Retroreflectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10908328-B2
Application number	US-201715709442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2016
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A retroreflector system including an outer body panel coupled to a vehicle, wherein the outer body panel is configured to allow a radar signal originating from an external radar device to pass through the outer body panel. The retroreflector system also includes a plurality of retroreflectors embedded in the vehicle, where the plurality of retroreflectors is configured to reflect the signal to the external signal source as a reflected signal, and where the plurality of retroreflectors is configured to have a peak reflectivity for a radar wavelength range or a light detection and ranging (lidar) wavelength range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an outer body panel coupled to a vehicle, wherein the outer body panel comprises a visibly opaque material configured to allow a signal originating from an external signal source to pass through the outer body panel; and
a plurality of retroreflectors embedded in the vehicle behind the outer body panel, wherein the plurality of retroreflectors is configured to reflect the signal through the visibly opaque material to the external signal source as a reflected signal, and wherein the plurality of retroreflectors is configured to have a reflectivity for a radar wavelength range or a light detection and ranging (lidar) wavelength range that is greater than a reflectivity for other wavelength ranges.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bumper assembly of the vehicle, wherein the plurality of retroreflectors is embedded in the bumper assembly.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the outer body panel is coupled to the bumper assembly, and wherein the plurality of retroreflectors is visibly hidden by the bumper assembly.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the bumper assembly comprises an impact absorber, wherein the impact absorber comprises a foam material, and wherein the plurality of retroreflectors is integrated with the impact absorber.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of retroreflectors comprises an array of corner cube retroreflectors.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an inner body panel configured to reflect the signal, wherein the plurality of retroreflectors comprises a plurality of lenses, wherein a particular lens of the plurality of lenses has a particular focal point on the inner body panel, and wherein the particular lens redirects the signal to the particular focal point.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the inner body panel comprises a metallic alloy.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of lenses is coupled to an inner portion of the outer body panel.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer body panel comprises a plurality of extrusions, wherein the plurality of retroreflectors comprises a plurality of refractive spheres configured to reflect the signal, and wherein a particular refractive sphere of the plurality of refractive spheres is disposed in a particular extrusion of the plurality of extrusions.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each extrusion of the plurality of extrusions comprises an opening configured to partially expose a corresponding refractive sphere, and wherein the particular refractive sphere is configured to receive the signal via a particular opening of the particular extrusion.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein each refractive sphere of the plurality of refractive spheres comprises:
a reflective layer configured to reflect the signal; and
an optical grade polymer.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein a depth of each extrusion of the plurality of extrusions corresponds to an angle of acceptance of the signal by a corresponding refractive sphere of the plurality of refractive spheres.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of retroreflectors comprises a reflective element, wherein the outer body panel is configured to refract the signal to have a focal point at the reflective element.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises a non-visible signal, wherein the radar wavelength range is 0.3-200 cm, and wherein the lidar wavelength range is 780-1550 nm.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer body panel includes a plurality of perforations, and wherein the plurality of retroreflectors is coupled to the plurality of perforations, and wherein each perforation of the plurality of perforations includes a polymer filler including a retroreflector of the plurality of retroreflectors positioned at a back portion of the polymer filler.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Aikin Randol W
• Northcott Malcolm J
• Potter Daniel E
• Last Matthew E

Classifications

• G05D1/247

  using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons · CPC title

• G05D1/028

  using a RF signal · CPC title

• G05D1/0242

  using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals · CPC title

• G05D1/024

  in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S) · CPC title

• G05D1/0236

  in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S) · CPC title