IP Library Granted Patent US 11,520,046
Granted Patent B2
US 11,520,046 · App. 16/518,343 · Granted Dec 6, 2022

Method and device for optical distance measurement

Inventors: Wolfgang Birnbacher (Hamburg, DE); Jan Rühaak (Hamburg, DE)
Assignee: IBEO AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GmbH
G01S17/10G01S7/484G01S7/486G01S17/931
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,520,046
App. No.
16/518,343
Granted
Dec 6, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for optical distance measurement is provided, which comprises emitting a plurality of measurement pulses, reflecting emitted measurement pulses on at least one object within a measurement range with a length and receiving reflected measurement pulses. N subsets of measurement pulses are emitted, wherein each subset comprises a constant pulse interval. The constant pulse interval of different subsets is different, wherein the least common multiple of the constant pulse intervals of the N subsets corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.

Claims (26)

1. A method for optical distance measurement,

wherein the method comprises emitting a plurality of measurement pulses, the reflection of emitted measurement pulses on at least one object within a measurement range with a length and receiving reflected measurement pulses,

wherein N subsets of measurement pulses are emitted,

wherein each subset comprises a constant pulse interval,

wherein the constant pulse interval of the different subsets is different,

wherein the least common multiple of constant pulse intervals of the N subsets corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the constant pulse intervals are each less than twice the length of the measurement range.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises determining possible object positions for each reflected and received measurement pulse, and an accumulation of all possible object positions in a histogram.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method comprises the extraction of the actual object position from the histogram.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the least common multiple for all pairs of constant pulse intervals of the N subsets corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the constant pulse intervals are coprime.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement range is a maximum measurement range or a subrange of the maximum measurement range, especially a focus range.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of the measurement range is a maximum of 1000 m, preferably a maximum of 800 m, most preferably a maximum of 600 m.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of the measurement range is a minimum of 1 m, furthermore, preferably, a minimum of 5 m, most preferably a minimum of 20 m.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product of each pair of constant pulse intervals corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product of all constant pulse intervals corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement pulses have a pulse width, wherein the constant pulse intervals are selected in such a way that every constant pulse interval corresponds to a multiple of the pulse width.

13. A device for optical distance measurement,

wherein the device is designed as a LIDAR sensor and comprises a transmitting unit for transmitting measurement pulses and a receiving unit for receiving reflected measurement pulses, wherein the device is designed to carry out a method for optical distance measurement,

wherein the method comprises emitting a plurality of measurement pulses, the reflection of emitted measurement pulses on at least one object within a measurement range with a length and receiving reflected measurement pulses,

wherein N subsets of measurement pulses are emitted,

wherein each subset comprises a constant pulse interval,

wherein the constant pulse interval of the different subsets is different,

wherein the least common multiple of constant pulse intervals of the N subsets corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.

14. A computer program product, which comprises a computer-readable storage medium, on which a program is saved, which makes it possible for a computer to carry out a method in accordance with claim 1 after it has been loaded into the storage system of the computer.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, on which a program is saved, which makes it possible for a computer to carry out a method in accordance with claim 1 after it has been loaded into the storage system of the computer.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 22, 2023
From: MICROVISION GMBH
To: MICROVISION, INC.
Reel/Frame 063061/0272 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2023
From: IBEO AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH
To: MICROVISION GMBH
Reel/Frame 062973/0909 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2019
From: BIRNBACHER, WOLFGANG; RÜHAAK, JAN
To: IBEO AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH
Reel/Frame 050642/0799 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 18184937 · Jul 23, 2018 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200025922A1 · Jan 23, 2020