US 12,314,054 B2
Flash LADAR collision avoidance system
Patrick Gilliland, Santa Barbara, CA (US); Roger Stettner, Santa Barbara, CA (US); Laurent Heuhebaert, Santa Paula, CA (US); and Barton M Goldstein, Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Assigned to Continental Autonomous Mobility US, LLC, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed by Continental Autonomous Mobility US, LLC, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on Sep. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/931,081.
Application 17/931,081 is a continuation of application No. 16/453,412, filed on Jun. 26, 2019, granted, now 11,467,597.
Application 16/453,412 is a continuation of application No. 15/699,090, filed on Sep. 8, 2017, granted, now 11,562,345.
Application 15/699,090 is a continuation of application No. 14/740,518, filed on Jun. 16, 2015, granted, now 9,753,462, issued on Sep. 5, 2017.
Application 14/740,518 is a continuation of application No. 14/178,675, filed on Feb. 12, 2014, granted, now 9,086,486, issued on Jul. 21, 2015.
Application 14/178,675 is a continuation of application No. 13/285,800, filed on Oct. 31, 2011, granted, now 8,692,980, issued on Apr. 8, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/408,897, filed on Nov. 1, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2023/0004160 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G05D 1/024 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4813 (2013.01); G01S 7/4972 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G05D 1/0214 (2013.01); G01S 2007/4977 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A ladar sensor having a field of view and housed within an envelope, the envelope mountable to the vehicle and having a transparent surface adapted to transmit laser light, the ladar sensor further comprising:
a pulsed laser transmitter adapted to emit a laser light pulse having a wavelength of transmission and a transmit optic with a diffuser adapted to a diffuse the laser light pulse for simultaneously illuminating the entire field of view;
a receiving lens assembly having an optical transmission path, and adapted to collect and focus light reflected from the scene;
an array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal plane of the receiving lens assembly, and each individual light sensitive detector having an output terminal producing an electrical pulse when illuminated by a reflected portion of the laser light pulse;
a detector bias circuit; and
a readout integrated circuit comprising an array of unit cell electrical circuits, each unit cell electrical circuit having an input connected to the output terminal of an individual light sensitive detector;
and each unit cell electrical circuit adapted to amplify the electrical pulse, the unit cell electrical circuit having a pulse output and connected to a timing circuit, and the timing circuit also connected to the time zero output;
the timing circuit having an elapsed time output producing an elapsed time measurement value indicating the time delay between the emission of the laser light pulse and an electrical pulse from the pulse output;
the readout integrated circuit connected to the timing circuit, and the readout integrated circuit adapted to collect and transmit the elapsed time measurement values;
the ladar sensor connectable to a controller mounted to the vehicle via bidirectional connections; and
the ladar sensor adapted to steer the pulsed light output in at least one axis.