US 12,270,947 B2
Distributed laser radar
Zhengqing Pan, Shanghai (CN); Liangchen Ye, Shanghai (CN); Shaoqing Xiang, Shanghai (CN); and Yifan Li, Shanghai (CN)
Assigned to Hesai Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai (CN)
Filed by HESAI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., Shanghai (CN)
Filed on May 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/313,967.
Application 17/313,967 is a continuation of application No. 17/037,960, filed on Sep. 30, 2020, granted, now 11,002,835.
Application 17/037,960 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CN2018/086770, filed on May 14, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 201810292141.3 (CN), filed on Apr. 3, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0278510 A1, Sep. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 7/00 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4818 (2013.01) [G01S 7/003 (2013.01); G01S 7/4817 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A distributed LiDAR, comprising:
a central transceiver coupled with a plurality of optical scanners via a communication path, the plurality of optical scanners having a plurality of scanning fields of view, and the central transceiver and the plurality of the optical scanners being configured to be disposed on a vehicle;
wherein the communication path comprises (1) a plurality of optical fibers forming a plurality of equivalent light sources and (2) a fixture disposed at and fixedly holding end portions of the plurality of optical fibers such that the end portions of the plurality of optical fibers are substantially parallel to each other, wherein beams of light emergent from the plurality of equivalent light sources are incident onto each optical scanner at an angle with each other to enable the plurality of scanning fields of view to partially overlap with each other or be immediately adjacent to each other;
wherein each of the plurality of optical scanners is configured to utilize an optical signal to detect a distance of a target within one of the plurality of scanning fields of view, the plurality of scanning fields of view surrounding the vehicle; and
wherein a range of the respective scanning field of view of each of the optical scanners is adjustable according to a motion state of the vehicle.