U.S. patent application number 17/559323 was filed with the patent office on 2022-04-14 for multiple laser, single resonator lidar.
The applicant listed for this patent is GM Cruise Holdings LLC. Invention is credited to Lutfollah Maleki.
Application Number | 20220113383 17/559323 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006052178 |
Filed Date | 2022-04-14 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20220113383 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Maleki; Lutfollah |
April 14, 2022 |
MULTIPLE LASER, SINGLE RESONATOR LIDAR
Abstract
Various technologies described herein pertain to multiple laser,
single optical resonator lidar systems. A lidar system includes a
single optical resonator optically coupled to at least a first
laser and a second laser. The optical resonator is formed of an
electrooptic material. The first laser and the second laser are
optically injection locked to the optical resonator. Moreover, a
modulator applies a time-varying voltage to the optical resonator
to control modulation of an optical property of the electrooptic
material, which causes the first laser to generate a first
frequency modulated optical signal comprising a first series of
optical chirps and/or the second laser to generate a second
frequency modulated optical signal comprising a second series of
optical chirps. Further, front end optics transmits at least a
portion of the first frequency modulated optical signal and/or the
second frequency modulated optical signal into an environment from
the lidar system.
Inventors: |
Maleki; Lutfollah;
(Pasadena, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GM Cruise Holdings LLC |
San Francisco |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006052178 |
Appl. No.: |
17/559323 |
Filed: |
December 22, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16236487 |
Dec 29, 2018 |
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17559323 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01S 7/4815 20130101;
G05D 1/0231 20130101; G01S 17/93 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G01S 7/481 20060101
G01S007/481; G01S 17/93 20200101 G01S017/93 |
Claims
1. A lidar system, comprising: a first laser; a second laser; an
optical resonator that is optically coupled to both the first laser
and the second laser, the optical resonator being formed of an
electrooptic material, wherein the first laser and the second laser
are optically injection locked to the optical resonator; a
controller configured to selectively control operating states of
the first laser and the second laser such that one of: the first
laser is enabled and the second laser is disabled; the first laser
is disabled and the second laser is enabled; or the first laser and
the second laser are concurrently enabled; a single modulator
configured to apply a time-varying voltage to the optical
resonator, the time-varying voltage controls modulation of an
optical property of the electrooptic material, the modulation of
the optical property causes: the first laser to generate a first
frequency modulated optical signal comprising a first series of
optical chirps when the first laser is enabled; and the second
laser to generate a second frequency modulated optical signal
comprising a second series of optical chirps when the second laser
is enabled; a beam combiner configured to output an outputted
frequency modulated optical signal based on the first frequency
modulated optical signal when the first laser is enabled and the
second frequency modulated optical signal when the second laser is
enabled; and front end optics configured to transmit at least a
portion of the outputted frequency modulated optical signal into an
environment from the lidar system.
2. The lidar system of claim 1, the beam combiner configured to
combine the first frequency modulated optical signal and the second
frequency modulated optical signal to form the outputted frequency
modulated optical signal when the first laser and the second laser
are concurrently enabled.
3. The lidar system of claim 1, the beam combiner configured to
output the first frequency modulated optical signal as the
outputted frequency modulated optical signal when the first laser
is enabled and the second laser is disabled.
4. The lidar system of claim 1, the beam combiner configured to
output the second frequency modulated optical signal as the
outputted frequency modulated optical signal when the first laser
is disabled and the second laser is enabled.
5. The lidar system of claim 1, the controller configured to
selectively control the operating states of the first laser and the
second laser based on a desired power level of the lidar system for
a given time period, wherein the power level of the lidar system is
based on a number of lasers concurrently enabled during the given
time period.
6. The lidar system of claim 1, the optical resonator is a
whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator.
7. The lidar system of claim 1, the first laser and the second
laser operate at a substantially similar wavelength.
8. The lidar system of claim 1, the first laser operates at a first
wavelength and the second laser operates at a second wavelength,
wherein the first wavelength differs from the second
wavelength.
9. The lidar system of claim 1, the first laser and the second
laser operate at one of 905 nm, 1550 nm, or 3 .mu.m.
10. The lidar system of claim 1, further comprising: a beam
splitter configured to split the outputted frequency modulated
optical signal into the portion of the outputted frequency
modulated optical signal to be transmitted into the environment
from the lidar system and a local oscillator portion of the
outputted frequency modulated optical signal.
11. The lidar system of claim 10, wherein: the front end optics
further configured to receive a reflected optical signal, the
reflected optical signal corresponds to at least a part of the
portion of the outputted frequency modulated optical signal that
reflected off an object in the environment; the lidar system
further comprises: a sensor configured to mix the reflected optical
signal with the local oscillator portion of the outputted frequency
modulated optical signal; and processing circuitry that is
configured to compute distance and velocity data of the object
based on the reflected optical signal mixed with the local
oscillator portion of the outputted frequency modulated optical
signal.
12. The lidar system of claim 1, further comprising: a photonics
integrated circuit, wherein at least the first laser, the second
laser, and the optical resonator are integrated on the photonics
integrated circuit.
13. The lidar system of claim 1, the optical property of the
electrooptic material comprises an index of refraction.
14. The lidar system of claim 1 being included in an autonomous
vehicle.
15. A method of operating a lidar system, comprising: selectively
enabling or disabling a first laser of the lidar system and a
second laser of the lidar system such that at least one of the
first laser or the second laser is enabled; applying a time-varying
voltage to an optical resonator of the lidar system, the
time-varying voltage being applied to the optical resonator by a
single modulator of the lidar system, the optical resonator being
optically coupled to both the first laser and the second laser, the
optical resonator being formed of an electrooptic material, the
first laser and the second laser are optically injection locked to
the optical resonator, the time-varying voltage controls modulation
of an optical property of the electrooptic material; forming an
outputted frequency modulated optical signal based on a first
frequency modulated optical signal comprising a first series of
optical chirps generated by the first laser when enabled and a
second frequency modulated optical signal comprising a second
series of optical chirps generated by the second laser when
enabled; and transmitting at least a portion of the outputted
frequency modulated optical signal into an environment from the
lidar system.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the outputted frequency
modulated optical signal comprises: combining the first frequency
modulated optical signal and the second frequency modulated optical
signal to form the outputted frequency modulated optical signal
when the first laser and the second laser are concurrently enabled;
outputting the first frequency modulated optical signal as the
outputted frequency modulated optical signal when the first laser
is enabled and the second laser is disabled; and outputting the
second frequency modulated optical signal as the outputted
frequency modulated optical signal when the first laser is disabled
and the second laser is enabled.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first laser and the second
laser are selectively enabled or disabled based on a desired power
level of the lidar system for a given time period, wherein the
power level of the lidar system is based on a number of lasers
concurrently enabled during the given time period.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first laser and the second
laser operate at a substantially similar wavelength.
19. An autonomous vehicle, comprising: a lidar system, comprising:
a first laser; a second laser; an optical resonator that is
optically coupled to both the first laser and the second laser, the
optical resonator being formed of an electrooptic material, wherein
the first laser and the second laser are optically injection locked
to the optical resonator; a controller configured to selectively
control operating states of the first laser and the second laser
such that one of: the first laser is enabled and the second laser
is disabled; the first laser is disabled and the second laser is
enabled; or the first laser and the second laser are concurrently
enabled; a single modulator configured to apply a time-varying
voltage to the optical resonator, the time-varying voltage controls
modulation of an optical property of the electrooptic material, the
modulation of the optical property causes: the first laser to
generate a first frequency modulated optical signal comprising a
first series of optical chirps when the first laser is enabled; and
the second laser to generate a second frequency modulated optical
signal comprising a second series of optical chirps when the second
laser is enabled; a beam combiner configured to output an outputted
frequency modulated optical signal based on the first frequency
modulated optical signal when the first laser is enabled and the
second frequency modulated optical signal when the second laser is
enabled; and front end optics configured to transmit at least a
portion of the outputted frequency modulated optical signal into an
environment from the lidar system; and a computing system,
comprising: a processor; and memory that comprises
computer-executable instruction that, when executed by the
processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
transmitting a control signal to the lidar system to cause the
controller to selectively control the operating states of the first
laser and the second laser.
20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 19, wherein the first laser and
the second laser are selectively enabled or disabled based on a
desired power level of the lidar system for a given time period,
wherein the power level of the lidar system is based on a number of
lasers concurrently enabled during the given time period.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 16/236,487, filed on Dec. 29, 2018, and
entitled "MULTIPLE LASER, SINGLE RESONATOR LIDAR", the entirety of
which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Light detection and ranging (lidar) systems are surveying
systems that measure distance to a target in an environment by
illuminating the target with laser light and measuring reflected
light (lidar return). Differences in laser return times can be
utilized to generate a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the
target. Lidar systems can also be used to measure the velocity of
the target with respect to the observer. Thus, lidar systems can be
used in various terrestrial, airborne, and mobile applications; for
instance, lidar systems can be employed in autonomous or
semi-autonomous vehicles, drones, robotics and other applications
that utilize laser scanning capabilities.
[0003] One type of lidar system is a direct time of flight (TOF)
lidar system. A direct TOF lidar system emits an optical signal
that includes short pulses of light, such that the pulses of light
can reflect off a target in an environment (assuming a target is in
a position in the environment towards which the pulses of light are
directed). The direct TOF lidar system can receive reflected pulses
(e.g., the pulses of light that reflect off the target, if any). A
delay between transmission and reception can be utilized to
determine the distance between the direct TOF lidar system and the
target. The direct TOF lidar system may also determine a speed of
the target by comparing two frames of data; assuming that the
target is identified in two frames captured at different times, a
change in the position of the target over time can be utilized to
determine the speed of the target.
[0004] Another type of lidar system is a frequency modulated
continuous wavelength (FMCW) lidar system. A FMCW lidar system can
include a laser source that generates a frequency modulated optical
signal that includes a continuous series of optical chirps, where
the frequency within each chirp varies with time. The FMCW lidar
system can transmit the optical chirps across an environment.
Moreover, a receiver of the FMCW lidar system can receive reflected
optical signals (e.g., the optical chirps that reflect off a target
located in the environment, if any). Measurement of a frequency
shift and/or a phase shift for each reflected optical chirp
relative to a reference optical chirp can provide a measure of a
distance and/or a speed of the target relative to the FMCW lidar
system.
[0005] In many lidar systems, such as, for example, a lidar system
used in an autonomous vehicle, the optical signal is scanned in
space to encompass a desired field of view. Various scanning
mechanisms such as rotating mirrors or rotating lasers, for
example, may be used to scan the optical signal of the lidar
system.
[0006] It is oftentimes desirable to increase the signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR) of a lidar system. SNR of a lidar system can be
increased by increasing a power level of a signal received by the
lidar system, decreasing noise received by the lidar system, or a
combination thereof. For instance, performance of a lidar system
can be limited by the power level of the signal detected by the
lidar system and/or the noise received by the lidar system.
Moreover, the SNR of a lidar system can be particularly degraded as
a range of the lidar system is increased or when operating in
various weather conditions (e.g., rain, snow, fog). For instance,
absorption and scattering from atmospheric particles such as rain,
snow, and fog can cause signal degradation (e.g., reduced SNR).
Further, the noise received by the lidar system commonly includes
speckle, which is associated with coherence of a laser. Speckle is
a fine scale, high contrast, granular pattern that appears when an
optical signal is reflected from a surface with roughness on the
same scale as a wavelength of the optical signal from a laser of a
lidar system (or larger). The speckle pattern produces noisy
intensity fluctuations that are detrimental to the SNR of
conventional lidar systems.
SUMMARY
[0007] The following is a brief summary of subject matter that is
described in greater detail herein. This summary is not intended to
be limiting as to the scope of the claims.
[0008] Described herein are various technologies that pertain to
multiple laser, single optical resonator lidar systems. A lidar
system includes multiple lasers and a single optical resonator,
where the multiple lasers are each optically coupled to the optical
resonator. Thus, the lidar system includes at least a first laser
and a second laser, where the optical resonator is optically
coupled to both the first laser and the second laser. The optical
resonator is formed of an electrooptic material. Moreover, the
first laser and the second laser are optically injection locked to
the optical resonator. The lidar system further includes a
modulator configured to apply a time-varying voltage to the optical
resonator. The time-varying voltage can control modulation of an
optical property of the electrooptic material (e.g., index of
refraction) to cause the first laser to generate a first frequency
modulated optical signal comprising a first series of optical
chirps and/or the second laser to generate a second frequency
modulated optical signal comprising a second series of optical
chirps. Moreover, the lidar system can include front end optics
configured to transmit at least a portion of the first frequency
modulated optical signal and/or the second frequency modulated
optical signal into an environment from the lidar system.
[0009] The lidar system can further include a beam splitter
configured to split the frequency modulated optical signal(s) into
the portion of the frequency modulated optical signal(s) to be
transmitted into the environment and a local oscillator portion of
the frequency modulated optical signal(s). The lidar system can
also include a sensor and processing circuitry. According to an
example, the front end optics of the lidar system can be configured
to receive a reflected optical signal, wherein the reflected
optical signal corresponds to at least a part of the portion of the
frequency modulated optical signal(s) transmitted from the lidar
system that reflected off an object in the environment. The sensor
can be configured to mix the reflected optical signal with the
local oscillator portion of the frequency modulated optical
signal(s). Further, the processing circuit circuitry can be
configured to compute distance and velocity data of the object
based on the output of the sensor.
[0010] According to various embodiments, the first laser and the
second laser can concurrently operate. Thus, when the modulator
applies the time-varying voltage to the optical resonator, the
time-varying voltage can control modulation of the optical property
of the electrooptic material to cause the first laser to generate
the first frequency modulated optical signal comprising the first
series of optical chirps and the second laser to generate the
second frequency modulated optical signal comprising the second
series of optical chirps. Since the first laser and the second
laser are optically injection locked to the same optical resonator,
the time-varying voltage applied to the optical resonator can
impart a common frequency change on both the first laser and the
second laser for optical chirps concurrently generated by the first
laser and the second laser. In such embodiments, the lidar system
can include a beam combiner configured to combine the first
frequency modulated optical signal and the second frequency
modulated optical signal to form a combined frequency modulated
optical signal. Thus, the front end optics can be configured to
transmit at least a portion of the combined frequency modulated
optical signal into the environment from the lidar system (e.g., a
local oscillator portion of the combined frequency modulated
optical signal can be provided to the sensor to be mixed with the
reflected optical signal received by the front end optics).
[0011] Continued reference is made to embodiments in which the
first laser and the second laser concurrently operate. The first
laser can operate at a first wavelength and the second laser can
operate as a second wavelength. According to an example, the first
wavelength and the second wavelength can be the same. Following
this example, use of two (or more) lasers that are concurrently
operating at a common wavelength can enable increasing a power of
the lidar system (as compared to use of a single laser). Pursuant
to another example, the first wavelength can differ from the second
wavelength. The difference in the wavelengths of the lasers that
are concurrently operating can allow for reducing noise from
speckle. The noise due to speckle can be reduced because of a
diminished correlation generated by the wavelength differences.
[0012] According to other embodiments, the first laser and/or the
second laser can be selectively enabled or disabled. By way of
illustration, during a given time period, the first laser can be
enabled and the second laser can be disabled. Following this
illustration, during a differing time period, the first laser can
be disabled and the second laser can be enabled. The lidar system
can include a controller configured to selectively control
operating states of the first laser and the second laser such that
either the first laser is enabled and the second laser is disabled
or the first laser is disabled in the second laser is enabled
during a particular period of time. Similar to above, the modulator
can be configured to apply the time-varying voltage to the optical
resonator. The time-varying voltage controls modulation of the
optical property of the electrooptic material to cause either the
first laser to generate the first frequency modulated optical
signal when the first laser is enabled or the second laser to
generate the second frequency modulated optical signal when the
second laser is enabled. Moreover, the front end optics can be
configured to transmit, into the environment from the lidar system,
at least a portion of the first frequency modulated optical signal
when the first laser is enabled or at least a portion of the second
frequency modulated optical signal when the second laser is
enabled.
[0013] Selectively enabling and disabling the first laser and the
second laser can allow for changing an operating wavelength of the
lidar system. More particularly, the first laser can be configured
to operate at a first wavelength and the second laser can be
configured to operate at a second wavelength, where the second
wavelength differs from the first wavelength. According to an
illustration, the first wavelength can be one of 905 nm, 1550 nm,
or 3 .mu.m, and the second wavelength can be a differing one of 905
nm, 1550 nm or 3 .mu.m; yet, it is contemplated that other
wavelengths are intended to fall within the scope of the hereto
appended claims. Pursuant to an example, the controller can be
configured to selectively control the operating states of the first
laser and the second laser based on a desired detection range of
the lidar system. According to another example, the controller can
be configured to selectively control the operating states of the
first laser and the second laser based on a moisture level in the
environment.
[0014] The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or
methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview
of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended
to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such
systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some
concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed
description that is presented later.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of an
exemplary multiple laser, single optical resonator lidar
system.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of an example
in which a controller selectively enables a first laser and/or a
second laser of a lidar system during differing time periods.
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a functional block diagram of another
example in which the controller selectively enables the first laser
and/or the second laser of the lidar system.
[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a functional block diagram of another
exemplary multiple laser, single optical resonator lidar
system.
[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a chart showing local oscillator signals
derived from lasers of the lidar system as well as corresponding
reflected optical signals.
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates a chart showing a frequency signal that
corresponds to the local oscillator signals and the reflected
optical signals as depicted in FIG. 5.
[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates a functional block diagram of a portion
of a lidar system in accordance with various aspects.
[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates a functional block diagram of another
exemplary multiple laser, single optical resonator lidar
system.
[0023] FIG. 9 illustrates a functional block diagram of an
exemplary autonomous vehicle.
[0024] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary
methodology of operating a lidar system.
[0025] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram that illustrates another exemplary
methodology of operating a lidar system.
[0026] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary computing device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Various technologies pertaining to multiple laser, single
optical resonator lidar are now described with reference to the
drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like
elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of
explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to
provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. It may be
evident, however, that such aspect(s) may be practiced without
these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures
and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate
describing one or more aspects. Further, it is to be understood
that functionality that is described as being carried out by
certain system components may be performed by multiple components.
Similarly, for instance, a component may be configured to perform
functionality that is described as being carried out by multiple
components.
[0028] Moreover, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive
"or" rather than an exclusive "or." That is, unless specified
otherwise, or clear from the context, the phrase "X employs A or B"
is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That
is, the phrase "X employs A or B" is satisfied by any of the
following instances: X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A
and B. In addition, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this
application and the appended claims should generally be construed
to mean "one or more" unless specified otherwise or clear from the
context to be directed to a singular form.
[0029] As used herein, the terms "component" and "system" are
intended to encompass computer-readable data storage that is
configured with computer-executable instructions that cause certain
functionality to be performed when executed by a processor. The
computer-executable instructions may include a routine, a function,
or the like. It is also to be understood that a component or system
may be localized on a single device or distributed across several
devices. Further, as used herein, the term "exemplary" is intended
to mean "serving as an illustration or example of something."
[0030] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an
exemplary multiple laser, single optical resonator lidar system
100. The lidar system 100 is an FMCW lidar system. The lidar system
100 includes two lasers, namely, a first laser 102 and a second
laser 104 (collectively referred to herein as lasers 102-104). The
lasers 102-104 can be semiconductor lasers, laser diodes, or the
like. While many of the examples set forth herein describe lidar
systems that include two lasers (e.g., the lasers 102-104), it is
to be appreciated that these examples can be extended to lidar
systems that include more than two lasers.
[0031] The first laser 102 operates at a first wavelength and the
second laser 104 operates at a second wavelength. In various
embodiments described herein, the first wavelength and the second
wavelength can be the same (e.g., the first laser 102 and the
second laser 104 can operate at a common wavelength). In other
embodiments described herein, the first wavelength can differ from
the second wavelength (e.g., the first laser 102 and the second
laser 104 can operate at different wavelengths). Various wavelength
differences are intended to fall within the scope of the hereto
appended claims. For instance, the difference between the
wavelengths can be on the order of 10 s of nm; such wavelength
diversity can mitigate contribution from speckle noise by
decorrelating the speckle field (e.g., the first laser 102 and the
second laser 104 are concurrently operating). According to another
illustration, larger differences between the wavelengths can fall
within the scope of the hereto appended claims (e.g., when
switching between the lasers 102-104 depending on characteristics
of the wavelengths such as eye safety, range, and performance in
various environmental conditions).
[0032] The lidar system 100 further includes an optical resonator
106. The optical resonator 106 can be a whispering gallery mode
(WGM) resonator (e.g., a high Q WGM resonator). The optical
resonator 106 is optically coupled to both the first laser 102 and
the second laser 104. Moreover, the optical resonator 106 is formed
of an electrooptic material. Examples of the electrooptic material
include lithium niobite, lithium tantalate, and so forth.
[0033] The optical resonator 106 can include an electrode (or
electrodes) to which a voltage can be applied. Application of a
voltage to the optical resonator 106 can change an optical property
of the electrooptic material of the optical resonator 106. For
instance, application of a voltage can change an index of
refraction of the electrooptic material of the optical resonator
106.
[0034] The first laser 102 and the second laser 104 are optically
injection locked to the optical resonator 106. The lasers 102-104
are each injection locked to a mode of the optical resonator 106.
By selecting the modes to be of the same family (e.g., transverse
electric (TE) or transverse magnetic (TM)), optical signals
outputted by the lasers 102-104 can have common (low) noise
characteristics. Moreover, since the lasers 102-104 are optically
injection locked to the optical resonator 106, a voltage applied to
the optical resonator 106 can impart a common frequency change on
both of the lasers 102-104.
[0035] The lidar system 100 can include a modulator 108 configured
to apply a time-varying voltage to the optical resonator 106. The
time-varying voltage can control modulation of an optical property
of the electrooptic material (e.g., the index of refraction) of the
optical resonator 106 to cause the first laser 102 to generate a
first frequency modulated optical signal comprising a first series
of optical chirps and/or the second laser 104 to generate a second
frequency modulated optical signal comprising a second series of
optical chirps.
[0036] According to various embodiments, the first laser 102 and
the second laser 104 can concurrently operate. In such embodiments,
when the modulator 108 applies the time-varying voltage to the
optical resonator 106, the time-varying voltage can control
modulation of the optical property of the electrooptic material to
cause the first laser 102 to generate the first frequency modulated
signal and the second laser 104 to generate the second frequency
modulated optical signal. As noted above, since the first laser 102
and the second laser 104 are optically injection locked to the same
optical resonator 106, the time-varying voltage applied to the
optical resonator 106 by the modulator 108 can impart a common
frequency change on both the first laser 102 and the second laser
104 for optical chirps concurrently generated by the first laser
102 and the second laser 104.
[0037] In other embodiments, the first laser 102 and the second
laser 104 can be selectively enabled or disabled. Pursuant to an
illustration, the first laser 102 can be enabled during a first
time period and the second laser 104 can be disabled during the
first time period. Following this illustration, the first laser 102
can be disabled during a second time period and the second laser
104 can be enabled during the second time period. According to
another illustration, both of the lasers 102-104 can be enabled
during a given time period, while the first laser 102 can be
enabled and the second laser 104 can be disabled during a differing
time period. Moreover, it is contemplated that a combination of the
foregoing can be implemented.
[0038] The lidar system 100 further includes a controller 110
operatively coupled with the lasers 102-104 and the modulator 108.
The controller 110, for instance, can control the modulator 108 to
apply the time-varying voltage to the optical resonator 106. The
controller 110 can control timing, waveform shape, or the like of
the time-varying voltage. By way of example, the controller 110 can
control the modulator 108 to apply a continuous wave sawtooth
waveform, a continuous wave triangular waveform, a pulsed
triangular waveform, a continuous wave sigmoid-shaped waveform, or
the like. Further, the controller 110 can change the waveform shape
(or properties of a particular waveform shape) over time. Moreover,
in various embodiments, the controller 110 can be configured to
selectively control operating states of the first laser 102 and the
second laser 104.
[0039] The lidar system 100 can further include a beam splitter 112
configured to split the frequency modulated optical signal(s)
generated by the first laser 102 and/or the second laser 104 into a
portion of the frequency modulated optical signal(s) to be
transmitted into an environment from the lidar system 100 and a
local oscillator portion of the frequency modulated optical
signal(s).
[0040] Moreover, the lidar system 100 can include front end optics
114 configured to transmit, into the environment from the lidar
system 100, at least a portion of the frequency modulated optical
signal(s) (e.g., the portion to be transmitted outputted by the
beam splitter 112). According to various examples, the front end
optics 114 can include a scanner. The scanner can direct the
optical signal(s) over a field of view in the environment.
According to various examples, the scanner can include a
two-dimensional (2D) micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)
mirror. Pursuant to another example, the scanner can include a
non-MEMS reflecting 2D analog scanner, such as a mirror
galvanometer; however, the claimed subject matter is not so
limited.
[0041] It is contemplated that the controller 110 can control
positioning of the scanner to cause the scanner to direct the
optical signal(s) into the environment according to a scan pattern.
In accordance with an example, the scan pattern can be a raster
scan pattern. However, it is to be appreciated that the controller
110 can alternatively cause the scanner to direct the optical
signal(s) into the environment using other scan patterns, such as
Lissajous or non-regular forms.
[0042] While not shown, it is to be appreciated that the lidar
system 100 can further include various other optical elements, such
as one or more lenses, an optical isolator, one or more waveguides,
an optical amplifier, an interferometer, and so forth. Such optical
elements can enable generating the optical signal(s) with desired
properties such as collimation, divergence angle, linewidth, power,
and the like. Such optical elements may be assembled discretely, or
integrated on a chip, or in a combination of both.
[0043] Moreover, the front end optics 114 can be configured to
receive a reflected optical signal. The reflected optical signal
can correspond to at least a part of the portion of the frequency
modulated optical signal(s) transmitted into the environment that
reflected off an object 116 in the environment. According to an
example where the front end optics 114 include the scanner as noted
above, it is contemplated that the scanner can be configured to
receive the reflected optical signal.
[0044] The lidar system 100 can further include a sensor 118 and
processing circuitry 120. The sensor 118 can be configured to mix
the reflected optical signal received by the front end optics 114
with the local oscillator portion of the frequency modulated
optical signal(s). The sensor 118, for instance, can be a
photodetector. The processing circuitry 120 can be configured to
compute distance and velocity data 122 of the object 116 based on
the output of the sensor 118. The distance and velocity data 122
can include distance data between the lidar system 100 and the
object 116 and/or velocity data. Thus, the distance data can
include a measure of a distance between the lidar system 100 and
the object 116. Moreover, the velocity data can include a measure
of a velocity of the object 116 relative to the lidar system 100.
It is contemplated that the processing circuitry 120 can be
controlled by the controller 110. Moreover, although not shown, it
is completed that the lidar system 100 can include various other
elements (e.g., an analog to digital converter (ADC), etc.); thus,
the sensor 118 and the processing circuitry 120 (as well as other
elements of a receiver of the lidar system 100) can enable
measuring a frequency shift and/or a phase shift for each reflected
optical chirp relative to a reference optical chirp (in the local
oscillator portion of the frequency modulated optical signal(s)) to
enable generating the distance and velocity data 122.
[0045] Various embodiments in which the first laser 102 and/or the
second laser 104 of the lidar system 100 are selectively enabled or
disabled are now described. As noted above, the first laser 102
operates at the first wavelength and the second laser 104 operates
at the second wavelength. In some examples where the first laser
102 and the second laser 104 are selectively enabled or disabled,
the first wavelength can differ from the second wavelength. Thus,
the lidar system 100 (e.g., the controller 110) can switch between
the lasers 102-104 depending on characteristics of the wavelengths
such as eye safety, range, and performance in various environmental
conditions. Pursuant to an illustration, the first wavelength can
be one of 905 nm, 1550 nm, or 3 .mu.m, and the second wavelength
can be a different one of 905 nm, 1550 nm, or 3 .mu.m. However, it
is to be appreciated that other wavelengths are intended to fall
within the scope of the hereto appended claims. Moreover, it is
also contemplated that the first wavelength and the second
wavelength can be the same in other examples where the first laser
102 and the second laser 104 are selectively enabled or disabled.
For instance, concurrent operation of the two lasers 102-104 at a
common wavelength can enable increasing a power of the lidar system
100 (as compared to use of a single laser). Thus, the power of the
lidar system 100 can be adjusted by the controller 110 selectively
controlling a number of the lasers 102-104 that are concurrently
enabled during a given time period.
[0046] Turning to FIG. 2, illustrated is an example in which the
controller 110 selectively enables the first laser 102 and/or the
second laser 104 during differing time periods. The example
depicted in FIG. 2 pertains to a scenario in which the first
wavelength differs from the second wavelength. Thus, the controller
110 can switch between the lasers 102-104 depending on
characteristics of the wavelengths.
[0047] The controller 110 can include a processor 200 and memory
202. The memory 202 includes computer-executable instructions that
are executed by the processor 200. The memory 202 can include a
laser management component 204 configured to selectively control
operating states of the first laser 102 and the second laser 104.
For instance, the laser management component 204 can control the
operating states of the first laser 102 and the second laser 104
such that either 1) the first laser 102 is enabled and the second
laser 104 is disabled, or 2) the first laser 102 is disabled and
the second laser 104 is enabled. For instance, during time period 1
shown in FIG. 2 at 206, the laser management component 204 can
control the operating states of the first laser 102 and the second
laser 104 such that the first laser 102 is disabled and the second
laser 104 is enabled. Further, during time period 2 shown in FIG. 2
at 208, the laser management component 204 can control the
operating states of the first laser 102 and the second laser 104
such that the first laser 102 is enabled and the second laser 104
is disabled.
[0048] Reference is again made to FIG. 1. As described above, the
controller 110 (e.g., the laser management component 204) can
selectively control the operating states of the first laser 102 and
the second laser 104 such that either the first laser 102 is
enabled and the second laser 104 is disabled or the first laser 102
is disabled and the second laser 104 is enabled. Further, following
this example, the modulator 108 can apply the time-varying voltage
to the optical resonator 106, where the time-varying voltage
controls modulation of the optical property of the electrooptic
material to cause either the first laser 102 to generate the first
frequency modulated optical signal including the first series of
optical chirps when the first laser 102 is enabled (and the second
laser 104 is disabled) or the second laser 104 to generate the
second frequency modulated optical signal including the second
series of optical chirps when the second laser 104 is enabled (and
the first laser 102 is disabled). Further, the front end optics 114
can transmit a portion of either the first frequency modulated
optical signal (when the first laser 102 is enabled and the second
laser 104 is disabled) or at least a portion of the second
frequency modulated optical signal (when the second laser 104 is
enabled and the first laser 102 is disabled). As noted above, the
beam splitter 112 can split either the first frequency modulated
optical signal or the second frequency optical frequency modulated
optical signal into the portion to be transmitted into the
environment and the local oscillator portion (e.g., which is
provided to the sensor 118 and mixed with the reflected optical
signal).
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrated is another example in
which the controller 110 selectively enables the first laser 102
and/or the second laser 104 of the lidar system 100. It is to be
appreciated that FIG. 3 only depicts some of the elements of the
lidar system 100. In the example set forth in FIG. 3, the laser
management component 204 of the controller 110 can control the
operating states of the first laser 102 and the second laser 104
based on various factors. According to an example, the laser
management component 204 can selectively control the operating
states of the first laser 102 and the second laser 104 based on a
desired detection range of the lidar system 100. Pursuant to an
illustration, the first laser 102 can operate at 1550 nm and the
second laser 104 can operate at 905 nm. Following this
illustration, when the desired detection range of the lidar system
100 is greater than a threshold distance, the laser management
component 204 can selectively enable the first laser 102 and
disable the second laser 104 (e.g., 1550 nm can be more eye safe
than 905 nm at higher power levels used for detecting object(s) at
farther distances).
[0050] Additionally or alternatively, the controller 110 (e.g., the
laser management component 204) can be configured to selectively
control the operating states of the first laser 102 and the second
laser 104 based on a moisture level in the environment. The memory
202 can include an environmental monitor component 300 that can
identify the moisture level in the environment. According to an
example, the lidar system 100 can include a moisture sensor 302
configured to detect the moisture level in the environment;
following this example, the moisture sensor 302 can send detected
moisture level data to the environmental monitor component 300
(e.g., the environmental monitor component 300 can determine
whether the moisture level exceeds a threshold moisture level).
According to another example, the environmental monitor component
300 can be configured to receive weather data 304 indicative of the
moisture level in the environment. For instance, the weather data
304 can specify that it is currently snowing or raining; thus, the
moisture level can be identified by the environment monitor
component 300 based on the weather data 304. Pursuant to yet
another example, the environmental monitor component 300 can
receive vehicle operation data 306, which can be utilized to
identify the moisture level in the environment. For instance, the
vehicle operation data 306 can specify windshield wiper operation
of a vehicle in which the lidar system 100 is utilized (e.g., an
assumption can be made that it is raining or snowing when the
windshield wipers are on as specified in the vehicle operation data
306). Thus, the controller 110 can be configured to selectively
control the operating states of the first laser 102 and the second
laser 104 based on windshield wiper operation.
[0051] By way of illustration, the first laser 102 can be
configured to operate at a wavelength of 1550 nm and the second
laser 104 can be configured to operate at either 905 nm or 3 .mu.m.
Following this illustration, the environmental monitor component
300 can determine whether the moisture level in the environment
exceeds the threshold moisture level. The laser management
component 204 can be configured to selectively control the
operating states of the first laser 102 and the second laser 104
such that the first laser 102 is enabled and the second laser 104
is disabled when the moisture level in the environment is below a
threshold moisture level (e.g., the first laser 102 operating at
1550 nm is utilized when the moisture level in the environment is
below the threshold moisture level). Further, the laser management
component 204 can be configured to selectively control the
operating states of the first laser 102 and the second laser 104
such that the first laser 102 is disabled and the second laser 104
is enabled when the moisture level in the environment is equal to
or above the threshold moisture level (e.g., the second laser 104
operating at either 905 nm or 3 .mu.m is enabled when the moisture
level in the environment is equal to or above the threshold
moisture level).
[0052] Wavelength diversity can be employed to manage weather
effects on the lidar system 100. Since certain wavelengths, such as
1550 nm, are absorbed by water, such wavelengths may not perform as
well for generating a return signal in rain, snow, or fog as
compared to other wavelengths (e.g., 905 nm or 3 .mu.m). However,
905 nm may be less desirable due to eye safety. Accordingly, the
lidar system 100 can support operation at two wavelengths, where
the 1550 nm laser can be used in dry weather while other
wavelengths (e.g., 905 nm or 3 .mu.m) can be utilized in wet
weather. Moreover, the presence of moisture can reduce the
intensity and therefore enable the 905 nm laser to operate at an
eye safe level. Thus, for instance, 1550 nm wavelength can be more
eye safe while shorter wavelengths can produce better SNR in snow,
fog and rain.
[0053] It is to be appreciated that the coupling of the first laser
102 and the second laser 104 to the optical resonator 106 can be
possible for substantially any two wavelengths that fall within the
transparency window of the resonator material of the optical
resonator 106. Moreover, it is noted that if the two wavelengths
are far apart, optics that are transparent to both wavelengths can
be utilized. Further, it is contemplated that the use of coating to
produce dichroism for optical element(s) of the lidar system 100
can be utilized.
[0054] Various embodiments in which the first laser 102 and the
second laser 104 concurrently operate are now described. As noted
above, the first laser 102 operates at the first wavelength and the
second laser 104 operates at the second wavelength. In many of the
examples set forth below, the first wavelength can differ from the
second wavelength (e.g., the first laser 102 and the second laser
104 can operate at different wavelengths). Various wavelength
differences for the concurrently operating lasers 102-104 are
intended to fall within the scope of the hereto appended claims.
For instance, the difference between the wavelengths can be on the
order of 10 s of nm; such wavelength diversity can mitigate
contribution from speckle noise by decorrelating the speckle field.
However, it is also contemplated that the following examples can be
extended to a scenario in which the concurrently operating lasers
102-104 each operate at a common wavelength (though such scenario
would not be used to mitigate speckle noise).
[0055] Now turning to FIG. 4, illustrated is another exemplary
embodiment of the lidar system 100. As depicted in FIG. 4, the
lidar system 100 can further include a beam combiner 400. In the
example shown in FIG. 4, the first laser 102 and the second laser
104 concurrently operate. The first laser 102 and the second laser
104 are self-injection locked to the same optical resonator 106,
which can enable achieving the same high coherence. Moreover,
common frequency chirps can be generated by the first laser 102 and
the second laser 104 during a given time period.
[0056] The modulator 108 can apply the time-varying voltage to the
optical resonator 106, where the time-varying voltage controls
modulation of the optical property of the electrooptic material to
cause the first laser 102 to generate the first frequency modulated
optical signal comprising the first series of optical chirps and
the second laser 104 to generate the second frequency modulated
optical signal comprising the second series of optical chirps.
Further, the beam combiner 400 can be configured to combine of the
first frequency modulated optical signal and the second frequency
modulated optical signal to form a combined frequency modulated
optical signal. The beam splitter 112 can split the combined
frequency modulated optical signal into the portion of the combined
frequency modulated optical signal to be transmitted into the
environment (e.g., by the front end optics 114) and a local
oscillator portion of the combined frequency modulated optical
signal provided to the sensor 118.
[0057] The front end optics 114 can be configured to receive the
reflected optical signal, which corresponds to at least a part of
the portion of the combined frequency modulated optical signal that
reflected off the object 116 in the environment. Moreover, the
sensor 118 can mix the reflected optical signal with the local
oscillator portion of the combined frequency modulated optical
signal. The processing circuitry 120 can further compute the
distance and velocity data 122 based on the reflected optical
signal mixed with the local oscillator portion of the combined
frequency modulated optical signal (e.g., the distance between the
lidar system 100 and the object 116 and/or the velocity of the
object 116 relative to the lidar system 100).
[0058] According to an example, it is to be appreciated that the
controller 110 can be configured to selectively control whether the
first laser 102 is enabled or disabled and whether the second laser
104 is enabled or disabled as described above.
[0059] Thus, the first laser 102 can generate the first frequency
modulated optical signal when enabled (e.g., the first frequency
modulated optical signal is not generated when the first laser 102
is disabled). Likewise, the second laser 104 can generate the
second frequency modulated optical signal when enabled (e.g., the
second laser 104 does not generate the second frequency modulated
optical signal when disabled). When both lasers 102-104 are
concurrently enabled by the controller 110, the beam combiner 400
can combine the first frequency modulated optical signal and the
second frequency modulated optical signal. However, it is
contemplated that the claimed subject matter is not limited to this
example.
[0060] As noted above, the first wavelength of the first laser 102
can differ from the second wavelength of the second laser 104. In
accordance with an example, the lidar system 100 can include two
lasers 102-104 separated by a wavelength of about 30 nm. According
to an example, the first wavelength and second wavelength to be
separated by more than 20 nm and less than 40 nm. According to yet
another example, the first wavelength and the second wavelength can
be separated by more than 25 nm and less than 35 nm. Pursuant to
another example, the first wavelength can be 1530 nm and the second
wavelength can be 1560 nm. However, is to be appreciated claimed
subject matter is not limited to the foregoing examples.
[0061] The lasers 102-104 can be coupled to a common frequency
chirping system, namely, the optical resonator 106 and the
modulator 108. Both lasers 102-104 can be utilized to illuminate
the object 116 (e.g., a target in the environment), and the
reflected optical signal (including chirps from both lasers
102-104) from the target can be introduced into a common detector
assembly (e.g., the sensor 118). The sensor 118 can mix the
reflected optical signal with the local oscillator signals derived
from both lasers 102-104. At an output of the sensor 118, a beat
frequency can be generated due to mixing of each reflected optical
signal field with its corresponding local oscillator signal. While
the wavelength of each local oscillator and associated signal can
be different for the two lasers 102-104, a beat frequency due to
the signal range and Doppler can be common and therefore can add.
Moreover, noise due to speckle can be reduced due to diminished
correlation generated by the wavelength differences. Accordingly,
wavelength diversity can be utilized to reduce speckle noise in the
lidar system 100 shown in FIG. 4 (e.g., an FMCW lidar system). The
speckle noise is a noise source that can be associated with various
types of lidar systems and can represent a significant contributor
to overall noise of conventional lidar systems.
[0062] Referring to FIG. 5, illustrated is a chart 500 showing a
local oscillator signal 502 derived from the first laser 102 and a
local oscillator signal 504 derived from the second laser 104. The
chart 500 further shows a reflected optical signal 506 and a
reflected optical signal 508. The reflected optical signal 506
corresponds to a part of the first frequency modulated optical
signal generated by the first laser 102 that reflected off an
object in the environment, and the reflected optical signal 508
corresponds to a part of the second frequency modulated optical
signal generated by the second laser 104 that reflected off the
same object in the environment. In the sensor 118, the local
oscillator signal 502 and the reflected optical signal 506 mix to
output a beat frequency f, and the local oscillator signal 504 and
the reflected optical signal 508 mix to output the same beat
frequency f. The beat frequencies can add. According to an example,
the sensor 118 can output an analog signal representative of the
added beat frequencies, an ADC can convert the analog signal to a
digital signal, and the processing circuitry 120 can perform a Fast
Fourier Transform (FFT) on the digital signal to form a frequency
signal. Referring briefly to FIG. 6, a chart 600 illustrating a
frequency signal 602 that corresponds to the local oscillator
signals 502 and 504 and the reflected optical signals 506 and 508
as depicted in FIG. 5 is presented. The beat frequency f is the
peak 604 of the frequency signal 602 depicted in FIG. 6.
[0063] Reference is again made to FIG. 4. As described herein, the
lidar system 100 can mitigate noise due to speckle, which is a fine
scale, high contrast, granular pattern that appears when an optical
signal from a laser is reflected from a surface with roughness on
the same scale as the wavelength of the laser (or larger). The
speckle pattern can also produce noisy intensity fluctuations that
are detrimental to the SNR of lidar systems.
[0064] The distribution of the intensity fluctuations in a speckle
pattern depends on a number of parameters (direction of the
illumination and observation) including wavelength of incident
light. The cross correlation of two speckle fields depends on the
characteristic function of the surface height fluctuations, h, a
function of intensity distribution across the scattering spot, and
the scattering vector. The scattering vector can be defined as:
q .fwdarw. = k o .fwdarw. - k l .fwdarw. ##EQU00001##
In the foregoing, k is the wave-vector
k = 2 .times. .pi. .lamda. , ##EQU00002##
with .lamda. being me wavelength of light. The average wave-vector
in the illuminating beam is k.sub.i, where i represents the
direction of illumination, and o is the direction of observation.
In the case of two wavelengths illuminating a (rough) surface in
the normal direction, and defining .DELTA.{right arrow over
(q)}={right arrow over (q.sub.1)}T-{right arrow over (q.sub.2)} as
the difference of the scattering vectors corresponding to the two
wavelengths, .lamda..sub.1 and .lamda..sub.2, it follows that the
transverse component of .DELTA.{right arrow over (q)} is zero and
the normal component is as follows:
.DELTA. .times. q z = 4 .times. .pi. .times. 1 .lamda. 1 - 1
.lamda. 2 4 .times. .pi. .times. .DELTA..lamda. .lamda. _ 2
##EQU00003##
In the foregoing, .DELTA..lamda.=.lamda..sub.1-.lamda..sub.2 and
.lamda.=(.lamda..sub.1+.lamda..sub.2)/2.
[0065] Reduction of speckle intensity correlation to a value equal
to or less than 1/e.sup.2 can occur in the following scenario:
.DELTA..lamda. .gtoreq. 1 2 .times. 2 .times. .pi. .times. .lamda.
_ 2 .sigma. h ##EQU00004##
.sigma..sub.h is the standard deviation of surface-height
fluctuations.
[0066] Thus, the use of two wavelengths as described herein with
the lasers 102-104 can reduce the unwanted contribution from
speckle by decorrelating the speckle field. Assuming
.sigma..sub.h>10.lamda., then this condition can be satisfied
for two wavelengths separated by approximately 30 nm around 1550 nm
light (e.g., 1530 nm and 1560 nm).
[0067] As described herein, the foregoing can be accomplished by
the use of two separate lasers 102-104. Utilizing the lasers
102-104 in the lidar system 100 can result in two laser beams with
different wavelengths; such laser beams can have common in
propagation directions, receive directions, and bandwidths of the
frequency chirps imposed on them. In contrast, some conventional
systems may attempt to generate two laser beams utilizing two
separate lidar systems (e.g., doubling the transmit systems and the
receive systems). Moreover, it may be difficult to provide proper
overlap for a receive system. For instance, if the chirp
frequencies and bandwidths for the two laser beams are not
identical, then the receive signal representing reflection from the
same target may yield two sets of peaks in the Fourier spectrum of
the beat signal between the received signals and the two local
oscillator fields. The foregoing may complicate the receiver, since
it may be needed to devise proper filtering to associate the right
two signals with the same target.
[0068] As set forth herein, the optical resonator 106 includes an
electrode (or electrodes) to which the modulator 108 applies the
time-varying voltage, which in turn can change the index of
refraction of the electrooptic material of the optical resonator
106. Changes to the index of refraction over time change the
frequency of the mode to which the lasers 102-104 are optically
injection locked. Thus, the frequency of the light outputted by the
lasers 102-104 coupled to the optical resonator 106 also changes.
Accordingly, a chirp can be implemented on the frequency of the
lasers 102-104 without changing current, temperature, or voltage of
the lasers 102-104.
[0069] With reference to FIG. 7, illustrated is an example of the
lasers 102-104 optically coupled to an optical resonator (e.g., the
optical resonator 106). It is to be appreciated that FIG. 7 is
presented for illustration purposes, and other configurations are
intended to fall within the scope of the hereto appended claims. In
the example shown if FIG. 7, the lasers 102-104 are optically
coupled to a WGM resonator 700. Moreover, in the example shown in
FIG. 7, a beam from the first laser 102 is optically coupled into
the WGM resonator 700 via an optical coupler 702. Moreover, a beam
from the second laser 102 is optically coupled into the WGM
resonator 700 via an optical coupler 704. According to an example,
the optical couplers 702-704 can be prisms; however, other types of
optical couplers 702-704 are intended to fall within the scope of
the hereto appended claims (e.g., waveguides, etc.).
[0070] Moreover, it is contemplated that a collimator or optical
mode selector may optionally be interposed between the lasers
102-104 and the WGM resonator 700 (e.g., a first optical mode
selector/collimator 706 can be interposed between the first laser
102 and the WGM resonator 700 and a second optical mode
selector/collimator 708 can be interposed between the second laser
102 and the WGM resonator 700).
[0071] Reference is again made to FIG. 4. Beams from the first
laser 102 at the first wavelength and the second laser 104 at the
second wavelength can be split into two parts (e.g., by the optical
couplers 702-704). According to an example, approximately 90% of
the light of the beams can be sent to the beam combiner 400 while a
remainder (e.g., approximately 10%) of the light of the beams can
be sent to each of the modes selected to have the same
polarizations to provide self-injection locking of the lasers
102-104 to the mode of the optical resonator 106. Thus, common
spectral purity (low noise) can be obtained for both lasers
102-104. Further, chirping of both lasers 102-104 can be
accomplished by applying the time-varying voltage (e.g., by the
modulator 108) to the optical resonator 106. Light output from the
optical couplers 702-704, for instance, can be used in conjunction
with a photodetector to monitor the process. Moreover, the
approximately 90% of the light of each of the beams can be combined
by the beam combiner 400. Further, the beam splitter 112 can split
the combined beam, sending a portion for transmission from the
lidar system 100 (e.g., via the front end optics 114 towards the
object 116) and a local oscillator portion to the sensor 118.
[0072] The architecture shown in FIG. 4 allows reflected optical
signals from each of the lasers 102-104 to be mixed with
corresponding local oscillator portions of the optical signals
generated by the lasers 102-104. For instance, signal due to
.lamda..sub.1, reflected from the object 116 at distance R, can mix
with the corresponding local oscillator portion to produce a beat
that will appear as a peak at frequency f on the Fourier spectrum.
Signal due to .lamda..sub.2 will also produce the same beat
frequency f from the same object 116 at distance R, since the two
frequency variations (such as chirps) on the two lasers 102-104 are
identical, and the object 116 at distance R produced the same beat
frequency independent of the wavelengths at which the lasers
102-104 operate, .lamda..sub.1 and .lamda..sub.2. It is noted that
the amplitude of the two beat signals due to each of the lasers
102-104 add. For instance, if there is no degradation due to a
noise source, the received signal can be the sum of the two beat
signals obtained from simultaneously using the two lasers
102-104.
[0073] In the presence of speckle, the effect of the speckle field
decorrelation can be to produce a signal strength that is the sum
of the two signals from the lasers 102-104 at diverse wavelengths.
The sum, for instance, can be larger than the corresponding signal
if the lasers 102-104 both operate at a common wavelength.
[0074] As described herein, the two wavelengths for the first laser
102 and the second laser 104 used for speckle decorrelation can be
a few tens of nm apart. Further, optical elements in the path out
of the transmitter of the lidar system 100 and through the receiver
of the lidar system 100 may be used by both of the lasers
102-104.
[0075] With reference to FIG. 8, illustrated is another exemplary
embodiment of the lidar system 100. As depicted, the lidar system
100 can include a photonics integrated circuit 800. The photonics
integrated circuit 800 can be optically coupled to the front end
optics 114. The photonics integrated circuit 800 can include
various elements described herein as being included in the lidar
system 800. For instance, as shown, the first laser 102, the second
laser 104, and the optical resonator 106 can be integrated as part
of the photonics integrated circuit 800. Moreover, it is to be
appreciated that other elements described herein can similarly be
integrated as part of the photonics integrated circuit 800.
Accordingly, the lidar system 100 can be implemented on the
photonics integrated circuit 800 at chip scale. Further, the
photonics integrated circuit 800 can be formed of a material such
as, for example, silicon, silicon nitride, or the like (e.g., which
can support wavelength separations described herein).
[0076] With reference to FIG. 9, illustrated is an exemplary
autonomous vehicle 900. The autonomous vehicle 900 can navigate
about roadways without a human driver based on sensor signals
outputted by sensor systems of the autonomous vehicle 900. The
autonomous vehicle 900 includes the lidar system 100 as well as one
or more other sensor systems, namely, a sensor system 1 902, . . .
, and a sensor system N 904, where N can be substantially any
integer greater than 1. The sensor system 1 902, . . . , and the
sensor system N 904 are collectively referred to herein as sensor
systems 902-904. The sensor systems 902-904 are of different types
and are arranged about the autonomous vehicle 900. For example, the
sensor system 1 902 may be a radar sensor system and the sensor
system N 904 may be a camera sensor system. Other exemplary sensor
systems included in the sensor systems 902-904 can include GPS
sensor systems, sonar sensor systems, infrared sensor systems, and
the like.
[0077] The autonomous vehicle 900 further includes several
mechanical systems that are used to effectuate appropriate motion
of the autonomous vehicle 900. For instance, the mechanical systems
can include, but are not limited to, and a vehicle propulsion
system 906, a braking system 908, and a steering system 910. The
vehicle propulsion system 906 can include an electric engine, an
internal combustion engine, or a combination thereof. The braking
system 908 can include an engine brake, brake pads, actuators,
and/or any other suitable componentry that is configured to assist
in decelerating the autonomous vehicle 900. The steering system 910
includes suitable componentry that is configured to control the
direction of movement of the autonomous vehicle 900.
[0078] The autonomous vehicle 900 additionally includes a computing
system 912 that is in communication with the lidar sensor 100, the
sensor system 902-904, the vehicle propulsion system 906, the
braking system 908, and the steering system 910. The computing
system 912 includes a processor 914 and memory 916; the memory 916
includes computer-executable instructions are executed by the
processor 914. Pursuant to various examples, the processor 914 can
be or include a graphics processing unit (GPU), a plurality of
GPUs, a central processing unit (CPU), a plurality of CPUs, and
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microcontroller,
a programmable logic controller (PLC), a field programmable gate
array (FPGA), or the like.
[0079] The memory 916 of the computing system 912 includes a sensor
management system 918 that can control the lidar system 100 as well
as the other sensor systems 902-904. The sensor management system
918 can receive the distance and velocity data 122 generated by the
lidar system 100. Moreover, according to various examples, the
sensor management system 918 can control the lidar system 100 to
selectively enable or disable the lasers 102-104. According to an
example, the sensor management system 918 can transmit weather data
(e.g., the weather data 304) or vehicle operation data (e.g., the
vehicle operation data 306) to the lidar system 100 (e.g., the
controller 110). By way of another example, the sensor management
system 918 can transmit data indicative of the desired detection
range of the lidar system 100 to the lidar system 100. By way
another example, the sensor management system 918 can determine
which wavelength to employ, and can send a control signal to the
lidar system 100 to cause the appropriate enabling and disabling of
the lasers 102-104. However, it is to be appreciated that the
claimed subject matter is not limited to the lidar system 100
included in the autonomous vehicle 900 selectively enabling the
lasers 102-104 (e.g., the lidar system 100 can concurrently operate
the lasers 102-104 as described above).
[0080] The memory 916 can further include a control system 920. The
control system 920 is configured to control at least one of the
mechanical systems of the autonomous vehicle 900 (e.g., at least
one of the vehicle propulsion system 906, the braking system 908,
and/or the steering system 910). For instance, the control system
920 can control the vehicle propulsion system 906, the braking
system 908, and/or the steering system 910 based on a motion plan
for the autonomous vehicle 900 generated based at least in part on
the distance and velocity data 122 generated by the lidar system
100.
[0081] FIGS. 10-11 illustrate exemplary methodologies relating to
operating a multiple laser, single optical resonator lidar system.
While the methodologies are shown and described as being a series
of acts that are performed in a sequence, it is to be understood
and appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order
of the sequence. For example, some acts can occur in a different
order than what is described herein. In addition, an act can occur
concurrently with another act. Further, in some instances, not all
acts may be required to implement a methodology described
herein.
[0082] Moreover, the acts described herein may be
computer-executable instructions that can be implemented by one or
more processors and/or stored on a computer-readable medium or
media. The computer-executable instructions can include a routine,
a sub-routine, programs, a thread of execution, and/or the like.
Still further, results of acts of the methodologies can be stored
in a computer-readable medium, displayed on a display device,
and/or the like.
[0083] FIG. 10 illustrates a methodology 1000 of operating a lidar
system. At 1002, a first laser of the lidar system and a second
laser of the lidar system can be selectively enabled or disabled.
The first laser can be configured to operate at a first wavelength
and the second laser can be configured to operate at a differing,
second wavelength. At 1004, a time-varying voltage can be applied
to an optical resonator of the lidar system. The optical resonator
can be optically coupled to both the first laser and the second
laser. The optical resonator can be formed of an electrooptic
material. The first laser and the second laser are optically
injection locked to the optical resonator. Moreover, the
time-varying voltage can control modulation of an optical property
of the electrooptic material. At 1006, a frequency modulated
optical signal comprising a series of optical chirps generated by
an enabled one of the first laser or the second laser can be
transmitted into an environment from the lidar system. Modulation
of the optical property of the electrooptic material of the optical
resonator can cause the enabled one of the first laser or the
second laser to generate the frequency modulated optical signal.
According to various examples, the first laser and the second laser
can be selectively enabled or disabled based on a moisture level in
the environment. By way of another example, the first laser and the
second laser can be selectively enabled or disabled based on a
desired detection range of the lidar system.
[0084] Turning to FIG. 11, illustrated is another methodology 1100
of operating a lidar system. At 1102, a time-varying voltage can be
applied to an optical resonator of the lidar system. The optical
resonator can be optically coupled to both a first laser of the
lidar system and a second laser of the lidar system. The first
laser can be configured to operate at a first wavelength and the
second laser can be configured to operate at a differing, second
wavelength. The optical resonator can be formed of an electrooptic
material. Moreover, the first laser and the second laser are
optically injection locked to the optical resonator. The
time-varying voltage controls modulation of an optical property of
the electrooptic material to cause the first laser to generate a
first frequency modulated optical signal comprising a first series
of optical chirps and the second laser to generate a second
frequency modulated optical signal comprising a second series of
optical chirps. At 1104, the first frequency modulated optical
signal and the second frequency modulated optical signal can be
combined to form a combined frequency modulated optical signal. At
1106, at least a portion of the combined frequency modulated
optical signal can be transmitted into an environment from the
lidar system.
[0085] Referring now to FIG. 12, a high-level illustration of an
exemplary computing device 1200 that can be used in accordance with
the systems and methodologies disclosed herein is illustrated. For
instance, the computing device 1200 may be or include the computing
system 912. The computing device 1200 includes at least one
processor 1202 that executes instructions that are stored in a
memory 1204. The instructions may be, for instance, instructions
for implementing functionality described as being carried out by
one or more systems discussed above or instructions for
implementing one or more of the methods described above. The
processor 1202 may be a GPU, a plurality of GPUs, a CPU, a
plurality of CPUs, a multi-core processor, etc. The processor 1202
may access the memory 1204 by way of a system bus 1206. In addition
to storing executable instructions, the memory 1204 may also store
distance and velocity data, weather data, vehicle operation data,
and so forth.
[0086] The computing device 1200 additionally includes a data store
1208 that is accessible by the processor 1202 by way of the system
bus 1206. The data store 1208 may include executable instructions,
distance and velocity data, weather data, vehicle operation data,
etc. The computing device 1200 also includes an input interface
1210 that allows external devices to communicate with the computing
device 1200. For instance, the input interface 1210 may be used to
receive instructions from an external computer device, etc. The
computing device 1200 also includes an output interface 1212 that
interfaces the computing device 1200 with one or more external
devices. For example, the computing device 1200 may transmit
control signals to the engine 906, the braking system 908, and/or
the steering system 910 by way of the output interface 1212.
[0087] Additionally, while illustrated as a single system, it is to
be understood that the computing device 1200 may be a distributed
system. Thus, for instance, several devices may be in communication
by way of a network connection and may collectively perform tasks
described as being performed by the computing device 1200.
[0088] Various functions described herein can be implemented in
hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in
software, the functions can be stored on or transmitted over as one
or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium.
Computer-readable media includes computer-readable storage media. A
computer-readable storage media can be any available storage media
that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not
limitation, such computer-readable storage media can comprise RAM,
ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk
storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that
can be used to store desired program code in the form of
instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a
computer. Disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD),
laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy
disk, and blu-ray disc (BD), where disks usually reproduce data
magnetically and discs usually reproduce data optically with
lasers. Further, a propagated signal is not included within the
scope of computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media
also includes communication media including any medium that
facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to
another. A connection, for instance, can be a communication medium.
For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server,
or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable,
twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless
technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the
coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless
technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave are included in
the definition of communication medium. Combinations of the above
should also be included within the scope of computer-readable
media.
[0089] Alternatively, or in addition, the functionality described
herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware
logic components. For example, and without limitation, illustrative
types of hardware logic components that can be used include
Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application-specific
Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Application-specific Standard Products
(ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), Complex Programmable
Logic Devices (CPLDs), etc.
[0090] What has been described above includes examples of one or
more embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe every
conceivable modification and alteration of the above devices or
methodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned
aspects, but one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that
many further modifications and permutations of various aspects are
possible. Accordingly, the described aspects are intended to
embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that
fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the
extent that the term "includes" is used in either the details
description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in
a manner similar to the term "comprising" as "comprising" is
interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
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