# US 9,882,433 B2 · Contactless electrical coupling for a rotatable LIDAR device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,433 B2 - Document ID: US9882433B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/214,231 - Filed: 2016-07-19 - Published: 2016-11-10 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-30 - Assignees: Waymo LLC - Applicants: Waymo LLC - Inventors: Samuel William Lenius; Pierre-yves Droz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882433B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/12: Inductive energy transfer - B60L 3/0015: {Prevention of collisions} - B60L 7/12: for vehicles propelled by DC motors - B60L 8/003: {Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems} - B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion - B60L 50/30: using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels - B60L 50/40: using propulsion power supplied by capacitors - G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning} - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02J 50/80: involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices - B60L 2240/12: Speed - B60L 2240/16: longitudinal - B60L 2240/18: lateral - B60L 2240/20: angular - B60L 2240/421: Speed - B60L 2240/441: Speed - B60L 2240/461: Speed - B60L 2240/622: by satellite navigation - G01S 7/003: {Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations} - G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - 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 - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A rotatable LIDAR device including contactless electrical couplings is disclosed. An example rotatable LIDAR device includes a vehicle electrical coupling including (i) a first conductive ring, (ii) a second conductive ring, and (iii) a first coil. The example rotatable LIDAR device further includes a LIDAR electrical coupling including (i) a third conductive ring, (ii) a fourth conductive ring, and (iii) a second coil. The example rotatable LIDAR device still further includes a rotatable LIDAR electrically coupled to the LIDAR electrical coupling. The first conductive ring and the third conductive ring form a first capacitor configured to transmit communications to the rotatable LIDAR, the second conductive ring and the fourth conductive ring form a second capacitor configured to transmit communications from the rotatable LIDAR, and the first coil and the second coil form a transformer configured to provide power to the rotatable LIDAR. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a first electrical coupling comprising: (i) a first conductive ring, (ii) a second conductive ring, and (iii) a first coil; a second electrical coupling comprising: (i) a third conductive ring, (ii) a fourth conductive ring, and (iii) a second coil, wherein the second electrical coupling is configured to rotate relative to the first electrical coupling; and a device electrically coupled to the second electrical coupling, wherein the first conductive ring and the third conductive ring form a first capacitor configured to transmit communications to the device, wherein the second conductive ring and the fourth conductive ring form a second capacitor configured to transmit communications from the device, and wherein the first coil and the second coil form a transformer configured to provide power to the device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conductive ring, the second conductive ring, and the first coil are arranged concentrically. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third conductive ring, the fourth conductive ring, and the second coil are arranged concentrically. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrical coupling is mountable on a vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a first transmitter at the vehicle; a first receiver at the vehicle; a second transmitter at the device; and a second receiver at the device, wherein (i) the first transmitter is configured to transmit communications to the second receiver via the first capacitor and (ii) the second transmitter is configured to transmit communications to the first receiver via the second capacitor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first and second transmitters are Ethernet transmitters, and wherein the first and second receivers are Ethernet receivers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a power supply at the vehicle, wherein the power supply is configured to provide power to the device via the transformer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a motor configured to rotate the second electrical coupling relative to the first electrical coupling.