{
  "patent_number": "US 20240045038",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How a Smart LIDAR System Adapts to Noise for Better Distance Sensing",
  "original_title": "Noise Adaptive Solid-State LIDAR System",
  "summary": "This patent describes a LIDAR system that uses multiple lasers and detectors, and intelligently adjusts the electrical settings of specific detectors to reduce noise and improve distance measurements in different lighting conditions.",
  "what_it_does": "This LIDAR system works by having several lasers that can each light up a specific area (claim 41a). A controller decides which of these lasers to fire, creating light in a 'desired illumination region' (claim 41b). An optical receiver, with many detectors, is positioned to catch the light returning from this illuminated area (claim 41c). The system then measures how long the light took to travel (time-of-flight) to calculate distances. The clever part is that a receiver controller adjusts the electrical 'bias point' of specific detectors or groups of detectors (sub-arrays) based on which area is being illuminated (claim 41d). For example, if a specific area is very bright due to sunlight, the system can adjust the detectors looking at that area to reduce the impact of that background light, improving accuracy.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover LIDAR systems that use only a single laser or a single detector.",
    "Does not cover LIDAR systems where the detector's electrical settings (bias point) are fixed and not adaptively changed based on the illuminated region.",
    "Does not cover LIDAR systems that rely on mechanical scanning mirrors to steer a single laser beam, as this patent describes a system with a 'plurality of lasers' and 'solid-state' in its description.",
    "Does not cover systems that do not measure range information from time-of-flight measurements.",
    "Does not cover systems where the transmitter controller does not selectively pulse desired lasers to generate light in a specific region."
  ],
  "filed": "2023-10-17",
  "granted": null,
  "expires": "2043-10-17",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Opsys Tech",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/opsys-tech",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Mark J. Donovan",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/mark-j-donovan"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 1,
  "tags": [
    "automotive",
    "robotics",
    "telecommunications",
    "consumer_electronics",
    "software"
  ],
  "abstract": "A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical transmitter comprising a plurality of lasers, where each of the plurality of lasers illuminates a field-of-view. A transmitter controller is configured to pulse desired ones of the plurality of lasers so that the plurality of lasers generate light in a desired illumination region. An optical receiver comprises a plurality of detectors positioned to detect light over the desired illumination region. The plurality of detectors generates an electrical detection signal. A time-of-flight measurement circuit measures the time-of-flight of light from the plurality of lasers to the plurality of detectors. The optical receiver calculates range information from the time-of-flight measurements. A receiver controller is electrically connected to the transmitter controller and is configured to bias at least some of the plurality of detectors at a bias point that achieves a desired detection signal noise level.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20240045038/noise-adaptive-solid-state-lidar-system",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20240045038/noise-adaptive-solid-state-lidar-system/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US20240045038",
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}