阅读说明：本技术 采用迟锁盖格模式检测的LiDAR系统及方法 (LiDAR system and method using late lock cover mode detection ) 是由 赛缪尔·理查德·威尔顿 于 2018-04-04 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明揭示采用迟锁盖格模式检测的经改进LiDAR系统方法。与现有技术形成鲜明对比,迟锁盖格模式检测系统及/或方法利用脉冲激光器及异步雪崩光电二极管,其在光电二极管武装脉冲之间具有基本上等于但稍微小于激光脉冲周期的迟滞时间。优选地,所述迟滞时间与所述脉冲周期之间的此差<10nsec。(Improved LiDAR system methods employing late-lock cover mode detection are disclosed. In sharp contrast to the prior art, the late lock cover mode detection system and/or method utilizes a pulsed laser and an asynchronous avalanche photodiode having a lag time between photodiode armed pulses that is substantially equal to but slightly less than the laser pulse period. Preferably, this difference between the hysteresis time and the pulse period is <10 nsec.)

1, LiDAR systems comprising:

a pulsed laser for providing and emitting an optical signal toward an object, the optical signal reflecting from the object thereby generating a reflected signal;

a photodetector for detecting the reflected signal;

a processing system for determining a time difference between a time at which the optical signal is emitted and a time at which the reflected signal is detected;

the LiDAR system is characterized in that:

the delay time between photodetector arming pulses is substantially equal to but slightly less than the laser pulse period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the difference between the lag time and laser pulse period is <10 nsec.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the lag time is the time period between quenching and re-arming of an avalanche photodiode of the photodetector.

A method of operating a LiDAR system of , comprising:

operating a pulsed laser such that an optical signal is directed toward an object and subsequently reflected from the object thereby generating a reflected signal;

detecting the reflected signal by a photodetector;

determining a time difference between a time at which the optical signal is emitted and a time at which the reflected signal is detected;

the method is characterized in that:

the delay time between photodetector arming pulses is adjusted to be substantially equal to but slightly less than the laser pulse period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the difference between the lag time and the laser pulse period is adjusted to <10 nsec.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the lag time is the time period between quenching and re-arming of an avalanche photodiode of the photodetector.

7, non-transitory computer storage media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

operating a pulsed laser such that an optical signal is directed toward an object and subsequently reflected from the object thereby generating a reflected signal;

equipping a photodetector to detect the reflected signal;

determining a time difference between a time at which the optical signal is emitted and a time at which the reflected signal is detected; and

the delay time between photodetector arming pulses is adjusted to be substantially equal to but slightly less than the laser pulse period.

8. The non-transitory computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 8 that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to additionally perform operations comprising:

adjusting the lag time such that the difference between the lag time and the laser pulse period is adjusted to <10 nsec.

9. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the lag time is the time period between quenching and re-arming of an avalanche photodiode of the photodetector.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to scanning optical ranging and detection systems and methods. More particularly, it relates to time-of-flight light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems and methods employing late lock cover (Geiger) mode detection.

Background

LiDAR-and more particularly time-of-flight (TOF) -based LiDAR is an distance range measurement technique in which a brief laser pulse is emitted and a reflected light pulse is detected while the time between the emitted and reflected light pulses is measured.

Disclosure of Invention

In sharp contrast to the prior art, the late-lock Geiger mode detection system and/or method utilizes a pulsed laser and an asynchronous avalanche photodiode having a lag time between photodiode arming pulses (arm pulses) that is substantially equal to but slightly less than the laser pulse period, in illustrative embodiments, this difference between the lag time and the pulse period is <10 nsec.

This summary is provided to concisely identify aspects of the invention, which are described below in the detailed description at step .

The term "aspect" should be understood as "at least aspects the aspects described above and other aspects of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not limited by the accompanying figures.

Drawings

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram depicting an illustrative prior art Geiger mode avalanche photodiode (GmAPD) LiDAR system;

FIG. 2 shows a timing diagram including a plurality of waveforms illustrating general prior art LiDAR pulse generation and detection;

FIG. 3 shows a timing diagram including a plurality of waveforms illustrating late lock cover mode LiDAR pulse generation and detection;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of an illustrative programmable computer system suitable for executing instructions implementing a method in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description

The following merely illustrates the principles of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. More particularly, while numerous specific details are set forth, it should be understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details, and in other instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in order not to obscure the understanding of the present invention.

Moreover, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions.

Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative structures embodying the principles of the invention.

Additionally, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any flow charts (flow charts/flow diagrams), state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

The invention as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for .

The following terms are defined for use in this specification, including the appended claims:

detection region-also referred to as field of view, defined as the region of interest imaged during an image frame;

image frame-also referred to as frame integration period (duration) and data integration period (duration), which is defined as the time period during which the detection region is imaged. The image frame typically contains a plurality of detection frames;

a detection frame, also called laser pulse period or optical pulse period, defined as the time period between the emission of optical pulses from the emitter; when used with reference to the time between GmAPD armed pulses, a frame period is typically used;

delay, defined as the time difference between the start time of the detection frame and the time that a GmAPD based receiver is armed to place it in Geiger mode, it should be noted that synchronous APD pixels have delay due to their periodic arming with respect to a fixed periodic reference, while asynchronous pixels do not have delay with respect to their delay due to no reference;

control period-also referred to as width or duration, defined as the time period within a detection frame armed with SPAD to effect detection of a single photon of light, and

sample region-also known as the instantaneous field of view (IFOV), defined as the region within the detection area sampled during an individual detection frame.

With some additional background, it was noted that advances in LiDAR systems and methods have enabled practitioners to scan large areas while collecting billions of data points, each with precise latitude, longitude, and altitude (x, y, z) values within a local (relative) coordinate system.

As is known, point cloud data sets may be collected by GmAPD-based LiDAR systems (such as the GmAPD-based LiDAR system illustratively shown in FIG. 1. As depicted in such FIG. 1, a GmAPD-based LiDAR system 100 generally includes a transmitter 110 that includes a laser transmitter and transmit optics, a receiver 120 that includes receive optics and a photodetector, and a processing system 130. As shown in FIG. 1, a LiDAR system may be mounted on a movable platform (such as an automobile).

In operation, the transmitter periodically transmits an interrogation signal 140 into a detection area (or field of view) 150, from which interrogation signal 140 may be reflected back as a return signal 145. typically, the interrogation signal is a series of optical pulses exhibiting a period T1 and wavelength and intensity suitable for interrogating the detection area. the wavelength of the interrogation signal is typically in the range of 900nm to 2000nm, however, other useful wavelengths are known in the art.

In an exemplary GmAPD-based LiDAR system embodiment (such as the GmAPD-based LiDAR system embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1), the emitter may include a laser source, such as a diode laser, that emits an optical pulse of an interrogation signal in response to a drive signal from, for example, a processing system because each optical pulse of the interrogation signal propagates through the detection region, the object 160 reflects the portion of the optical energy of the pulse back toward the system 100 as a reflected optical pulse in a return signal that may be detected by the receiver.

In contemporary embodiments, the receiver may include an array of GmAPD detector pixels (not explicitly shown). As will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art, particular advantages of GmAPD are that it rapidly generates electrical pulses in response to detecting even a single photon-allowing sub-nanosecond precision photon time-of-flight measurements.

It should further be noted that , in the illustrative embodiment, the processing system may also provide control signals to pixels of a receiver (not explicitly shown), which control signals enable the receiver to selectively detect received photons.

While the physics of operation of avalanche photodiodes, and in particular avalanche photodiodes operating in geiger mode, are known and understood, it should be noted that the use of GmAPD detectors is generally not concerned with doubling noise but rather with detection probability-that is, the probability that an incident photon will produce a detection event. This probability is the product of quantum efficiency (which is the probability that a photon will be absorbed in the active region of the device) and avalanche probability (which is the probability that a photoelectron (or hole) will initiate an avalanche that will not terminate prematurely). Further, it should be noted that the geiger mode detection event does not provide intensity information. The electrical pulses generated by detecting photons can be distinguished from electrical pulses generated by detecting many simultaneously absorbed photons. Thus, a single thermally generated electron or hole may initiate an avalanche resulting in an electrical pulse that may be separated from the photon detection region. In LiDAR applications, this event represents a false alarm whose probability needs to be minimized. Finally, because electrical pulses from APDs are used in LiDAR to measure the arrival time of optical pulses, users must be concerned with the statistical variation in the time interval between the arrival of a pulse and the resulting electrical signal from an APD. Given these described characteristics and others, described herein are techniques and associated methods for improving the reliability of detection data generated from GmAPDs, and in particular GmAPDs used in LiDAR applications.

Turning now to fig. 2, an illustrative timing diagram is shown of a plurality of waveforms for a representative image frame including a detection region, such as that previously shown and described in fig. 1, as may be observed from fig. 2, the image frame 210 includes a number of substantially identical detection frames 215(1), 215(2), … 215(n) as depicted in step in fig. 2, each individual detection frames exhibit the same duration, which in this illustrative example, is equal to the duration of the period T1 of the optical burst of the interrogation signal (140 in fig. 1).

For a given image frame, each individual detection frame 215(1), 215(2), … 215(n) (collectively referred to as detection frames 215) has a start time t0 that coincides with the emission of a respective optical pulse of the interrogation signal in the illustrative example shown in fig. 2, the start time t0 is shown synchronized with the emission of the respective optical pulse, for example, optical pulse 220(1) is emitted at time t0 of detection frame 215(1), optical pulse 220(2) is emitted at time t0 of detection frame 215(2), and optical pulse 220(n) is emitted at time t0 of detection frame 215 (n). it should be noted that in some embodiments, the start time of each detection frame may be different from the emission time of its respective optical pulse, and the particular number of detection frames and optical pulses may be different than the number shown in this illustrative example.

Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 2, it can be observed that at arming time ta, control signal 220 applied to the GmAPD-based pixel of the receiver (e.g., 120 of FIG. 1) raises the bias voltage of the GmAPD-based pixel from V1 to V2, where V2 is a voltage above the threshold voltage Vt.

During operation, the control signal 235 remains high throughout the control period 240 (i.e., at V2). the control period ends at disarm time td and at td, control signal decreases below the threshold voltage Vt to voltage V1. as will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art, the time between ta and td (i.e., the duration of the control period) generally defines degrees (range) of the area scanned during each 0 detection frame. stops avalanche events occurring in GmAPD (i.e., avalanche current is quenched) once the control signal decreases below the threshold voltage, thereby enabling GmAPD to be re-armed to detect the arrival of another photon during the next detection frame.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, typically, the GmAPD-based pixels of the receiver are disarmed shortly before the end of each detection frame (as shown in FIG. 2), thereby defining a lag time during which any charge trapped in the GmAPD can be uncapped and recombined when the GmAPD is not in Geiger mode.

At this point, those skilled in the art should readily understand and appreciate that during operation of such a GmAPD-based LiDAR system, it is of paramount importance that the GmAPD-based receiver be armed and ready to receive the return signal when it actually arrives at the receiver. Given the real world uncertainty about the distance of the object to be detected, it is difficult or impossible to predict in advance when the return signal will arrive at the receiver with precision. Advantageously, methods, systems, and techniques in accordance with the present invention address this issue.

Turning now to FIG. 3, an illustrative timing diagram including multiple waveforms for a GMAPD-based LiDAR system according to aspects of the present invention is shown. More specifically, fig. 3 illustrates timing Clock (CLK)310, laser transmit (LA XMIT)320, laser receive (LA RCV)330, and avalanche optical diode field (APD _ LIVE)350 waveforms.

With continued reference to fig. 3, it should be noted that laser transmit signal (LA _ XMIT)320 initiates generation of an interrogation signal and laser receive (LA _ RCV)330 represents arrival of a return signal, both of which have been previously described. As should be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art, the time difference between laser emission and laser reception is the time of flight (TOF) of the signal from which the distance to the object can be determined.

The avalanche photodiode field (APD _ LIVE)350 waveform is shown further in fig. 3 these waveforms illustrate the period in which the avalanche photodiode is armed in geiger mode (i.e., by the effect of the previously described control signal) and ready (in the ideal case) to respond to single photon detection as one skilled in the art should appreciate further the time period between the falling edge of the avalanche photodiode field waveform (APD _ LIVE)350 and the rising edge of the lower avalanche photodiode field (APD _ LIVE)350 defines the "hysteresis" period once is armed and the field-geiger mode avalanche photodiode will avalanche upon receipt of a single photon of sufficient energy and output the signal so indicated.

Thus, and as should be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, a "hysteresis" period (as that term is used in the context of the present invention) is the period of time between quenching of an APD and its subsequent re-arming, and thus even becomes ready to respond to a single photon.

As previously mentioned, the receiver (detector) does not know a priori where the target (object) of interest is relative to the LiDAR system so that it must "learn" where it is-occasionally-when it detects the th return signal photon reflected back from the object.

To maximize LiDAR system performance, the synchronization delay should be as short as possible within the limits of detector jitter, laser jitter, and laser pulse width. In an illustrative embodiment according to the present invention, a synchronization delay of less than 10 nanoseconds is sufficient. Thus, this illustrative synchronization delay may be represented by:

synchronization delay (duration)_LPPDuration of time_HO)

And is

Synchronization delay <10nsec

At this point, however, it should be noted that while synchronization delays of less than 10 nanoseconds generally work well, the teachings are not so limited.

Operationally-in accordance with the present invention-when the avalanche photodiode is triggered by a return signal, the maximum arming time of the APD before receiving the lower signal will be equal to the synchronization delay-this limits the maximum possible noise integration time and reduces the probability of being "masked" by ambient noise.

It should be noted that in the conventional design/use case of employing asynchronous APDs, the lag time can be designed to be as short as possible-typically between 500ns and 2usec, and a shorter time is typically desirable if the detector can be rearmed fast enough without suffering additional residual pulses. Notwithstanding the significant advantages provided by these concepts, systems, methods, and techniques in accordance with the present invention.

It should be noted that , by way of illustrative example, consider the case where the object being imaged is 300 meters away (2usec round trip time) and the noise level is high enough to cause the APD to avalanche multiple times before observing the reflected laser pulse (e.g., 2MHz count rate — 4 noise counts averaged per 2us round trip time).

In this case, it should be noted that the noise is randomly distributed, and that the APD is constantly reassembitted when it randomly detects so much remaining noise that the signal is only detected occasionally.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, even if it were possible to re-arm very quickly (i.e., instantaneously), it would not be a desirable solution to employ because the detector so instantaneously re-armed would see a significant amount of noise that would create an avalanche and output signal. Thus, the data processor may have to process the corresponding large amount of data generated. As an illustrative example-a 2MHz count rate detected across 1024 pixels would result in an overall data rate of 2G events/second. For 16-bit time resolution, this results in a data bandwidth of >4GB/s that needs to be processed.

In the case of the late-lock method and system according to this disclosure, no matter how large the noise rate is, and no matter how long the lag time needed to avoid the remaining pulses is, this late-lock system and method only receives the minimum amount of information signal needed to observe the valid TOF signal Once the lock according to this disclosure has been established, the effective data rate is equal to the laser pulse rate.

Second, using conventional data processing methods, there is no pattern that the computer can look between subsequent avalanche detections to determine if the laser signal has been adequately sampled -the resulting process involves increasing the histogram time zone and bypassing all memory locations in the histogram to determine which time zone has the greatest amplitude.

Advantageously, by employing the late-lock method and system according to the present invention, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) or other processing structure can look for inter-avalanche patterns to determine if a signal has been observed/detected if the measured time between arming/disarming events is short enough-i.e., between synchronization delays-for a sufficiently large number of pulses-where the number depends on the desired confidence-it can be determined instantaneously, where the signal is located without the need for extensive computational processing of the histogram and -induced processing.

Finally, in conventional -based processes, the computation (memory) overhead through the histogram segment per possible time zones in each pulse is substantial, for example-consider the case where the laser is pulsed at 400kHz for a 300 meter range, 2us round trip time at 500ps time zone resolution-there are 4000 different time zones in which the signal may reside.for 1024 pixels with 2 bytes/segment, if the DSP checks 4000 unique time zones at 400kHz, this may require a memory bandwidth of 3.2TB/s | although by reducing the TOF resolution-assuming 5 or 10ns, it is possible to reduce this value significantly, but even the cumulative memory bandwidth of 160GB/s is still quite large.

Finally, FIG. 4 shows an illustrative computer system 400 suitable for implementing a method in accordance with aspects of the invention and incorporated into a system in accordance with aspects of the invention As can be readily appreciated, such a computer system may be integrated into another system, may be implemented via discrete elements or or multiple integrated components.

Computer system 400 includes a processor 410, a memory 420, a storage device 430, and an input/output structure 440 when used in systems and methods according to the invention, or multiple input/output devices may include transmitters, receivers, and optical controls as well as optical transmitters, optical receivers, timing and control functions, filters, etc., and other functions or multiple buses 450 generally interconnect components 410, 420, 430, and 440. processor 410 may be single core or multicore.

The processor 410 executes instructions, wherein embodiments of the present invention may comprise the steps previously described and/or outlined in or more figures such instructions may be stored in the memory 420 or the storage device 430 may receive and output data and/or information using or a plurality of input/output devices.

The memory 420 may store data and may be a computer-readable medium, such as volatile or non-volatile memory. The storage device 430 may provide a storage device for the system 400, including, for example, the methods described previously. In various aspects, storage device 430 may be a flash memory device, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk device, or a tape device employing magnetic, optical, or other recording techniques.

At this point, those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that although techniques and structures in accordance with the present disclosure have been described with respect to particular implementations and/or embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure is not so limited. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.