US 11,675,078 B2
LiDAR system
Lutfollah Maleki, Pasadena, CA (US); and Scott Singer, San Gabriel, CA (US)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/236,426.
Application 16/236,426 is a continuation of application No. 16/313,247, previously published as PCT/US2016/055778, filed on Oct. 6, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0154832 A1, May 23, 2019
Int. Cl. G01S 17/36 (2006.01); G01S 7/4911 (2020.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/58 (2006.01); G01S 17/34 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 17/36 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4817 (2013.01); G01S 7/4911 (2013.01); G01S 17/34 (2020.01); G01S 17/58 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system, comprising:
a laser for generating a frequency modulated optical signal comprising a series of optical chirps;
a laser driver that controls the laser to generate the optical chirps;
a scanning assembly that (a) transmits the optical chirps across a scanning region at an optical power in a range of 10 mW to 3 W and (b) receives reflected optical chirps that have reflected off one or more objects located within the scanning region, wherein the objects are detectable at a range of at least 200 meters from the LiDAR system; and
an electronic data analysis assembly that generates a plurality of data points each of which comprises distance data associated with a portion of the reflected optical chirps to detect at least an object at a distance from the LiDAR system, the electronic data analysis assembly further adaptively controls the laser driver to alter a parameter of a subset of the optical chirps based on the distance to the object responsive to the detection of the object at the distance.