Beijing Voyager Technology Co., Ltd.

Locix, Inc.

Guangzhou Woya Laideling Technology Co., Ltd.

Zainar, Inc.

Nokia Technologies Oy

Lingkai Kong

Yue Lu

Chao Wang

Youmin Wang

Manu Seth

Tommi Ylamurto

Yonghong Guo

Vivek Subramanian

Wenbin Zhu

Zhenghan Zhu

Qin Zhou

Teymur Bakhishev

Vipul Chawla

John K Wu

Yibo Yu

Sourav Raj Dey

Zuow-Zun Chen

Yang Yang

Anan Pan

Henghui Jiang

Niels Bonne Larsen

Yu-Ching Yeh

Jihua Li

Toni H Lähteensuo

Brecht Francois

Demba Ba

Quin Zhou

John Wu

A transmitter for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is provided. The transmitter includes a plurality of laser sources and a light modulator. Each of the laser sources includes interleaved emitting regions and gaps and is configured to provide a native laser beam in a respective incident direction. The light modulator is configured to receive the native laser beams from the plurality of laser sources in different incident directions and combine the native laser beams into a combined laser beam in a diffraction direction.

Transmitter having a light modulator for light detection and ranging (LiDAR)

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a laser beam generation system. The laser beam generation system includes a first laser chip configured to generate a first polarized laser beam and a second laser chip configured to generate a second polarized laser beam. The laser beam generation system also includes a polarizer configured to combine the first polarized laser beam and the second polarized laser beam to generate a third laser beam.

Systems and methods for laser generation based on polarized beams

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. In an example, the LiDAR system includes a laser source, a scanner, a beam deflecting unit, and a controller. The laser source is configured to emit a laser beam towards an object. The scanner is configured to receive a returned laser beam from the object, and deflect the returned laser beam towards a beam deflecting unit to form a first laser beam traveling along a first direction. The first direction deviates from a reference direction by a deviation angle. The beam deflecting unit is configured to receive the first laser beam, and deflect the first laser beam to form a second laser beam towards a photosensor. The controller is configured to dynamically control a deflection angle of the beam deflecting unit to cause the second laser beam to be deflected towards the photosensor to compensate the deviation angle.

Compensation of beam deviation in light detection and ranging (LiDAR)

Systems and methods for determining locations of wireless nodes in a network architecture are disclosed herein. In one example, an asynchronous system includes a first wireless node having a wireless device with one or more processing units and RF circuitry for transmitting and receiving communications in the wireless network architecture including a first RF signal having a first packet. The system also includes a second wireless node having a wireless device with a transmitter and a receiver to enable bi-directional communications with the first wireless node in the wireless network architecture including a second RF signal with a second packet. The first wireless node determines a time of flight estimate for localization based on a time estimate of round trip time of the first and second packets and a time estimate that is based on channel sense information of the first and second wireless nodes.

Systems and methods for precise radio frequency localization in the presence of multiple communication paths

Embodiments of the disclosure provide receivers for light detection and ranging (LiDAR). In an example, a receiver includes an acousto-optical (AO) beam deflecting unit configured to receive an input laser beam and a controller configured to cause an acoustic signal to be applied to the AO beam deflecting unit to deflect the input laser beam for a deflection angle and form an output laser beam towards a beam sensor. The deflection angle between the input and the output laser beams is nonzero.

Acousto-optical beam deflecting unit for light detection and ranging (LiDAR)

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing system, a method for controlling the optical sensing system, and a controller for the optical sensing system. The exemplary method for controlling the optical system includes dividing a detection range of the optical sensing system into a plurality of sections, where each section covers a different range of distances to the optical sensing system. For each divided section, the transmitter of the optical sensing system transmits an optical signal to each section of the plurality of sections. The receiver of the optical sensing system then receives the optical signal returned from the corresponding section of the plurality of sections. After receiving the retuned optical signal from each divided section, these optical signals are then combined to form a detection signal of the detection range of the optical sensing system.

Dynamic signal control in flash LiDAR

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a comb drive, a comb drive system, and a method of operating the comb drive to rotate bi-directionally in a MEMS environment. An exemplary comb drive system may include a comb drive, at least one power source, and a controller. The comb drive may include a stator comb having a first electrically conductive layer spaced apart from a second electrically conductive layer. The comb drive may also include a rotor comb having a first electrically conductive layer spaced apart from a second electrically conductive layer. The controller may be configured to apply first and second voltage levels having opposite polarities to the first and second electrically conductive layers of the rotor comb, respectively. The controller may also be configured to apply an intermediate voltage level to one of the first or second electrically conductive layers of the stator comb.

Bipolar staggered comb drive for bidirectional MEMS actuation

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an apparatus for emitting laser light and a system and method for detecting laser light returned from an object. The system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes one or more laser sources, at least one of the laser sources configured to provide a respective native laser beam having a wavelength above 1,100 nm. The transmitter also includes a wavelength converter configured to receive the native laser beams provided by the laser sources and convert the native laser beams into a converted laser beam having a wavelength below 1,100 nm. The transmitter further includes a scanner configured to emit the converted laser beam to the object in a first direction. The receiver is configured to detect a returned laser beam having a wavelength below 1,100 nm and returned from the object in a second direction.

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system using a wavelength converter

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a system for analyzing noise data for light detection and ranging (LiDAR). The system includes a communication interface configured to sequentially receive noise data of the LiDAR in time windows, at least one storage device configured to store instructions, and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations. Exemplary operations include determining an estimated noise value of a first time window using the noise data received in the first time window and determining an instant noise value of a second time window using the noise data received in the second time window. The second time window is immediately subsequent to the first time window. The operations also include determining an estimated noise value of the second time window by aggregating the estimated noise value of the first time window and the instant noise value of the second time window.

Real-time estimation of dc bias and noise power of light detection and ranging (LiDAR)

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing system, a range estimation system for the optical sensing system, and a method for the optical sensing system. The exemplary optical sensing system includes a transmitter configured to emit a laser pulse towards an object. The optical sensing system further includes a range estimation system configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system. The range estimation system includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to generate a plurality of pulse samples based on the laser pulse returned from the object. The returned laser pulse has a substantially triangular waveform including a rising edge and a falling edge. The range estimation system further includes a processor. The processor is configured to generate synthesized pulse samples on the substantially triangular waveform based on the pulse samples. The processor is further configured to determine an arrival time of the returned laser pulse based on the ADC generated pulse samples and the synthesized pulse samples. The processor is also configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system based on the arrival time of the returned laser pulse.

Range estimation for LiDAR systems

A system for controlling a pulsed laser diode includes a power source configured to supply power to the pulsed laser diode and at least one driving branch between the power source and the pulsed laser diode. The at least one driving branch is configured to control power delivery from the power source to the pulsed laser diode. The at least one driving branch is connected to a cathode of the pulsed laser diode.

Multi-pulse generation for pulsed laser diodes using low-side drivers

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a system for controlling power of laser lights emitted by an optical sensing device. The system includes at least one storage device configured to store instructions and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one storage device and configured to execute the instructions to perform operations. The operations include detecting an object within a field of view of the optical sensing device based on a reflected laser signal received by the optical sensing device, determining a distance of the object from the optical sensing device, determining a value indicating a total power of one or more laser beams to be incident on an aperture at the distance, and comparing the value with a predetermined tolerance value. The operations also includes adjusting a laser emission scheme to reduce the total power when the value is greater than the predetermined tolerance value.

Dynamic laser power control in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems

Apparatuses and methods for controlling a micro-mirror are provided. In one example, a controller is coupled with a micro-mirror assembly comprising a micro-mirror, an actuator, and a sensor. The controller is configured to: receive a reference signal including information of a target oscillatory rotation of the micro-mirror; receive, from the sensor, the measurement signal of an oscillatory rotation of the micro-mirror; determine, based on the measurement signal and the information included in the reference signal, a difference between the oscillatory rotation of the micro-mirror and the target oscillatory rotation; receive an input control signal; generate, based on the difference and the input control signal, an output control signal to control at least one of a phase or an amplitude of the oscillatory rotation of the micro-mirror; and transmit the output control signal to the actuator.

System and methods for synchronizing rotation of multiple mirrors

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a Light Detection and Ranging system. The system may include a light source configured to emit a light beam, a first apparatus configured to adjust the light beam and a second apparatus configured to adjust the light beam and receive the reflected light beam from a first rotatable mirror. The first apparatus may include the first rotatable mirror configured to receive and reflect the light beam, and a first actuator configured to rotate the first rotatable mirror. The second apparatus may include a second adjustable mirror configured to receive and propagate the light beam, a second actuator configured to adjust the second adjustable mirror, and a detector configured to receive the light beam reflected by the object. The first rotatable mirror is further configured to receive and reflect the light beam reflected by the object to the detector.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Lingkai Kong