Providing spatial displacement of transmit and receive modes in LIDAR system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11079546-B2
Application number	US-202016783550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2020
Priority date	Apr 22, 2019
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus includes a transceiver and one or more optics. The transceiver is configured to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode. The one or more optics are configured to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
a transceiver configured to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode; and
one or more optics positioned between the transceiver and the object and configured to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal.

2. The LIDAR system as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the transceiver is a bistatic transceiver comprising a transmission waveguide and a receiving waveguide.

3. The LIDAR system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more optics include a birefringent displacer configured to displace, in a direction, one of the transmit signal and the return signal, the direction being orthogonal to a direction of the one of the transmit signal and the return signal.

4. The LIDAR system as recited in claim 3 , further comprising a collimation optic configured to shape the transmit signal transmitted from the transmission waveguide and to shape the return signal reflected by the object.

5. The LIDAR system as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:
a polarization transforming optic configured to adjust a relative phase between orthogonal field components of the transmit signal and the return signal,
wherein the birefringent displacer and the polarization transforming optic are positioned between the bistatic transceiver and the collimation optic.

6. The LIDAR system as recited in claim 3 , wherein:
the receiving waveguide is spaced apart from the transmission waveguide by a separation;
the birefringent displacer is configured to displace the one of the transmit signal and return signal by a distance orthogonal to the direction of the one of the transmit signal and return signal; and
the distance is based on the separation.

7. The LIDAR system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the birefringent displacer has a dimension along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, wherein the dimension is sized such that the distance is about equal to the separation.

8. The LIDAR system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the birefringent displacer is configured to cause the return signal to be displaced based on the separation without displacing the transmit signal such that the displaced return signal is incident on the receiving waveguide.

9. An autonomous vehicle control system comprising one or more processors,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
cause a transceiver to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode;
cause one or more optics to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal; and
operate a vehicle based on the return signal received by the transceiver.

10. The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
the transceiver is a bistatic transceiver comprising a transmission waveguide and a receiving waveguide; and
the one or more optics are positioned between the bistatic transceiver and the object.

11. The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
the one or more optics includes a birefringent displacer; and
the one or more processors are configured to cause the birefringent displacer to displace, in a direction, one of the transmit signal and the return signal, the direction being orthogonal to a direction of the one of the transmit signal and the return signal.

12. The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause a collimation optic to shape the transmit signal transmitted from the transmission waveguide and to shape the return signal reflected by the object.

13. The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 12 , wherein:
the one or more processors are configured to cause a polarization transforming optic to adjust a relative phase between orthogonal field components of the transmit signal and the return signal; and
the birefringent displacer and the polarization transforming optic are positioned between the bistatic transceiver and the collimation optic.

14. The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 11 , wherein:
the receiving waveguide is spaced apart from the transmission waveguide by a separation;
the one or more processors are configured to cause the birefringent displacer to displace the one of the transmit signal and return signal by a distance orthogonal to the direction of the one of the transmit signal and return signal; and
the distance is based on the separation.

15. An autonomous vehicle comprising
a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system,
wherein the LIDAR system comprises:
a transceiver configured to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode; and
one or more optics positioned between the transceiver and the object and configured to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal.

16. The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 15 , wherein the transceiver is a bistatic transceiver comprising a transmission waveguide and a receiving waveguide.

17. The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more optics include a birefringent displacer configured to displace, in a direction, one of the transmit signal and the return signal, the direction being orthogonal to a direction of the one of the transmit signal and the return signal.

18. The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 17 , wherein the LIDAR system further comprises a collimation optic configured to shape the transmit signal transmitted from the transmission waveguide and to shape the return signal reflected by the object.

19. The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 18 , wherein the LIDAR system further comprises:
a polarization transforming optic configured to adjust a relative phase between orthogonal field components of the transmit signal and the return signal,
wherein the birefringent displacer and the polarization transforming optic are positioned between the bistatic transceiver and the collimation optic.

20. The autonomous vehicle as recited in claim 17 , wherein:
the receiving waveguide is spaced apart from the transmission waveguide by a separation;
the birefringent displacer is configured to displace the one of the transmit signal and return signal by a distance orthogonal to the direction of the one of the transmit signal and return signal; and
the distance is based on the separation.

Assignees

• Blackmore Sensors & Analytics Llc

Inventors

• Rogers Evan
• Galloway Ryan
• Barber Zeb
• Spillane Sean

Classifications

• G02B6/2746 Primary

  comprising non-reciprocal devices, e.g. isolators, FRM, circulators, quasi-isolators (magneto-optic non-reciprocal devices G02F1/093) · CPC title

• G01S17/003

  Bistatic lidar systems; Multistatic lidar systems · CPC title

• G01S7/4811 Primary

  common to transmitter and receiver · CPC title

• G01S7/4915

  Time delay measurement, e.g. operational details for pixel components (signal extraction and conditioning G01S7/493); Phase measurement · CPC title

• G01S7/4812

  transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path · CPC title