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US 12,270,949 B2Granted
Dual path light detection and ranging system
AssigneePointcloud Inc.
InventorsAlexander Yukio Piggott, Alexander Alexeevich Gondarenko, Steven Andrew Fortune, Andrew James Compston, Robert Francis Wiser, Remus Nicolaescu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual path configuration Integrated LiDAR architecture can contain a focal plane transmitter and a focal plane coherent receiver. The integrated LiDAR transmitter can contain an optical frequency chirp generator and a focal plane optical beam scanner with integrated driving electronics. The integrated LiDAR receiver architecture can be implemented with per-pixel coherent detection and amplification.
Claims16
A method comprising:
- generating a light beam using an integrated light source in an optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC);
- splitting the light beam into multiple outgoing beams to a target object, the light beam split into the multiple outgoing beams by an optical switch tree in the transmitter PIC, the optical switch tree comprising one or more optical switches controlled by an electronic switch control circuit integrated in the transmitter PIC, the electronic switch control circuit comprising an electrical multiplexer to generate a feedback signal for control of the one or more optical switches using a demultiplexer in the electronic switch control circuit to compensate for changes in optical loss, each of the one or more optical switches comprising photodetectors to generate a current from the multiple outgoing beams, the current being input into the electrical multiplexer to generate the feedback signal, each one of the one or more optical switches comprising two phase shifters driven by outputs of the demultiplexer, the demultiplexer receiving a selection setting that is set using the feedback signal;
- transmitting the multiple outgoing beams to a target using a plurality of couplers in the transmitter PIC;
- receiving reflected light beams from the target using an optical receiver array;
- and
- generating, using one or more processors of a machine, ranging information from the reflected light beams.
3 more elements
A light ranging system comprising:
- a transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC) comprising an integrated light source to generate a light beam, the transmitter PIC comprising an optical switch tree that splits the light beam into multiple outgoing beams to be transmitted towards a target, the optical switch tree comprising one or more optical switches controlled by an electronic switch control circuit integrated in the transmitter PIC, the electronic switch control circuit comprising an electrical multiplexer to generate a feedback signal for control of the one or more optical switches using a demultiplexer in the electronic switch control circuit to compensate for changes in optical loss, each of the one or more optical switches comprising photodetectors to generate a current from the multiple outgoing beams, the current being input into the electrical multiplexer to generate the feedback signal, each one of the one or more optical switches comprising two phase shifters driven by outputs of the demultiplexer, the demultiplexer receiving a selection setting that is set using the feedback signal;
- an optical receiver array to receive reflected light beams from the target;
- and
- a processor of a machine and memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the machine to perform operations comprising determining ranging information from the reflected light beams.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- generating a light beam using an integrated light source in an optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit, wherein the optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit comprises:
- an optical switch tree with optical switches, wherein each optical switch comprises two thermal phase shifters between two couplers, and wherein the optical switch tree further comprises photodetectors, and
- an electronic switch control circuit with an electrical multiplexer connected to the photodetectors and an electronic demultiplexer connected to the thermal phase shifters;
- the method further comprising:
- splitting the light beam into multiple outgoing beams to a target object by the optical switch tree;
- generating, by means of the photodetectors, currents from the multiple outgoing beams and generating a feedback signal from the electrical multiplexer;
- controlling the optical switch tree using the feedback signal to generate a selection setting of the electronic demultiplexer;
- transmitting the multiple outgoing beams to a target using a plurality of further couplers in the optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit;
- receiving reflected light beams from the target using an optical receiver array;
- and
- generating, using one or more processors of a machine, ranging information from the reflected light beams.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.