# US 2023/0055071 A1 · Waveguide Diffusers for LIDARs

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- Number: US 2023/0055071 A1
- Document ID: US20230055071A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/982,078
- Filed: 2022-11-07
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-25
- Assignees: Waymo LLC
- Applicants: Waymo LLC
- Inventors: Pierre-Yves Droz; David Neil Hutchison; James Dunphy; Nathaniel Golshan; Ralph Hamilton Shepard
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230055071A1

## CPC

- G01S 7/4818: {using optical fibres}
- G01S 17/02: Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves (G01S17/66 takes precedence)
- G01S 7/4812: {transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path}
- G01S 17/10: using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32)
- G02B 5/09: Multifaceted or polygonal mirrors {, e.g. polygonal scanning mirrors; Fresnel mirrors}
- G02B 6/00: Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B 6/122: Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
- G02B 27/0955: {Lenses (lenses per se G02B3/00)}
- G01S 7/4813: {Housing arrangements}
- G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning}
- G01S 7/4863: Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates
- 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 17/931: of land vehicles
- G02B 2006/12104: {Mirror; Reflectors or the like}
- 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

One example system comprises a light source configured to emit light. The system also comprises a waveguide configured to guide the emitted light from a first end of the waveguide toward a second end of the waveguide. The waveguide has an output surface between the first end and the second end. The system also comprises a plurality of mirrors including a first mirror and a second mirror. The first mirror reflects a first portion of the light toward the output surface. The second mirror reflects a second portion of the light toward the output surface. The first portion propagates out of the output surface toward a scene as a first transmitted light beam. The second portion propagates out of the output surface toward the scene as a second transmitted light beam.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a light emitter configured to emit light;
a waveguide having a first end, a second end, and an output surface between the first end and the second end;
an input mirror coupled to the first end of the waveguide, wherein the input mirror is configured to reflect the emitted light from the light emitter into the waveguide, such that the waveguide guides the emitted light toward the second end as guided light; and
an output mirror coupled to the second end of the waveguide, wherein the output mirror is configured to reflect at least a portion of the guided light out of the waveguide through the output surface, wherein the light reflected out of the waveguide by the output mirror propagates toward a scene as a transmitted light beam.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is a laser diode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a light detector configured to receive light from the scene.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, further comprising:
a lens configured to focus the light from the scene toward the light detector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the lens is further configured to direct the transmitted light beam toward the scene.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, further comprising an opaque material that includes an aperture, wherein the aperture is positioned between the lens and the light detector such that the light detector receives the focused light via the aperture.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the output mirror is positioned between the aperture and the light detector, and wherein the lens receives the transmitted light beam via the aperture.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the input mirror receives the emitted light from the light emitter via the output surface of the waveguide.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the input mirror is tilted in a first direction toward the output surface of the waveguide, and wherein the output mirror is tilted in a second direction toward the output surface of the waveguide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising:
a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the output surface of the waveguide is mounted on the first side of the substrate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the light emitter is mounted on the second side of the substrate.

### Claim 12

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device comprising:
a light emitter configured to emit light;
a waveguide having a first end, a second end, and an output surface between the first end and the second end;
an input mirror coupled to the first end of the waveguide, wherein the input mirror is configured to reflect the emitted light from the light emitter into the waveguide, such that the waveguide guides the emitted light toward the second end as guided light;
an output mirror coupled to the second end of the waveguide, wherein the output mirror is configured to reflect at least a portion of the guided light out of the waveguide through the output surface, wherein the light reflected out of the waveguide by the output mirror propagates toward a scene as a transmitted light beam; and
a light detector configured to receive light from the scene.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The LIDAR device of claim 12, further comprising:
a lens configured to focus the light from the scene toward the light detector.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The LIDAR device of claim 13, wherein the lens is further configured to direct the transmitted light beam toward the scene.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The LIDAR device of claim 14, further comprising an opaque material that includes an aperture, wherein the aperture is positioned between the lens and the light detector such that the light detector receives the focused light via the aperture.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The LIDAR device of claim 15, wherein the output mirror is positioned between the aperture and the light detector, and wherein the lens receives the transmitted light beam via the aperture.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The LIDAR device of claim 12, wherein the input mirror receives the emitted light from the light emitter via the output surface of the waveguide.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The LIDAR device of claim 17, wherein the input mirror is tilted in a first direction toward the output surface of the waveguide, and wherein the output mirror is tilted in a second direction toward the output surface of the waveguide.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The LIDAR device of claim 18, further comprising:
a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the output surface of the waveguide is mounted on the first side of the substrate.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The LIDAR device of claim 19, wherein the light emitter is mounted on the second side of the substrate.