LiDAR Sensor Testing with Dynamic Pixel Clustering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LiDAR sensor testing systems have low pixel resolution, making it difficult to simulate complex scenes with multiple objects at different distances and intensities effectively, while also being inefficient in hardware usage.
Innovation Solution
A test system with a signal generator that dynamically aggregates pixels of the same intensity into clusters, allowing for a higher integration density and adjustable resolution, using a trigger detector to control the signal generator and crosspoint switches to connect more pixels than digital-to-analog converters, and an FPGA to control the lighting elements for flexible scene simulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pixels are individually controlled with separate digital-to-analog converters, then pixel resolution is improved, but hardware complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pixels that require the same intensity value are merged into a single cluster controlled by one digital-to-analog converter. Instead of having separate DACs for each pixel, the patent groups pixels by intensity requirements and shares DAC resources across clusters, significantly reducing the number of DACs needed while maintaining the ability to display multiple intensity levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic cluster assignment where pixels can be reassigned to different clusters based on the scene requirements. The system dynamically determines which pixels should be grouped together based on the intensity values needed for the current simulation scenario, allowing flexible adaptation to different resolution and intensity requirements without hardware changes.
2Manufacturing precision
If more digital-to-analog converters are used to increase intensity gradations, then simulation detail is improved, but hardware cost and integration density are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control of multiple pixels into single DAC units by organizing them into intensity-based clusters. This sharing approach allows the system to support many more intensity levels than the number of physical DACs, effectively decoupling the number of controllable intensity levels from the physical hardware count and improving integration density.
Solution Approach 2:
Each digital-to-analog converter is designed to serve multiple pixels across different clusters rather than being dedicated to a single pixel. This multi-functional approach allows the same DAC hardware to control different groups of pixels in different time periods or scene configurations, maximizing hardware utilization and reducing the total number of converters needed.
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
Enables detailed simulation of complex scenes with efficient hardware usage, allowing for dynamic adjustment of resolution based on scene requirements, improving the ability to simulate real-world scenarios with higher pixel resolution and intensity gradations.
Implementation Method 1
LiDAR systems emit light and measure the time it takes for the light to return to the system after reflecting off an object
Implementation Method 2
measure the time it takes for the light to return to the system after reflecting off an object. The distance of the object from the LiDAR system can then be determined from the known speed of light
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of lighting elements (36a-z, 37a, 41a) of the signal generation unit (16), in particular light-emitting diodes or laser diodes
Implementation Method 4
a predetermined, synthetically generated optical signal, in particular a synthetically generated reflection of the trigger signal TS, is output by a signal generation unit (16) of the signal generator (14)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a test system (1) for a LiDAR sensor (10), comprising a trigger detector (12) and a signal generator (14) connected to the trigger detector (12), wherein the signal generation unit (16) has a display area (16a) with a predetermined number of pixels (16b), and wherein the signal generator (14) is configured to aggregate pixels (16b) of the same intensity (I) into a cluster (18). The invention further relates to a method for testing a LiDAR sensor.