Optical aperture division for customization of far field pattern
AssigneeSense Photonics, Inc.
InventorsBrent Fisher, Russell Kanjorski
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Abstract
A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus includes an optical aperture, an emitter array including emitter elements arranged and configured to output optical signals through respective sub-regions of the optical aperture to illuminate respective portions of a field of view, and an optical element in at least a portion of the optical path of the optical signals. The optical element is configured to divert a first subset of the optical signals away from the respective portions of the field of view without substantially altering a second subset of the optical signals. Related optical elements and methods of fabrication are also discussed.
Claims27
A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus, comprising:
- an optical aperture;
- an emitter array comprising emitter elements configured to output optical signals through the optical aperture to illuminate respective portions of a field of view;
- and
- an optical element configured to divert a first subset of the optical signals away from at least one of the respective portions of the field of view configured to be illuminated thereby, without substantially altering a second subset of the optical signals,
- wherein the optical aperture comprises first and second sub-regions that define optical paths of the first and second subsets of the optical signals, respectively, wherein at least a portion of the optical element is aligned with the first sub-region of the optical aperture.
A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus, comprising:
- an optical aperture;
- an emitter array comprising emitter elements configured to output optical signals through the optical aperture to illuminate respective portions of a field of view;
- and
- an optical element configured to divert a first subset of the optical signals away from at least one of the respective portions of the field of view configured to be illuminated thereby, without substantially altering a second subset of the optical signals,
- wherein the optical element is configured to collimate the first subset of optical signals without substantially affecting divergence of the second subset of the optical signals.
A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) imaging element, comprising:
- an optical element that is configured to be arranged on an optical aperture of an emission source, the optical aperture comprising respective sub-regions that correspond to respective portions of a field of view,
- wherein the optical element comprises optical characteristics that vary over the respective sub-regions of the optical aperture and is configured to divert a first subset of optical signals from the emission source away from at least one of the respective portions of the field of view without substantially altering a second subset of the optical signals.
A method of fabricating a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus, the method comprising:
- providing an emitter array comprising emitter elements that are configured to output optical signals through an optical aperture to illuminate respective portions of a field of view;
- and
- providing an optical element that is configured to divert a first subset of the optical signals away from at least one of the respective portions of the field of view configured to be illuminated thereby, without substantially altering a second subset of the optical signals,
- wherein providing the optical element comprises:
- identifying first and second sub-regions of the optical aperture as defining optical paths of the first and second subsets of the optical signals, respectively;
- and
- arranging at least a portion of the optical element to be aligned with the first sub-region of the optical aperture.
A method of fabricating a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus, the method comprising:
- providing an emitter array comprising emitter elements that are configured to output optical signals through an optical aperture to illuminate respective portions of a field of view;
- and
- providing an optical element that is configured to divert a first subset of the optical signals away from at least one of the respective portions of the field of view configured to be illuminated thereby, without substantially altering a second subset of the optical signals,
- wherein the optical element is configured to collimate the first subset of optical signals without substantially affecting divergence of the second subset of the optical signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.