# US 2018/0024246 A1 · Lidar apparatus for vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024246 A1 - Document ID: US20180024246A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/656,910 - Filed: 2017-07-21 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-21 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Seongyun JEONG; Jejong LEE; Byeongrim JO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024246A1 ## CPC - G01S 7/52095: {using multiline receive beamforming} - G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning} - G01S 7/4818: {using optical fibres} - G01S 17/34: using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal - G01S 17/58: Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - G02B 6/124: Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings - G02B 6/305: {and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide} - G02F 1/2955: {by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering (controlled diffraction for optical waveguide switching G02F1/313)} - G02F 1/313: in an optical waveguide structure - G02B 6/12009: {comprising arrayed waveguide grating [AWG] devices, i.e. with a phased array of waveguides} - 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 - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract A lidar apparatus for vehicles is provided. The lidar apparatus includes a transmission unit configured to output a beam, and a reception unit configured to acquire reflection light formed as the result of the beam being reflected by an object. The transmission unit includes a light generation unit configured to generate transmission light that contains the beam, a first beam steering unit configured to steer the beam in a first direction, and a second beam steering unit configured to steer the beam in the second direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lidar apparatus for a vehicle, the lidar apparatus comprising: a transmission unit configured to output a beam; and a reception unit configured to acquire reflection light formed as a result of the beam being reflected by an object, wherein the transmission unit includes: a light generation unit configured to generate transmission light that contains the beam; a first beam steering unit configured to steer the beam in a first direction; and a second beam steering unit configured to steer the beam in a second direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lidar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first beam steering unit comprises an Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lidar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit further comprises an optical splitter configured to split the transmission light into beams of split light. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The lidar apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transmission unit further comprises a wave guide unit configured to guide the beams of split light to the first steering unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The lidar apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transmission unit further comprises a heater configured to provide heat to the wave guide unit to change individual phases of the beams of split light. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The lidar apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transmission unit further comprises a piezoelectric unit configured to apply pressure to the wave guide unit to change individual phases of the beams of split light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The lidar apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the wave guide unit comprises a core that is in a cladding structure of silicon nitride (Si3N4) and silicon dioxide (SiO2). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The lidar apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the wave guide unit comprises: a silicon substrate; a first silicon dioxide layer formed on the silicon substrate; a second silicon dioxide layer formed on the first silicon dioxide layer; and a third silicon dioxide layer formed on the second silicon dioxide layer, and wherein the core is formed on the second silicon dioxide layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The lidar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second beam steering unit comprises an Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The lidar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second beam steering unit comprises a grating coupler. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The lidar apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the grating coupler is configured to change an emission angle of the beam according to a wavelength of the transmission light. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The lidar apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the grating coupler comprises a plurality of periods, each period being defined by one line and one groove. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The lidar apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each period has a duty cycle that is a ratio between the one line and the one groove. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The lidar apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of periods comprises: a first period having a first duty cycle; and a second period having a second duty cycle, the second period being more distant from the light generation unit than the first period being from the light generation unit, and wherein the first duty cycle is smaller than the second duty cycle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The lidar apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the grating coupler is configured to enable a steered beam to have constant intensity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The lidar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first beam steering unit comprises an Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG), and wherein the second beam steering unit comprises a plurality of grating couplers arranged to respectively correspond to a plurality of output optical paths of the AWG. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The lidar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission light is a Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW). ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The lidar apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lens system configured to change one or more paths of beams steered in the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The lidar apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the lens system is configured to change a first-direction beam path while maintaining a second-direction beam path. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The lidar apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the lens system comprises: a first lens which is concave in a first direction; and a second lens which is convex in the first direction.