Light sensing system and electronic apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11962119-B2
Application number	US-201816201455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2018
Priority date	Jul 5, 2018
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

Provided are light sensing systems and electronic apparatuses including the light sensing systems. The light sensing system includes a light source unit having a slit-shaped opening and configured to emit light through a slit-shaped opening; and a lens integrated with the light source unit on a surface of the light source unit on which the slit-shaped opening is formed. The lens is configured to make light emitted through the slit-shaped opening into a point light source at a far-field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light sensing system comprising:
a light source comprising an upper electrode, a lower electrode, and a slit-shaped opening, and configured to emit a linear light beam through the slit-shaped opening; and
a lens that is provided on the upper electrode of the light source to cover the slit-shaped opening that is formed in the light source, extends in a length direction of the slit-shaped opening, and is configured to make the linear light beam traveled in the length direction of the slit-shaped opening and emitted through an output end of the slit-shaped opening as a point light at a far-field,
wherein the lens has a half cylinder shape having two opposing flat semicircular bases, and a curve portion and a flat rectangular portion that oppose each other and are provided between the two opposing flat semicircular bases.

2. The light sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises an active optical element having an active layer,
wherein the slit-shaped opening is formed in the active optical element, and
wherein the lens is formed on a surface of the active optical element in which the slit-shaped opening is formed.

3. The light sensing system of claim 2 , wherein the light source further comprises a separated light source, and
wherein the active optical element is configured to operate as an amplifier to amplify and output a light beam incident on the active optical element from the separated light source while the light beam is transmitted through the active optical element.

4. The light sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the flat rectangular portion of the lens is directly mounted on the upper electrode of the light source, and the slit-shaped opening extends in a direction in which the flat rectangular portion extends between the two opposing flat semicircular bases.

5. The light sensing system of claim 2 , wherein the active optical element comprises:
a light-emitting region where a light beam is generated; and
an amplifying region where the light beam, which is generated from the light-emitting region and travelling through the amplifying region, is amplified and outputted, and
wherein the slit-shaped opening is formed on the amplifying region.

6. The light sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the lens is disposed directly above the slit-shaped opening to form a single point light source with respect to one slit-shaped opening.

7. The light sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the lens comprises a cylindrical lens configured to focus light dispersed with respect to a slit width of the slit-shaped opening.

8. The light sensing system of claim 7 , wherein units each comprising the light source and the lens are one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally arranged to form a plurality of point light sources arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally.

9. A light sensing system comprising:
a light source having a slit-shaped opening and configured to emit a linear light beam through the slit-shaped opening; and
a lens that is integrated with the light source on a surface of the light source on which the slit-shaped opening is formed, extends in a length direction of the slit-shaped opening, and is configured to make the linear light beam emitted through an output end of the slit-shaped opening as a point light at a far-field,
wherein a plurality of lenses that comprise the lens and are spaced apart from each other, are formed on the slit-shaped opening in the length direction of the slit-shaped opening to form a plurality of point light sources with respect to the slit-shaped opening.

10. The light sensing system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of lenses comprise cylindrical lenses or convex lenses separately arranged from each other in the length direction of the slit-shaped opening so that the cylindrical lenses or the convex lenses form the plurality of point light sources with respect to the slit-shaped opening.

11. The light sensing system of claim 10 , wherein units each comprising the light source and the plurality of lenses formed with respect to the slit-shaped opening of the light source are repeatedly one-dimensionally arranged to form the plurality of point light sources in a two-dimensional arrangement.

12. The light sensing system of claim 1 , wherein units each comprising the light source and the lens are repeatedly arranged, and each lens in the units is provided so that beams of light respectively emitted from each light source of the units have multiple emission angles.

13. A light detection and ranging (lidar) apparatus comprising:
a light sensing system comprising:
a light source comprising an upper electrode, a lower electrode, and a slit-shaped opening, and configured to emit a linear light beam through the slit-shaped opening,
a lens that is integrated with the light source on the upper electrode of the light source on which the slit-shaped opening is formed, extends in a length direction of the slit-shaped opening, and is configured to make the linear light beam traveled in the length direction of the slit-shaped opening and emitted through an output end of the slit-shaped opening as a point light at a far-field, and
a light receiver configured to receive the point light that is emitted from the light source towards an object, focused or collimated by the lens, and reflected by the object; and

a processor configured to control the light sensing system and to analyze the point light received from the light sensing system,
wherein the lens has a half cylinder shape having two opposing flat semicircular bases, and a curve portion and a flat rectangular portion that oppose each other and are provided between the two opposing flat semicircular bases.

14. The lidar apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the light source of the light sensing system comprises an active optical element having an active layer,
wherein the slit-shaped opening is formed in the active optical element, and
wherein the lens is formed on a surface of the active optical element in which the slit-shaped opening is formed.

15. The lidar apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the active optical element is configured to perform as at least one of (i) an amplifier to transmit, amplify, and output a light beam incident on the active optical element from the light source and (ii) the light source to generate a light beam.

16. The lidar apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the light sensing system comprises a cylindrical lens formed as a single structure on the slit-shaped opening and configured to focus light that disperses with respect to a slit width of the slit-shaped opening to form a single point light source with respect to a single slit-shaped opening.

17. The lidar apparatus of claim 16 , wherein, in the light sensing system, a plurality of point light sources arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally are formed by repeatedly one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally arranging units each comprising the light source and the lens.

18. A light detection and ranging (lidar) apparatus comprising;
the light sensing system of claim 9 ; and
a processor configured to control the light sensing system and to analyze the point light received from the light sensing system,
wherein the light sensing system further comprises a light receiver configured to receive the point light that is emitted from the light source towards an object, focused or collimated by the lens, and reflected by the object.

19. The lidar apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the lens comprises cylindrical lenses or convex lenses separately arran

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Eunkyung
• Jeong Byunggil
• Choi Byounglyong
• Kim Jungwoo

Classifications

• H01S5/02253 Primary

  using lenses · CPC title

• G01S7/4814 Primary

  of transmitters alone · CPC title

• G01S17/08

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title

• H01S5/18388

  Lenses · CPC title

• H01S5/4025

  Array arrangements, e.g. constituted by discrete laser diodes or laser bar (H01S5/42 takes precedence) · CPC title