US 12,248,102 B2
Lidar system with multiple comparators and time-to-digital converters
Scott R Campbell, Sanford, FL (US); Joseph G. LaChapelle, Philomath, OR (US); Jason M. Eichenholz, Orlando, FL (US); and Austin K. Russell, Orlando, FL (US)
Assigned to Luminar Technologies, Inc., Orlando, FL (US)
Filed by Luminar Technologies, Inc., Orlando, FL (US)
Filed on Jan. 27, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/773,409.
Application 16/773,409 is a continuation of application No. 15/917,628, filed on Mar. 10, 2018, granted, now 10,545,240.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/477,900, filed on Mar. 28, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0191963 A1, Jun. 18, 2020
Int. Cl. G01C 3/08 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01S 7/4861 (2020.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01); G01S 17/26 (2020.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 7/497 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4813 (2013.01); G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G01S 7/4861 (2013.01); G01S 17/26 (2020.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lidar system, comprising:
a light source configured to emit pulses of light;
a scanner configured to scan the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard of the lidar system and direct one or more of the emitted pulses of light towards a remote target; and
a receiver configured to detect a received pulse of light comprising light from one of the emitted pulses of light that is scattered by the remote target, wherein the receiver comprises:
a light detector element configured to produce an electrical-current signal that corresponds to the received pulse of light; and
an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) comprising an electronic amplifier coupled to a plurality of amplitude detection circuits, at least one of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits comprising a comparator and a time-to-digital converter (TDC) coupled to the comparator, wherein:
the electronic amplifier is configured to receive the electrical-current signal from the light detector element and produce a voltage signal corresponding to the received electrical-current signal;
the comparator is configured to receive the voltage signal from the electronic amplifier and produce an electrical-edge signal when an amplitude of the received voltage signal rises above or falls below a particular threshold voltage; and
the TDC is configured to receive the electrical-edge signal from the comparator and produce a time delay value corresponding to an interval of time between (i) emission of the one of the emitted pulses of light by the light source and (ii) receipt of the electrical-edge signal by the TDC.