| 摘要 |
A vehicular collision avoidance system comprising a system controller, pulsed laser transmitter, a number of independent ladar sensor units, a cabling infrastructure, internal memory, a scene processor, and a data communications port is presented herein. The described invention is capable of developing a 3-D scene, and object data for targets within the scene, from multiple ladar sensor units coupled to centralized LADAR-based Collision Avoidance System (CAS). Key LADAR elements are embedded within standard headlamp and taillight assemblies. Articulating LADAR sensors cover terrain coming into view around a curve, at the crest of a hill, or at the bottom of a dip. A central laser transmitter may be split into multiple optical outputs and guided through fibers to illuminate portions of the 360° field of view surrounding the vehicle. These fibers may also serve as amplifiers to increase the optical intensity provided by a single master laser. |
| 主权项 |
1. A collision avoidance system comprising
at least one ladar sensor having a field of view and illuminating pattern, said at least one ladar sensor housed within an envelope and mounted on a vehicle, said envelope with at least one transparent face capable of transmitting infrared laser light, said at least one ladar sensor further comprising a pulsed laser transmitter having a pulsed light output and diffusing optic and adapted to emit a laser light pulse to illuminate a scene in the field of view of said ladar sensor, and a time zero reference circuit having a time zero output, said time zero output adapted to signal the instant of emission of the laser light pulse, a regular geometric array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal point of a light collecting and focusing lens, and each individual light sensitive detector having an output terminal producing an electrical pulse when illuminated by a reflected portion of the laser light pulse, a readout integrated circuit comprising a regular geometric array of unit cell electrical circuits, each unit cell electrical circuit having an input connected to the output terminal of an individual light sensitive detector, and each unit cell electrical circuit adapted to amplify and detect said electrical pulse, and said unit cell electrical circuit having a detected pulse output, and a plurality of timing circuits, each timing circuit connected to a detected pulse output, and also connected to the time zero output, and said timing circuits each having an elapsed time output producing an elapsed time measurement value indicating the time delay between the emission of the laser light pulse and an electrical pulse indicated by said detected pulse output from said unit cell electrical circuit, said readout integrated circuit connected to the elapsed time outputs, and the readout integrated circuit adapted to collect and transmit said elapsed time outputs; and,
a system controller,said at least one ladar sensor connected to said system controller via bidirectional connections, said bidirectional connections comprising:
a cable assembly routed through the vehicle, said cable assembly further comprising;
a first end connected to the system controller,a plurality of electrically conductive signal wires, anda connector at a second end adapted to connect to said at least one ladar sensor.
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