# US 11,079,546 B2 · Providing spatial displacement of transmit and receive modes in LIDAR system

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- Number: US 11,079,546 B2
- Document ID: US11079546B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/783,550
- Filed: 2020-02-06
- Published: 2020-10-22
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-22
- Assignees: Blackmore Sensors & Analytics, LLC
- Applicants: Blackmore Sensors & Analytics, LLC
- Inventors: Evan Rogers; Ryan Galloway; Zeb Barber; Sean Spillane
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079546B2

## CPC

- G01S 7/4811: {common to transmitter and receiver}
- G02B 6/2746: {comprising non-reciprocal devices, e.g. isolators, FRM, circulators, quasi-isolators (magneto-optic non-reciprocal devices G02F1/093)}
- G01S 7/4812: {transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path}
- G01S 7/4818: {using optical fibres}
- G01S 7/4915: Time delay measurement, e.g. operational details for pixel components (signal extraction and conditioning G01S7/493); Phase measurement
- G01S 17/003: {Bistatic lidar systems; Multistatic lidar systems}
- G01S 17/32: using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated
- G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging
- 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
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

An apparatus includes a transceiver and one or more optics. The transceiver is configured to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode. The one or more optics are configured to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
a transceiver configured to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode; and
one or more optics positioned between the transceiver and the object and configured to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system as recited in claim 1, wherein
the transceiver is a bistatic transceiver comprising a transmission waveguide and a receiving waveguide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The LIDAR system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more optics include a birefringent displacer configured to displace, in a direction, one of the transmit signal and the return signal, the direction being orthogonal to a direction of the one of the transmit signal and the return signal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The LIDAR system as recited in claim 3, further comprising a collimation optic configured to shape the transmit signal transmitted from the transmission waveguide and to shape the return signal reflected by the object.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The LIDAR system as recited in claim 4, further comprising:
a polarization transforming optic configured to adjust a relative phase between orthogonal field components of the transmit signal and the return signal,
wherein the birefringent displacer and the polarization transforming optic are positioned between the bistatic transceiver and the collimation optic.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The LIDAR system as recited in claim 3, wherein:
the receiving waveguide is spaced apart from the transmission waveguide by a separation;
the birefringent displacer is configured to displace the one of the transmit signal and return signal by a distance orthogonal to the direction of the one of the transmit signal and return signal; and
the distance is based on the separation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The LIDAR system as recited in claim 6, wherein the birefringent displacer has a dimension along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, wherein the dimension is sized such that the distance is about equal to the separation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The LIDAR system as recited in claim 6, wherein the birefringent displacer is configured to cause the return signal to be displaced based on the separation without displacing the transmit signal such that the displaced return signal is incident on the receiving waveguide.

### Claim 9

An autonomous vehicle control system comprising one or more processors,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
cause a transceiver to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode;
cause one or more optics to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal; and
operate a vehicle based on the return signal received by the transceiver.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 9, wherein:
the transceiver is a bistatic transceiver comprising a transmission waveguide and a receiving waveguide; and
the one or more optics are positioned between the bistatic transceiver and the object.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 9, wherein:
the one or more optics includes a birefringent displacer; and
the one or more processors are configured to cause the birefringent displacer to displace, in a direction, one of the transmit signal and the return signal, the direction being orthogonal to a direction of the one of the transmit signal and the return signal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause a collimation optic to shape the transmit signal transmitted from the transmission waveguide and to shape the return signal reflected by the object.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 12, wherein:
the one or more processors are configured to cause a polarization transforming optic to adjust a relative phase between orthogonal field components of the transmit signal and the return signal; and
the birefringent displacer and the polarization transforming optic are positioned between the bistatic transceiver and the collimation optic.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 11, wherein:
the receiving waveguide is spaced apart from the transmission waveguide by a separation;
the one or more processors are configured to cause the birefringent displacer to displace the one of the transmit signal and return signal by a distance orthogonal to the direction of the one of the transmit signal and return signal; and
the distance is based on the separation.

### Claim 15

An autonomous vehicle comprising
a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system,
wherein the LIDAR system comprises:
a transceiver configured to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode; and
one or more optics positioned between the transceiver and the object and configured to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 15, wherein the transceiver is a bistatic transceiver comprising a transmission waveguide and a receiving waveguide.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more optics include a birefringent displacer configured to displace, in a direction, one of the transmit signal and the return signal, the direction being orthogonal to a direction of the one of the transmit signal and the return signal.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 17, wherein the LIDAR system further comprises a collimation optic configured to shape the transmit signal transmitted from the transmission waveguide and to shape the return signal reflected by the object.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 18, wherein the LIDAR system further comprises:
a polarization transforming optic configured to adjust a relative phase between orthogonal field components of the transmit signal and the return signal,
wherein the birefringent displacer and the polarization transforming optic are positioned between the bistatic transceiver and the collimation optic.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 17, wherein:
the receiving waveguide is spaced apart from the transmission waveguide by a separation;
the birefringent displacer is configured to displace the one of the transmit signal and return signal by a distance orthogonal to the direction of the one of the transmit signal and return signal; and
the distance is based on the separation.