LIDAR systems

Abstract

The LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system includes 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 being constructed of a glass material. At least one aspect relates to an autonomous vehicle control system. The autonomous vehicle control system includes a laser source, a polygon scanner, and one or more processors.

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 03, 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 mnemonic, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), often referred to as "Laser RADAR", is used in a variety of applications including imaging and collision avoidance. LIDAR offers finer scale distance 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 embodiment relates to a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. The LIDAR system includes a laser source configured to generate a beam and a polygon scanner. The polygon scanner includes a frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror including a glass material.

[0004] At least one aspect 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 a reflection or scattering of the second beam by the object, and control operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to at least one of the distance or the velocity.

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

[0006] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this summary is merely illustrative and is not intended to be limiting in any manner. 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 description of the drawings]

[0007] Embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in an illustrative and not limiting manner, in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

[0008] [Figure 1a] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a 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] [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a LIDAR system;

[0013] [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing 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.

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

[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] 1 is a chart showing an example of a mirror displacement test of a polygon scanner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] A LIDAR system may generate and transmit a light beam that may be reflected or scattered by an object as a return beam corresponding to the transmitted beam. The LIDAR system may receive the return beam and process the return beam or its characteristics to determine parameters related to the object, such as distance and speed. The LIDAR system may apply various frequency or phase modulation to the transmitted beam, which may 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 may reflect the first beam to output a second beam, which may be scanned across a field of view and reflected or scattered by an object as a third beam, which may be used to determine distance, speed, 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 with multiple facets of polished glass mirrors mounted on a frame, as compared to polygon scanners fabricated from, for example, diamond turned aluminum, where the scanner is formed by machining (e.g., computer numerical control (CNC) processes). The use of polished glass mirrors for the facets can provide flatter and less rough surfaces for the facets, which can allow for optical improvements such as improved reflectivity, reduced scattering, and / or more specialized beam shapes (e.g., beam shapes with less degree of variation from an ideal Gaussian beam) that are favorable for autonomous vehicles. For example, flatter and / or less rough facets can reduce the chance 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 the signal processing). Also, assembled polygon scanners can reduce weight and / or inertia compared to polygon scanners manufactured from solid metal blocks, improving the reliability of the motors that rotate the polygon scanner, and allowing for greater flexibility in the form factor of the facets (e.g., allowing for larger facets or facets of various shapes, e.g., concave or convex facets). Assembled polygon scanners can be manufactured by less complex and more scalable processes. However, the advantages of the aforementioned assembled polygon scanners are not limited to autonomous vehicles only. 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 example autonomous vehicle 100 in which various techniques disclosed herein can be implemented. For example, the vehicle 100 can 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 a direction control 112, a powertrain control 114, and a brake control 116. The vehicle 100 can be implemented in a variety of types, including vehicles that can transport people and / or cargo and can travel 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 wheeled land vehicles such as cars, vans, trucks, and buses. The prime mover 104 can include one or more electric motors and / or an internal combustion engine (among other things). The 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 sources, and / or a fuel cell system. The 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 the prime mover 104 into vehicle motion, one or more brakes configured to controllably stop or slow the vehicle 100, and a steering or steering component suitable for controlling the trajectory of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a rack and pinion steering linkage that allows one or more wheels of the vehicle 100 to pivot about a generally vertical axis to change the angle of the plane of rotation of the wheel relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle). In some embodiments, a combination of powertrains and energy sources 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 the prime mover.

[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 gears in a transmission of drivetrain 108. Brake control 116 may be configured to control one or more brakes, e.g., 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 braking 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, with 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 operation of the vehicle. 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 Global Positioning System (GPS), Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), or Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS), Galileo, Compass, etc. The 3D positioning sensor 138 may 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 may 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 output of the sensors 130 may be provided to a set 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 also referred to as "pose" or "pose estimation") of the vehicle 100 within the surrounding environment and generally within some frame of reference. The perception subsystem 154 is primarily responsible for detecting, tracking, and / or identifying objects within the environment of the vehicle 100. Machine learning models according to some embodiments may 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 position of the autonomous vehicle may be compared to the positions of additional vehicles in the same environment as part of the generation of labeled autonomous vehicle data. The perception subsystem 154 may perform functions such as detecting, tracking, determining, and / or identifying objects within the environment surrounding the vehicle 100. The machine learning models according to some embodiments can be utilized to track objects. The planning subsystem 156 can perform functions such as planning a trajectory of the vehicle 100 over a portion of a time frame given a desired destination as well as stationary and moving objects in the environment. The machine learning models according to some embodiments can be utilized to plan a vehicle trajectory. The control subsystem 158 can perform functions such as generating appropriate control signals to control various controllers of the vehicle control system 120 to implement a planned trajectory of the vehicle 100. The machine learning models can be utilized to generate one or more signals to control the autonomous vehicle to implement a 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 the 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 these subsystems 152-158 can be embodied, in some cases, using the same processor and / or memory. The subsystems can be embodied 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 may use circuits, processors, sensors, and / or other components. Also, the various components of the 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 is 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 in primary vehicle control system 120. In still other embodiments, the secondary vehicle control system may be omitted.

[0030] Various architectures including various combinations of software, hardware, circuit logic, sensors, and networks can be used to implement the various components shown in FIG. 1. Each processor can be implemented, for example, as a microprocessor, and each memory can include random access memory (RAM) devices including main memory, as well as any secondary levels of memory, such as cache memory, non-volatile or backup memory (e.g., programmable or flash memory), read-only memory, and the like. Each memory can also be considered to include memory storage devices physically located elsewhere in the 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 a separate processor entirely, can be used to implement additional functions within the vehicle 100 other than for autonomous control purposes, such as control of the entertainment system, operation of doors, lights, convenience functions, and the like.

[0031] For additional storage, the vehicle 100 may also 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, touch screens, voice and / or gesture interfaces, buttons and haptic controls, etc., that enables vehicle 100 to receive a number of inputs from a user or operator and generate outputs therefor. Alternatively, user inputs may be received via an app or web interface of 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 that may be used for autonomous control. Data collected by one or more sensors 130 may be uploaded via network 170 to computing system 172 for additional processing. In some embodiments, a timestamp may be added to each instance of vehicle data before uploading.

[0034] Each processor shown in FIG. 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 be executed 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] In general, the routines performed to implement the 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 is generally comprised 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 that embody various aspects of the present disclosure. Also, while the 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 a variety of forms, and that such embodiments can be embodied independently of the particular type of computer-readable medium used to actually effect the distribution.

[0036] Examples of computer readable media include tangible and 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 codes described below may be identified based on the application in which they are embodied in a particular embodiment. However, any particular program nomenclature below is used merely for convenience, and thus the disclosure should not be limited to use only with 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 disclosure is not limited to the particular structure and allocation of program functions described herein, given the various ways in which program functions are allocated to 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 back 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, FM LIDAR systems may use continuous wave (referred to as "FMCW LIDAR") or quasi-continuous wave (referred to as "FMQW LIDAR"). In some embodiments, a 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, find, etc.) objects at greater distances (e.g., twice as far) than traditional LIDAR systems. For example, FM LIDAR systems can detect objects with low reflectivity beyond 300 meters and objects with high reflectivity beyond 400 meters.

[0041] To achieve such improved detection capabilities, FM LIDAR systems can use sensors (e.g., sensor 130 in FIG. 1a). In some embodiments, these sensors can be sensitive to single photons, meaning that the sensor can detect the smallest amount of light possible. 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 1000000 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 may have more time to react to unexpected obstacles. Indeed, even a few extra milliseconds can improve response times and comfort, especially for large vehicles (e.g., commercial trucking vehicles) traveling at highway speeds.

[0043] FM LIDAR systems can instantly provide accurate speed for each data point. In some embodiments, speed measurement is achieved using the Doppler effect, which shifts the frequency of light received from an object based on at least one of the radial direction speed (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 the speed is 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 the autonomous vehicle control system to process the data received 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 of FIG. 1a) may receive only a few returns (e.g., Hits) for an object that is 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 the autonomous vehicle control system can determine individual weights for the probability of being 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 compared to conventional LIDAR systems; that is, conventional LIDAR systems designed to have more light sensitivity generally do not work properly in bright sunlight. Such systems tend to suffer from crosstalk (e.g., when sensors are cross-talked by each other's light pulses or light beams) and self-interference (e.g., when sensors are cross-talked by previous light pulses or light beams). To overcome this shortcoming, 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 this type of problem because each sensor is specifically designed to respond only to its own light characteristics (e.g., light beams, light waves, light pulses). 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 easier to scale 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 an autonomous commercial truck, 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 vehicles configured for long-haul freight transportation, local 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 expandable flatbed trailer, a sidekit trailer, etc.

[0050] The environment 100B includes an object 110B (shown as another vehicle in FIG. 1b) that is 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. Although FIG. 1b shows one LIDAR system 104B mounted on the front of the commercial truck 102B, the number of LIDAR systems and the mounting area of ​​the LIDAR systems on the commercial truck are not limited to a particular number and a particular 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 a 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 an autonomous commercial truck 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) that is 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) away from commercial truck 102B.

[0055] 1d is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck 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] The environment 100D includes an object 110D (shown as another vehicle in FIG. 1d) that is within a distance range of 150 meters or more from the commercial truck 102B. As shown, the LIDAR system 104B of the environment 100D may be configured to detect objects (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, trees, road signs, potholes, etc.) at a certain distance (e.g., 300 meters) from the commercial truck 102B.

[0057] In commercial trucking applications, it is important to effectively detect objects at all ranges due to their increased weight and therefore longer stopping distances. FM LIDAR systems (e.g., FMCW and / or FMQW systems) or PM LIDAR systems are ideal for commercial trucking applications due to the advantages discussed above. Ultimately, commercial trucks equipped with such systems may be better able to safely move 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 the commercial truck has a driver on board 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 speed, 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) that can control the operation of the vehicle in response to the received parameters, or a display that 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 performing 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 in the same housing, provided on the same circuit board or other electronic components, 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., an optical frequency corresponding to an 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, the modulator 214 can either modulate the beam 210 after the splitting of the beam 206 by the splitter 208 so that the reference beam 212 is not modulated, or the modulator 214 can modulate the beam 206 and provide the modulated beam to the splitter 208, thereby causing it to be split into a target beam and a reference beam via the 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 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. The amplifier 220 may amplify the beam 216 to output beam 222, and the collimator 224 may collimate to output beam 226.

[0062] 2, circulator 228 may be located between collimator 224 and optics 232 to receive beam 226 and output beam 230 to optics 232. Circulator 228 may be located 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. Optics 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 an angle scanned (e.g., swept) by the beam 242 (e.g., a transmitted beam). For example, the beam 242 can be scanned 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 such 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 when the beam 242 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] The mixer 260 may be an optical hybrid, such as a 90 degree optical hybrid. The mixer 260 may receive the reference beam 212 and the return beam 248 and mix the reference beam 212 and the return beam 248 to output a signal 264 responsive to the reference beam 212 and the return beam 248. The signal 264 may include an in-phase (I) component 268 and a quadrature (Q) component 272.

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

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

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

[0070] 3-5 show one embodiment of optical system 300 for a scanner. The scanner includes optical system 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 an object to determine information such as distance, velocity, or Doppler effect associated with the object.

[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 to have improved optical and mechanical performance including flexibility of 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 stresses. For example, by forming the optical system 300 from assembled equipment, 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 exterior surface 312 where the received beam is reflected by the mirror 304 and output from the surface 312 after it is received. The mirror 304 may be reflective to light used for 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 between 1100 nm and 1800 nm, inclusive, including light at about 1550 nm.

[0073] The optical system 300 may include a variety of mirrors 304. For example, the optical system 300 may include more than two and less than 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 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. For example, the mirrors 304 can be extended beyond the extent of the frame 308 defined by the surface 414. The mirrors 304 can be further extended above and below the frame 308 in a reference frame in which at least one of the axes 402 is parallel to gravity or the surface 414 is parallel to the ground. Thus, the overall form factor size can be reduced because the various components of the LIDAR system 200 can be more flexibly positioned relative to each other and relative to the optical system 300.

[0075] The mirror 304 may include a glass material. For example, the mirror 304 may include an 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 can operate effectively in ultraviolet and near infrared (NIR) light conditions with a low coefficient of thermal expansion. 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. Due to the use of glass for the mirror 304 (e.g., instead of a metallic material such as CNC machined and diamond machined aluminum), the mirror 304 can be polished to be smoother and less rough, which can result in improved optical properties by reducing the scattering of light incident on the surface 312 (which can then be reflected off the backing of the mirror 304 and exit the surface 312 with reduced scattering again). For example, an example of scattering testing of a glass mirror 304 compared to diamond machined aluminum (each coated with unprotected gold) revealed that the polished glass of the mirror 304 has a relative scattering of 0.80 dB, while the metal (diamond machined aluminum) has a relative scattering of 6.14 dB. Thus, the glass mirror 304 can reduce the chance of scattering of light rays within the structure that defines the roughness of the surface 312, which can solve issues such as Doppler components that contribute to the signal of the beam due to scattering. As a result, the signal processing required to remove the Doppler component may be reduced or eliminated, thereby reducing the computational demands of the signal processing. In some embodiments, the mirror 304 may be coated. For example, gold (e.g., unprotected gold) may be used as the coating material. However, the coating material is not limited to gold. Alternatively, any suitable reflective material may be used as the coating material.

[0077] As shown in Figures 3-5, the mirror 304 may have a rectangular shape. The mirror 304 may have a variety of shapes or form factors, including concave or convex shapes, depending on whether the mirror 304 is cut or otherwise extracted from the glass panel as well as the shape of the glass panel from which the mirror 304 is made. For example, the glass panel may be curved, so 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 may 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 may be made to direct the received beam in various directions or angles depending on the shape of the mirror 304. The mirror 304 may be made such that the surface 312 has a relatively larger surface area than would be the case if a high density metal were used for the mirror 304, without increasing the weight / inertia of the mirror 304 (or the size may be similarly maintained while decreasing the weight / inertia). Additionally, by using glass to form the mirror 304, the shape or form factor of the mirror 304 can be more easily selected and implemented for a particular application as 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 there is a gap 324 between the edges 316, 320 of adjacent mirrors 304. The gap 324 allows for expansion or other movement or shape changes 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 for 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 a frame 308. The binding surfaces 404 may be located 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) that is oriented to transverse 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 each portion of the wall 408, with portions 412 of the wall 408 between the binding surfaces 404 on either side of the binding surfaces 404. The portions 412 may have a spacing from an interior surface 416 of the mirror 304 (as compared to a solid form scanner where 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 passes through 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 inwardly 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 inner 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 adhesion force between the bonding surface 404 and the mirror 304 is greater than an apparent (e.g., centrifugal) force that may be caused by rotation of the optical system 300 about the axis 402 to push the mirror 304 out of the bonding surface 404 by 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 adhesion force may be at least a threshold greater than the centrifugal force at a maximum expected rotational speed of the scanner. The adhesive can be selected to have a similar or approximately 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 to allow 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 and rotate the shaft as the motor 240 rotates the frame 308 about an axis 402. The motor 240 may be coupled with 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, or 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 by use of a gear or other assembly).

[0083] 6-8 show a study of the performance of mirror 304 during operation and for 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 have the advantage of robustness under shock / vibration (e.g., due to operation of motor 240) with minimal impact on the quality of the optical surface over a wide temperature range.

[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 has been 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 vertical 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 in response to a vertical load of 50 G (which, given the size of the mirror 304, can correspond to a stress of 16 N / m).

[0086] 8 shows a chart 800 of the angular displacement of the mirror 304 versus vibration conditions. As shown in FIG. 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 a 37.1e-9 radian angular displacement with a vibration of 667 Hz.

[0087] Although some exemplary embodiments have been described above, it is clear that the above-mentioned embodiments are illustrative and are not limited to those presented through the examples. In particular, although many examples presented herein include a specific combination 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 phrases and terms used herein are for the purposes of description and should not be considered as limiting. In this specification, the use of "comprising," "comprises," "has," "contains," "associated with," "characterized," "featured," "characterized," and variations thereof are intended to include the subsequently recited items, corresponding items, and additional items, as well as alternative embodiments consisting only of the subsequently recited 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 embodiments or elements or operations of systems and methods referred to in the singular may include embodiments including a plurality of these elements, and all references herein to embodiments or elements or operations referred to 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, operations or elements to a singular or plural configuration. References to operations or elements based on any information, operation, or element may include embodiments in which the operation or element is based at least in part on any information, operation, or element.

[0090] Any embodiment disclosed herein may be combined with any other embodiment or embodiments, and references to "embodiments," "some embodiments," "an embodiment," and the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but 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 the aspects and embodiments disclosed herein.

[0091] When a reference sign follows a drawing, the detailed description, or a technical feature of any claim, the reference sign is included to enhance the clarity of the drawing, the detailed description, and the claim, and thus 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. Description of additional relative parallel, orthogonal, vertical, or other positions or orientations includes variations within + / -10% or + / -10 degrees of a purely vertical, parallel, or orthogonal 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. Thus, the scope of the systems and methods described herein is represented by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and changes that are within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are included therein.

[0093] The term "coupled" and variations thereof include the direct or indirect coupling of two members to one another. Such coupling may be fixed (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., removable or separable). The coupling may consist of the manner in which two members are directly or mutually coupled to one another, two members are coupled to one another using another intervening member, two members are coupled to one another using an additional intermediate member, or two members are coupled to one another using an intervening member that is integrally formed as one unit with one of the two members. When "coupled" or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (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 term (e.g., "directly coupled" means the coupling of two members without a separate intervening member). Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical, or fluid coupling.

[0094] References to "or" may be construed as inclusive, such that all described terms with "or" may refer to one, more than one, and all described terms. References to "at least one of 'A' or 'B'" may include 'A' only, 'B' only, and both 'A' and 'B'. Such references used with "comprising" 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 the various elements, parameter values, mounting arrangements, use of materials, color, orientation, etc., 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 in the design, operating conditions and arrangements of the disclosed elements and operations may be made 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.

Claims

1. 1. A LIDAR sensor system for a vehicle, comprising: a laser source configured to generate a beam; a polygon scanner; The polygon scanner: A frame, a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror comprising a glass material.

2. 2. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein a central portion of an interior surface of at least one of the plurality of mirrors is coupled to the frame.

3. the frame includes a wall having a plurality of mating surfaces and at least one portion between two of the plurality of mating surfaces; the central portion of the interior surface of the at least one mirror is coupled to the frame at a respective coupling surface; The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one portion is spaced from the interior surface.

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.

5. the plurality of mirrors includes a first mirror adjacent to a second mirror; The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein a gap exists between the first mirror and the second mirror.

6. 6. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein each mirror comprises a polished glass material.

7. 7. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a modulator configured to receive the beam, modulate at least one of a phase or a frequency of the beam, and output the modulated beam to a polygon scanner.

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

9. 9. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the frame rotates about an axis passing through the frame, and at least one of the mirrors extends beyond the frame in a direction parallel to the axis.

10. 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a motor configured to rotate the polygon scanner.

11. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is made of metal.

12. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of mirrors is greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to 12.

13. A LIDAR sensor system according to any one of claims 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 an autonomous vehicle in response to at least one of the distance or the speed.

14. 14. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 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.

15. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 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.

16. 16. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control rotation of the polygon scanner according to a particular scan pattern.

17. A LIDAR sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 12; A steering system; The brake system, a vehicle controller including one or more processors, the one or more processors comprising: 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 speed.

18. 20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 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.

19. 20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 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.

20. 20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control rotation of the polygon scanner according to a particular scan pattern.

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