Stabilizing Power Output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022019034-A1
Application number	US-202016928621-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2020
Priority date	Jul 14, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to transmitter modules, vehicles, and methods associated with lidar sensors. An example transmitter module could include a light-emitter die and a plurality of light-emitter devices coupled to the light-emitter die. Each light-emitter of the plurality of light-emitter devices is configured to emit light from a respective emitter surface. The transmitter module also includes a cylindrical lens optically coupled to the plurality of light-emitter devices and arranged along an axis. The light-emitter die is disposed such that the respective emitter surfaces of the plurality of light-emitter devices form a non-zero yaw angle with respect to the axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A transmitter module comprising:
a light-emitter die; a plurality of light-emitter devices coupled to the light-emitter die, wherein each light-emitter of the plurality of light-emitter devices is configured to emit light from a respective emitter surface; and a cylindrical lens optically coupled to the plurality of light-emitter devices and arranged along an axis, wherein the light-emitter die is disposed such that the respective emitter surfaces of the plurality of light-emitter devices form a non-zero yaw angle with respect to the axis.

2 . The transmitter module of claim 1 , wherein the non-zero yaw angle is between 0.25 degrees and 3 degrees.

3 . The transmitter module of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical waveguides, wherein each optical waveguide of the plurality of optical waveguides is optically coupled to at least one respective light-emitter device of the plurality of light-emitter devices by way of the cylindrical lens.

4 . The transmitter module of claim 3 , further comprising a substrate and a spacer, wherein the spacer, the cylindrical lens, and the plurality of optical waveguides are directly coupled to the substrate.

5 . The transmitter module of claim 4 , wherein each optical waveguide of the plurality of optical waveguides is configured to guide light by total internal reflection along a direction substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate.

6 . The transmitter module of claim 4 , wherein the axis is parallel to a surface of the substrate.

7 . The transmitter module of claim 4 , wherein the spacer comprises an optical fiber.

8 . The transmitter module of claim 1 , further comprising a light-emitter substrate, wherein the light-emitter die is coupled to the light-emitter substrate.

9 . The transmitter module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light-emitter devices comprises between 4 and 10 light-emitter devices that are each coupled to the light-emitter die.

10 . The transmitter module of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical lens comprises an optical fiber configured as a fast axis collimation lens for light emitted from the light-emitter devices.

11 . The transmitter module of claim 10 , wherein a surface of the cylindrical lens is coated with an anti-reflective coating.

12 . The transmitter module of claim 1 , wherein each light-emitter device of the plurality of light-emitter devices comprises a laser bar configured to emit infrared light.

13 . The transmitter module of claim 12 , wherein the infrared light comprises light having a wavelength about 905 nanometers.

14 . The transmitter module of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of further light-emitter dies each having a plurality of light-emitter devices.

15 . A method comprising:
providing a light-emitter die comprising a plurality of light-emitter devices, wherein each light-emitter of the plurality of light-emitter devices is configured to emit light from a respective emitter surface; providing a substrate, a cylindrical lens coupled to the substrate and arranged along an axis, a spacer, and a plurality of optical waveguides; and coupling the light-emitter die to the substrate and the spacer such that the respective emitter surfaces of the plurality of light-emitter devices form a non-zero yaw angle with respect to the axis and wherein each optical waveguide of the plurality of optical waveguides is optically coupled by way of the cylindrical lens to at least one light-emitter device of the plurality of light-emitter devices.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein coupling the light-emitter die to the substrate and the spacer comprises using a pick-and-place tool to position the light-emitter die with respect to the substrate based on one or more reference features.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising coating the cylindrical lens with an anti-reflective coating.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein coating the cylindrical lens comprises coating the cylindrical lens with an anti-reflective coating.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the light-emitter die is coupled to a light-emitter substrate, wherein coupling the light-emitter die to the substrate and the spacer comprises applying a cureable adhesive material to at least one of the substrate or the light-emitter substrate and curing the adhesive material so as to fix the respective emitter surfaces of the plurality of light-emitter devices at the non-zero yaw angle with respect to the axis.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein coupling the light-emitter die to the substrate and the spacer comprises positioning the light-emitter die using a computer vision technique.

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Matthews Michael
• Schleuning David
• Wozniak Carolyn

Classifications

• G01S7/4814 Primary

  of transmitters alone · CPC title

• G01S7/4818

  using optical fibres · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S7/4815

  using multiple transmitters · CPC title

• G02B6/4206 Primary

  Optical features (G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence) · CPC title