Granted Patent B2

US 12,461,239 · App. 18/469,002 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Inventors: Stephen C. Crouch (Mountain View, CA); Trenton Berg (Mountain View, CA); Randy R. Reibel (Mountain View, CA); James Curry (Mountain View, CA)

Assignee: AURORA OPERATIONS, INC.

G01S17/58G01S7/491G01S7/4911G01S7/493G01S17/26G01S17/34G01S17/89

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system, comprising:

a laser source configured to generate at least one laser signal;

a modulator configured to modulate the at least one laser signal to generate a plurality of first signals that increase in frequency and a plurality of second signals that decrease in frequency; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine a plurality of first ranges to an object using a plurality of first return signals from reflection of the plurality of first signals by the object;

determine a plurality of second ranges to the object using a plurality of second return signals from reflection of the plurality of second signals by the object; and

select a first range of the plurality of first ranges that matches a second range of the plurality of second ranges by comparing each first range of the plurality of first ranges with each second range of the plurality of second ranges.

2 . The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the modulator is configured to apply modulation to a current driving the laser source.

3 . The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the modulator is configured to generate the plurality of first signals to increase in frequency based on a bandwidth from about 300 MHz to about 20 GHz, and a duration from about 250 nanoseconds (ns) to about 1 millisecond (ms).

4 . The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more scanning optics configured to output the plurality of first signals and the plurality of second signals.

5 . The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the laser source is configured to output the at least one laser signal as a plurality of pulses.

6 . The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the modulator is configured to generate a given second signal of the plurality of second signals after a given first signal of the plurality of first signals.

7 . The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to move a vehicle to avoid collision with the object based on the selected first range.

8 . The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the modulator comprises a double sideband Mach-Zehnder modulator.

9 . The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the laser source comprises a single optical carrier to generate the at least one laser signal and the modulator is configured to modulate the at least one laser signal by a single RF chirp to produce symmetrical sidebands corresponding to the plurality of first signals and the plurality of second signals.

10 . A vehicle control system, comprising:

a laser source configured to generate at least one laser signal;

a modulator configured to modulate the at least one laser signal to generate a plurality of first signals that increase in frequency and a plurality of second signals that decrease in frequency; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine a plurality of first ranges to an object using a plurality of first return signals from reflection of the plurality of first signals by the object;

determine a plurality of second ranges to the object using a plurality of second return signals from reflection of the plurality of second signals by the object; and

control a vehicle based on a third range determined by matching a first range of the plurality of first ranges with a second range of the plurality of second ranges by comparing each first range of the plurality of first ranges with each second range of the plurality of second ranges.

11 . The vehicle control system of claim 10 , wherein the modulator is configured to apply modulation to a current driving the laser source.

12 . The vehicle control system of claim 10 , wherein the modulator is configured to generate the plurality of first signals to increase in frequency based on a bandwidth from about 300 MHz to about 20 GHz, and a duration from about 250 nanoseconds (ns) to about 1 millisecond (ms).

13 . The vehicle control system of claim 10 , further comprising one or more scanning optics configured to output the plurality of first signals and the plurality of second signals.

14 . The vehicle control system of claim 10 , wherein the laser source is configured to output the at least one laser signal as a plurality of pulses.

15 . The vehicle control system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to move the vehicle to avoid collision with the object based on the third range.

16 . The vehicle control system of claim 10 , wherein the laser source comprises a single optical carrier to generate the at least one laser signal and the modulator is configured to modulate the at least one laser signal by a single RF chirp to produce symmetrical sidebands corresponding to the plurality of first signals and the plurality of second signals.

17 . A method, comprising:

generating a plurality of first signals that increase in frequency and a plurality of second signals that decrease in frequency;

determining a plurality of first ranges to an object using a plurality of first return signals from reflection of the plurality of first signals by the object;

determining a plurality of second ranges to the object using a plurality of second return signals from reflection of the plurality of second signals by the object; and

controlling a vehicle based on a third range determined by matching a first range of the plurality of first ranges with a second range of the plurality of second ranges by comparing each first range of the plurality of first ranges with each second range of the plurality of second ranges.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising moving the vehicle to avoid collision with the object based on the third range.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)