US 11,675,085 B1
Techniques for beam pattern adjustments in a LIDAR system
Cameron Howard, Bend, OR (US); Sawyer Isaac Cohen, Menlo Park, CA (US); Keith Gagne, Santa Clara, CA (US); Bradley Scot Levin, San Jose, CA (US); and Pierre Hicks, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Aeva, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by AEVA, INC., Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/977,937.
Int. Cl. G01S 17/00 (2020.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/32 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 17/89 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4817 (2013.01); G01S 17/32 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of adjusting a beam pattern to form a point cloud in a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, the method comprising:
receiving a first beam pattern from an optical source, the first beam pattern comprising a plurality of optical beams transmitted towards a target to cause a plurality of different spaces to form between each optical beam of the plurality of optical beams;
measuring a vertical angle between at least two of the plurality of optical beams along a first axis relative to the FMCW LIDAR system;
calculating, using a processor, a second beam pattern based on the vertical angle and a pivot point within the FMCW LIDAR system that causes the plurality of optical beams to be transmitted towards the target with substantially uniform spacing between each optical beam of the plurality of optical beams;
adjusting, at the pivot point, one or more components from a first position that forms the first beam pattern to a second position that forms the second beam pattern in the FMCW LIDAR system to adjust the plurality of different spaces to the substantially uniform spacing for transmission towards the target; and
receiving one or more return optical beams from the target, based on the second beam pattern, to produce a plurality of points to form the point cloud.