# US 11,442,151 B2 · Holographic waveguide LIDAR

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- Number: US 11,442,151 B2
- Document ID: US11442151B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/935,037
- Filed: 2020-07-21
- Published: 2020-12-10
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-20
- Assignees: DigiLens Inc.
- Applicants: DigiLens Inc.
- Inventors: Milan Momcilo Popovich; Jonathan David Waldern; Alastair John Grant
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442151B2

## CPC

- G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning}
- G01S 7/4818: {using optical fibres}
- G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46)
- G02B 6/12002: {Three-dimensional structures}
- G02B 6/34: utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)}
- G02B 26/0808: {by means of one or more diffracting elements}
- G02B 26/106: {having diffraction gratings as scanning elements, e.g. holographic scanners (holographic optical elements G02B5/32, holography G03H)}
- G02B 27/0093: {with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking}
- G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)}
- G01S 17/88: Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
- G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging
- G02B 2006/12138: {Sensor}
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A holographic waveguide LIDAR comprises a transmitter waveguide coupled to a beam deflector and a receiver waveguide coupled to a detector module. The transmitter waveguide contains an array of grating elements for diffracting a scanned laser beam into a predefined angular ranges. The receiver waveguide contains an array of grating elements for diffracting light reflected from external points within a predefined angular range towards the detector module.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A waveguide sensor, comprising:
a source of first wavelength light;
at least one beam deflector for scanning said light;
a transmitter waveguide containing a multiplicity of transmitter grating elements disposed in at least one grating layer, each said transmitter grating element operative to diffract light into a predefined range of output directions;
a receiver waveguide containing a multiplicity of receiver grating elements disposed in at least one grating layer, each said receiver grating element diffracting light reflected from external points and incident within a predefined angular range into a TIR path to said detector; and
a detector optically coupled to said receiver waveguide,
wherein said at least one beam deflector is optically coupled to said transmitter waveguide and configured such that scanned light coupled into said transmitter waveguide executes angular sweeps about the principal diffraction directions of said transmitter grating elements of said transmitter waveguide.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said transmitter grating elements of said transmitter waveguide or said receiver grating elements of said receiver waveguide are elements of a two dimensional array.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said transmitter grating elements of said transmitter waveguide or said receiver grating elements of said receiver waveguide are elements of a one dimensional array.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said transmitter grating elements of said transmitter waveguide or said receiver grating elements of said receiver waveguide are elongate elements with longer dimensions aligned orthogonally to the propagation direction of said waveguides.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said transmitter grating elements of said transmitter waveguide or said receiver grating elements of said receiver waveguide are electrically switchable.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said transmitter grating elements of said transmitter waveguide or said receiver grating elements of said receiver waveguide have at least one of aspect ratio or surface area varying across the waveguide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said receiver waveguide and said transmitter waveguide substantially overlap.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said transmitter grating elements of said transmitter waveguide and said receiver grating elements of said receiver waveguide have at least two different grating vectors.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, at least one of said transmitter waveguide or said receiver waveguide contains grating layers operating over different angular ranges.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one of said transmitter waveguide or said receiver waveguide includes at least one grating layer containing a fold grating.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said transmitter waveguide and said receiver waveguide are combined into a single waveguide containing a multiplicity of grating elements disposed in at least one grating layer, each said grating element operative to diffract said light into a predefined range of output directions, each said element diffracting light reflected from external points and incident within a predefined angular range into a TIR path to said detector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1 configured to detect a 3D point cloud.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The waveguide sensor of claim 12, further comprising a beamsplitter for providing optical paths between said source and said transmitter waveguide and said detector and said receiver waveguide.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising coupling between said scanner waveguide and said transmitter waveguide, wherein said coupling comprises one of a prism, a grating, a switchable grating, or via edge coupling.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said at least one beam deflector is a micro-electro-mechanical system.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said source is an infrared light emitting diode or an infrared laser.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said first wavelength is approximately 1550 nm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said transmitter grating elements or said receiver grating elements is at least one selected from the group consisting of: a Bragg Grating, a surface relief grating, a switchable Bragg grating recorded in a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) material, a uniform modulation HPDLC material, and a reverse mode HPDLC material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein the transmitter waveguide and the receiver waveguide are formed in a stack further comprising at least one of a waveguide head mounted display (HMD) or a waveguide eye tracker.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The waveguide sensor of claim 1, wherein said detector is a heterodyne detection device.