Multi-Lens Lidar Receiver with Multiple Readout Channels

• Main Authors: Polishchuk, Igor, Feru, Philippe, Dussan, Luis, Benscoter, Joel, Steinhardt, Allan
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.02.2023
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TESTING

A lidar system comprising (1) a first lens having a first field of view (FOV) that receives incident light from the first FOV, (2) a second lens having a second FOV that receives incident light from the second FOV, wherein the second field of view is encompassed by and narrower than the first FOV, and (3) photodetector circuitry that senses incident light passed by the first and second lenses. The photodetector circuitry can include multiple channels of readout circuitry for reading out (1) a first return signal in a first of the channels for detecting a return from a laser pulse shot that targets a location in the second FOV, wherein the first return signal is based on incident light passed by the first lens, and (2) a second return signal in a second of the channels for detecting the return, wherein the second return signal is based on incident light passed by the second lens.