Apparatus and method for a beam-directing system using a grated light valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11022679-B2
Application number	US-201715858284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage may include a gated-light valve (GLV) that is operable to receive a light beam from a light source and direct the light beam along one dimension to discrete input locations of a second stage. The second stage may be operable to receive the light beam from the first stage at the discrete input locations along the one dimension and direct the light beam through two dimensions to discrete output locations of the second stage to scan a three-dimensional space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus coupled to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a first sub-system that is located interior relative to an exterior surface of the vehicle and comprises a micro light-directing unit including a substrate and rows of reflective micro-ribbons arranged over the substrate, and wherein the micro light-directing unit is operable to:
receive a light beam from a light source, and
direct the light beam along one dimension; and

a second sub-system coupled to the vehicle and operable to:
receive the light beam from the first sub-system at discrete input locations of the second sub-system along the one dimension, wherein the discrete input locations are located interior relative to the exterior surface of the vehicle, and
direct the light beam through two dimensions to one or more discrete output locations of the second sub-system to scan a three-dimensional space outside the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second sub-system comprises a fiber-optic bundle comprising a plurality of transmit fiber-optic cables, each transmit fiber-optic cable comprising a transmit-input end and a transmit-output end, wherein:
the transmit-input end of each transmit fiber-optic cable is positioned at one of the discrete input locations of the second sub-system; and
the transmit-output end of each transmit fiber-optic cable is operable to direct the light beam toward one of the one or more discrete output locations of the second sub-system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the fiber-optic bundle further comprises a plurality of receive fiber-optic cables, each receive fiber-optic cable comprising a receive-input end and a receive-output end, wherein:
the receive-input end of each receive fiber-optic cable is operable to receive a reflected beam from one or more locations in the three-dimensional space; and
the receive-output end of each receive fiber-optic cable is coupled to a receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second sub-system comprises a gimbaled mirror that is operable to tilt perpendicular to the one dimension of the discrete input locations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-system further comprises a dynamic phase array that is operable to control a phase of a light wave of the light beam emitted from the light source.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
causing, by the dynamic phase array, a majority of the light beam to be aimed at a particular direction toward the micro light-directing unit, wherein the light source has a reduced power consumption level.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first sub-system is positioned at a first location that is interior relative to the exterior surface of the vehicle; and
the second sub-system comprises a plurality of transmit-input ends and a plurality of transmit-output ends, wherein each transmit-output end is positioned at one of the one or more discrete output locations remote from the first location.

8. A method comprising, by an apparatus coupled to a vehicle:
at a first sub-system of the apparatus located interior relative to an exterior surface of the vehicle, the first sub-system comprising a micro light-directing unit including a substrate and rows of reflective micro-ribbons arranged over the substrate;
receiving a light beam from a light source, and
directing the light beam along one dimension; and

at a second sub-system of the apparatus:
receiving the light beam from the first sub-system at discrete input locations of the second sub-system along the one dimension, wherein the discrete input locations are located interior relative to the exterior surface of the vehicle, and
directing the light beam through two dimensions to one or more discrete output locations of the second sub-system to scan a three-dimensional space outside the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more discrete output locations of the second sub-system are located at one or more locations along the exterior surface of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more discrete output locations are configured to cause a plurality mechanically flexible waveguides to point to a same direction in the three-dimensional space outside the vehicle, further comprising a lens at the one or more discrete output locations, wherein the lens directs a plurality of light beams to different directions in the three-dimensional space outside the vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the micro light-directing unit comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels corresponds to a group of reflective micro-ribbons, and wherein the apparatus comprises a controller that modulates each pixel of the plurality of pixels independently by assigning each of the plurality of pixels a unique random sequence.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller causes multiple pixels of the plurality of pixels of the micro light-directing unit to be activated simultaneously.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the micro light-directing unit has a grating depth that is controlled by a voltage signal, and wherein the micro light-directing unit directs the light beam to different directions based the voltage signal.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first sub-system is positioned at a first location that is interior relative to the exterior surface of the vehicle, and the second sub-system comprises a plurality of transmit-input ends and a plurality of transmit-output ends, and wherein each transmit-output end is positioned at one of the one or more discrete output locations remote from the first location.

15. A system for a vehicle having an exterior surface, the system comprising:
a light source capable of transmitting a light beam;
a first sub-system located interior relative to the exterior surface of the vehicle and comprising a micro light-directing unit including a substrate and rows of reflective micro-ribbons arranged over the substrate, wherein the first sub-system is capable of receiving the light beam from the light source and, subsequently, directing the light beam along one dimension, and
a second sub-system coupled to the vehicle and capable of:
receiving the light beam from the first sub-system at discrete input locations along the one dimension, wherein the discrete input locations are located interior relative to the exterior surface of the vehicle, and
directing the light beam through two dimensions to one or more discrete output locations of the second sub-system to scan a three-dimensional space outside the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second sub-system is a fiber-optic bundle comprising a plurality of transmit fiber-optic cables, each transmit fiber-optic cable of the plurality of transmit fiber-optic cables comprising a transmit-input end and a transmit-output end, wherein:
the transmit-input end of each transmit fiber-optic cable is positioned at one of the discrete input locations of the second sub-system; and
the transmit-output end of each transmit fiber-optic cable is operable to direct the light beam toward one of the one or more discrete output locations of the second sub-system.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the fiber-optic bundle further comprises a plurality of receive fiber-optic cables, each receive fiber-optic cable of the plurality of receive fiber-optic cables comprising a receive-input end and a receive-output end, wherein:
the receive-input end of each receive fiber-optic cable is operable to receive a reflected

Assignees

• Lyft Inc

Inventors

• Abari Farzad Cyrus Foroughi
• Rolander Nathan
• Clément Romain

Classifications

• G01S7/4812 Primary

  transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S7/4814 Primary

  of transmitters alone · CPC title

• G02B6/4298

  coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers · CPC title

• G02B6/06

  the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images · CPC title