# US 2021/0278741 A1 · Light receive scanner with liquid crystal beamsteerer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0278741 A1 - Document ID: US20210278741A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/543,060 - Filed: 2019-08-16 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-16 - Assignees: Analog Devices, Inc. - Applicants: Analog Devices, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Ziemkiewicz; Scott Robert Davis; Michael Howard Anderson; Bennett Sodergren; Radhika Marathe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210278741A1 ## CPC - G02F 1/313: in an optical waveguide structure - G01S 7/4812: {transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path} - G01S 7/4814: {of transmitters alone} - G01S 7/4816: {of receivers alone} - G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning} - G01S 7/4818: {using optical fibres} - G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) - G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) - G01S 7/4917: {superposing optical signals in a photodetector, e.g. optical heterodyne detection} - G02B 6/00: Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings - G02B 6/0001: {specially adapted for lighting devices or systems (lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00)} - G02F 1/011: {in optical waveguides, not otherwise provided for in this subclass} - G02F 1/1326: {Liquid crystal optical waveguides or liquid crystal cells specially adapted for gating or modulating between optical waveguides} - G02F 2/004: {Transferring the modulation of modulated light, i.e. transferring the information from one optical carrier of a first wavelength to a second optical carrier of a second wavelength, e.g. all-optical wavelength converter} - G02F 2203/24: beam steering - 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 - 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 ## Abstract An optical system for receiving light scanned from different light origination locations in space can include a Liquid Crystal (LC) waveguide (LCW), including first and second LCW light ports. A beamsteering LC electrode can be included in or coupled to the LCW and can be configured to vary a receiving direction of light received at the second LCW light port in response to a varying electrical input signal applied to the LC electrode to scan receiving of light at the second LCW light port from different light origination locations in space. A photodetector can be optically coupled to the first LCW light port, such as to detect waveguided light from different light origination locations in space received in response to the varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode. Ranger, bright-spot locking, laser detection, direct detect and coherent lidar, wavelength detection, and other techniques and use cases are possible. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical system for receiving light scanned from different light origination locations in space, the optical system including: a first Liquid Crystal (LC) waveguide (LCW), including first and second LCW light ports; a beamsteering first LC electrode, included in or coupled to the first LCW, the first LC electrode configured to vary a receiving direction of light received at the second LCW light port in response to a varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode to scan receiving of light at the second LCW light port from different light origination locations in space; and a photodetector, optically coupled to the first LCW light port, to detect waveguided light from different light origination locations in space received in response to the varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, in which the photodetector is integrated with the first LCW on a shared substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical system of claim 2, comprising a scanning region optical threshold comparator to compare to a threshold value an intensity of scanned received light at the second LCW light port from different light origination locations in space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, in which the second LCW light input port area is larger than an area of an input port of the photodetector, and wherein the first LCW waveguide tapers to concentrate light received at the first LCW light port and to direct the concentrated light to the input port of the photodetector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, further comprising: a second LCW, configured to receive input laser light at a third LCW light port and to guide and transmit the received input laser light out a fourth LCW light port; and a beamsteering second LC electrode, included in or coupled to the second LCW, the second LC electrode configured to vary a transmitting direction of light transmitted at the fourth LCW light port in response to a varying electrical input signal applied to the second LC electrode to scan transmitting of light at the fourth LCW light port toward different target locations in space. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical system of claim 5, wherein the received light at the second LCW port includes reflected light that is reflected from light transmitted from the fourth LCW light port. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, further comprising: a flashed light source; and a control circuit, configured to control the varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode to scan receiving of light at the first LCW light input port from different light origination locations in space in synchronization with respect to one or more flashes of light from the flashed light source. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, wherein the first LCW is configured to receive laser light input at the first LCW port, and further comprising: a control circuit, configured to control the varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode to scan transmitting of laser light received at the first LCW port and steered by the first LCW toward different target locations in space, and to receive at the second LCW port reflected light from the different target locations in space for being guided by the same first LCW toward the photodetector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The optical system of claim 8, including a light circulator configured to direct toward the photodetector, via the first LCW port, waveguided light received from the different target locations in space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, in which the photodetector includes a pixelated photodetector including different pixels configured to receive and detect, via the first LCW port, different wavelengths of the waveguided light received from the different target locations in space. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, included in or in combination with a LIDAR system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The optical system of claim 11, in which the LIDAR system includes at least one of a direct detect LIDAR system or a coherent LIDAR system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, further comprising signal processing circuitry configured to use the waveguided light received from the different target locations in space to a determine a range of at least one of the different target locations in space. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The optical system of claim 1, further comprising control circuitry configured to control the varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode to scan receiving of light at the first LCW light input port from different light origination locations in space for bright spot locking of at least one of the different target locations in space. ### Claim 15 A method of receiving light scanned from different light origination locations in space, the method comprising: receiving light at a second light port of a Liquid Crystal (LC) waveguide (LCW); adjusting a control signal applied to a LC electrode of the LCW to scan receiving of light at the second LCW light port from different light origination locations in space; and detecting waveguided light from a first light port of the LCW from different light origination locations in space. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising signal processing a signal based on the detected waveguided light to provide an indication associated with the different light origination locations in space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising using the indication for determining a range of at least one of the different light origination locations in space. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting different wavelengths of the detected waveguided light received from at least one of the different light origination locations in space. ### Claim 19 An optical system for receiving light scanned from different light origination locations in space, the optical system including: a first Liquid Crystal (LC) waveguide (LCW), including first and second LCW light ports; means for scanning receiving of light at the second LCW light port from different light origination locations in space; and means for detecting waveguided light from a first light port of the LCW from different light origination locations in space. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, comprising means for detecting different wavelengths of the detected waveguided light received from at least one of the different light origination locations in space.