Waymo llc (20240319378). LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) DEVICES HAVING VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER (VCSEL) EMITTERS simplified abstract

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LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) DEVICES HAVING VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER (VCSEL) EMITTERS

Organization Name

waymo llc

Inventor(s)

David Schleuning of Piedmont CA (US)

James Dunphy of San Jose CA (US)

Augusto Tazzoli of San Jose CA (US)

Matthew Last of San Jose CA (US)

LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) DEVICES HAVING VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER (VCSEL) EMITTERS - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240319378 titled 'LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) DEVICES HAVING VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER (VCSEL) EMITTERS

Simplified Explanation: The patent application relates to lidar devices with VCSEL emitters that emit light pulses into the surrounding environment, detect reflections, and control firing using a controller.

  • VCSEL emitters emit light pulses into the environment.
  • Firing circuit selectively fires individually addressable VCSELs.
  • Controller controls firing circuit with a control signal.
  • Detectors detect reflections of emitted light pulses from objects in the environment.

Key Features and Innovation:

  • Lidar device with VCSEL emitters for emitting light pulses.
  • Individually addressable VCSELs for selective firing.
  • Controller for controlling firing circuit.
  • Detectors for detecting reflections of emitted light pulses.

Potential Applications:

  • Autonomous vehicles for obstacle detection.
  • Industrial automation for object tracking.
  • Robotics for navigation and mapping.

Problems Solved:

  • Accurate distance measurement in various environments.
  • Enhanced object detection and recognition.
  • Efficient control of firing circuit.

Benefits:

  • Improved accuracy in lidar measurements.
  • Enhanced object detection capabilities.
  • Precise control over emitted light pulses.

Commercial Applications: Title: Lidar Devices with VCSEL Emitters for Advanced Object Detection Potential commercial uses include autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and robotics for improved navigation, object tracking, and mapping capabilities.

Questions about Lidar Devices with VCSEL Emitters: 1. How do VCSEL emitters improve the performance of lidar devices? 2. What are the key advantages of using individually addressable VCSELs in lidar technology?


Original Abstract Submitted

example embodiments relate to light detection and ranging (lidar) devices having vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (vcsel) emitters. an example lidar device includes an array of individually addressable vcsels configured to emit light pulses into an environment surrounding the lidar device. the lidar device also includes a firing circuit configured to selectively fire the individually addressable vcsels in the array. in addition, the lidar device includes a controller configured to control the firing circuit using a control signal. further, the lidar device includes a plurality of detectors. each detector in the plurality of detectors is configured to detect reflections of light pulses that are emitted by one or more individually addressable vcsels in the array and reflected by one or more objects in the environment surrounding the lidar device.

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