US 12,276,759 B2
LiDAR systems and methods for focusing on ranges of interest
Rui Zhang, Palo Alto, CA (US); Yimin Li, Cupertino, CA (US); Junwei Bao, Los Altos, CA (US); and Jason Ferns, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to SEYOND, INC., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by Innovusion, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/223,490.
Application 18/223,490 is a continuation of application No. 17/530,370, filed on Nov. 18, 2021, granted, now 11,860,313.
Application 17/530,370 is a continuation of application No. 16/439,230, filed on Jun. 12, 2019, granted, now 11,675,053, issued on Jun. 13, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/685,333, filed on Jun. 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0375676 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); G02B 26/08 (2006.01); G02B 26/10 (2006.01); G02B 26/12 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4817 (2013.01) [G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G02B 26/0816 (2013.01); G02B 26/10 (2013.01); G02B 26/12 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system for use with a vehicle, comprising:
a transmitter comprising:
a plurality of semiconductor based light emitters configured to generate light energy, and
one or more collimators that collimate the generated light energy,
wherein the transmitter is configured to direct the generated light energy along a plurality of different angles, the combination of the plurality of different angles forming a subset of the entire vertical angle range of a field of view of the LiDAR system;
a receiver configured to receive light energy reflected from an object within the field of view of the LiDAR system;
a polygon structure that defines a horizontal angle range of the field of view of the LiDAR system;
one or more mirrors configured to redirect light energy passing between the transmitter and the polygon structure, and to redirect light energy passing between the polygon structure and the receiver; and
a region of interest (ROI) controller configured to:
turn off at least one semiconductor based light emitter of the plurality of semiconductor based light emitters when scanning an area outside of a region of interest such that the LiDAR system has a different vertical angle scan resolution within the region of interest than the area outside of the region of interest.