# US 10,503,045 B2 · Beam steering apparatus, method of driving the beam steering apparatus, and spatial information acquisition apparatus using the beam steering apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,045 B2 - Document ID: US10503045B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/371,326 - Filed: 2016-12-07 - Published: 2017-06-15 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-11 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jinmyoung Kim; Jaehyuk Choi; Jungwoo Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503045B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/292: {by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering (controlled diffraction for optical switching G02F1/31)} - G01S 7/4814: {of transmitters alone} - G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) - G02F 2203/24: beam steering - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A beam steering apparatus, a method of driving the beam steering apparatus, and a spatial information acquisition apparatus using the beam steering apparatus, are provided. The beam steering apparatus includes a light source, and a steering array including elements having refractive indexes varying with a voltage driving the steering array, the elements being configured to control a direction of a beam from the light source and incident on the steering array. The beam steering apparatus further includes a driver configured to generate the voltage, based on an intermediate value of at least two voltages, and drive the steering array, based on the generated voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A beam steering apparatus comprising: a light source; a steering array comprising elements having refractive indexes varying with a voltage driving the steering array, the elements being configured to control a direction of a beam from the light source and incident on the steering array; and a driver comprising: a drive array configured to generate first voltages that are applied respectively to the elements of the steering array to drive the steering array, based on second voltages; and a power supply configured to: generate the second voltages, based on an intermediate value of predetermined initial voltages, and based on a number of cells that are included in a line of the drive array and to which the second voltages are applied; and apply the generated second voltages to be used to generate the first voltages, to the drive array. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The beam steering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive array comprises cells configured to store the first voltages that are applied to the respective elements of the steering array, and the beam steering apparatus further comprises a controller configured to control the drive array. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The beam steering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second voltages applied to the line of the drive array have a pattern constantly increasing or decreasing in a direction of the line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The beam steering apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises: initial voltage generators configured to set any one or any combination of the predetermined initial voltages; resistive parts corresponding to the cells included in the line of the drive array; and switches respectively connected to the resistive parts and configured to drive the resistive parts, wherein the power supply is further configured to generate the second voltages by selectively operating the switches and the initial voltage generators. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The beam steering apparatus of claim 2, wherein the drive array is further configured to: generate the first voltages, based on an intermediate value of the second voltages that are stored in adjacent cells included in the drive array; and store the generated first voltages in the adjacent cells. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The beam steering apparatus of claim 5, wherein the drive array is further configured to store the second voltages in super cells that are formed by connecting, in predetermined units, cells that are perpendicular to the line of the drive array and to which the second voltages are applied, and the controller is further configured to store the generated first voltages in the drive array by controlling a connection between adjacent super cells among the super cells and a connection between adjacent cells included in the super cells. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The beam steering apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the cells comprises: a capacitor configured to store one of the second voltages or the first voltages; a first switch configured to control one of the second voltages to be stored in the capacitor; and a second switch configured to control a connection between an adjacent capacitor of an adjacent cell included in the drive array and the capacitor, wherein the controller is further configured to generate one of the first voltages by selectively operating the first switch and the second switch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The beam steering apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to control the applying of the generated second voltages, the generating of the first voltages, the storing of the generated first voltages, and the driving of the steering array. ### Claim 9 A method of driving a beam steering apparatus, the method comprising: generating first voltages that are applied respectively to elements of a steering array to drive the steering array, based on second voltages, the elements having refractive indexes varying with a voltage driving the steering array; generating the second voltages, based on an intermediate value of predetermined initial voltages, and based on a number of cells that are included in a line of a drive array and to which the second voltages are applied; applying the generated second voltages to be used to generate the first voltages, to the drive an array; and controlling a direction of a beam from a light source and incident on the steering array, by the elements of the steering array. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the first voltages in cells of the drive array. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the second voltages applied to the line of the drive array have a pattern constantly increasing or decreasing in a direction of the line. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the generating of the second voltages comprises generating the second voltages by selectively operating switches and initial voltage generators, wherein the switches are respectively connected to resistive parts corresponding to the cells included in the line of the drive array, the switches driving the resistive parts, and the initial voltage generators set any one or any combination of the predetermined initial voltages. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the generating of the first voltages comprises generating the first voltages, based on an intermediate value of the second voltages that are stored in adjacent cells included in the drive array, and the storing of the first voltages comprises storing the generated first voltages in the adjacent cells. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the generating and storing of the first voltages comprises: storing the second voltages in super cells that are formed by connecting, in predetermined units, cells that are perpendicular to the line of the drive array and to which the second voltages are applied; and storing the generated first voltages in the drive array by controlling a connection between adjacent super cells among the super cells and a connection between adjacent cells included in the super cells. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the generating of the first voltages comprises generating one of the first voltages by selectively operating a first switch and a second switch of one of the cells, the first switch controls one of the second voltages to be stored in a capacitor of one of the cells, and the second switch controls a connection between an adjacent capacitor of an adjacent cell included in the drive array and the capacitor. ### Claim 16 A spatial information acquisition apparatus comprising: a beam steering apparatus configured to: generate first voltages that are applied respectively to elements of a steering array to drive the steering array, based on an intermediate value of second voltages that are stored in adjacent cells included in a drive array, the elements having refractive indexes varying with a voltage driving the steering array; generate and apply second voltages to be used to generate the first voltages, to the drive array; and control a direction of a beam from a light source and incident on the elements of the steering array; and a detector configured to detect information of a space into which the beam is reflected from the steering array, based on information that is received when the beam is reflected. ### Claim 17 A method of a spatial information acquisition apparatus, the method comprising: generating first voltages that are applied respectively to elements of a steering array to drive the steering array, based on an intermediate value of second voltages that are stored in adjacent cells included in a drive array, the elements having refractive indexes varying with a voltage driving the steering array; generating and applying second voltages to be used to generate the first voltages, to the drive array; controlling a direction of a beam from a light source and incident on the elements of the steering array; and detecting information of a space into which the beam is reflected from the steering array, based on information that is received when the beam is reflected.