Waymo LLC

Google Inc.

Nissei Technology Corporation

Michael Brickner

Blaise Gassend

Paul Karplus

Alex Rivas

David Gordon Duff

Mi Zhou

Amber Luttmann Volmering

Hui Seong Son

Chandra Kakani

Erin Eppard

Adina Roth

Pierre-yves Droz

Pierre-Yves Droz

Jason Paul Watson

Yeh-Jiun Tung

Akio Yamakawa

Alex Bogatko

Hugh Ross

An example lidar system includes a housing defining an interior space. The housing includes at least one optical window. The lidar system also includes a rotatable mirror assembly disposed within the interior space. The rotatable mirror assembly includes a transmit mirror portion and a receive mirror portion. The lidar system additionally includes a transmitter disposed within the interior space. The transmitter is configured to emit emission light into an environment of the lidar system along a transmit path. The lidar system also includes a receiver disposed within the interior space. The receiver is configured to detect return light that is received from the environment along a receive path. The lidar system additionally includes at least one optical baffle configured to minimize stray light in the interior space.

Split window and baffling

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that involve a rotatable mirror assembly. An example system includes a shaft configured to rotate about a rotational axis. A portion of the shaft can be tapered, either in a stepped profile or a ramped profile. In the surface of the shaft can be one or more circumferentially-indented grooves. The system also includes a mirror body coupled to the tapered shaft via the at least one circumferentially-indented groove. The mirror body is configured to have a polygonal cross-section, and reflective surfaces can be disposed along at least one external surface of the mirror body. Example methods of manufacturing the rotatable mirror assembly are also disclosed.

Tapered mirror shaft

The present disclosure relates to devices, lidar systems, and vehicles that include optical redirectors. An example lidar system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes at least one light-emitter device configured to transmit emission light into an environment of the lidar system. The receiver is configured to detect return light from the environment and includes a plurality of apertures, a plurality of photodetectors, and a plurality of optical redirectors. Each optical redirector is configured to optically couple a respective portion of return light from a respective aperture to at least one photodetector of the plurality of photodetectors. At least one of the optical redirectors includes an optically isolating coating.

Optical redirector device

The present disclosure relates to optical systems and vehicles, which may incorporate lidar sensors. An example optical system includes a light-emitter device configured to emit emission light. The optical system also includes an optical element including a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first surface includes a diffusing surface configured to diffuse the emission light to form diffused light. The second surface includes a focusing surface. A combination of the first surface and the second surface are configured to provide an intensity profile of light emitted within a field of view of the optical system.

Combined collimation and diffuser lens for flood illuminator

The present disclosure relates to optical systems and vehicles, which may incorporate lidar sensors. An example optical system includes a light-emitter device configured to emit emission light. The optical system also includes an optical element including a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first surface includes a diffusing surface configured to diffuse the emission light to form diffused light. The second surface includes a focusing surface configured to focus the diffused light to provide an intensity profile of light emitted within a field of view of the optical system.

The present disclosure relates to devices, lidar systems, and vehicles that include optical redirectors. An example lidar system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes at least one light-emitter device configured to transmit emission light into an environment of the lidar system. The receiver is configured to detect return light from the environment and includes a plurality of apertures, a plurality of photodetectors, and a plurality of optical redirector elements. Each optical redirector element is configured to optically couple a respective portion of return light from a respective aperture to at least one photodetector of the plurality of photodetectors.

A camera assembly includes an image sensor having a field of view corresponding to a scene, an infrared (IR) illuminator configured to selectively illuminate the scene, and a single-piece cover element positioned in front of the image sensor and the IR illuminator such that light from the IR illuminator is directed through the cover element along a first light path and light from the scene passes through the cover element along a second light path prior to entering the image sensor, the cover element including a first portion between the first light path and the second light path, the first portion being substantially opaque to IR and/or visible light.

Camera assembly having a single-piece cover element

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for illuminating and capturing scenes. In one aspect, a video camera assembly includes: (1) an image sensor having a field of view corresponding to a scene; (2) infrared illuminators to selectively illuminate the scene; and (3) a single-piece cover positioned in front of the image sensor and the illuminators such that light from the illuminators is directed through the cover and light from the scene passes through the cover prior to entering the image sensor, including: (a) a first portion corresponding to the image sensor and substantially transparent to visible light and IR light; (b) a second portion corresponding to the one or more IR illuminators and coated to be substantially transparent to IR light; and (c) a third portion between the first portion and the second portion and coated to be substantially opaque to IR and visible light.

The present disclosure relates to optical systems and related devices, specifically those related to light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems. An example optical system includes a housing, a shaft defining a rotational axis, and a rotatable optical component coupled to the shaft. The optical system also includes a first rotary bearing having an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of rolling elements configured to roll between the inner race and the outer race. The inner race is coupled to the shaft and the outer race is coupled to the housing. The optical system also includes a preload mechanism having a spring coupled to the housing and a preload distributor coupled to the spring and the outer race. The spring is configured to apply an axial preload force to the outer race through the preload distributor.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Michael Brickner