Systems and methods for data communication via a rotary link

A system, comprising:

• a first platform configured for attachment to a vehicle;
• a second platform spaced apart from the first platform by a gap, wherein the second platform is configured to rotate relative to the first platform;
• an apparatus coupled to the second platform, wherein the apparatus comprises a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device configured to generate data;
• a wireless data transformer configured to transmit the data generated by the LIDAR device via the gap, wherein the wireless data transformer comprises a first conductive loop on a first printed circuit board (PCB) in the first platform and a second conductive loop on a second PCB in the second platform, wherein the first and second conductive loops are inductively coupled together across the gap;
• a wireless power transformer configured to transmit power to the apparatus via the gap using a signal having a first frequency, wherein the wireless power transformer comprises a primary winding in the first platform and a secondary winding in the second platform;
• and
• a communication interface in the second platform, wherein the communication interface is configured to (i) encode the data generated by the LIDAR device with error correction codes to provide encoded data, (ii) modulate a radio frequency (RF) signal that includes a plurality of sub-carriers with the encoded data to provide a data-modulated RF signal, and (iii) transmit the data-modulated RF signal to a vehicle communication interface in the vehicle via the wireless data transformer, wherein the data-modulated RF signal uses frequencies greater than the first frequency, and wherein the vehicle communication interface is configured to (a) demodulate the data-modulated RF signal to recover the encoded data, (b) decode the encoded data to recover the data generated by the LIDAR device, and (c) transmit the data to a computing device in the vehicle.

A method comprising:

• rotating a rotating portion of a sensing device relative to a stationary portion of the sensing device, wherein the rotating portion is spaced apart from the stationary portion by a gap, and wherein the stationary portion is coupled to a vehicle;
• transmitting power to the rotating portion via a wireless power transformer using a signal having a first frequency, wherein the wireless power transformer comprises a primary winding in the stationary portion and a secondary winding in the rotating portion;
• generating data by a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device in the rotating portion;
• encoding, by a communication interface in the rotating portion, the data generated by the LIDAR device with error correction codes to provide encoded data;
• modulating, by the communication interface, a radio frequency (RF) signal that includes a plurality of sub-carriers with the encoded data to provide a data-modulated RF signal;
• and
• transmitting, by the communication interface, the data-modulated RF signal to a vehicle communication interface in the vehicle via a wireless data transformer, wherein the wireless data transformer comprises a first conductive loop on a first printed circuit board (PCB) in the stationary portion and a second conductive loop on a second PCB in the rotating portion, wherein the first and second conductive loops are inductively coupled together across the gap, wherein the data-modulated RF signal uses frequencies greater than the first frequency, and wherein the vehicle communication interface is configured to (a) demodulate the data-modulated RF signal to recover the encoded data, (b) decode the encoded data to recover the data generated by the LIDAR device, and (c) transmit the data to a computing device in the vehicle.