公开(公告)号：US20240094360A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-21

申请号：US17947988

申请日：2022-09-19

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Alexander Yukio Piggott ,  Jason Watson ,  Lin Liu ,  Blaise Laurent Patrick Gassend ,  Ralph Hamilton Shepard

IPC: G01S7/4914 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4911 ,  G01S7/4912 ,  G01S7/499 ,  G01S17/58

CPC classification number: G01S7/4914 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4911 ,  G01S7/4917 ,  G01S7/499 ,  G01S17/58

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, systems and methods of optical sensing for pixel multiplexing and polarized beam steering. Described, among other things, is a system that includes a light source configured to generate a light and one or more optical devices, integrated on a photonic integrated circuit, configured to impart modulation to the generated light and deliver the modulated light to an interface coupling device. The interface coupling device can include a plurality of interface couplers (ICs), each IC configured to scatter the modulated light in a direction that makes at least 5 degrees with an optical axis of lens configured to transmit the light scattered by each IC along a respective direction of a plurality of directions.

公开(公告)号：US20240094354A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-21

申请号：US17947976

申请日：2022-09-19

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Alexander Yukio Piggott

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G02B6/35

CPC classification number: G01S7/4818 ,  G02B6/3596

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, systems and methods of optical sensing that use carrier extraction from waveguides that can support propagation of high-power sensing beams. Described, among other things, is a system that includes one or more waveguides that include a semiconducting material with a temperature-dependent refractive index. The system further includes a plurality of extraction electrodes configured to extract from the waveguide(s), charge carriers generated by an electromagnetic wave propagating in the waveguide(s). The system further includes a heating electrode configured to cause a change of a temperature of the waveguide(s).

公开(公告)号：US20240103167A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-28

申请号：US17947904

申请日：2022-09-19

Applicant: Waymo LLC

Inventor： Alexander Yukio Piggott

IPC: G01S17/34 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4912

CPC classification number: G01S17/34 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4917

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, systems and methods of optical sensing that use destructive interference to suppress retro-reflected light during generation of sensing beams. Described, among other things, is a system to produce a transmitted (TX) beam and collect a received (RX) beam. The RX beam can include a reflected beam caused by interaction of the TX beam with an object, and a retro-reflected (RR) beam caused by interaction of the TX beam internal components of the system. The system is further to combine the RX beam with a phase-controlled beam to obtain a combined beam, control a phase of the phase-controlled beam to cause destructive interference of the phase-controlled beam and the RR beam, and determine, using the combined beam, one or more of the characteristics of the object.