US 12,461,202 B2
Methods and apparatus for increased precision and improved range in a multiple detector LIDAR array
James E. Retterath, Excelsior, MN (US); and Robert A. Laumeyer, Orlando, FL (US)
Assigned to Big Sky Financial Corporation, Orlando, FL (US)
Filed by Big Sky Financial Corporation, Orlando, FL (US)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/578,085.
Application 17/578,085 is a continuation of application No. 16/047,793, filed on Jul. 27, 2018, granted, now 11,226,398.
Application 16/047,793 is a continuation of application No. 14/639,802, filed on Mar. 5, 2015, granted, now 10,036,801, issued on Jul. 31, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0214428 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 7/4802 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4815 (2013.01); G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) system for acquiring information about objects in a scene, the LiDAR system comprising:
a plurality of emitters configured to generate incident radiation within a defined frequency range throughout a field of view, wherein each emitter emits a single or multi-pulse light packet of incident radiation during an emission cycle;
an array of detectors configured to receive retroreflected radiation within the defined frequency range for the field of view, wherein the detectors sample the received retroreflected radiation at a pre-determined sampling frequency, generating two or more samples per emitted light packet emission cycle, wherein each detector in the detector array has a unique angle, said angle determined based on an analysis of neighboring detectors, through which the retroreflected radiation is received;
circuitry operably coupled to the array of detectors including analog-to-digital (A/D) converters to generate and store digital information corresponding to each detector in the array of detectors, and sampling circuitry to generate a sampling time reference signal, wherein the digital information for each detector in the array of detectors being sampled and stored in a unique one of a set of frame buffers in response to the sampling time reference signal, wherein the sampled data reflects the two or more samples per emitted light packet emission cycle;
the set of frame buffers including at least three frame buffers corresponding to each detector that are collectively analyzed by a processing system for that detector operably coupled to the array of detectors; and
the set of frame buffers identifying objects within the field of view based at least on the sampled data of the emitted light pack emission cycle.