Patent ID: 11906671
Assignee: WAYMO LLC
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device comprising:
a transmitter that emits light, wherein the emitted light illuminates an illuminated region of an environment;
a lens that receives light from the environment, wherein the lens focuses light propagating toward the LIDAR device from the illuminated region of the environment along a predefined optical path;
a detector positioned along the predefined optical path to intercept and detect light within a current field-of-view (FOV), wherein the current FOV comprises the illuminated region of the environment;
a light sensor separate from the detector and positioned to detect light propagating from a region of the environment outside of the current FOV, wherein the light sensor is configured to generate data indicative of external light originating from a source other than the transmitter being emitted toward the LIDAR device; and
a controller, wherein the controller is configured to: (i) receive, from the light sensor, the data indicative of external light originating from a source other than the transmitter being emitted toward the LIDAR device and (ii) in response to receiving the data indicative of external light originating from a source other than the transmitter being emitted toward the LIDAR device, engaging in a mitigation procedure to protect operation of the LIDAR device against the external light, wherein engaging in the mitigation procedure comprises:
controlling the transmitter such that the transmitter adjusts one or more characteristics of the light being emitted by the transmitter to differentiate the emitted light from the external light, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise at least one of a wavelength or a modulation of the light being emitted by the transmitter; and
controlling the detector such that the detector detects light having characteristics that match the adjusted one or more characteristics of the light being emitted by the transmitter.