US 11,675,062 B2
Context aware real-time power adjustment for steerable lidar
Kyle Vogt, San Francisco, CA (US); and Lutfollah Maleki, Pasadena, CA (US)
Assigned to GM CRUISE HOLDINGS LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by GM Cruise Holdings LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/245,229.
Prior Publication US 2020/0225334 A1, Jul. 16, 2020
Int. Cl. G01S 7/4911 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4911 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4817 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lidar system, comprising:
a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) laser source configured to emit an optical signal, the optical signal comprises a continuous series of optical chirps, wherein frequency within each chirp varies with time;
a scanner configured to direct the optical signal emitted by the FMCW laser source from the lidar system into an environment, the scanner directs the optical signal over a field of view in the environment during a time period of a frame based on a scan pattern; and
a controller configured to modulate a power of the optical signal emitted by the FMCW laser source during the time period of the frame based on a position of the lidar system in the environment, a direction in which the optical signal is to be transmitted into the environment, and whether an ambiguity exists in perception data of the environment regarding an existence of an object at a geographic location, wherein the ambiguity at the geographic location exists when there are differences between outputs of differing types of sensor systems for the geographic location pertaining to the existence of the object at the geographic location, wherein the controller controls the FMCW laser source to emit the optical signal at:
a first power level when the scanner directs the optical signal over a first spatial portion of the field of view in the environment during the time period of the frame; and
a second power level when the scanner directs the optical signal over a second spatial portion of the field of view in the environment during the time period of the frame;
wherein the first power level is higher than the second power level; and
wherein the first spatial portion of the field of view in the environment comprises the geographic location when the ambiguity exists at the geographic location in the perception data such that the controller controls the FMCW laser source to emit at the first power level when the scanner directs the optical signal towards the geographic location at which the ambiguity exists in the perception data during the time period of the frame.