US 11,965,992 B2
LIDAR waveform calibration system
Andrew Steil Michaels, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Sen Lin, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to AURORA OPERATIONS, INC., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by Aurora Operations, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on May 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/827,679.
Application 17/827,679 is a continuation of application No. 17/463,309, filed on Aug. 31, 2021, granted, now 11,385,339.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/074,832, filed on Sep. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0283276 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/497 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/4915 (2020.01); G01S 7/493 (2006.01); G01S 17/06 (2006.01); G01S 17/32 (2020.01); G01S 17/58 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); H01S 3/00 (2006.01); G01B 9/02003 (2022.01); G01S 7/4911 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 7/497 (2013.01) [B60W 60/001 (2020.02); G01S 7/4814 (2013.01); G01S 7/4915 (2013.01); G01S 7/493 (2013.01); G01S 17/06 (2013.01); G01S 17/32 (2013.01); G01S 17/58 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); H01S 3/0057 (2013.01); G01B 9/02003 (2013.01); G01S 7/4911 (2013.01); H01S 3/0085 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
a laser configured to generate a laser beam based on a particular laser waveform that is associated with at least one parameter of a plurality of parameters, the at least one parameter defining at least one of shape or linearity of the particular laser waveform; and
a calibration unit configured to, based on an output frequency of the laser beam, determine a particular value for the at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters to compensate for distortion characteristics of the laser,
wherein determining the particular value for the at least one parameter comprises minimizing a value of a merit function, the merit function depending on the at least one parameter and quantifying at least one of linearity or shape of the particular laser waveform,
wherein the calibration unit is further configured to update the particular laser waveform with the particular value of the at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters.