Search Patents
  • DISTANCE DETECTION METHOD AND SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20130044310
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for detecting a distance to an object. The method comprises providing a lighting system having at least one pulse width modulated visible-light source for illumination of a field of view; emitting an illumination signal for illuminating the field of view for a duration of time y using the visible-light source at a time t; integrating a reflection energy for a first time period from a time t?x to a time t+x; determining a first integration value for the first time period; integrating the reflection energy for a second time period from a time t+y?x to a time t+y+x; determining a second integration value for the second time period; calculating a difference value between the first integration value and the second integration value; determining a propagation delay value proportional to the difference value; determining the distance to the object from the propagation delay value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: LEDDARTECH INC.
    Inventor: LEDDARTECH INC.
  • Beam-steering devices and methods for LIDAR applications
    Patent number: 11422266
    Abstract: A LIDAR apparatus for scanning a scene is provided that includes a transmitter stage, a receiver stage, a beam-steering engine configured to steer the light beam received from the transmitter stage in different directions to scan at least a portion of the scene. The beam-steering engine is responsive to steering commands to produce corresponding deflections of the light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: LeddarTech Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Baribault, Pierre Olivier
  • Beam-steering device particularly for LIDAR systems
    Patent number: 11828853
    Abstract: A LIDAR apparatus for scanning a scene, comprising a transmitter stage, a receiver stage, a beam-steering engine configured to steer the light beam received from the transmitter stage in different directions to scan at least a portion of the scene, the beam-steering engine being responsive to steering commands to produce corresponding deflections of the light beam and an operation monitor for monitoring a beam-steering function of the beam-steering engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: LeddarTech Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Bernier, Pierre Olivier, Dominique Bodziany
  • Full waveform multi-pulse optical rangefinder instrument
    Patent number: 11531104
    Abstract: There is provided a method for optically scanning a region according to a plurality of scanning directions, comprising: receiving an interleave sequence defining a scanning order for the plurality of scanning directions; sequentially propagating optical pulses according to the interleave sequence; detecting pulse echoes corresponding to a reflection of the propagated optical pulses on at least one object present within the region; and outputting the detected pulse echoes. There is further described a computer-implemented method for correcting a temporal slippage of an optical echo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: LeddarTech Inc.
    Inventor: Pierre Olivier
  • Lighting system with traffic management capabilities
    Patent number: 8436748
    Abstract: The present lighting system adds detection capabilities to perceive the presence and measure the velocity of objects such as automobiles, trucks, pedestrian and other users, to lighting modules for transportation applications like traffic signal, pedestrian control, rails signal, street light, message board and speed monitoring board. For example, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) has the capability to be used as lighting source for illumination as a first function and also be pulsed or modulated as a source for the detection sub-system as a second function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Leddartech Inc.
    Inventors: Yvan Mimeault, Daniel Cantin
  • Systems and methods for wide-angle LiDAR using non-uniform magnification optics
    Patent number: 11543533
    Abstract: Methods and systems for combining information from a first image captured of a scene via a first sensor and information from a second image captured of the scene via a second sensor wherein the first image and second image have at least one common field of view (FoV) and wherein the first image comprises pixels that are distributed according to a non-linear image point distribution function. The first image is corrected, before combining, based on said non-linear distribution function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: LeddarTech Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Baribault, Pierre Olivier
  • Method for detecting objects with light
    Patent number: 8767215
    Abstract: A method for detecting an object using light comprises providing a light source having a function of illuminating an environment. The light source is driven to emit light in a predetermined mode, with light in the predetermined mode being emitted such that the light source maintains said function of illuminating an environment. A reflection/backscatter of the emitted light is received from an object. The reflection/backscatter is filtered over a selected wavelength range as a function of a desired range of detection from the light source to obtain a light input. The presence or position of the object is identified with the desired range of detection as a function of the light input and of the predetermined mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Leddartech Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Cantin, Pascal Gallant, François Babin, Yvan Mimeault
  • METHOD FOR DETECTING OBJECTS WITH LIGHT
    Publication number: 20130314711
    Abstract: A method for detecting an object using light comprises providing a light source having a function of illuminating an environment. The light source is driven to emit light in a predetermined mode, with light in the predetermined mode being emitted such that the light source maintains said function of illuminating an environment. A reflection/backscatter of the emitted light is received from an object. The reflection/backscatter is filtered over a selected wavelength range as a function of a desired range of detection from the light source to obtain a light input. The presence or position of the object is identified with the desired range of detection as a function of the light input and of the predetermined mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: LEDDARTECH INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Cantin, Pascal GALLANT, François BABIN, Yvan MIMEAULT
  • Lighting system with driver assistance capabilities
    Patent number: 8600656
    Abstract: A method for providing driver assistance, comprising providing a vehicle with a visible-light source, driving the source to emit visible light in a predetermined mode, receiving a reflection/backscatter of the emitted visible light from an object and generating detected light data; identifying, using the driving data and the detected light data, at least one of a presence and a position of the object as a function of the reflection/backscatter received and of the predetermined mode, detecting a visibility in the environment using the driving data and the detected light data, triggering at least one of an interaction with a driver of the vehicle and an action of the vehicle as a function of at least one of the presence of the object, the position of the object and the visibility detected by the data/signal processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Leddartech Inc.
    Inventors: Yvan Mimeault, Daniel Cantin
  • Method for detecting objects with visible light
    Patent number: 8319949
    Abstract: A method for detecting an object using visible light comprises providing a visible-light source having a function of illuminating an environment. The visible-light source is driven to emit visible light in a predetermined mode, with visible light in the predetermined mode being emitted such that the light source maintains said function of illuminating an environment. A reflection/backscatter of the emitted visible light is received from an object. The reflection/backscatter is filtered over a selected wavelength range as a function of a desired range of detection from the light source to obtain a light input. The presence or position of the object is identified with the desired range of detection as a function of the light input and of the predetermined mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Leddartech Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Cantin, Pascal Gallant, François Babin
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRAFFIC SIDE DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION
    Publication number: 20140232566
    Abstract: A method for detecting a vehicle comprising: providing a multi-channel scannerless full-waveform lidar system operating in pulsed Time-Of-Flight operation oriented towards a surface of the roadway to cover the detection zone; providing at least one initialization parameter; emitting pulses at an emission frequency; receiving reflections of the pulses from the detection zone; and acquiring and digitalizing a series of individual complete traces at each channel of system; identifying at least one detection in at least one of the traces; obtaining a height and an intensity for the detection; determining a nature of the detection to be one of an environmental particle detection, a candidate object detection and a roadway surface detection; if the nature of the detection is the candidate object detection, detecting a presence of a vehicle in the detection zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: LEDDARTECH INC.
    Inventors: Yvan Mimeault, Samuel Gidel, Michael Poulin, David Arrouart
  • Optical level measurement device and method
    Patent number: 8159660
    Abstract: A method and system for determining a level of a substance in a container, the method comprises emitting one pulse from a light source in a field of illumination toward a surface of said substance in said container. A backscatter signal of said pulse is detected by an optical detector. A lidar trace is created from said backscatter signal, said lidar trace including at least one reflection peak; A surface reflection is identified among said at least one reflection peak in said lidar trace, said surface reflection being a reflection of said pulse from said surface. The surface reflection is signal-fitted to provide a fitted surface trace. A level of said substance is determined in said container using said fitted surface trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Leddartech Inc.
    Inventors: Yvan Mimeault, Louis Perreault
  • INTRINSIC STATIC NOISE CHARACTERIZATION AND REMOVAL
    Publication number: 20190011543
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and a system for at least partially removing intrinsic static noise from data obtained by an optical time-of-flight sensor using full-waveform analysis. The method includes receiving a plurality of calibration traces, the calibration traces being obtained in a controlled environment wherein no object is present in a field of view of the optical time-of-flight sensor; determining a noise template using the calibration traces by performing a statistical analysis on the calibration traces to determine a shape and an amplitude of the intrinsic static noise in the calibration traces; receiving a normal operation trace, the normal operation trace being obtained in an uncontrolled environment wherein a presence of the object in the field of view is unknown; subtracting the noise template from the normal operation trace, obtaining and outputting a denoised signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: LEDDARTECH INC.
    Inventors: Samuel GIDEL, Victor SIMARD-BILODEAU
  • Beam-steering device particularly for LIDAR systems
    Patent number: 11567179
    Abstract: A beam-steering engine, comprising an optical element switchable between a first operational mode and a second operational mode, in the first operational mode of the optical element the beam-steering engine is configured to output an input light beam incident on the beam-steering engine along a first propagation direction and in the second operational mode of the optical element the beam-steering engine is configured to output the input light beam incident on the beam-steering engine along a second propagation direction. A transition of the optical element between the first and second operational modes is characterized by a transition time period that varies with a temperature of the optical element. The beam-steering engine further includes a device to control a temperature of the solid-state optical element to maintain the transition time period below a certain limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: LeddarTech Inc.
    Inventor: Pierre Olivier
  • 3D optical detection system and method for a mobile storage system
    Patent number: 8823951
    Abstract: A mobile storage having a mobile storage unit having a detection side; an opposing component having an aisle side facing the detection side; the mobile storage unit being movable between a closed position and an open position wherein an aisle is defined; at least one detection module having an optical pulse emitter and an optical detector both provided at an end, facing the aisle, the optical pulse emitter emitting a light pulse, the optical detector detecting a reflection of the light pulse. An object detection method for a mobile storage comprising comparing a temporal reflection signal to a background temporal reflection signal to detect the presence of an object; and indicating a status of the aisle to be presence of an object if the object is detected to be present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Leddartech Inc.
    Inventors: Yvan Mimeault, Louis Perreault
  • Active 3D monitoring system for traffic detection
    Patent number: 8842182
    Abstract: The traffic detection system includes an optical unit having an emitter module emitting pulses; a receiver module having a field of view including a plurality of adjacent detection channels receiving pulses reflected by an object and acquiring and converting the received pulses into a corresponding plurality of a digital signal waveforms; an image sensing module providing an image. The method comprises providing a status overlay image including the image and a visual indication on the image of an outline of the plurality of adjacent detection channels; positioning the field of view to cover the detection zone using the status overlay image; obtaining the plurality of digital signal waveforms; detecting a signal echo caused by an object in one of the digital signal waveforms at a position within the field of view; determining a location for the object using the position; storing the location for the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: LeddarTech inc.
    Inventors: Yvan Mimeault, Louis Perreault, Martin Dubois
  • System and method for traffic side detection and characterization
    Patent number: 9378640
    Abstract: A method for detecting a vehicle comprising: providing a multi-channel scannerless full-waveform lidar system operating in pulsed Time-Of-Flight operation oriented towards a surface of the roadway to cover the detection zone; providing at least one initialization parameter; emitting pulses at an emission frequency; receiving reflections of the pulses from the detection zone; and acquiring and digitalizing a series of individual complete traces at each channel of system; identifying at least one detection in at least one of the traces; obtaining a height and an intensity for the detection; determining a nature of the detection to be one of an environmental particle detection, a candidate object detection and a roadway surface detection; if the nature of the detection is the candidate object detection, detecting a presence of a vehicle in the detection zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: LEDDARTECH INC.
    Inventors: Yvan Mimeault, Samuel Gidel, Michael Poulin, David Arrouart
  • Intrinsic static noise characterization and removal
    Patent number: 11035937
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and a system for at least partially removing intrinsic static noise from data obtained by an optical time-of-flight sensor using full-waveform analysis. The method includes receiving a plurality of calibration traces, the calibration traces being obtained in a controlled environment wherein no object is present in a field of view of the optical time-of-flight sensor; determining a noise template using the calibration traces by performing a statistical analysis on the calibration traces to determine a shape and an amplitude of the intrinsic static noise in the calibration traces; receiving a normal operation trace, the normal operation trace being obtained in an uncontrolled environment wherein a presence of the object in the field of view is unknown; subtracting the noise template from the normal operation trace, obtaining and outputting a denoised signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: LEDDARTECH INC.
    Inventors: Samuel Gidel, Vincent Simard-Bilodeau
  • Component for a LIDAR sensor system, LIDAR sensor system, LIDAR sensor device, method for a LIDAR sensor system and method for a LIDAR sensor device
    Patent number: 11726184
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to various embodiments of an optical component for a LIDAR Sensor System. The optical component may include an optical element having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, a first lens array formed on the first main surface, and/or a second lens array formed on the second main surface. The optical element has a curved shape in a first direction of the LIDAR Sensor System.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: LeddarTech Inc.
    Inventors: Ricardo Ferreira, Stefan Hadrath, Peter Hoehmann, Herbert Kaestle, Florian Kolb, Norbert Magg, Jiye Park, Tobias Schmidt, Martin Schnarrenberger, Norbert Haas, Helmut Horn, Bernhard Siessegger, Guido Angenendt, Charles Braquet, Gerhard Maierbacher, Oliver Neitzke, Sergey Khrushchev
  • Distance detection method and system
    Patent number: RE46930
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for detecting a distance to an object. The method comprises providing a lighting system having at least one pulse width modulated visible-light source for illumination of a field of view; emitting an illumination signal for illuminating the field of view for a duration of time y using the visible-light source at a time t; integrating a reflection energy for a first time period from a time t?x to a time t+x; determining a first integration value for the first time period; integrating the reflection energy for a second time period from a time t+y?x to a time t+y+x; determining a second integration value for the second time period; calculating a difference value between the first integration value and the second integration value; determining a propagation delay value proportional to the difference value; determining the distance to the object from the propagation delay value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: LeddarTech Inc.
    Inventor: Yvan Mimeault
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