Ouster has been granted a patent for a Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) system. The system includes emitter and detector elements, as well as a control circuit. The control circuit generates control signals to operate the emitter elements differently based on the delays of the detector elements’ strobe windows of operation. GlobalData’s report on Ouster gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Ouster, Lidar-assisted navigation was a key innovation area identified from patents. Ouster's grant share as of September 2023 was 28%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
A lidar system with synchronized emitter and detector elements
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11768275B2) describes a Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) system that utilizes multiple emitter elements and detector elements to improve the accuracy and range of distance measurements. The system includes one or more emitter elements that emit optical signals in response to control signals. The detector elements detect incident photons during specific time intervals, known as strobe windows, which occur between pulses of the optical signals. The strobe windows have different delays with respect to the pulses, and a control circuit generates the emitter control signals to operate the emitter elements differently based on these delays.
In one embodiment, the emitter control signals operate the emitter elements at different power levels for different strobe windows. The first strobe window corresponds to a closer sub-range of the distance range based on the time between pulses, and the second power level is greater than the first power level. The control circuit generates the emitter control signals independently of the detection signals from the detector elements.
The emitter elements can be divided into subsets positioned at different regions of an emitter array or have different densities. The first subset emits optical signals for the first strobe window, while the second subset emits optical signals for the second strobe window. The second subset may have fewer emitter elements than the first subset.
Another embodiment of the LIDAR system includes a control circuit that outputs emitter control signals to operate the emitter elements based on delays of the strobe windows. The delays correspond to sub-ranges of the distance range. The first strobe window corresponds to a closer sub-range than the second strobe window, and the second power level is greater than the first power level. The emitter elements are divided into first and second subsets positioned at different regions of the emitter array. The control circuit generates the emitter control signals independently of the detection signals.
The patent also mentions that the LIDAR system can be used in autonomous vehicles, where the emitter and detector elements are oriented relative to the vehicle's intended direction of travel.
Overall, this patent describes a LIDAR system that utilizes different power levels and subsets of emitter elements to improve distance measurements in various sub-ranges. The system can be used in autonomous vehicles to enhance their perception capabilities.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
