Multispectral LIDAR Wavelength Selector for Compact Detector Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LIDAR systems face challenges in efficiently detecting and reacting to objects in complex environments due to limitations in size, power, and cost, as well as interference from other light sources, which affect their ability to accurately determine range and depth information.
Innovation Solution
A bistatic LIDAR system with a scanning emitter and static receiver using a detector pixel array, where light is selectively emitted and received in specific wavelength bands to reduce physical dimensions, power consumption, and cost, while maintaining effective optical performance by employing a wavelength selector and scan controller to direct light beams effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional LIDAR systems use broad spectral detection to detect all objects in the environment, then detection coverage is improved, but detector array size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the field of view into multiple regions and assigns specific wavelength bands to each region. The wavelength selector directs different wavelength bands to different detector pixels based on the region being scanned, allowing a smaller detector array to cover the same effective detection space as a larger broadband detector would require.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds the spectral dimension to the spatial detection problem. Instead of requiring more spatial pixels to detect all wavelengths, the system uses spectral multiplexing where wavelength selection provides an additional degree of freedom, effectively trading spectral resolution for reduced spatial detector requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional LIDAR systems use multiple wavelength sources to detect different objects, then detection versatility is improved, but system complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wavelength selector serves multiple functions: it selects appropriate wavelength bands for different regions of the field of view, filters out interfering wavelengths, and directs the correct spectral content to the appropriate detector pixels. This single component performs what would otherwise require multiple independent light sources and complex switching mechanisms.
3Reliability
If conventional LIDAR systems detect all wavelength bands simultaneously, then detection completeness is improved, but interference from other light sources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potential harm of ambient light interference into a beneficial filtering mechanism. By selecting specific wavelength bands that correspond to the active illumination sources, the system naturally rejects ambient light at other wavelengths, turning the interference problem into an automatic spectral filtering advantage.
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
The system achieves real-time detection of objects with reduced size, cost, and power consumption, minimizing interference and maintaining performance by engineering wavelengths to align with the filter's passband, thereby conserving Etendue and improving accuracy in range and depth measurements.
Implementation Method 1
an emitter including a plurality of light sources, each of the plurality of light sources having a respective wavelength
Implementation Method 2
scanning, by the active imaging system, the portion of the field of view using the selected one of the plurality of light sources
Data Source
AI summary
Present implementations include a LIDAR system comprised of a scanning emitter and a static receiver having a detector pixel array. According to some aspects, the present embodiments reduce the physical dimensions of the detector array while maintaining effective optical performance of the system, thereby reducing overall cost, power and size of the system. In some embodiments, this is achieved by selectively emitting and receiving light in one or more wavelength bands corresponding to one or more sets of directions in which the light is emitted and received.