# US 12,313,776 B2 · Ranging using a shared path optical coupler

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- Number: US 12,313,776 B2
- Document ID: US12313776B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/238,042
- Filed: 2023-08-25
- Published: 2023-12-14
- Granted: 2025-05-27
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-07
- Assignees: Pointcloud Inc.
- Applicants: Pointcloud Inc.
- Inventors: Alexander Yukio Piggott
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12313776B2

## CPC

- G01S 7/4811: {common to transmitter and receiver}
- G01B 11/22: for measuring depth
- G01S 7/4813: {Housing arrangements}
- G01S 7/4814: {of transmitters alone}
- G01S 7/4816: {of receivers alone}
- G01S 7/4911: Transmitters
- G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48)
- G01S 17/894: Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
- 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
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS

## Abstract

Described are various configurations for transmitting and receiving optical light using a shared path ranging system. The shared path ranging system can include an optical router (e.g., an optical coupler) coupled to a grating to transmit light to a physical object and receive light reflected by the physical object. The shared path ranging system can include rows of routers and gratings in a two-dimensional configuration to transmit and receive light for ranging purposes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photonic integrated circuit comprising:
an optical router configured to route light from a light emitter toward a bi-directional grating and to route a reflected portion of the light from the bi-directional grating toward a light detector; and
the bi-directional grating, configured to direct the light toward a target and to receive the reflected portion of the light from the target.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the optical router includes a spatial mode multiplexer configured to provide the light in a first transverse mode to the bi-directional grating and to receive the reflected portion of the light in a second transverse mode from the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the light changes from a first transverse mode to a second transverse mode upon reflection from the target; and
the bi-directional grating is configured to direct the light in the first transverse mode toward the target and to receive the reflected portion of the light in the second transverse mode from the target.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the light changes from a first transverse mode to a second transverse mode upon reflection from the target; and
the optical router is configured to route the light in the first transverse mode from the light emitter toward the bi-directional grating and to route the reflected portion of the light in the second transverse mode from the bi-directional grating toward the light detector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the bi-directional grating directs the light in a first transverse mode through a lens toward the target and receives the reflected portion of the light in a second transverse mode through the lens from the target.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the optical router comprises an emitter port optically coupled to the light emitter, a detector port optically coupled to the light detector, and a grating port optically coupled to the bi-directional grating, the emitter port being configured to receive the light from the light emitter, the detector port being configured to provide the reflected portion of the light to the light detector, the grating port being configured to provide the light to the bi-directional grating and to receive the reflected portion of the light from the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising:
processing circuitry configured to generate distance values based on at least one of a phase difference or a frequency difference between the light directed by the bi-directional grating toward the target and the reflected portion of the light received by the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 8

A LIDAR sensor system comprising:
a light emitter configured to emit light; and
a photonic integrated circuit comprising:
an optical router configured to route the light from the light emitter toward a bi-directional grating and to route a reflected portion of the light from the bi-directional grating toward a light detector; and
the bi-directional grating, configured to direct the light toward a target and to receive the reflected portion of the light from the target.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The LIDAR sensor system of claim 8, wherein:
the optical router includes a spatial mode multiplexer configured to provide the light in a first transverse mode to the bi-directional grating and to receive the reflected portion of the light in a second transverse mode from the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The LIDAR sensor system of claim 8, wherein:
the light changes from a first transverse mode to a second transverse mode upon reflection from the target; and
the bi-directional grating is configured to direct the light in the first transverse mode toward the target and to receive the reflected portion of the light in the second transverse mode from the target.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The LIDAR sensor system of claim 8, wherein:
the light changes from a first transverse mode to a second transverse mode upon reflection from the target; and
the optical router is configured to route the light in the first transverse mode from the light emitter toward the bi-directional grating and to route the reflected portion of the light in the second transverse mode from the bi-directional grating toward the light detector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The LIDAR sensor system of claim 8, wherein:
the bi-directional grating directs the light in a first transverse mode through a lens toward the target and receives the reflected portion of the light in a second transverse mode through the lens from the target.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The LIDAR sensor system of claim 8, wherein:
the optical router comprises an emitter port optically coupled to the light emitter, a detector port optically coupled to the light detector, and a grating port optically coupled to the bi-directional grating, the emitter port being configured to receive the light from the light emitter, the detector port being configured to provide the reflected portion of the light to the light detector, the grating port being configured to provide the light to the bi-directional grating and to receive the reflected portion of the light from the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The LIDAR sensor system of claim 8, further comprising:
processing circuitry configured to generate distance values based on at least one of a phase difference or a frequency difference between the light directed by the bi-directional grating toward the target and the reflected portion of the light received by the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 15

A frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LIDAR system comprising:
a FMCW LIDAR transceiver comprising a photonic integrated circuit, the photonic integrated circuit comprising:
an optical router configured to route light from a light emitter toward a bi-directional grating and to route a reflected portion of the light from the bi-directional grating toward a light detector; and
the bi-directional grating, configured to direct the light toward a target and to receive the reflected portion of the light from the target; and
a lens configured to guide the light from the bi-directional grating toward the target and to guide the reflected portion of the light from the target to the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The FMCW LIDAR system of claim 15, wherein:
the optical router includes a spatial mode multiplexer configured to provide the light in a first transverse mode to the bi-directional grating and to receive the reflected portion of the light in a second transverse mode from the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The FMCW LIDAR system of claim 15, wherein:
the light changes from a first transverse mode to a second transverse mode upon reflection from the target; and
the bi-directional grating is configured to direct the light in the first transverse mode toward the target and to receive the reflected portion of the light in the second transverse mode from the target.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The FMCW LIDAR system of claim 15, wherein:
the light changes from a first transverse mode to a second transverse mode upon reflection from the target; and
the optical router is configured to route the light in the first transverse mode from the light emitter toward the bi-directional grating and to route the reflected portion of the light in the second transverse mode from the bi-directional grating toward the light detector.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The FMCW LIDAR system of claim 15, wherein:
the optical router comprises an emitter port optically coupled to the light emitter, a detector port optically coupled to the light detector, and a grating port optically coupled to the bi-directional grating, the emitter port being configured to receive the light from the light emitter, the detector port being configured to provide the reflected portion of the light to the light detector, the grating port being configured to provide the light to the bi-directional grating and to receive the reflected portion of the light from the bi-directional grating.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The FMCW LIDAR system of claim 15, further comprising;
processing circuitry configured to generate distance values based on at least one of a phase difference or a frequency difference between the light directed by the bi-directional grating toward the target and the reflected portion of the light received by the bi-directional grating.