公开(公告)号：US20250044421A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-06

申请号：US18895206

申请日：2024-09-24

Applicant: Waymo, LLC

Inventor： Blaise Gassend ,  David Duff ,  Paul Karplus ,  Hui Son ,  Alex Rivas

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01D5/14 ,  G01S17/08

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and devices having a rotatable mirror assembly. An example system includes a housing and a rotatable mirror assembly. The rotatable mirror assembly includes a plurality of reflective surfaces, a shaft defining a rotational axis, and a mirror body coupling the plurality of reflective surfaces to the shaft. The mirror body includes a plurality of flexible support members. The rotatable mirror assembly also includes a coupling bracket configured to removably couple the rotatable mirror assembly to the housing. The system also includes a transmitter configured to emit emission light into an environment of the system after interacting with at least one reflective surface of the plurality of reflective surfaces. The system additionally includes a receiver configured to detect return light from the environment after interacting with the at least one reflective surface of the plurality of reflective surfaces.

公开(公告)号：US20230408691A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-21

申请号：US17806629

申请日：2022-06-13

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Alex Bogatko ,  Caner Onal ,  Paul Karplus

IPC: G01S17/14 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4861

CPC classification number: G01S17/14 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S17/931

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to light detectors for nearby object detection in light detection and ranging (lidar) devices. An example embodiment includes a lidar device. The lidar device includes a light emitter configured to emit a light signal at a first time. The lidar device also includes a light detector configured to detect the emitted light signal. Additionally, the lidar device includes a biasing circuit configured to modify a detector bias using a bias signal. The bias signal ramps the detector bias from a first bias level at the first time to a second bias level at a second time. The second time is separated from the first time by a ramp duration. The ramp duration is sufficient to prevent any internal feedback within the lidar device caused by the emitted light signal from saturating the light detector or detection circuitry associated with the light detector.

公开(公告)号：US20220120877A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-21

申请号：US17565572

申请日：2021-12-30

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Blaise Gassend ,  David Duff ,  Pierre-Yves Droz ,  Paul Karplus ,  Jason Watson ,  Michael Brickner ,  Alex Rivas

IPC: G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G02B26/08 ,  G02B26/12

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US20220029256A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-27

申请号：US17450098

申请日：2021-10-06

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Zhe Li ,  Jamal Izadian ,  Pierre-yves Droz ,  Min Wang ,  Samuel Lenius ,  Paul Karplus ,  Kyla Purvis

IPC: H01P1/06 ,  H01P3/12 ,  H01Q1/32 ,  G01S13/931 ,  G01S13/06 ,  H01P5/08 ,  G01S13/86 ,  H01P11/00

Abstract: A vehicle having a communication system is disclosed. The system includes two electrical couplings, coupled by way of a rotary joint having a bearing waveguide. Each electrical coupling includes an interface waveguide configured to couple to external signals. Each electrical coupling also includes a waveguide section configured to propagate electromagnetic signals between the interface waveguide and the bearing waveguide of the rotary joint. Additionally, the rotary joint is configured to allow one electrical coupling to rotate with respect to the other electrical coupling. An axis of rotation of the rotary joint is defined by a center of a portion of the waveguides. Yet further, the rotary joint allows electromagnetic energy to propagate between the waveguides of the electrical couplings.

公开(公告)号：US20210199779A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-01

申请号：US17134272

申请日：2020-12-26

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Blaise Gassend ,  David Duff ,  Paul Karplus ,  Hui Son ,  Alex Rivas

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01D5/14

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and devices having a rotatable mirror assembly. An example system includes a housing and a rotatable mirror assembly. The rotatable mirror assembly includes a plurality of reflective surfaces, a shaft defining a rotational axis, and a mirror body coupling the plurality of reflective surfaces to the shaft. The mirror body includes a plurality of flexible support members. The rotatable mirror assembly also includes a coupling bracket configured to removably couple the rotatable mirror assembly to the housing. The system also includes a transmitter configured to emit emission light into an environment of the system after interacting with at least one reflective surface of the plurality of reflective surfaces. The system additionally includes a receiver configured to detect return light from the environment after interacting with the at least one reflective surface of the plurality of reflective surfaces.

公开(公告)号：US20240118391A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-11

申请号：US18540486

申请日：2023-12-14

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Blaise Gassend ,  David Duff ,  Pierre-Yves Droz ,  Paul Karplus ,  Jason Watson ,  Michael Brickner ,  Alex Rivas

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/931

CPC classification number: G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4814 ,  G01S17/931

Abstract: 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. 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. Each optical redirector also has a rotational orientation relative to other optical redirectors such that the redirection paths of optical redirectors that correspond to adjacent apertures are not coplanar with one another.

公开(公告)号：US11841463B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-12

申请号：US17941118

申请日：2022-09-09

Applicant: WAYMO LLC

Inventor： Paul Karplus ,  Blaise Gassend ,  David Duff

IPC: G02F1/295 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G02B26/12

CPC classification number: G01S7/4817 ,  G02B26/12

Abstract: Aspects of the technology employ sensors having high speed rotating mirror assemblies. For instance, the sensors may be Lidar sensors configured to detect people and other objects in an area of interest. A given mirror assembly may have a triangular or other geometric cross-sectional shape. The reflective faces of the mirror assembly may connect along edges or corners. In order to minimize wind drag and torque issues, the corners are rounded, filleted, beveled, chamfered or otherwise truncated. Such truncation may extend the length of the mirror side. The mirror assembly may employ one or more beam stops, light baffles and/or acoustic/aerodynamic baffles. These sensors may be employed with self-driving or manual driven vehicles or other equipment. The sensors may also be used in and around buildings.

公开(公告)号：USD993051S1

公开(公告)日：2023-07-25

申请号：US29823685

申请日：2022-01-19

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Designer： YooJung Ahn ,  David Gordon Duff ,  Joshua Newby ,  Paul Karplus ,  Candace Marbury

Abstract: FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the claimed design for a sensor housing;
FIG. 2 is a front view thereof;
FIG. 3 is a rear view thereof;
FIG. 4 is a left side view thereof;
FIG. 5 is a right side view thereof;
FIG. 6 is a top view thereof; and,
FIG. 7 is a bottom view thereof.
The broken lines showing the remainder of the sensor housing depict environmental structure and form no part of the claimed design.

公开(公告)号：US20210199777A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-01

申请号：US17103220

申请日：2020-11-24

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Youming Qin ,  Paul Karplus

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/00 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/931 ,  H04L5/00

Abstract: A sensing device includes a stationary portion and a rotating portion. The rotating portion is spaced apart from the stationary portion by a gap and is configured to rotate relative to the stationary portion. The rotating portion includes one or more sensors that generate data. A communication interface in the rotating portion is configured to encode the data with error correction codes to provide encoded data, modulate a radio frequency (RF) signal that includes a plurality of sub-carriers with the encoded data to provide a data-modulated RF signal (e.g., an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signal), and transmit the data-modulated RF signal to the stationary portion via a wireless data transformer. The wireless data transformer includes a first conductive structure in the stationary portion and a second conductive structure in the rotating portion. The first and second conductive structures are inductively coupled together across the gap.

公开(公告)号：US20210199770A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-01

申请号：US17134277

申请日：2020-12-26

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Blaise Gassend ,  David Duff ,  Pierre-Yves Droz ,  Paul Karplus ,  Jason Watson ,  Michael Brickner ,  Alex Rivas

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4914 ,  G01S7/493

Abstract: 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.