Waymo LLC

Texas Instruments Corporation

Google Inc.

Candescent Technologies Corporation

Other

Candescent Intellectual Property Services, Inc.

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Sony Corporation

Synaptics Corporation

Reflectivity, Inc.

Kovio, Inc.

Cpo Technologies Corporation

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

James C Dunphy

David Neil Hutchison

Hongqin Shi

Pierre-yves Droz

Christopher J Spindt

Ozan Cakmakci

Oscar A Martinez

Yeh-Jiun Tung

Satyadev R Patel

Ralph Hamilton Shepard

Lawrence S Pan

David Schleuning

William J Cummings

Andrew Gerrit Huibers

Dmitri Simonian

Ronald L Hansen

Colin D Stanners

Donald R Schropp, Jr

Nathaniel Golshan

Jonathan Clayton Doan

Augusto Tazzoli

Regis Grasser

George B Hopple

Steven Gensler

Jianglong Zhang

Cesar Gensoli

Joseph Kurth Reynolds

Peter W Richards

Bob Lee Mackey

Klaus Kunze

Mark B Spitzer

Joerg Rockenberger

Fabio R Zurcher

Caner Onal

Stephen Wesley Marshall

Scott T Haubrich

Michael James Nystrom

Shiyou Pei

Mao Takashima

David R Morris

Donald John Elloway

Sandeep Kumar Giri

Kollengode S Narayanan

David L Morris

Chris Gudeman

Michel Combes

Chris Spindt

Nassrin Sleiman

Jerome M Truppa

Jun (Gordon) Liu

Lee Cressi

James Montague Cleeves

Ramamoorthy Ramesh

John A Moon

Matthew Emanuel Last

Pierre-Yves Droz

Theodore S Fahlen

Samuel William Lenius

Domino Taverner

John J Grunbeck

John Stuart Fitch

Philipp Helmut Schmaelzle

John D Porter

Jason Paul Watson

Duane A Haven

Joseph Francis Pinto

Kelvin Kwong

Drew Eugene Ulrich

Robert N Brucato

David Fournier

Charles Winston

Christopher J Curtin

Andrei Stefan Kazmierski

Roger W Barton

John E Field

Robert J Lockwood

Gregory P Schaadt

Yukinobu Iguchi

Hui Seong Son

Simon Prakash

Simon Ellgas

Igor L Maslennikov

Chandra Kakani

Randolph S Gluck

Justin Matthew Andrade

Jun Liu

Ronald S Besser

Georges Goetz

Nao Sugawara Chuei

John K O'Reilly

Patrick Siu-Ying Hung

Vasil M Chakarov

Omar Negrete

Erin Eppard

Andrew Abo

Tomoo Kosugi

Michael Tom

Nathaniel Quillin

Gregory M Fink

James Sirkis

Example embodiments relate to time-division multiple access scanning for crosstalk mitigation in light detection and ranging (lidar) devices. An example embodiment includes a method. The method includes emitting a first group of light signals into a surrounding environment. The first group of light signals corresponds to a first angular resolution. The method also includes detecting, during a first listening window, a first group of reflected light signals. Additionally, the method includes emitting a second group of light signals into the surrounding environment. The second group of light signals corresponds to a second angular resolution with respect to the surrounding environment. The second angular resolution is lower than the first angular resolution. Further, the method includes detecting a second group of reflected light signals from the surrounding environment. In addition, the method includes synthesizing, by a controller of the lidar device, a dataset usable to generate one or more point clouds.

Time-division multiple access scanning for crosstalk mitigation in light detection and ranging (lidar) devices

Example embodiments relate to light detection and ranging (lidar) devices having a light-guide manifold. An example lidar device includes a transmit subsystem. The transmit subsystem includes a light emitter. The transmit subsystem also includes a light-guide manifold optically coupled to the light emitter. Further, the transmit subsystem includes a telecentric lens assembly optically coupled to the light-guide manifold. The lidar device also includes a receive subsystem. The receive subsystem includes the telecentric lens assembly. The receive subsystem also includes an aperture plate having an aperture defined therein. The aperture plate is positioned at a focal plane of the telecentric lens assembly. Further, the receive subsystem includes a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) positioned to receive light traveling through the aperture.

Light detection and ranging (lidar) device having a light-guide manifold

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods relating to the fabrication of light guide elements. An example system includes an optical component configured to direct light emitted by a light source to illuminate a photoresist material at one or more desired angles so as to expose an angled structure in the photoresist material. The photoresist material overlays at least a portion of a first surface of a substrate. The optical component includes a container containing a light-coupling material that is selected based in part on the one or more desired angles. The system also includes a reflective surface arranged to reflect at least a first portion of the emitted light to illuminate the photoresist material at the one or more desired angles.

Non-telecentric light guide elements

One example system comprises a light source configured to emit light. The system also comprises a waveguide configured to guide the emitted light from a first end of the waveguide toward a second end of the waveguide. The waveguide has an output surface between the first end and the second end. The system also comprises a plurality of mirrors including a first mirror and a second mirror. The first mirror reflects a first portion of the light toward the output surface. The second mirror reflects a second portion of the light toward the output surface. The first portion propagates out of the output surface toward a scene as a first transmitted light beam. The second portion propagates out of the output surface toward the scene as a second transmitted light beam.

Waveguide diffusers for LIDARs

One example LIDAR device comprises a substrate and a waveguide disposed on the substrate. A first section of the waveguide extends lengthwise on the substrate in a first direction. A second section of the waveguide extends lengthwise on the substrate in a second direction different than the first direction. A third section of the waveguide extends lengthwise on the substrate in a third direction different than the second direction. The second section extends lengthwise between the first section and the second section. The LIDAR device also comprises a light emitter configured to emit light. The waveguide is configured to guide the light inside the first section toward the second section, inside the second section toward the third section, and inside the third section away from the second section.

Optical signal routing devices and systems

The present disclosure relates to optical transmitter modules, lidar systems, and methods of their manufacture. An example optical transmitter module includes a transparent substrate and a plurality of wires disposed along the transparent substrate. The optical transmitter module includes driver circuitry electrically-coupled to at least a portion of the plurality of wires and one or more light-emitter devices electrically-coupled to at least a portion of the plurality of wires. The light-emitter device(s) are configured to emit light pulses. The optical transmitter module also includes a fast axis collimation lens disposed along the transparent substrate. The fast axis collimation lens is configured to collimate the light pulses so as to provide collimated light. The optical transmitter module also includes one or more waveguide structures disposed along the transparent substrate within an optical region. The optical transmitter module also includes a lid configured to provide a sealed interior volume.

Lidar transmitter assembly

Example embodiments relate to light detection and ranging (lidar) devices having vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) emitters. An example lidar device includes an array of individually addressable VCSELs configured to emit light pulses into an environment surrounding the lidar device. The lidar device also includes a firing circuit configured to selectively fire the individually addressable VCSELs in the array. In addition, the lidar device includes a controller configured to control the firing circuit using a control signal. Further, the lidar device includes a plurality of detectors. Each detector in the plurality of detectors is configured to detect reflections of light pulses that are emitted by one or more individually addressable VCSELs in the array and reflected by one or more objects in the environment surrounding the lidar device.

Light detection and ranging (lidar) devices having vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) emitters

One example system comprises a plurality of substrates disposed in an overlapping arrangement. The plurality of substrates includes at least a first substrate and a second substrate. The system also comprises a first waveguide disposed on the first substrate to define a first optical path on the first substrate. The first waveguide is configured to guide light along the first optical path and to transmit, at an output section of the first waveguide, the light out of the first waveguide toward the second substrate. The system also comprises a second waveguide disposed on the second substrate to define a second optical path on the second substrate. An input section of the second waveguide is aligned with the output section of the first waveguide to receive the light transmitted by the first waveguide. The second waveguide is configured to guide the light along the second optical path.

Multilayer optical devices and systems

Systems and methods described herein relate to the manufacture of optical elements and optical systems. An example system may include an optical component configured to direct light from a light source to illuminate a photoresist material at a desired angle and to expose at least a portion of an angled structure in the photoresist material, where the photoresist material overlays at least a portion of a top surface of a substrate. The optical component includes a container containing an light-coupling material that is selected based in part on the desired angle. The optical component also includes a mirror arranged to reflect at least a portion of the light to illuminate the photoresist material at the desired angle.

Systems and methods that utilize angled photolithography for manufacturing light guide elements

Example embodiments relate to crosstalk reduction for light detection and ranging (lidar) devices using wavelength locking. An example embodiment includes a lidar device. The lidar device includes a first light emitter configured to emit a first light signal and a second light emitter configured to emit a second light signal. The lidar device also includes a first light guide and a second light guide. In addition, the lidar device includes a first light detector and a second light detector. Further, the lidar device includes a first wavelength-locking mechanism configured to use a portion of the first light signal to maintain a wavelength of the first light signal and a second wavelength-locking mechanism configured to use a portion of the second light signal to maintain a wavelength of the second light signal. The wavelengths of the first light signal and the second light signal are different.

Crosstalk reduction for light detection and ranging (lidar) devices using wavelength locking

The present disclosure relates to multi-channel optical transmitter modules, lidar systems, and methods that involve micromirror devices. An example optical transmitter module includes at least one light-emitter device and a plurality of micromirror devices optically-coupled to the at least one light-emitter device. The at least one light-emitter device is configured to emit respective light beams toward an environment via the micromirror devices. The micromirror devices are configured to deflect the light beams. The optical transmitter module also includes a controller having at least one processor and a memory. The controller is configured to carry out operations. The operations include receiving information indicative of a retroreflector object in the environment. The operations include, based on the received information, causing at least one micromirror device of the plurality of micromirror devices to deflect at least one light beam so that the at least one light beam does not interact with the retroreflector object.

Spatial light modulator retroreflector mitigation

The present application relates to contact immersion lithography exposure units and methods of their use. An example contact exposure unit includes a container configured to contain a fluid material and a substrate disposed within the container. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface, and the substrate includes a photoresist material on at least the first surface. The contact exposure unit includes a photomask disposed within the container. The photomask is optically coupled to the photoresist material by way of a gap comprising the fluid material. The contact exposure unit also includes an inflatable balloon configured to be controllably inflated so as to apply a desired force to the second surface of the substrate to controllably adjust the gap between the photomask and the photoresist material.

Systems and methods for contact immersion lithography

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

James C Dunphy