US 12,032,190 B2
Material-sensing light imaging, detection, and ranging (LIDAR) systems
Nicholas A. Kotov, Ypsilanti, MI (US); Sharon Glotzer, Chelsea, MI (US); Brian Shahbazian, Petaluma, CA (US); Ryan Branch, Indianapolis, IN (US); Lizhi Xu, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Wonjin Choi, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Minjeong Cha, Ann Arbor, MI (US); and Matthew Spellings, Mercer, TN (US)
Assigned to The Regents of The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed by THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/231,736.
Application 17/231,736 is a continuation of application No. 16/755,804, granted, now 10,983,219, previously published as PCT/US2018/055708, filed on Oct. 12, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/571,986, filed on Oct. 13, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0231852 A1, Jul. 29, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01C 3/08 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G02B 5/30 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G02B 5/3025 (2013.01) [G01S 7/481 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a laser configured to generate a light pulse emitted towards an object;
at least one polarizer configured to polarize reflected, scattered, or emitted light returned from the object;
a processor configured to detect at least one material of the object based on an intensity and polarization of the polarized reflected, scattered, or emitted light from the object; and
at least one polarization detector connected to the at least one polarizer and the processor and configured to detect the intensity of the polarized reflected, scattered, or emitted light from the object and an angle of incidence associated with the polarized reflected, scattered, or emitted light from the object.