Lidar system and method of operating the same
Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems and methods of operating the LiDAR systems are provided. The LiDAR system includes a light emitter configured to emit first lights of different wavelengths in a vertical direction and at different scanning angles with respect to a horizontal axis, a lens configured to converge second lights that are reflected from objects on which the first lights are emitted, and a light filter comprising an active-type device configured to adjust a transmission central wavelength of the active-type device to the different wavelengths of the first lights that are emitted from the light emitter. The LiDAR system further includes a controller configured to control an operation of the light emitter and the light filter, and a detector configured to detect light from the light emitter, and obtain information about the objects.
1. A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system comprising:
a light emitter configured to emit first lights of different wavelengths in a vertical scan;
a lens configured to converge second lights that are reflected from objects on which the first lights are emitted;
a light filter comprising an active-type device configured to adjust a transmission central wavelength of the active-type device to the different wavelengths of the first lights are emitted from the light emitter;
a controller configured to:
set a wavelength of light to be emitted;
apply a light emission starting signal to the light emitter so that the light emitter emits the light of the set wavelength;
adjust the light transmission central wavelength of the light filter to the set wavelength;
in the vertical scan, detect whether a current scanning angle of the emitted light with respect to a horizontal axis of the light emitter is within a preset range;
based on the current scanning angle being detected to be within the preset range, maintain a present scanning state of the light emitter; and
based on the current scanning angle being detected to be outside the preset range, reset, to a new wavelength, the wavelength of the light to be emitted; and
a detector configured to detect the first lights emitted from the light emitter, and obtain information about the objects.
2. The LiDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the light emitter comprises an optical phased array light source.
3. The LiDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the active-type device comprises a tunable band-pass filter.
4. The LiDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the light filter is arranged between the lens and the detector.
5. The LiDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the lens is arranged between the light filter and the detector.
6. The LiDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a lens array.
7. A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system, the method comprising:
setting a wavelength of light to be emitted;
applying a light emission starting signal to a light emitter so that the light emitter emits the light of the set wavelength;
adjusting a light transmission central wavelength of a light filter to the set wavelength;
in a vertical scan, detecting whether a current scanning angle of the emitted light with respect to a horizontal axis of the light emitter is within a preset range;
based on the current scanning angle being detected to be within the preset range, maintaining a present scanning state of the light emitter; and
based on the current scanning angle being detected to be outside the preset range, resetting, to a new wavelength, the wavelength of the light to be emitted.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the light emitter comprises light sources having different phases.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the light filter comprises a tunable band-pass filter.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the light emitter emits the light in a horizontal direction until the current scanning angle is detected to be outside the preset range.