Ghost Reduction Method in Coherent LIDAR Systems Using Multi-chirp Plates

Abstract

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system transmits one or more light beams including at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals toward a target within a field of view of the system and receives up-chirp and down-chirp return signals reflected from the target. The system generates a baseband signal in the frequency domain based on the at least two up-chirp signals and the at least two down-chirp signal return signals. The baseband signal includes a first peak associated with the at least one up-chirp signal and a second peak associated with the at least one down-chirp signal. The system determines a location of the target using the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks.

Description

Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 165,628, filed March 24, 2021, and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 702,601, filed March 23, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Technical field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems, and more particularly to ghost reduction in coherent LIDAR systems. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] LIDAR systems, such as frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LIDAR systems, use a tunable infrared laser for frequency chirp illumination of targets and a coherent receiver to detect backscattered or reflected light from the targets that is combined with a local copy of the transmitted signal, which is then mixed with a return signal delayed by the round trip time to the target to produce a signal with a frequency proportional to the distance to each target in the system's field of view. The frequency upsweeps and downsweeps may be used to detect the range and speed of detected targets. However, problems arise when the LIDAR system and one or more of the targets (or targets) are moving, making it difficult to accurately associate each target with its corresponding peak, which must be determined to which target. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Aspects of the present invention, namely, an apparatus and method for ghost reduction in a multi-frequency (multiple chirp rate) coherent LIDAR system, are described below.

[0005] A method according to one aspect of the present invention includes the following steps a to e. a. Transmitting one or more optical beams including at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals toward a target within a field of view of a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system. b. receiving a set of return signals from the target based on the one or more light beams, where the set of return signals comprises: at least two adjusted up-chirp signals, the at least two up-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; and at least two adjusted down-chirp signals, the at least two down-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; The at least two tuned up-chirp signals and the at least two tuned down-chirp signals are a first set of peaks associated with the at least two up-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target; and a second set of peaks associated with the at least two down-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target. c. determining whether to select a subset of peaks from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, or select each peak from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, to calculate one or more of a position, a velocity, and a reflectivity of the target. d. calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on each peak of the first set of peaks and each peak of the second set of peaks if each peak of the first set of peaks and each peak of the second set of peaks has an SNR value that exceeds a threshold. e. if at least one peak in the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks has an SNR value less than a threshold, calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the subset of peaks.

[0006] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, The one or more light beams are transmitted by a single light source.

[0007] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, The one or more light beams are transmitted by at least two light sources.

[0008] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, The one or more light beams are transmitted through one or more of a plurality of sweeps, a plurality of scan lines, and a plurality of scan frames.

[0009] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, the first set of peaks includes a first peak and a second peak having an SNR value above a threshold; the second set of peaks includes a third peak and a fourth peak having an SNR value above a threshold; In step d, the step of calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectance based on each peak of the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks includes determining one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectance based on the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak; In step e, the step of calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectance based on the subset of peaks includes determining one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectance based on the first peak and the third peak.

[0010] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, the first set of peaks includes a first peak and a second peak having an SNR value above a threshold; the second set of peaks includes a third peak and a fourth peak having an SNR value above a threshold; In the step d, the step of calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectance based on each peak of the first peak set and the second peak set includes determining one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectance based on the first peak set; and validating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the second set of peaks.

[0011] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, the first set of peaks includes a first peak and a second peak; the second set of peaks includes a third peak and a group of peaks; and The group of peaks includes a fourth peak.

[0012] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, the first set of peaks includes a first peak and a second peak; the second set of peaks includes a third peak; Further included is the step of determining a fourth peak based on the first peak, the second peak, and the third peak.

[0013] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, The step of determining the target position includes: selecting a fourth peak from the group of peaks; determining the target location based on the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak.

[0014] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, The step of selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks includes: determining an estimated peak based on the first peak and the third peak; selecting the fourth peak based on the estimated peak.

[0015] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, The step of selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks includes: determining a first distance based on the first peak and the second peak; determining a set of distances to the target based on the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the group of peaks; selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks based on a minimum difference between the first distance and the set of distances.

[0016] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, The step of selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks includes: determining a first Doppler shift for the target based on the first peak and the second peak; determining a set of Doppler shifts based on the third peak and the group of peaks; selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks based on a minimum difference between the first Doppler shift and the set of Doppler shifts.

[0017] In a method according to one aspect of the invention, The at least two tuned up-chirp signals and the at least two tuned down-chirp signals are generating a third set of peaks associated with the at least two up-chirp signals corresponding to a second target position of a second target; and generating a fourth set of peaks associated with the at least two down-chirp signals corresponding to the second target location; Further included is the step of determining the second target location using the third set of peaks and the fourth set of peaks.

[0018] A LIDAR system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: 1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising: A processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the LIDAR system to perform the following operations a to e. a. Transmitting one or more optical beams including at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals toward a target within a field of view of a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system. b. receiving a set of return signals from the target based on the one or more light beams, where the set of return signals comprises: at least two adjusted up-chirp signals, the at least two up-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; and at least two adjusted down-chirp signals, the at least two down-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; The at least two tuned up-chirp signals and the at least two tuned down-chirp signals are a first set of peaks associated with the at least two up-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target; and a second set of peaks associated with the at least two down-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target. c. determining whether to select a subset of peaks from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, or select each peak from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, to calculate one or more of a position, a velocity, and a reflectivity of the target. d. calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on each peak of the first set of peaks and each peak of the second set of peaks if each peak of the first set of peaks and each peak of the second set of peaks has an SNR value that exceeds a threshold. e. if at least one peak in the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks has an SNR value less than a threshold, calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the subset of peaks.

[0019] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a LIDAR system comprising: the first set of peaks includes a first peak and a second peak; the second set of peaks includes a third peak and a group of peaks; and The group of peaks includes a fourth peak.

[0020] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a LIDAR system comprising: To determine the target location, the processor further comprises: selecting a fourth peak from the group of peaks; determining the target location based on the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak.

[0021] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a LIDAR system comprising: To select the fourth peak from the group of peaks, the processor further comprises: determining an estimated peak based on the first peak and the third peak; Based on the estimated peak The fourth peak and selecting a

[0022] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a LIDAR system comprising: To select the fourth peak from the group of peaks, the processor further determining a first distance based on the first peak and the second peak; determining a set of distances to the target based on the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the group of peaks; selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks based on a minimum difference between the first distance and the set of distances.

[0023] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a LIDAR system comprising: To select the fourth peak from the group of peaks, the processor further comprises: determining a first Doppler shift for the target based on the first peak and the second peak; determining a set of Doppler shifts based on the third peak and the group of peaks; selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks based on a minimum difference between the first Doppler shift and the set of Doppler shifts.

[0024] A LIDAR system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the following A to C. A. an optical scanner that transmits one or more optical beams including at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals toward a target within a field of view of the LIDAR system, and receives a set of return signals based on the one or more optical beams from the target; wherein the set of return signals is: at least two adjusted up-chirp signals, the at least two up-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; and at least two adjusted down-chirp signals, the at least two down-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; The at least two tuned up-chirp signals and the at least two tuned down-chirp signals are a first set of peaks associated with the at least two up-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target; and a second set of peaks associated with the at least two down-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target. B. an optical processing device coupled to the optical scanner, generating a baseband signal from the return signal, the baseband signal including a frequency corresponding to a LIDAR target distance in the time domain; C. a signal processor connected to the optical processor; Here, the signal processing device is A processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the LIDAR system to perform the following steps a to c. a. determining whether to select a subset of peaks from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, or select each peak from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, to calculate one or more of a position, a velocity, and a reflectivity associated with the target; b. if each peak of the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks has an SNR value that exceeds a threshold, calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on each peak of the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks. c. if at least one peak in the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks has an SNR value less than a threshold, calculating one or more of the position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the subset of peaks. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] In order to clarify various aspects of the present invention, reference is made to the drawings which are referred to in the following detailed description (embodiments), in which like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a LIDAR system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a time-frequency diagram illustrating an example LIDAR waveform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a LIDAR system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the electro-optical system of a LIDAR system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a signal processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a time-frequency diagram illustrating different scanning signals according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] [Figure 5B] FIG. 4 is a frequency diagram illustrating different scanning signals according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a time-frequency diagram illustrating an example LIDAR waveform, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a signal strength-frequency diagram showing signal peaks for a target in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a signal strength-frequency diagram showing signal peaks for a target in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a signal strength-frequency diagram illustrating frequency ranges according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a signal strength-frequency diagram illustrating frequency ranges according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a signal strength-frequency diagram illustrating frequency ranges according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] [Figure 12] 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for peak selection according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A LIDAR system and method for automatically reducing ghosts due to Doppler shift according to embodiments of the present invention are described below. The LIDAR system of the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in any sensing market, including, but not limited to, transportation, manufacturing, metrology, medical, virtual reality, augmented reality, and security systems. Additionally, the LIDAR system described in the embodiments can be implemented as part of the front end of a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) device that aids in the spatial awareness of autonomous driving assistance systems and autonomous vehicles.

[0041] The LIDAR system of the embodiments described herein uses coherent scanning techniques to detect return signals from a target and generate a coherent heterodyne signal from which target range and velocity information can be obtained. Such a signal (or signals) may include a frequency up-sweep (up-chirp) and a frequency down-sweep (down-chirp), which may be generated from a single light source or from separate light sources (i.e., the light source generating the up-sweep may be different from the light source generating the down-sweep). As a result, two distinct frequency peaks, one from the up-chirp and one from the down-chirp, can be associated with a target and used to determine the target's range and velocity. However, such LIDAR systems may also generate peak images when processing the signal. The peak images may contain data (e.g., graphical data) of signal attributes (e.g., SNR values) that indicate a weak association between the detected peak and the target's location and / or velocity. Thus, when such peak images are used by a LIDAR system to detect a target, the LIDAR system will use incorrect data to process the location and velocity (speed) associated with the target. Note that peak images used in this manner are sometimes referred to as "ghosts." The technique of the present embodiment addresses the above problem by introducing multi-frequency (multiple chirp rate frequencies) in the up and down sweeps / chirps, which allows the LIDAR system to match the expected peak shape with the peaks and peak images and distinguish between peaks (e.g., true peaks) and peak images. In contrast to image peaks, true peaks contain data (e.g., graphical data) of signal attributes (e.g., SNR values) that are strongly related to the target's location and / or velocity. Thus, a LIDAR system can reliably identify the target's location and velocity (speed) based on such true peaks. Note that peak images are sometimes referred to as "image peaks."

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates a LIDAR system 100 according to one embodiment. The LIDAR system 100 may include any one or more of several components, but may include fewer or additional components than those shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the LIDAR system 100 has an optical circuit 101 implemented on a photonics chip. The optical circuit 101 includes a combination of active and passive optical components. In some examples, the active optical components have light beams of different wavelengths and include one or more optical amplifiers, one or more photodetectors, etc.

[0043] The free-space optics 115 includes one or more optical waveguides for transmitting optical signals and for routing and manipulating the optical signals to appropriate input / output ports of the active optical circuit. The free-space optics 115 also includes one or more optical components such as taps, wavelength division multiplexers (WDMs), splitters / combiners, polarizing beam splitters (PBSs), collimators, couplers, etc. In one aspect, the free-space optics 115 includes components for converting the polarization state and directing the received polarized light to a photodetector, for example, using a PBS. The free-space optics 115 may also include a diffractive element that deflects light beams having different frequencies at different angles along an axis (e.g., the fast axis). In some embodiments, a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) is described, however, embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto and may include an optical circulator, a directional coupler, an MMI (multimode interference), a bistatic receiver, or similar components.

[0044] The LIDAR system 100 of this embodiment includes an optical scanner 102 having one or more scanning mirrors that are rotatable along an axis orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the fast axis (e.g., a slow axis) of the diffractive element to direct an optical signal that scans the environment according to a scanning pattern. For example, the scanning mirrors can be rotated by one or more galvanometers. The optical scanner 102 also collects the return light beam that is reflected from any objects in the environment and directs it back to the optical circuit components of the optical circuit 101. For example, the return light beam is directed to a photodetector by a polarizing beam splitter. Note that the optical scanner 102 may include wave plates, lenses, anti-reflective coated optical windows, etc. in addition to mirrors and galvanometers.

[0045] The LIDAR system 100 is provided with a LIDAR controller 110 to control and support the optical circuit 101 and the optical scanner 102. The LIDAR controller 110 contains the processing equipment required for the LIDAR system 100. A processing device in one embodiment is one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit, and in particular a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or a processor implementing other instruction sets, or a processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. Additionally, the processing device may be one or more of special purpose processing devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor, or the like. The LIDAR controller 110 according to one embodiment may include a memory for storing data and instructions executed by a processing device, such as a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a programmable read only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, a magnetic disk memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD), an optical disk memory such as a compact disk read only (CD-ROM) or a compact disk read write memory (CD-RW), or any other type of non-transitory memory.

[0046] In one embodiment, the LIDAR controller 110 is provided with a signal processing unit 112, such as a DSP, which outputs a digital control signal for controlling the optical driver 103. The digital control signal is converted to an analog signal via the signal conversion unit 106. For example, the signal conversion unit 106 includes a digital-to-analog converter. The optical driver 103 provides drive signals to the active optical components of the optical circuit 101 to drive light sources such as lasers and amplifiers. In one embodiment, multiple optical drivers 103 and signal conversion units 106 may be provided to drive multiple light sources.

[0047] The LIDAR controller 110 is also configured to output digital control signals to the optical scanner 102. The motion controller 105 can control the galvanometers of the optical scanner 102 based on the control signals received from the LIDAR controller 110. In particular, a digital-to-analog converter can be used to convert the coordinate routing information from the LIDAR controller 110 into signals that can be processed by the galvanometers of the optical scanner 102. In one embodiment, the motion controller 105 may also send information regarding the position or movement of components of the optical scanner 102 back to the LIDAR controller 110. In particular, an analog-to-digital converter may be used to convert the information regarding the galvanometer position into a signal that the LIDAR controller 110 can process.

[0048] The LIDAR controller 110 is further configured to analyze the input digital signal. In this regard, the LIDAR system 100 is provided with an optical receiver 104 for measuring one or more beams received by the optical circuit 101. In particular, the optical receiver 104 as a reference beam receiver measures the signal strength (amplitude) of the reference beam from the active optical components and converts the signal from the reference beam receiver by an analog / digital converter into a signal that can be processed by the LIDAR controller 110. The target receiver, as the optical receiver 104, also measures an optical signal carrying information about the range and velocity of the target in the form of a beat frequency modulated optical signal. In this case, the reflected beam of the optical signal may be mixed with a second signal (local copy) of the local oscillator. The optical receiver 104 may be equipped with a high speed analog-to-digital converter to convert the signal from the target receiver into a signal that can be processed by the LIDAR controller 110.

[0049] In some applications, the LIDAR system 100 may additionally be provided with one or more imagers 108 configured to capture images of the environment, a global positioning system (GPS) 109 configured to provide a geographic location of the system, or other sensor inputs. The LIDAR system 100 may also include an image processor 114 that may be configured to receive images and geographic locations from the imager 108 and Global Positioning System (GPS) 109, and to transmit the images and location or related information to the LIDAR controller 110 or other systems connected to the LIDAR system 100.

[0050] As a process according to some embodiments, the LIDAR system 100 is configured to simultaneously measure distance and velocity in two dimensions using a non-degenerate optical source. This capability allows for real-time long-range measurements of distance, velocity, azimuth and elevation of the surrounding environment.

[0051] The scanning process according to one embodiment starts with the optical driver 103 and the LIDAR controller 110. The LIDAR controller 110 instructs the optical driver 103 to modulate one or more light beams, respectively, and these modulation signals are transmitted through the passive optical circuit of the optical circuit 101 to the collimator of the free space optical system 115. The collimator directs the modulation signals to the optical scanner 102, which scans the environment in a pre-programmed pattern defined by the motion controller 105. The optical circuit 101 may be provided with a polarizing waveplate (PWP) that converts the polarization state of the light beam as it exits the optical circuit 101. By way of example, the polarizing waveplate may be a quarter waveplate or a half waveplate. A portion of the polarized light beam may be reflected back into the optical circuit 101. For example, a lens or collimating system used in the LIDAR system 100 may have natural reflective properties or a reflective coating that causes a portion of the light beam to be reflected back into the optical circuit 101.

[0052] The optical signal reflected from the environment is sent to the receiver (optical receiver 104) through the optical circuit 101. At this time, the polarization state of the light has been converted, so it is reflected by the polarizing beam splitter along with a portion of the polarized light that was reflected back to the optical circuit 101. As a result, the reflected optical signal does not return to the same optical fiber or waveguide as the light source, but is reflected to different optical receivers. These signals interfere with each other and generate a mixed (combined) signal. Each beam signal returning from the target produces a time-shifted waveform, and the time phase difference between these two waveforms produces a beat frequency that is measured by the optical receiver (photodetector), and the combined signal is reflected back to the optical receiver 104.

[0053] The analog signal received by the optical receiver 104 is converted to a digital signal by an ADC (analog-to-digital converter), which is then sent to the LIDAR controller 110. A signal processing unit 112 of the device receives the digital signals and processes them. In one embodiment, the signal processing unit 112 receives position data from the motion controller 105 and a galvanometer (not shown) and image data from the image processor 114. This enables the signal processing unit 112 to generate a 3D point cloud with information about the distance and velocity of points in the environment as the optical scanner 102 scans additional points. The signal processing unit 112 may also overlay the 3D point cloud with image data to determine the speed and distance of surrounding objects. The LIDAR controller 110 may also process satellite-based navigation position data to provide precise global position information.

[0054] 2 is a time-frequency diagram 200 of an FMCW scanning signal 201 that a LIDAR system, such as LIDAR system 100, can use to scan a target environment in one embodiment. FM The scanning signal 201, labeled (t), has a chirp bandwidth Δf C and chirp period T C It is a sawtooth waveform (sawtooth "chirp") with The inclination of the sawtooth is k=(Δf C / T C ). Also shown in FIG. 2 is a target return signal 202 (return signal) in one embodiment. FM The target return signal 202, denoted (t-Δt), is a time delayed version of the scanning signal 201, where Δt is the round trip time to and from the target illuminated by the scanning signal 201. This round trip time is given by Δt=2R / v, where R is the range of the target and v is the speed of light, c, which is the speed of the light beam. Therefore, the range R of the target can be calculated as R = c(Δt / 2). When the return signal 202 is optically mixed with the scanning signal, a distance-dependent difference frequency ("beat frequency") Δf R (t) is generated. Beat frequency Δf R (t) is linearly related to the time delay Δt by the sawtooth slope k. That is, Δf R (t) = kΔt. Since the target distance R is proportional to Δt, the target distance R is R = (c / 2)(Δf R (t) / k) that is, the distance R can be calculated as the beat frequency Δf R It has a linear relationship with (t). Beat frequency Δf R(t) is generated as an analog signal, for example, in optical receiver 104 of LIDAR system 100. This beat frequency is digitized, for example, by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in signal conditioning unit 107 of LIDAR system 100. The digitized beat frequency signal is then digitally processed in a signal processing unit (e.g., signal processing unit 112) in LIDAR system 100. However, it should be noted that the target return signal 202 typically contains a frequency offset (Doppler shift) if the target has a relative velocity with respect to the LIDAR system 100. For simplicity and ease of illustration, the Doppler shift is not shown in FIG. 2 because it is detected separately and used to correct the frequency of the return signal. It is also important to note that the sampling frequency of the ADC is determined by the highest beat frequency that the system can handle without aliasing. Typically, the highest frequency that can be handled is half the sampling frequency (i.e., the "Nyquist limit"). For example, and not by way of limitation, if the sampling frequency of the ADC is 1 GHz, then the highest beat frequency that can be handled without aliasing (Δf Rmax ) is 500 MHz. This limit is the system's maximum target range R max =(c / 2)(Δf Rmax / k), which can be adjusted by changing the inclination k of the sawtooth. In one example, the data samples from the ADC may be continuous, but the subsequent digital processing described below may be divided into "time segments" that are associated with a predetermined periodicity of the LIDAR system 100. For example, and without limitation, the time segments may be divided into "time segments" that are equal to or longer than the chirp period T C or the number of azimuth rotations made by the optical scanner described above.

[0055] FIG. 3A is a block diagram illustrating a LIDAR system 300 according to one embodiment. The LIDAR system 300 includes an optical scanner 301 that transmits a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) infrared (IR) light beam 304 and receives a return signal 313 from reflections of the light beam 304, such as from targets 312 within a field of view (FOV) of the optical scanner 301. The LIDAR system 300 also includes an optical processor 302 that generates a baseband signal 314 from the return signal 313, the baseband signal 314 having a frequency dependent on the LIDAR target distance in the time domain. The optical processor 302 may include components such as the free space optics 115, the optical circuit 101, the optical driver 103, and the optical receiver 104 described in the LIDAR system 100. The LIDAR system 300 further includes a signal processor 303 that measures the energy (signal strength) of the baseband signal 314 in the frequency domain and compares the energy measurement with an estimate of the LIDAR system noise to determine the likelihood (probability) that a signal peak in the frequency domain indicates a detected target. The signal processor 303 may include components such as the signal transformation unit 106, the signal conditioning unit 107, the LIDAR controller 110, and the signal processing unit 112 in the LIDAR system 100.

[0056] Figure 3B is a block diagram illustrating an example of electro-optics 350 of a LIDAR system according to one embodiment. Electro-optics 350 includes an optical scanner 301 similar to optical scanner 102 described in Figure 1. Electro-optics 350 also includes an optical processor 302 that includes components such as free space optics 115, optical circuitry 101, optical driver 103, and optical receiver 104 described in LIDAR system 100, as described above.

[0057] The optical processing device 302 is provided with a light source 305 for generating a light beam 304 (e.g., a FMCW light beam). The light beam 304 from the light source 305 is directed to an optical coupler 306, which sends a portion of the light beam 304 to a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) 307. A sample 308 (reference beam) of the light beam 304 is sent from the optical coupler 306 to a photodetector (PD) 309. The PBS 307 is configured to polarize and direct the light beam 304 towards the optical scanner 301. The optical scanner 301 is configured to scan the target environment with the light beam 304 at a range of azimuth and elevation angles covering a field of view (FOV) 310 of the LIDAR window 311 within the housing 320 of the electro-optical system 350. Note that only azimuth scanning is shown in FIG. 3B for simplicity of illustration.

[0058] 3B, the light beam 304 passes through the LIDAR window 311 at a predetermined azimuth angle (or range of angles) and is illuminated on the target 312. The return signal 313 from the target 312 passes through the LIDAR window 311 and is returned to the PBS 307 by the optical scanner 301.

[0059] The return signal 313, with a different polarization than the light beam 304 due to reflection from the target 312, is guided through the PBS 307 to the photodetector (PD) 309. In the photodetector (PD) 309, the return signal 313 is optically mixed with the local samples 308 of the light beam 304 to generate a distance-dependent baseband signal 314 in the time domain. This distance-dependent baseband signal 314 is the frequency difference between the local samples 308 of the light beam 304 and the return signal 313 versus time (i.e., Δf R (t)). The range dependent baseband signal 314 may be in the frequency domain and may be generated by mixing at least one up-chirp signal and at least one down-chirp signal with the return signal 313. The at least one down-chirp signal may be delayed in time proportional to the relative motion of the target and / or the LIDAR system.

[0060] 4 is a detailed block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a signal processor 303 for processing the baseband signal 314. As previously described, the signal processor 303 may include components such as the signal transformation unit 106, the signal conditioning unit 107, the LIDAR controller 110, and the signal processing unit 112 of the LIDAR system 100.

[0061] The signal processing unit 303 includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 401, a time domain signal processor 402, a block sampler 403, a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) processor 404, a frequency domain signal processor 405, and a peak search processor 406. Each of the constituent blocks of the signal processing unit 303 can be implemented, for example, by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, and software.

[0062] 4, a baseband signal 314, which is a time-domain continuous analog signal, is sampled by an ADC 401 to generate a series of time-domain samples 315. The time-domain samples 315 are processed by a time-domain signal processor 402 to condition the signal for further processing. For example, the time-domain signal processor 402 may apply weighting or filtering to remove undesired signal components or to make the signal suitable for further processing. The output signal 316 of the time-domain signal processor 402 is then sent to a block sampler 403. The block sampler 403 divides the output signal 316 of the time domain samples 315 into groups of N samples 317 (N is an integer greater than 1) and sends them to the DFT processor 404. The DFT processor 404 converts the groups of N time domain samples 317 into N frequency bins or sub-bands 318 in the frequency domain that cover the bandwidth of the baseband signal 314. The N sub-bands 318 are sent to the frequency domain signal processor 405 to condition them for further processing. For example, the frequency domain signal processor 405 may resample and / or average the sub-bands 318 for noise reduction. The frequency domain signal processor 405 may also calculate signal statistics and system noise statistics, as described below. The processed sub-bands 319 are then sent to the peak search processor 406 to search for signal peaks that represent targets within the field of view of the LIDAR system 300.

[0063] FIG. 5A is a time-frequency diagram illustrating different scanning signals that a LIDAR system such as system 100 can use to scan a target environment in one embodiment.

[0064] Time-frequency diagram 500 includes signals 501, 502, 503, and 504. Scanning signals 501 and 504 are sometimes referred to as "downchirps" or "downsweeps" because their frequency decreases over time, and scanning signals 503 and 502 are sometimes referred to as "upchirps" or "upsweeps" because their frequency increases over time. As shown in time-frequency Figure 5A, a down-chirp (e.g., scanning signal 501) is transmitted simultaneously with an up-chirp (e.g., scanning signal 503). The chirp rates of signals 501, 502, 503, and 504 may be the same.

[0065] Multiple light sources can be used to transmit such scanning signals (e.g., various types of scanning signals, such as, but not limited to, Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW)). For example, a first light source may transmit signals 501 and 502, and a second light source may transmit signals 503 and 504.

[0066] Time-frequency diagram 510 includes signals 511, 512, 513, and 514. Scanning signals 512 and 514 are sometimes referred to as "downchirps" or "downsweeps" because their frequency decreases over time, and scanning signals 513 and 511 are sometimes referred to as "upchirps" or "upsweeps" because their frequency increases over time. The chirp rates of signals 511 and 512 may be different from the chirp rates of signals 513 and 514.

[0067] One or more light sources may be used to transmit such scanning signals. For example, a first light source may transmit scanning signals 511 and 512, and a second light source may transmit scanning signals 513 and 514. In other examples, the same light source may transmit scanning signals 511 through 514.

[0068] FIG. 5B is a frequency diagram 520 and 522 illustrating different scanning signals that a LIDAR system such as system 100 can use to scan a target environment, in one embodiment.

[0069] The frequency diagram 520 includes two frames 521 and 522. A frame (scan frame) can completely scan the entire field of view of the LIDAR system. For example, a frame can be a square / rectangular area representing the field of view of the LIDAR system. 5B, frame 521 includes eight scan lines (scan lines) and frame 522 also includes eight scan lines. The scan lines of frame 521 may use a light beam having a first chirp rate (shown in solid lines) and the scan lines of frame 522 may use a light beam having a second (different) chirp rate (shown in dashed lines). Multiple light sources may be used to transmit the scan lines of frames 521 and 522. For example, one light source can transmit a light beam having a first chirp rate and another light source can transmit a light beam having a second chirp rate. Also, a single light source may be used to transmit the scan lines of frames 521 and 522. For example, a single light source may transmit a light beam having a first chirp rate for frame 521, and the same single light source may transmit a light beam having a second chirp rate for frame 522.

[0070] The frequency diagram 530 includes two frames 531 and 532. As previously mentioned, a frame may completely scan the entire field of view of the LIDAR system. 5B, frame 531 includes eight scan lines and frame 532 also includes eight scan lines. The scan lines of frame 531 may alternate between a light beam having a first chirp rate (shown in solid lines) and a light beam having a second (different) chirp rate (shown in dashed lines). Multiple light sources may be used to transmit the scan lines of frames 531 and 532. For example, one light source can transmit a light beam having a first chirp rate and another light source can transmit a light beam having a second chirp rate. Also, a single light source may be used to transmit the scan lines of frames 531 and 532. For example, a light source may alternately transmit a light beam having a first chirp rate and a light beam having a second chirp rate.

[0071] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure primarily describe two chirp rates (e.g., a first chirp rate and a second chirp rate), other embodiments may use a different number of chirp rates, for example, four chirp rates, ten chirp rates, hundreds of chirp rates, or any other suitable number of chirp rates.

[0072] FIG. 6 is a time-frequency diagram illustrating a scanning signal for scanning a target environment that may be used by a LIDAR system such as system 100. Time-frequency diagram 600 includes scanning signals 611 and 612. Scanning signal 612 is sometimes referred to as a "downchirp" or "downsweep" because its frequency decreases over time, and scanning signal 611 is sometimes referred to as an "upchirp" or "upsweep" because its frequency increases over time. As shown in FIG. 6, the scanning signal 611 is divided into two parts 611A and 611B. The chirp rate of part 611A is different from the chirp rate of part 611B. 612is divided into two portions 612A and 612B. The chirp rate of portion 612A is different from the chirp rate of portion 612B.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a signal strength-frequency diagram 700 illustrating an example of a signal peak in some embodiments. A LIDAR system (e.g., an FMCW or other type of LIDAR system) may generate at least two up-chirp and at least two down-chirp signal modulations (also referred to herein as up-sweeps and down-sweeps) to scan an environment and determine any of the range, reflectivity, and speed of targets within the environment. In one example, a single light source may generate both the up-chirp and down-chirp. In another example, the system may include a light source that generates a signal having an up-chirp and another light source that generates a signal having a down-chirp. In yet another example, the system may include one light source for each of the up-chirp signals and each of the down-chirp signals.

[0074] The signal processor can use beat frequencies (i.e., peak frequencies) generated from the return signal and the corresponding up-chirp and down-chirp signals to determine one or more of the range to the target (e.g., range, position between the target and the LIDAR system), the velocity of the target (e.g., target velocity), and / or the reflectivity of the target (e.g., target reflectivity). For example, in some embodiments, the signal processing unit 112 is configured to calculate the range of the target from the LIDAR system 700 using multiple frequencies corresponding to the respective peaks. As previously described, the signal processing unit 112 may generate a frequency domain baseband signal by mixing at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals into one or more return signals, where the at least two down-chirp signals may be delayed in time proportional to the relative motion of the target and / or the LIDAR system. The baseband signal includes peaks 705A, 705B, 710A, 710B, 710C, and 710D, and may include additional peaks (not shown in FIG. 7). Peaks 705A and 710A correspond to up-chirps, and peaks 705B and 710B correspond to down-chirps. Peaks 705A and 705B have (or may be associated with) a first chirp rate, and peaks 710A and 710B have (or may be associated with) a second (different) chirp rate.

[0075] In some embodiments, the signal processing unit 112 is configured to use the differences in the frequencies corresponding to the peaks to determine the speed, range, and / or reflectivity of the target. However, as shown in FIG. 7, a situation may arise in which a false peak is present in the baseband signal. For example, a false peak may be present in the baseband signal due to various reasons, causes, and / or factors. This may cause the LIDAR system to detect an incorrect (or "false") target instead of the desired "true" target or peak. In some embodiments, the false peaks may be determined based on the target location and / or Speed It may be a peak in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values ​​that indicate a weak association. For example, a false peak may be a peak with an SNR value below a threshold. In another example, a false peak may contain data (e.g., graphical data) of signal attributes (e.g., SNR values) that indicate a weak association between the detected peak and the target's position and / or velocity.

[0076] As previously discussed, signal strength-frequency diagram 700 includes peak 705A, peak 705B, peak 710A, peak 710B, peak 710C, and peak 710D. Peaks 705A, 705B, 710A, 710B, 710C, and 710D may be present in a baseband signal that is processed and / or analyzed by a signal processing unit (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) of the LIDAR system. As described in more detail below, the LIDAR system can identify peaks 705A, 705B, 710A as true peaks. For example, the LIDAR system can determine that peaks 705A, 705B, 710A are true peaks based on a threshold height / magnitude of the peaks. In another example, the LIDAR system can determine that peaks 705A, 705B, 710A are true peaks by using a confidence metric / level. In some embodiments, the true peak may be a peak in SNR values ​​that exhibit a strong association with the target's position and / or velocity. For example, the true peak may be a peak having an SNR value that is equal to or greater than a threshold. In another example, the true peak may include data (e.g., graphical data) of signal attributes (e.g., SNR values) that exhibit a strong association with the target's position and / or velocity. The LIDAR system can use peaks 705A and 705B to determine a first distance (e.g., a first position, a first distance between the LIDAR system and the target). In one example, the LIDAR system can determine the range or distance to the target based on a frequency F up and F dn For example, a frequency proportional to the target distance can be determined as follows: (F up +F dn ) / 2 Here, F up is the frequency of the peak 705A, F dn is the frequency of peak 705B.

[0077] In some scenarios, the peak 705A is shifted (e.g., moved) up in frequency from the target location (peak location). The peak 705A may be referred to as an upshifted peak, a Doppler shifted peak, or a F 1,up Peak 705B is shifted down in frequency from the target's location (indicated by the solid vertical line in signal strength-frequency diagram 700). Peak 705B is also referred to as a downshifted peak, a Doppler shifted peak, or F 1,dn It is sometimes referred to as. Peak 710A is also shifted (e.g., moved) up in frequency from the location of the target. Peak 710A may also be referred to as an upshifted peak, a Doppler shifted peak, or a F 2,up It is sometimes referred to as.

[0078] Such a shift in the peaks may result from the target and / or one or more of the sensors moving away from the LIDAR system (e.g., FMCW or other type of LIDAR system) if the target is moving, if the device (e.g., a vehicle, smartphone, etc.) that includes the LIDAR sensor (e.g., optical scanner 102 and / or optical circuit 101 shown in FIG. 1) is moving, or if both the target and the device are moving relative to a particular point.

[0079] In some embodiments, the LIDAR system (e.g., the signal processing unit 112 of the LIDAR system 100 shown in FIG. 1) can select the peak 705A as the true peak. For example, if the target is in a closer range (e.g., within a first threshold range of the LIDAR), it may be determined that the peak with the highest frequency (e.g., peak 705A) is the true peak corresponding to the target, not the peak image. This allows the LIDAR system (e.g., the signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) to select the peak 705A as the true peak. In this manner, the signal processing unit 112 is configured to select the peak 705A based on the type of ghost occurring (e.g., a near-field ghost or a far-field ghost), so that the LIDAR (e.g., the signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) can determine that the peak 705A should be used in determining the range or distance to a target.

[0080] As mentioned before, there may be spurious peaks in the baseband signal. For example, due to hardware or computational resource constraints, the beat signal may undergo actual sampling and the frequency peaks may be assumed to be positive. However, when the target is closer (e.g., the peaks are in the lower frequency range or close to the lower frequency), the Doppler shift may cause said beat frequency peaks to become negative. In another example, noise present in the baseband signal may cause peaks in the baseband signal, and in yet another example, image peaks may be present, as will be described in more detail below. As shown in FIG. 7, there are multiple peaks that can be candidates, alternatives, etc. for the downshifted peak corresponding to peak 710A. For example, any of peaks 710B, 710C, and 710D may be a downshifted peak (e.g., a Doppler-shifted peak, F) corresponding to peak 710A. 2,dn , etc.) Thus, the LIDAR system can determine which of peaks 710B, 710C, 710D is the true peak.

[0081] In one embodiment, the LIDAR system (e.g., the signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1 ) can use peak 710A and each of peaks 710B, 710C, 710D to determine one or more of distance (e.g., position, distance between the LIDAR system and a target, etc.), velocity, and reflectivity. For example, the LIDAR system may determine three distances (e.g., a set of distances) using 1) peak 710A and peak 710B, 2) peak 710A and peak 710C, and 3) peak 710A and peak 710D. Each of the three distances may be determined (e.g., calculated, obtained, generated, etc.) as follows: (F up +F dn ) / 2 Here, F up is the frequency of the peak 710A, and F dn is the frequency of any of peaks 710B, 710C, and 710D. The LIDAR system can select the peak with the smallest difference in distance compared to the first distance (the distance determined using peaks 705A and 705B). For example, the LIDAR system can minimize the difference in distance (difference in range) as follows: TIFF0007680562000001.tif2189Here, α 1 is the chirp rate associated with the first peak (e.g., peaks 705A and / or 705B), α 2 is the chirp rate associated with a second peak (eg, peaks 710A, 710B, and / or 710C). The LIDAR system can determine that peak 710B is the true peak when the difference in distance is minimized by using peak 710B compared to the first distance.

[0082] In one embodiment, the LIDAR system (e.g., the signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) may determine a reference initial Doppler shift using peaks 705A and 705B, and may determine three additional Doppler shifts (e.g., a set of Doppler shifts) using peak 710A and each of peaks 710B, 710C, and 710D. For example, the LIDAR system may determine a first Doppler shift using peaks 705A and 705B, and further determine three additional Doppler shifts (e.g., sets of Doppler shifts) using 1) peaks 710A and 710B, 2) peaks 710A and 710C, and 3) peaks 710A and 710D. Each Doppler shift is proportional to the difference between the upshift and the downshift. 710A is an upshifted peak, and any of the peaks 710B, 710C, and 710D are downshifted peaks. The LIDAR system may select the peak with the smallest Doppler shift difference compared to the initial (first) Doppler shift (determined using peaks 705A and 705B). For example, the LIDAR system may minimize the Doppler shift difference as follows: TIFF0007680562000002.tif2089Here, λ1 is the frequency of the light beam associated with the first peak and λ2 is the frequency of the light beam associated with the second peak. The LIDAR system can determine that peak 710B is the true peak when the difference in Doppler shift is minimized compared to the initial (first) Doppler shift by using peak 710B.

[0083] In one embodiment, any of the distance / range, speed, and reflectance of a target may be determined using one set of peaks and confirmed or verified using another set of peaks. For example, the distance / range, speed, and / or reflectance of a target may be determined (e.g., calculated) using peaks 705A and 705B and confirmed / verified using peaks 710A and 710B. In another example, the distance / range, speed, and / or reflectance of a target may be determined (e.g., calculated) using peaks 710A and 710B and confirmed / verified using peaks 705A and 705B.

[0084] In one embodiment, a LIDAR system (e.g., LIDAR system 100 shown in FIG. 1) may perform Doppler matching based on peaks 705A, 705B, and 710A. For example, the LIDAR system may determine a Doppler shift based on peaks 705A and 705B, and determine, calculate, identify, estimate, etc., peak 710B based on the Doppler shift. For example, the Doppler shift between the up and down chirps may not change for the target, allowing the LIDAR system to identify / determine peak 710B by matching it with the initial Doppler shift calculated using peaks 705A and 705B.

[0085] FIG. 8 is a signal strength-frequency diagram 800 illustrating an example of signal peaks for multiple targets in some embodiments. As previously described, a LIDAR system (e.g., LIDAR system 100 shown in FIG. 1) can generate at least two up-chirp and at least two down-chirp modulated signals to scan an environment and determine the range and velocity of targets within the environment. The up-chirps and down-chirps can be generated by one or more light sources. As previously described, a signal processing device (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1 ) can use the beat frequencies (i.e., peak frequencies) generated from the return signal and the corresponding up-chirp and down-chirp signals to determine one or more of the range (distance, position between the target and the LIDAR system), the velocity of the target (target velocity), and / or the reflectivity of the target (target reflectivity).

[0086] As previously mentioned, the signal processing unit 112 may generate a baseband signal in the frequency domain by mixing the at least two up-chirp signals and the at least two down-chirp signals with one or more return signals, where the at least two down-chirp signals may be delayed in time proportional to the relative motion of at least one of the target or the LIDAR system. The baseband signal includes peaks 805A, 805B, 810A, 810B, 810C, and may include additional peaks (not shown in FIG. 8). Peaks 805A and 810A correspond to up-chirps, and peaks 805B and 810B correspond to down-chirps. Peaks 805A and 805B have (or may be associated with) a first chirp rate, and peaks 810A and 810B have (or may be associated with) a second (different) chirp rate. Of these, the LIDAR system can determine that peaks 805A, 805B, and 810A are true peaks (described below).

[0087] As mentioned above, there may be a situation where a false peak exists in the baseband signal. In particular, as shown in FIG. 8, noise may exist in the baseband signal, which may cause a peak 810C in the baseband signal. The LIDAR system may determine that peaks 805A, 805B, and 810A are true peaks (e.g., by determining the true peak based on a peak height / magnitude threshold or by selecting the peak with the largest height / magnitude), meaning that peak 810C (a false peak) may be selected even though peak 810B is a true peak.

[0088] In one embodiment, the LIDAR system can determine that peak 810C is a false peak as follows: TIFF0007680562000003.tif18127 where f 1,up is the frequency of the peak 805A, f 1,dnis the frequency of the peak 805B, f 2,up is the frequency of the peak 810A, f 2,dn,FA is the frequency of the peak 810C. R MAXERR is the maximum allowable range error (i.e., threshold error). When the frequency of the peak 810C is used, the result of the above formula (judgment formula) is R MAXERR , the LIDAR system (eg, signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) may determine that peak 810C is a false peak and use peak 810B (the true peak) instead.

[0089] In another embodiment, the LIDAR system may determine, generate, calculate, etc., an estimate of a true peak (e.g., peak 810B) associated with peak 810A. For example, the LIDAR system (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) may calculate estimated peak 820 based on peaks 805A and 810A as follows: TIFF0007680562000004.tif10127, where f 2,d^n is the frequency of the estimated peak, f 1,up is the frequency of the peak 805A, f 2,up is the frequency of the peak 810A, α 1 is the chirp rate associated with peak 805A, and α 2 is the chirp rate associated with peak 810A. The LIDAR system can determine that peak 810C is a false peak as follows: TIFF0007680562000005.tif1389, where f MAXERR is the maximum allowed frequency error, and f 2,d^n is the frequency of the estimated peak, f 2,dn,FA is the frequency of peak 810C or peak 810B. When the peak 810C frequency is used, the result of the above formula (judgment formula) is f MAXERR, the LIDAR system (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) may determine that peak 810C is a false peak and use peak 810B (e.g., the true peak) instead.

[0090] In one embodiment, the estimated peak 820 may be generated based on the peak 805A, the peak 805B, and the peak 810A. If the peak 810B is not detected in the baseband signal, the LIDAR system may use the estimated peak 820 as the true peak, such as when the peak 810B is too weak (e.g., the intensity / height of the peak 810B may be too low). In such a case, the LIDAR system can generate, calculate, etc., peak 820 based on peak 805A, peak 805B, and peak 810A and use peak 820 to determine one or more of the speed, range, and reflectivity of the target.

[0091] In one embodiment, the LIDAR system may also determine a range (e.g., set, bin, frequency group) in which a true peak (e.g., peak 810B) associated with peak 810A should be located. For example, the LIDAR system (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) may determine, calculate, generate, etc., a range 825 (e.g., a range of frequencies). In this case, the LIDAR system may select a peak (e.g., peak 810B) located within range 825 as the true peak associated with peak 810A.

[0092] As described herein, various criteria, parameters, functions, and / or formulas (decision formulas) may be used to select (e.g., select or identify a true peak) or determine (e.g., calculate, estimate, etc.) a peak. For example, a peak may be selected or determined by minimizing a difference in Doppler shift. In another example, a peak may be selected or determined by minimizing a difference in distance. In yet another example, a peak may be selected by selecting peaks that are within a particular frequency band / range or avoiding peaks that are not within a particular frequency band / range. In yet another example, a peak may be selected based on minimizing a difference between a selected peak and an estimated peak.

[0093] FIG. 9 is a signal strength-frequency diagram 900 illustrating an example of signal peaks for multiple targets in some embodiments. As previously described, a LIDAR system (e.g., LIDAR system 100 shown in FIG. 1) can generate at least two up-chirp and at least two down-chirp modulated signals to scan an environment and determine the range and velocity of targets within the environment. The up-chirps and down-chirps can be generated by one or more light sources. As previously described, a signal processing device (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1 ) can use the beat frequencies (i.e., peak frequencies) generated from the return signal and the corresponding up-chirp and down-chirp signals to determine one or more of the range (e.g., position, distance between the target and the LIDAR system), the target's velocity (e.g., target velocity), and / or the target's reflectivity (e.g., target reflectivity).

[0094] As previously described, the signal processing unit 112 may generate a frequency domain baseband signal by mixing the at least two up-chirp signals and the at least two down-chirp signals with one or more return signals, where the at least two down-chirp signals may be delayed in time proportional to the relative movement of the target and / or the LIDAR system. The baseband signal includes peaks 905A, 905B, 910A, 910B, and 910C, and may include additional peaks (not shown in FIG. 9). Peaks 905A and 910A correspond to up-chirps, and peaks 905B and 910B correspond to down-chirps. Peaks 905A and 905B have (or may be associated with) a first chirp rate, and peaks 910A and 910B have (or may be associated with) a second (different) chirp rate. Of these, the LIDAR system can determine that peaks 905A, 905B, and 910A are true peaks (described below).

[0095] As mentioned above, a situation may occur in which false peaks exist in the baseband signal. In particular, FIG. 9 shows a situation in which a mirror image exists in the baseband signal. Peak 905C may be a mirror image of peak 905B, i.e., peak 905C is mirrored around frequency 0 and shares the same characteristics as peak 905B. Peak 905C may be referred to as a false peak, a peak image, or an image peak. Peak 910C may be a mirror image of peak 910B, i.e., peak 910C is mirrored around frequency 0 and shares the same properties (e.g., the same curvature or shape) as peak 910B. Peak 910C may also be referred to as a false peak, a peak image, or an image peak. The LIDAR system according to this embodiment may determine that peaks 905A and 910A are the true peaks, and therefore the LIDAR system will determine which of peaks 905B, 905C, 910B, and 910C to use.

[0096] In one embodiment, the LIDAR system (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1 ) can determine which of peaks 905B, 905C, 910B, and 910C are the true peaks as follows: TIFF0007680562000006.tif2089where f 1,up is the frequency of the peak 905A, f 2,up is the frequency of the peak 910A, f 1,dn is the frequency of the peak 905B or 905C, f 2,dn is the frequency of peak 910B or 910C, λ 1 is the frequency of the light beam with a peak of 905A, λ 2 is the frequency of the light beam of peak 910A. The LIDAR system can determine that the peak at which the above formula (criterion formula) is the minimum is the true peak of the down-chirp.

[0097] In other embodiments, the LIDAR system (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) may determine, generate, calculate, etc., an estimate of a true peak associated with peak 905A (e.g., an estimate of peak 905B). For example, the LIDAR system (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) may generate estimated peak 905D as described above based on peaks 905A and 910A. The LIDAR system may determine that peak 905C is a false peak as follows: TIFF0007680562000007.tif1989where f 2,d^n is the frequency of the estimated peak 905D, f 2,dn,HN is the frequency of peak 905B or peak 905C. Since peak 905B has the minimum value in the above formula (determination formula), the LIDAR system can determine that peak 905B is the true peak.

[0098] FIG. 10 is a signal strength-frequency diagram 1000 illustrating an example of signal peaks for multiple targets in some embodiments. As previously described, a LIDAR system (e.g., LIDAR system 100 shown in FIG. 1) can generate at least two up-chirp and at least two down-chirp modulated signals to scan an environment and determine the range and velocity of targets within the environment. The up-chirps and down-chirps can be generated by one or more light sources. As previously described, a signal processing device (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1 ) can use the beat frequencies (i.e., peak frequencies) generated from the return signal and the corresponding up-chirp and down-chirp signals to determine one or more of the range (e.g., position, distance between the target and the LIDAR system), the target's velocity (e.g., target velocity), and / or the target's reflectivity (e.g., target reflectivity).

[0099] As previously described, the signal processing unit 112 may generate a frequency domain baseband signal by mixing the at least two up-chirp signals and the at least two down-chirp signals with one or more return signals, where the at least two down-chirp signals may be delayed in time proportional to the relative movement of the target and / or the LIDAR system. The baseband signal may include peaks 1005A and 1010A, where the peaks 1005A and 1010A correspond to up-chirps, and where the peaks 1005A and 1010A each have a different chirp rate.

[0100] In one embodiment, the LIDAR system (e.g., signal processing unit 112) can calculate, generate, determine, etc., the estimated peak 1005C (which corresponds to peak 1005A) as follows: TIFF0007680562000008.tif10127, where f2,d^n is the frequency of the estimated peak 1005C, f 1,up is the frequency of the peak 1010A, f 2,up is the frequency of the peak 1005A, α 1 is the chirp rate associated with peak 1010A, α 2 is the chirp rate associated with peak 1005A. The above formula (judgment formula) is obtained by combining the following formulas: TIFF0007680562000009.tif4177, where f 1,up is the frequency of the peak 1010A, f 2,up is the frequency of peak 1005A, α1 is the chirp rate associated with peak 1010A, α2 is the chirp rate associated with peak 1005A, R is the distance to the target, f D is the Doppler frequency.

[0101] FIG. 11 is a signal strength-frequency diagram 1100 illustrating an example of signal peaks for multiple targets in some embodiments. As previously described, a LIDAR system (e.g., LIDAR system 100 shown in FIG. 1) can generate at least two up-chirp and at least two down-chirp modulated signals to scan an environment and determine the range and velocity of targets within the environment. The up-chirps and down-chirps can be generated by one or more light sources. As previously described, a signal processing device (e.g., signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1 ) can use the beat frequencies (i.e., peak frequencies) generated from the return signals and the corresponding up-chirp and down-chirp signals to determine one or more of the range (e.g., position, distance between the target and the LIDAR system), the velocity of the target (e.g., target velocity), and / or the reflectivity of the target (e.g., target reflectivity).

[0102] As previously described, the signal processing unit 112 may generate a frequency domain baseband signal by mixing at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals with one or more return signals, where the at least two down-chirp signals may be delayed in time proportional to the relative motion of the target and / or the LIDAR system. The baseband signal may include peaks 1105A, 1110A, 1106A, 1111A, 1111B, 1106B, 1110B, and 1105B. Peaks 1105A, 1110A, 1106A, and 1111A may correspond to up-chirps, and peaks 1111B, 1106B, 1110B, and 1105B may correspond to down-chirps. Peaks 1105A and 1105B have (or may be associated with) a first chirp rate, and peaks 1110A and 1110B have (or may be associated with) a second (different) chirp rate.

[0103] In one embodiment, there may be multiple targets within range of the LIDAR system, in which case each of peaks 1105A, 1110A, 1106A, 1111A, 1111B, 1106B, 1110B, and 1105B may be a true peak. To determine which peak of the down-chirp corresponds to which peak of the up-chirp, the LIDAR system (e.g., the signal processing unit 112 shown in FIG. 1) can generate, determine, calculate, etc., an estimated peak based on the up-chirp peaks 1105A, 1110A, 1106A, and 1111A.

[0104] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method 1200 in a LIDAR system (e.g., LIDAR system 100 or LIDAR system 300) for selecting a peak according to the present embodiment. The method 1200 may be performed by processing logic comprised of hardware (circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, a processor, processing device, central processing unit (CPU), system on a chip (SoC), etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device), firmware (microcode), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the method 1200 may be performed by a signal processor of a LIDAR system (e.g., the signal processor of the LIDAR system 300 shown in FIGS. 3A and 4).

[0105] The method 1200 begins with operation 1205, where the processing logic described above transmits one or more light beams including at least two up-chirp and at least two down-chirp signal modulations toward a target within a field of view of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. In operation 1210, the processing logic receives one or more return signals of up-chirp and down-chirp reflected from the target. The processing logic can also generate a baseband signal in the frequency domain in response to one or more return signals of the up and down chirps, the baseband signal including peak sets associated with targets detected by the up and down chirps, i.e., a first peak set including a first true peak and a second true peak, and a second peak set including a third true peak and a fourth true peak.

[0106] In operation 1215, the processing logic determines whether to use all true peaks in the first and second peak sets. For example, the first set of peaks may include a first true peak (for the first up-chirp signal modulation) and a second true peak (for the second up-chirp signal modulation), and the second set of peaks may include a third true peak (for the first down-chirp signal modulation) and a fourth true peak (for the second down-chirp signal modulation). In such a case, the processing logic may determine whether a subset of the true peaks from the first and second sets of peaks may be used to determine a target's location, velocity, reflectivity, etc. For example, the processing logic may determine whether the signal strength of the first and third true peaks exceeds a threshold. In another example, the processing logic may determine whether the confidence level / indicator of the first and third peaks exceeds a confidence threshold.

[0107] If not all true peaks in the first and second sets of peaks are to be used, the processing logic determines one of the target location, the target distance, the target velocity, and the target reflectivity based on a subset of the true peaks in the first and second sets of peaks. For example, the processing logic may determine one of the target location, the target distance, the target velocity, and the target reflectivity based on the first true peak and the third true peak, as shown in block (step) 1220. If all true peaks in the first and second sets of peaks are to be used, the processing logic may determine any of the target location, target distance, target velocity, and target reflectivity based on the first true peak, the second true peak, the third true peak, and the fourth true peak, as shown in block (step) 1225. Also, as shown in block (step) 1226, the processing logic may optionally select, determine, calculate, generate, etc., a fourth true peak from the second set of peaks in determining any of the target location, target distance, target velocity, and target reflectivity.

[0108] In the above description, a number of specific examples of specific systems, components, methods, etc. are shown to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, but those skilled in the art may practice the present invention without the description of these specific examples. In addition, details of known components and methods may be omitted or shown in the form of simple block diagrams, but this is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention. Therefore, the contents disclosed are merely examples, and even if one example differs from other examples, it is considered to be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0109] When the phrase "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" is used in this specification, it means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0110] Although the operations of the methods described herein are shown in a particular order, the order of operations of each method may be changed, certain operations may be performed in reverse order, at least some operations may be performed simultaneously with other operations, and instructions for different operations or auxiliary operations may be performed intermittently or alternately.

[0111] The above-described description of the embodiments of the invention (including those described in the Abstract) is not intended to be detailed or exhaustive, nor is it intended to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples of the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. The word "example" or "exemplary" is used herein to mean serving as an example, illustration, or explanation. Any aspect or design described herein as "example" or "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word "example" or "exemplary" is intended to illustrate concepts in a concrete manner. The term "or" as used herein is intended to be interpreted as an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." That is, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, the phrase "X contains A or B" refers to any of the natural inclusive permutations: if X contains A, if X contains B, or if X contains both A and B, then the condition "X contains A or B" is satisfied in any of the above cases. Furthermore, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this specification and the appended claims are to be construed to mean "one or more" unless otherwise specified and unless the singular form is clear from the context. Furthermore, when terms such as "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used in this specification, these terms are used as identifiers to distinguish different elements and do not necessarily indicate a sequence according to the numerical designation.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of: Transmit one or more optical beams including at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals toward a target within a field of view of a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system. Here, the at least two up-chirp signals have frequency modulation with different chirp rates within one up-chirp, and the at least two down-chirp signals have frequency modulation with different chirp rates within one down-chirp. b. receiving a set of return signals from the target based on the one or more light beams, wherein the set of return signals comprises: at least two adjusted up-chirp signals, the at least two up-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; and at least two adjusted down-chirp signals, the at least two down-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; The at least two tuned up-chirp signals and the at least two tuned down-chirp signals are a first set of peaks associated with the at least two up-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target; and a second set of peaks associated with the at least two down-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target. Here, the first peak set includes a first peak and a second peak, the second peak set includes a third peak and a group of peaks, and the group of peaks includes a fourth peak. c) determining whether to select a subset of peaks from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, or select each peak from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, to calculate one or more of a target position, a velocity, and a reflectivity of the target. d. calculating at least the target position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on each peak of the first set of peaks and each peak of the second set of peaks if the peaks have an SNR value that exceeds a threshold. Here, the procedure for calculating the target position includes: selecting a fourth peak from the set of peaks; determining the target location based on the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak; and The step of selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks includes: determining a first Doppler shift for the target based on the first peak and the second peak; determining a set of Doppler shifts based on the third peak and the group of peaks; selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks based on a minimum difference between the first Doppler shift and the set of Doppler shifts. e. if at least one peak in the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks has an SNR value less than a threshold, calculate one or more of the target position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the subset of peaks.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, The one or more light beams are transmitted by a single light source.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, The method, wherein the one or more light beams are transmitted by at least two light sources.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, The method, wherein the one or more light beams are transmitted through one or more of a plurality of sweeps, a plurality of scan lines, and a plurality of scan frames.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, the first set of peaks includes the first peak and the second peak having an SNR value that exceeds a threshold; the second set of peaks includes the third peak and the fourth peak having an SNR value above a threshold; In the step d, the step of calculating at least the target position among the target position, the speed, and the reflectance based on each peak of the first peak set and the second peak set includes determining one or more of the target position, the speed, and the reflectance based on the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak; and In step e), the step of calculating one or more of the target position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the subset of peaks includes determining one or more of the target position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the first peak and the third peak.

6. 2. The method of claim 1, the first set of peaks includes the first peak and the second peak having an SNR value that exceeds a threshold; the second set of peaks includes the third peak and the fourth peak having an SNR value above a threshold; In the step d, the step of calculating at least the target position among the target position, the speed, and the reflectance based on each peak of the first peak set and the second peak set includes determining one or more of the target position, the speed, and the reflectance based on the first peak set, and verifying one or more of the target position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the second set of peaks.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising: The at least two tuned up-chirp signals and the at least two tuned down-chirp signals are generating a third set of peaks associated with the at least two up-chirp signals corresponding to a second target position of a second target; and generating a fourth set of peaks associated with the at least two down-chirp signals corresponding to the second target location; The method further includes determining the second target location using the third set of peaks and the fourth set of peaks.

8. 1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising: A processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the LIDAR system to perform the following operations a to e. Transmit one or more optical beams including at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals toward a target within a field of view of a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system. Here, the at least two up-chirp signals have frequency modulation with different chirp rates within one up-chirp, and the at least two down-chirp signals have frequency modulation with different chirp rates within one down-chirp. b. receiving a set of return signals from the target based on the one or more light beams, wherein the set of return signals comprises: at least two adjusted up-chirp signals, the at least two up-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; and at least two adjusted down-chirp signals, the at least two down-chirp signals being shifted due to relative motion of at least one of the target and the LIDAR system; The at least two tuned up-chirp signals and the at least two tuned down-chirp signals are a first set of peaks associated with the at least two up-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target; and a second set of peaks associated with the at least two down-chirp signals corresponding to a target position of the target. Here, the first peak set includes a first peak and a second peak, the second peak set includes a third peak and a group of peaks, and the group of peaks includes a fourth peak. c) determining whether to select a subset of peaks from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, or select each peak from the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks, to calculate one or more of a target position, a velocity, and a reflectivity of the target. d. calculating at least the target position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on each peak of the first set of peaks and each peak of the second set of peaks if the peaks have an SNR value that exceeds a threshold. Here, to calculate the target position, the processor further comprises: selecting a fourth peak from the set of peaks; determining the target location based on the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the fourth peak; and To select the fourth peak from the group of peaks, the processor further comprises: determining a first Doppler shift for the target based on the first peak and the second peak; determining a set of Doppler shifts based on the third peak and the group of peaks; selecting the fourth peak from the group of peaks based on a minimum difference between the first Doppler shift and the set of Doppler shifts. e. if at least one peak in the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks has an SNR value less than a threshold, calculate one or more of the target position, the velocity, and the reflectivity based on the subset of peaks.

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