Solid-State Lidar Beam-Steering for Multi-Field Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packaging and cooling constraints in vehicle-mounted solid-state Lidar systems limit the effective deployment of multiple Lidar systems with different fields of view and distance ranges, necessitating a solution to reduce cost, size, and cooling demands while maintaining efficient environmental mapping and object detection.
Innovation Solution
A solid-state Lidar system with a beam-steering device that alternates between positions to selectively aim a single light emitter at multiple reflectors, reducing the need for separate emitters and optimizing packaging and cooling, while using a controller to manage light emission and detection for 3D environmental mapping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate Lidar systems are used to detect different fields of view and distance ranges, then detection coverage and versatility are improved, but system size, cost, and cooling demands increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single Lidar system is designed to perform multiple detection functions by using a beam-steering device that can direct light to multiple reflectors, each associated with different fields of view and distance ranges. This allows one system to replace multiple separate Lidar systems, reducing overall size while maintaining versatile detection coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam-steering device dynamically adjusts the direction of emitted light by moving between different positions to selectively illuminate different reflectors and fields of view. This dynamic capability enables a single static Lidar system to achieve the functionality of multiple fixed systems through temporal multiplexing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate Lidar systems are used to detect different fields of view and distance ranges, then detection coverage and versatility are improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention consolidates multiple detection functions into a single Lidar system with a shared light emitter, beam-steering device, and controller. This reduces the total number of components that need to be manufactured and assembled, thereby lowering system cost while maintaining the ability to detect multiple fields of view and distance ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple Lidar systems are merged into one integrated system by combining their light emitters, reflectors, and control units into a single coordinated assembly. The beam-steering device enables this merged system to switch between different operational modes, achieving the same versatility as separate systems at lower cost.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate Lidar systems are used to detect different fields of view and distance ranges, then detection coverage and versatility are improved, but cooling demands increase
Solution Approach 1:
By designing a single Lidar system to handle multiple detection tasks through dynamic beam steering, the total heat generation is consolidated into one system rather than distributed across multiple systems. This reduces overall cooling demands while maintaining versatile detection coverage across different fields of view and distance ranges.
4Volume of stationary object
If a single light emitter is used with beam-steering to cover multiple fields of view, then system size and cost are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A beam-steering device acts as an intermediary component that manages the complexity of directing light from a single emitter to multiple reflectors and fields of view. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the overall system architecture by replacing multiple emitters with one, while the beam-steerer handles the directional control that would otherwise require multiple fixed systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces costs, enhances packaging options, and decreases cooling demands, enabling efficient detection and mapping of objects across various fields of view and distance ranges, supporting autonomous vehicle operations.
Implementation Method 1
Light is emitted into the field of view of the photodetector and the photodetector detects light that is reflected by an object in the field of view
Implementation Method 2
The time of flight of the reflected photon detected by the photodetector is used to determine the distance of the object that reflected the light
Implementation Method 3
A solid-state Lidar system with a beam-steering device that alternates between positions to selectively aim a single light emitter at multiple reflectors
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes photodetectors each having a field of view and reflectors each respectively aimed at one of the fields of view. A beam-steering device is movable to different positions aimed at the different reflectors. A light emitter is aimed at the beam-steering device. The beam-steering device alternates aim between the reflectors to selectively illuminate the different fields of view.