described with reference to FIG. 2. For example, LIDAR system 200 may include one or more scanners for transmitting beams to and / or receiving beams from objects to determine information such as range, velocity, or Doppler effect associated with the objects.

[0071] In some embodiments, the optical system 300 can be an assembled polygon including multiple mirrors 304 coupled with a frame 308. By assembling the optical system 300 from separate components instead of machining a block of metal to form the scanner, the optical system 300 can be manufactured with improved optical and mechanical performance, including flexibility in mirror form factor, lower weight / inertia for a given mirror size, optical surface quality (e.g., reduced roughness), lower volumetric cost, and robustness to stresses such as thermal, shock, and vibration stress. For example, by forming the optical system 300 from an assembled device, the scanner can have approximately half the mass and inertia about axis 402 (e.g., 0.09 kg mass and 5.2e-5 kg ​​m) compared to a solid metal scanner with similar or identical mirror size. 2 Axial 402 inertia, 0.2kg and 1.05e-5kg m 2 (compared to a solid metal scanner with inertia).

[0072] The mirror 304 may be faceted and may have an outer surface 312 through which the received beam is reflected by the mirror 304 and output from the surface 312. The mirror 304 may be reflective to light used in LIDAR applications (e.g., light received from the laser 204 through one or more components, as shown in FIG. 2 , between the laser source 204 and the optical system 232). For example, the mirror 304 may be reflective to light having wavelengths greater than or equal to 1100 nm and less than or equal to 1800 nm, including light at approximately 1550 nm.

[0073] The optical system 300 may include a varying number of mirrors 304. For example, the optical system 300 may include between three and twelve mirrors 304. The mirrors 304 may be centered about a perimeter 306 of a frame 308 and may define, for example, a polygonal shape. Each mirror 304 may have the same shape as at least one other mirror 304, such as a rectangular shape with the same length and width, a circular or elliptical shape with the same perimeter, a convex or concave polygonal shape with the same number and length of sides, and various other similar or identical shapes.

[0074] The mirrors 304 can be sized to extend outward from the frame 308, but, for example, the plane on which the surface 414 of the frame 308 lies can intersect the at least one mirror 304 inward from the outer edge 310 of the at least one mirror 304. For example, the mirrors 304 can extend beyond the confines of the frame 308 defined by the surface 414. The mirrors 304 can be further extended above and below the frame 308 in a frame of reference in which at least one of the axes 402 is parallel to gravity or the surface 414 is parallel to the ground. Thus, the various components of the LIDAR system 200 can be more flexibly positioned relative to one another and relative to the optical system 300, thereby reducing the overall form factor size.

[0075] The mirror 304 may include a glass material. For example, the mirror 304 may include optical glass such as crown glass or flint glass. For example, the mirror 304 may include K9 glass or BK7 glass, which may have improved thermal performance. As another example, the mirror 304 may include fused silica glass, which has a low thermal expansion coefficient and can operate effectively in ultraviolet and near-infrared (NIR) light conditions. The mirror 304 may be formed by cutting from a larger glass panel, which allows for more scalable manufacturing of the mirror 304.

[0076] In some embodiments, the mirror (e.g., surface 312) can be polished. By using glass for mirror 304 (e.g., instead of a metallic material such as CNC-machined or diamond-machined aluminum), mirror 304 can be polished to a smoother, less rough surface, which can result in improved optical properties by reducing the scattering of light incident on surface 312 (which can then reflect off the backing of mirror 304 and exit surface 312 with reduced scattering again). For example, in an example scattering test of glass mirror 304 compared to diamond-machined aluminum (each coated with unprotected gold), the polished glass of mirror 304 was found to have a relative scattering of 0.80 dB, while the metal (diamond-machined aluminum) was found to have a relative scattering of 6.14 dB. Thus, glass mirror 304 can reduce the likelihood of light rays scattering within the roughness-defining structure of surface 312, which can solve issues such as Doppler components contributing to the beam's signal due to scattering. As a result, the signal processing required to remove the Doppler component can be reduced or eliminated, thereby reducing the computational demands of the signal processing. In some embodiments, the mirror 304 can be coated. For example, gold (e.g., unprotected gold) can be used as the coating material. However, the coating material is not limited to gold. Alternatively, any suitable reflective material can be used as the coating material.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the mirror 304 may have a rectangular shape. The mirror 304 may have various shapes or form factors, including concave or convex shapes, depending on the shape of the glass panel from which the mirror 304 is made, as well as whether the mirror 304 is cut or otherwise extracted from the glass panel. For example, because glass panels can be curved, the mirror 304 may be formed to be curved (e.g., concave or convex), and the shape of the mirror 304 extracted from the glass panel can also be controlled to select the shape of the mirror 304, such as providing the mirror 304 with rounded edges 310. Thus, the mirror 304 can be fabricated to direct the received beam in various directions or angles depending on the shape of the mirror 304. The mirror 304 can be fabricated so that the surface 312 has a relatively larger surface area than would be possible if a high-density metal were used for the mirror 304, without increasing the weight / inertia of the mirror 304 (or by reducing the weight / inertia while maintaining a similar size). Additionally, by using glass to form mirror 304, the shape or form factor of mirror 304 can be more easily selected and implemented to suit a particular application compared to a solid metal scanner.

[0078] In some embodiments, each mirror 304 may extend from a first edge 316 to a second edge 320 and may be positioned such that a gap 324 exists between the edges 316, 320 of adjacent mirrors 304. The gap 324 allows for expansion or other movement or shape change of the mirror 304 due to thermal or vibration effects. The edges 316, 320 may be angled such that the size of the gap 324 decreases in a direction away from the axis 402 (while still maintaining some gap 324 where the edges 316, 320 meet the surface 312). In some other embodiments, the mirrors 304 may be positioned with no gap between the edges 320 of adjacent mirrors 304.

[0079] The frame 308 can be made of a metallic material, such as formed as a metal block. For example, the frame 308 can be made of aluminum. Using aluminum for the frame 308 can make the frame 308 relatively lightweight and easy to manufacture. The frame 308, or portions thereof, can be made from a variety of materials, such as plastics or composites, that have sufficient rigidity or other material or structural properties over the operating temperatures of the LIDAR system to allow efficient force transfer from the frame 308 to the mirror 304.

[0080] Each mirror 304 may be coupled to a respective binding surface 404 of the frame 308. The binding surfaces 404 may be located on or defined on the perimeter 306 of the frame 308. For example, the frame 308 may include a wall 408 (e.g., a perimeter wall) oriented transverse to the axis 402 of the frame 308. The binding surfaces 404 may be defined on the walls 408. As shown in FIG. 3 , the binding surfaces 404 may extend over portions of the wall 408, with portions 412 of the wall 408 between the binding surfaces 404 on either side of the binding surface 404. The portions 412 may have a spacing from an interior surface 416 of the mirror 304 (compared to a solid-form scanner in which there is no space or gap between the reflective surface and the interior portion of the scanner), and the spacing may be defined in a plane that penetrates the wall 408 and is perpendicular to the axis 402. The binding surfaces 404 may be flat, but the portions 412 may be curved or otherwise formed to extend inward from the interior surface 416. A central portion of the inner surface 416 may be bonded to the bonding surface 404 (e.g., the bonding surface 404 may be located in the center of the inner surface 416), which may minimize radial effects on the mirror 304 or other components during thermal expansion and contraction due to temperature changes.

[0081] An adhesive (e.g., a bonding material) may be provided on the bonding surface 404 (e.g., disposed on the interior surface 416 and / or a central portion of the bonding surface 404) to attach the mirror 304 to the bonding surface 404, which allows for symmetrical thermal expansion (e.g., relatively low thermally generated expansion stress). For example, an epoxy, such as a dispensing epoxy, may be used to attach the mirror 304 to the bonding surface 404. At least one of the material properties of the adhesive and the surface area of ​​the bonding surface 404 may be selected such that the adhesive force between the bonding surface 404 and the mirror 304 is greater than an apparent (e.g., centrifugal) force that may be exerted by rotation of the optical system 300 about the axis 402 to push the mirror 304 from the bonding surface 404 due to rotation of the optical system 300 (e.g., rotation of a scanner of the optical system 300) during operation of the optical system 300. For example, the adhesive force may be greater than the centrifugal force by at least a threshold amount at the maximum expected rotational speed of the scanner. The adhesive can be selected to have a similar or nearly the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the mirror 304, which can improve the performance of the optical system 300 with respect to thermal expansion or contraction.

[0082] The frame 308 may include a shaft receiver 420 inwardly from the wall 408. The shaft receiver 420 may be a channel or other opening that allows a shaft (e.g., a shaft or axle coupled to the motor 240 described with reference to FIG. 2 ) to couple with the frame 308, rotating the shaft such that the motor 240 rotates the frame 308 about an axis 402. The motor 240 may be coupled to the frame 308 using various shafts, gears, or other couplings to rotate the frame 308 about the axis 402. The axis 402 may be defined as at least one of extending through the shaft receiver 420, coinciding with the axis of rotation of the motor 240, or coinciding with the axis of rotation of the shaft (e.g., the shaft may rotate about an axis that is offset from the motor 240 through the use of gears or other assemblies).

[0083] 6-8 show a study of the performance of mirror 304 during operation and over various environmental conditions, such as thermal, shock, and vibration conditions. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, optical system 300 can be designed as described herein to have low weight / inertia to minimize impact on optical surface quality over a wide temperature range and to have the advantage of robustness under shock / vibration (e.g., due to operation of motor 240).

[0084] FIG. 6 shows a chart 600 of mirror 304 distortion versus thermal load under thermal stresses expected for operation of a LIDAR system in an automotive application. For example, at least one mirror 304 may have a distortion of about 200 nm or less from the plane of the mirror 304, e.g., between 0 nm and about 200 nm. As shown in FIG. 6, the mirror 304 was found to have a distortion (e.g., displacement from the plane of the surface 312) ranging from 101 nanometers at a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius to 67 nanometers at a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. Various features of the optical system 300 described herein, such as a centrally located coupling between the mirror 304 and the bonding surface 404 to reduce or minimize bond-sensitive stresses and distortions, may enable such distortion performance.

[0085] 7 shows a bond patch peel load chart 700. The bond patch peel load can correspond to a normal load caused by an impact stress on the optical system 300, such as an impact transmitted to the optical system 300 from a vehicle (e.g., via the motor 240). The optical system 300 can be configured as described herein such that the mirror 304 experiences a bond peel stress of 0.16 MPa (which, given the size of the mirror 304, can correspond to a stress of 16 N / m) in response to a normal load of, for example, 50 G, based on the weight of the mirror 304 and the bond between the mirror 304 and the frame 308.

[0086] 8 shows a chart 800 of the angular displacement of the mirror 304 versus vibration conditions. RMSCorresponding to a vibration of (root mean square acceleration associated with random vibration), the mirror 304 may have a rigid body tilt of 1.3 nm or an angular displacement of 37.1e-9 radians at a vibration of 667 Hz.

[0087] Although some exemplary embodiments have been described above, it should be apparent that the foregoing embodiments are illustrative and not limited to those presented through the examples. In particular, although many examples presented herein include specific combinations of method operations or system elements, these operations and elements can be combined in different ways to achieve the same purpose. Operations, elements, and functions described with respect to one embodiment are not intended to exclude similar roles in other embodiments or embodiments.

[0088] The phraseology and terminology used herein are for purposes of description and should not be considered limiting. As used herein, the use of "comprising," "comprises," "has," "contains," "associated with," "characterized," "featured," "characterized," and variations thereof are intended to include the subsequently listed items, corresponding items, and additional items, as well as alternative embodiments consisting solely of the subsequently listed items. In one embodiment, the systems and methods described herein consist of one, a combination of one or more, or the entirety of the described elements, operations, or components.

[0089] All references herein to system and method embodiments or elements or acts in the singular may include embodiments including a plurality of these elements, and all references herein to embodiments or elements or acts in the plural may include embodiments including only a single element. References to the singular or plural are not intended to limit the presently disclosed systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements to singular or plural configurations. References to acts or elements based on any information, act, or element may include embodiments in which the act or element is based at least in part on any information, act, or element.

[0090] Any embodiment disclosed herein may be combined with any other embodiment or embodiments, and references to "embodiments," "some embodiments," "one embodiment," etc. are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment or embodiments. As used herein, these terms do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Any embodiment may be combined inclusively or exclusively with other embodiments in a manner consistent with aspects and embodiments disclosed herein.

[0091] Where a reference sign follows a technical feature in a drawing, the detailed description, or any claim, the reference sign is included to enhance the clarity of the drawing, the detailed description, and the claim, and therefore the presence or absence of the reference sign does not have any limiting effect on the scope of the claim element.

[0092] The systems and methods described herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from their characteristics. Descriptions of additional relative parallel, perpendicular, vertical, or other positions or orientations include variations within + / -10% or + / -10 degrees of a purely vertical, parallel, or perpendicular position. References to "approximately," "about," "substantially," or other terms of degree include variations of + / -10% from a given measurement, unit, or range, unless expressly indicated otherwise. Coupled elements may be electrically, mechanically, or physically coupled to each other directly or with intervening elements. Accordingly, the scope of the systems and methods described herein is indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are embraced therein.

[0093] The term "coupled" and variations thereof include the direct or indirect joining of two members to one another. Such joining may be fixed (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., removable or separable). The joining may consist of two members directly or indirectly joined to one another, two members joined to one another using a separate intervening member, two members joined to one another using an additional intermediate member, or two members joined to one another using an intervening member integrally formed with one of the two members as a single unit. When "coupled" or variations thereof are modified by additional terms (e.g., directly coupled), the general definition of "coupled" provided above is defined as narrower than the general definition of "coupled" provided above as modified by the plain linguistic meaning of the additional terms (e.g., "directly coupled" means the joining of two members without a separate intervening member). Such joining may be mechanical, electrical, or fluid.

[0094] References to "or" may be construed as inclusive, such that all described terms using "or" can refer to one, more than one, and all described terms. References to "at least one of 'A' or 'B'" can include 'A' alone, 'B' alone, and both 'A' and 'B'. Such references used with "comprises" or other open-ended terminology may include additional items.

[0095] Modifications of the described elements and operations, such as changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape and proportions of various elements, parameter values, mounting arrangements, use of materials, color, and orientation, may occur without substantially departing from the teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be composed of multiple parts or elements, the positions of elements may be reversed or changed, and the characteristics or number of individual elements or positions may be varied or changed. Also, other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangements of the disclosed elements and operations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0096] References herein to the location of elements (e.g., "top," "bottom," "above," "below") are used merely to describe the orientation of various elements in the drawings. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may vary in other exemplary embodiments, and such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. [Item of invention] [Item 1] 1. A vehicle LIDAR sensor system, comprising: a laser source configured to generate a beam; a polygon scanner; The polygon scanner: The frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror comprising a glass material. [Item 2] Item 2. The LIDAR sensor system of item 1, wherein a central portion of an inner surface of at least one of the plurality of mirrors is coupled to the frame. [Item 3] the frame includes a wall having a plurality of bonding surfaces and at least one portion between two of the plurality of bonding surfaces; the central portion of the interior surface of the at least one mirror is coupled to the frame at a respective coupling surface; 3. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portion is spaced apart from the interior surface. [Item 4] 4. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the central portion of the at least one mirror is coupled to the frame by an adhesive. [Item 5] the plurality of mirrors includes a first mirror adjacent to a second mirror; 5. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein a gap exists between the first mirror and the second mirror. [Item 6] 6. The LIDAR sensor system of any one of items 1 to 5, wherein each mirror comprises a polished glass material. [Item 7] 7. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a modulator configured to receive the beam, modulate at least one of the phase or frequency of the beam, and output the modulated beam to a polygon scanner. [Item 8] 8. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein distortion of at least one of the plurality of mirrors relative to a plane of the at least one mirror is from 0 nanometers (nm) to less than about 200 nm over a temperature range of minus 20 degrees Celsius to about 50 degrees Celsius. [Item 9] 9. The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the frame rotates around an axis passing through the frame, and at least one mirror of the plurality of mirrors extends further than the frame in a direction parallel to the axis. [Item 10] 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a motor configured to rotate the polygon scanner. [Item 11] Item 11. The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of items 1 to 10, wherein the frame is made of metal. [Item 12] Item 12. The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of items 1 to 11, wherein the number of the plurality of mirrors is 3 or more and 12 or less. [Item 13] The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of items 1 to 12, one or more processors, The one or more processors: determining at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object using a return beam received from at least one of reflection or scattering of the beam by the object; An autonomous vehicle control system configured to control operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to at least one of the distance or the speed. [Item 14] Item 14. The autonomous vehicle control system of item 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the distance to the object based on a time of flight associated with the return beam. [Item 15] Item 14. The autonomous vehicle control system of item 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform coherent detection to determine at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object. [Item 16] 16. The autonomous vehicle control system of any one of items 13 to 15, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the rotation of the polygon scanner according to a specific scan pattern. [Item 17] The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of items 1 to 12, A steering system, The brake system and a vehicle controller including one or more processors, the one or more processors: determining at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object using a return beam received from at least one of reflection or scattering of the beam by the object; An autonomous vehicle configured to control operation of at least one of the steering system or the braking system in response to at least one of the distance or the velocity. [Item 18] Item 18. The autonomous vehicle of item 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the distance to the object based on a time of flight associated with the return beam. [Item 19] Item 18. The autonomous vehicle of item 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform coherent detection to determine at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object. [Item 20] 20. The autonomous vehicle of any one of items 17 to 19, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the rotation of the polygon scanner according to a specific scan pattern.

Claims

1. 1. A LIDAR sensor system, comprising: a laser source configured to generate a beam; a polygon scanner; The polygon scanner: The frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame by an adhesive, the adhesive having a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially equal to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the plurality of mirrors, the plurality of mirrors being arranged with gaps between edges of adjacent mirrors, each mirror comprising a glass material.

2. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein each mirror of the plurality of mirrors extends in a vertical direction of the frame.

3. 2. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein each mirror of the plurality of mirrors is coupled to a central portion of a corresponding surface of the frame and spaced apart from an outer portion of the corresponding surface.

4. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the frame is made of metal.

5. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mirrors are reflective to light with a wavelength of 1100 nm or more and 1800 nm or less.

6. 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mirrors comprises between 3 and 12 mirrors, inclusive.

7. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mirrors have a concave or convex shape.

8. 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the mirrors are made of polished glass material coated with a coating material.

9. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive comprises an epoxy.

10. 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the adhesive comprises a dispensing epoxy such that the adhesive provides an adhesion between the frame and the plurality of mirrors that is greater than centrifugal forces acting on the plurality of mirrors at a maximum expected rotational speed of the polygon scanner.

11. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising a motor coupled to a shaft, the frame having a channel that receives the shaft.

12. 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein at least one mirror of the plurality of mirrors has a distortion relative to a plane of the at least one mirror of from 0 nanometers (nm) to less than about 200 nm over a temperature range of minus 20 degrees Celsius to about 50 degrees Celsius.

13. a laser source configured to generate a first beam; A polygon scanner, one or more processors; Including, The polygon scanner The frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame by an adhesive, the adhesive having a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially equal to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the plurality of mirrors, the plurality of mirrors being arranged with gaps between edges of adjacent mirrors, each mirror comprising a glass material, the polygon scanner being configured to reflect the first beam and output a second beam; The one or more processors: using a third beam received from a reflection of the second beam by an object to determine at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object; An autonomous vehicle control system configured to control operation of an autonomous vehicle based on at least one of the distance or the speed.

14. 14. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 13, further comprising a modulator configured to receive the first beam and modulate at least one of a phase or a frequency of the first beam to output a modulated beam to the polygon scanner.

15. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 13 , further comprising a motor configured to rotate a polygon scanner in accordance with a scan pattern of the second beam.

16. 14. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to send control signals to at least one of a steering system or a braking system of an autonomous vehicle to control operation of the autonomous vehicle.

17. 14. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 13, wherein the frame comprises metal and the adhesive comprises a dispensing epoxy such that the adhesive provides an adhesion force between the frame and the plurality of mirrors that is greater than centrifugal forces acting on the plurality of mirrors at a maximum expected rotational speed of the polygon scanner.

18. a LIDAR sensor system; A steering system, The brake system and a vehicle controller including one or more processors; The LIDAR sensor system includes: a laser source configured to generate a first beam; a polygon scanner including a frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror including a glass material and extending in a vertical direction of the frame, the polygon scanner configured to reflect the first beam and output a second beam; The one or more processors: using a third beam received from a reflection of the second beam by an object to determine at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object; An autonomous vehicle configured to control operation of the at least one of the steering system and the braking system based on at least one of the distance or the velocity.

19. 20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 18, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to control at least one of a speed or a heading of the autonomous vehicle based on at least one of the distance or the speed.

20. 20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 18, wherein each mirror of the plurality of mirrors is bonded to a central portion of the frame with epoxy and spaced apart from an outer portion of a corresponding surface.

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