Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system including transceiver device

Abstract

A light detection and ranging (lidar) system for a vehicle may include a plurality of transceivers, a device including a laser source configured to generate a light beam and one or more optical components, and a processor. The processor may be configured to operate the device to generate a plurality of optical signals associated with a plurality of local oscillator (LO) signals based on the light beam, and multiplex the plurality of transceivers to transmit the plurality of optical signals to the environment. In response to transmitting the plurality of optical signals, the plurality of transceivers may be configured to receive a plurality of return optical signals reflected from an object in the environment and pair the plurality of return optical signals with the plurality of LO signals.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 888,355, filed on August 15, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] Light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor systems are used in a variety of applications, from altimetry to imaging to collision avoidance. Lidar provides finer-scale range resolution with smaller beam sizes than conventional microwave ranging systems such as radio wave detection and ranging (radar). Optical detection of range can be achieved by several different techniques, including direct ranging based on the round-trip travel time of an optical pulse to an object, chirp detection based on the frequency difference between an emitted chirped optical signal and the return signal scattered from the object, and phase coded detection based on a series of single-frequency phase changes that are distinguishable from natural signals.

[0004] When applying these technologies, the lidar sensor system may need to use limited or expensive hardware resources (e.g., receiving (RX) side hardware resources, such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs)). A mechanism is needed to effectively share such limited hardware resources among other circuit modules. In addition, when designing and implementing a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) or integrated optical circuit as a chip containing photonic components, a chip-level packaging solution is needed to effectively share such limited hardware resources among other circuit modules. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system and method for a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor system, and more particularly, to a system and method for a lidar sensor system including a transceiver module (or transceiver device).

[0006] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a light detection and ranging (lidar) system may include a transceiver, a first device including a laser source configured to generate a light beam and one or more optical components, a second device including one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and a processor configured to alternately turn on the first device and turn on the transceiver. The first device may be configured to generate an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the light beam. The transceiver may be configured to transmit the optical signal to the environment, receive a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment in response to the transmitted optical signal, and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The second device may be configured to generate a digital signal based on the electrical signal.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an autonomous vehicle control system may include one or more processors, and one or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to alternately turn on a first device and turn on a transceiver. The first device may include a laser source configured to generate a light beam, and one or more optical components. The instructions may cause the first device to generate an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the light beam. The instructions may cause the transceiver to transmit the optical signal to the environment, and in response to the transmitted optical signal, receive a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment, and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The instructions may cause the second device to generate a digital signal based on the electrical signal. The second device may include one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The instructions may control the operation of the vehicle using the digital signal.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an autonomous vehicle may include at least one of a steering system or a braking system, and a vehicle controller including one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to alternately turn on a first device and turn on a transceiver. The first device may include a laser source configured to generate a light beam, and one or more optical components. The one or more processors may be configured so that the first device generates an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the light beam. The one or more processors may be configured so that the transceiver transmits the optical signal to the environment, and in response to the transmitted optical signal, receives a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment, and pairs the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The one or more processors may be configured so that the second device generates a digital signal based on the electrical signal. The second device may include one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The one or more processors may be configured to use a digital signal to control at least one of the steering system or the braking system.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a light detection and ranging (lidar) system includes a transceiver, a first device including a laser source configured to generate a light beam and one or more optical components, a second device including one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and a processor configured to alternately turn on the first device and turn on the transceiver. The method may include generating an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the light beam by the first device. The method may include: transmitting the optical signal to the environment by the transceiver; receiving a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment in response to the transmitted optical signal; and pairing the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The method may include generating a digital signal based on the electrical signal by the second device.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a light detection and ranging (lidar) system for a vehicle may include multiple transceivers, a device, and a processor. The device may include a laser source configured to generate a light beam and one or more optical components. The processor may be configured to operate the device to generate multiple optical signals associated with multiple local oscillator (LO) signals based on the light beam, and multiplex multiple transceivers to transmit the multiple optical signals to the environment. In response to transmitting the multiple optical signals, the multiple transceivers may be configured to receive multiple return optical signals reflected from objects in the environment, and pair the multiple return optical signals with the multiple LO signals.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an autonomous vehicle may include at least one of a steering system or a braking system, and a vehicle controller including one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to operate a device including a laser source to generate multiple optical signals associated with multiple local oscillator (LO) signals based on a light beam generated from the laser source, and multiplex multiple transceivers to transmit the multiple optical signals to an environment. In response to transmitting the multiple optical signals, the one or more processors may be configured to cause the multiple transceivers to receive multiple return optical signals reflected from objects in the environment, and pair the multiple return optical signals with the multiple LO signals to generate multiple electrical signals. The one or more processors may be configured to use the multiple electrical signals to control at least one of the steering system or the braking system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] This patent or application file contains at least one drawing printed in color. Copies of this patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

[0013] These and other aspects and features of the present embodiment will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following description of the specific embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1A is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous vehicle according to some implementations.

[0015] Figure 1B is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck according to some implementations.

[0016] Figure 1C is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck according to some implementations.

[0017] Figure 1D is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck according to some implementations.

[0018] Figure 2is a block diagram illustrating an example of a lidar system for an autonomous vehicle according to some implementations.

[0019] Figure 3A is a block diagram illustrating an example of a lidar system according to some implementations.

[0020] Figure 3B is a block diagram illustrating another example of a lidar sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0021] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a diagram illustrating an example of a transmit (TX) amplifier according to some embodiments.

[0022] Figure 4C is a diagram illustrating an example of a transceiver device according to some embodiments.

[0023] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lidar system according to some embodiments.

[0024] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of a lidar system according to some embodiments.

[0025] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of a lidar system according to some embodiments.

[0026] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating another example of a lidar system according to some embodiments.

[0027] Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for controlling a lidar system according to some implementations.

[0028] Fig.10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system according to some implementations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] According to certain aspects, implementations in the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for controlling a vehicle using light detection and ranging (lidar), and more particularly, to systems and methods for a lidar sensor system including a transceiver module (or transceiver device).

[0030] According to certain aspects, a light detection and ranging (lidar) system may include a transceiver, a first device including a laser source configured to generate a light beam and one or more optical components, a second device including one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and a processor configured to alternately turn on the first device and turn on the transceiver. The first device may be configured to generate an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the light beam. The transceiver may be configured to transmit the optical signal to an environment, receive a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment in response to the transmitted optical signal, and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The second device may be configured to generate a digital signal based on the electrical signal.

[0031] 1. Autonomous vehicle system environment

[0032] Figure 1A is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous vehicle according to some implementations.

[0033] refer to Figure 1A , an example autonomous vehicle 110A in which the various techniques disclosed herein may be implemented. For example, the vehicle 110A may include a powertrain 192 including a prime mover 194 driven by an energy source 196 and capable of providing power to a drivetrain 198; and a control system 180 including a directional control 182, a powertrain control 184, and a brake control 186. The vehicle 110A may be implemented as any number of different types of vehicles, including vehicles capable of transporting people and / or cargo, and vehicles capable of traveling in a variety of environments, and it should be understood that the above-described components 180-198 may vary widely based on the type of vehicle in which they are used.

[0034] For simplicity, the embodiments discussed below will focus on wheeled land vehicles, such as cars, vans, trucks, buses, etc. In such embodiments, the prime mover 194 may include one or more electric motors and / or internal combustion engines (etc.). The energy source may include, for example, a fuel system (e.g., providing gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, etc.), a battery system, solar panels or other renewable energy sources, and / or a fuel cell system. The transmission system 198 may include: wheels and / or tires and a transmission and / or any other mechanical drive components to convert the output of the prime mover 194 into vehicle motion; and one or more brakes configured to controllably stop or slow the vehicle 110A; and a direction or steering assembly suitable for controlling the trajectory of the vehicle 110A (e.g., a rack and pinion steering linkage that enables one or more wheels of the vehicle 110A to pivot about a generally vertical axis to change the angle of the plane of rotation of the wheel relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle). In some embodiments, a combination of power systems and energy sources may be used (e.g., in the case of an electric / gas hybrid vehicle), and in some instances, multiple electric motors (e.g., dedicated to each wheel or axle) may be used as prime movers.

[0035] The directional control 182 may include one or more actuators and / or sensors for controlling and receiving feedback from a directional or steering assembly to enable the vehicle 110A to follow a desired trajectory. The powertrain control 184 may be configured to control the output of the powertrain 102, e.g., controlling the output power of the prime mover 194, controlling the gear of a transmission in the transmission 198, etc., thereby controlling the speed and / or direction of the vehicle 110A. The brake control 116 may be configured to control one or more brakes that slow or stop the vehicle 110A, e.g., disc brakes or drum brakes coupled to the wheels of the vehicle.

[0036] Other vehicle types (including but not limited to off-road vehicles, all-terrain or tracked vehicles, construction equipment, etc.) will necessarily use different powertrains, drivetrains, energy sources, directional controls, powertrain controls, and brake controls. In addition, in some embodiments, some components may be combined, for example, directional control of the vehicle is primarily handled by changing the output of one or more prime movers. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to the specific application of the technology described herein in autonomous wheeled land vehicles.

[0037] Various levels of autonomous control of the vehicle 110A may be implemented in a vehicle control system 120, which may include one or more processors 122 and one or more memories 124, wherein each processor 122 is configured to execute program code instructions 126 stored in the memories 124. The processors may include, for example, one or more graphics processing units ("GPUs") and / or one or more central processing units ("CPUs").

[0038] The sensor 130 may include various sensors suitable for collecting information from the vehicle's surroundings for controlling vehicle operation. For example, the sensor 130 may include a radar sensor 134, a lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor 136, a 3D positioning sensor 138, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or any one of a satellite navigation system (such as GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System), Beidou Satellite Navigation System (BDS), Galileo, compass, etc.). The 3D positioning sensor 138 can be used to determine the position of the vehicle on the earth using satellite signals. The sensor 130 may include a camera 140 and / or an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 142. The camera 140 may be a single or stereo camera and may record static and / or video images. The IMU 142 may include multiple gyroscopes and accelerometers capable of detecting linear and rotational motion of the vehicle in three directions. One or more encoders (not shown) such as wheel encoders may be used to monitor the rotation of one or more wheels of the vehicle 110A. Each sensor 130 may output sensor data at various data rates, which may be different from the data rates of other sensors 130 .

[0039] The output of the sensor 130 may be provided to a set of control subsystems 150, including a positioning subsystem 152, a planning subsystem 156, a perception subsystem 154, and a control subsystem 158. The positioning subsystem 152 may perform functions such as accurately determining the position and orientation (sometimes also referred to as "pose") of the vehicle 110A within its surroundings and generally within a certain reference frame. As part of generating labeled autonomous vehicle data, the position of the autonomous vehicle may be compared with the position of another vehicle in the same environment. The perception subsystem 154 may perform functions such as detecting, tracking, determining, and / or identifying objects within the surroundings of the vehicle 110A. Machine learning models may be used to track objects. The planning subsystem 156 may perform functions such as planning a trajectory for the vehicle 110A within a certain time frame given a desired destination and static and moving objects within the environment. Machine learning may be used to plan a vehicle trajectory. The control subsystem 158 may perform functions such as generating appropriate control signals to control various controls in the vehicle control system 120 to implement the planned trajectory of the vehicle 110A. Machine learning models may be used to generate one or more signals to control the autonomous vehicle to implement the planned trajectory.

[0040] It should be understood that Figure 1A The assembly of components of the vehicle control system 120 shown in FIG. 1 is merely exemplary in nature. In some embodiments, individual sensors may be omitted. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, a Figure 1A Multiple sensors of the type shown in can be used to achieve redundancy and / or cover different areas around the vehicle, and other types of sensors can be used. Similarly, different types and / or combinations of control subsystems can be used in other embodiments. In addition, although the subsystems 152-158 are shown as being separated from the processor 122 and the memory 124, it is understood that in some embodiments, some or all of the functions of the subsystems 152-158 can be implemented by program code instructions 126 residing in one or more memories 124 and executed by one or more processors 122, and these subsystems 152-158 can be implemented using the same processor and / or memory in some instances. The subsystems can be implemented at least in part using various dedicated circuit logic, various processors, various field programmable gate arrays ("FPGA"), various application-specific integrated circuits ("ASIC"), various real-time controllers, etc. As described above, multiple subsystems can utilize circuits, processors, sensors and / or other components. In addition, the various components in the vehicle control system 120 can be networked in various ways.

[0041] In some embodiments, the vehicle 110A may also include an auxiliary vehicle control system (not shown) that may serve as a redundant or backup control system for the vehicle 110A. The auxiliary vehicle control system may be able to fully operate the autonomous vehicle 110A in the event of an adverse event in the vehicle control system 120, while in other embodiments, the auxiliary vehicle control system may have only limited functionality, such as performing a controlled stop of the vehicle 110A in response to an adverse event detected in the primary vehicle control system 120. In other embodiments, the auxiliary vehicle control system may be omitted.

[0042] Typically, a myriad of different architectures (including various combinations of software, hardware, circuit logic, sensors, networks, etc.) can be used to implement Figure 1A . For example, each processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, and each memory may represent a random access memory ("RAM") device, which includes: main storage; and any supplementary levels of memory, such as cache memory, non-volatile or backup memory (such as programmable memory or flash memory), read-only memory, etc. In addition, each memory may be considered to include: memory storage physically located elsewhere in the vehicle 110A, such as any cache memory in the processor; and any storage capacity used as virtual memory, such as it is stored on a mass storage device or another computer controller. Figure 1A One or more of the processors shown in the figure or an entirely separate processor may be used to implement additional functionality in the vehicle 110A beyond autonomous control purposes, such as controlling the entertainment system, operating doors, lights, convenience features, etc.

[0043] In addition, to enable additional storage, the vehicle 110A may include one or more mass storage devices, such as a removable disk drive, a hard drive, a direct access storage device (“DASD”), an optical drive (e.g., a CD drive, a DVD drive, etc.), a solid-state storage drive (“SSD”), a network attached storage, a storage area network, and / or a tape drive, etc.

[0044] Additionally, the vehicle 110A may include a user interface 164 to enable the vehicle 110A to receive a plurality of inputs from and generate outputs for a user or operator, such as one or more displays, touch screens, voice and / or gesture interfaces, buttons and other tactile controls, etc. Otherwise, the user input may be received via another computer or electronic device (e.g., via an application on a mobile device or via a web interface).

[0045] In addition, the vehicle 110A may include one or more network interfaces, such as a network interface 162, which is suitable for communicating with one or more networks 170 (e.g., a local area network ("LAN"), a wide area network ("WAN"), a wireless network, and / or the Internet, etc.) to allow communication of information with other computers and electronic devices, including, for example, a central service, such as a cloud service, from which the vehicle 110A receives environmental and other data for its autonomous control. Data collected by one or more sensors 130 may be uploaded to a computing system 172 via the network 170 for additional processing. A timestamp may be added to each instance of vehicle data prior to upload. Reference Figure 2 Additional processing of autonomous vehicle data by computing system 172 is described in accordance with many embodiments.

[0046] Figure 1A Each processor shown in the and various additional controllers and subsystems disclosed herein typically operate under the control of an operating system and execute or otherwise rely on various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data structures, etc., as will be described in more detail below. In addition, the various applications, components, programs, objects, modules, etc. may also be executed on one or more processors in another computer coupled to the vehicle 110A via the network 170, such as in a distributed, cloud-based, or client-server computing environment, so that the processing required to implement the computer program functions can be distributed to multiple computers and / or services on the network.

[0047] In general, routines executed to implement the various embodiments described herein, whether implemented as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module, or sequence of instructions, or even a subset thereof, are referred to herein as "program code". The program code may include one or more instructions that reside in various memories and storage devices at various times, and when read and executed by one or more processors, performs the steps required to perform the steps or elements embodying various aspects of the present disclosure. In addition, while the embodiments have been and will be described below in the context of fully functional computers and systems, it should be understood that the various embodiments described herein can be distributed as program products in various forms, and that the embodiments can be implemented regardless of the specific type of computer-readable medium used to actually perform the distribution.

[0048] Examples of computer-readable media include tangible, non-transitory media such as volatile and nonvolatile memory devices, floppy disks and other removable disks, solid-state drives, hard drives, magnetic tapes, and optical disks (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.), and the like.

[0049] In addition, various program codes described below can be identified based on the application in which it is implemented in a specific embodiment. However, it should be understood that any specific program nomenclature below is only used for convenience, so the present disclosure should not be limited to use in any specific application that is only identified and / or implied by such nomenclature. In addition, in view of the typically endless ways in which computer programs can be organized into routines, processes, methods, modules, objects, etc., and the various ways in which program functions can be distributed among various software layers (e.g., operating systems, libraries, APIs, applications, applets, etc.) residing in typical computers, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific organization and distribution of program functions described herein.

[0050] Figure 1A The environment shown in is not intended to limit the embodiments disclosed herein. In fact, other alternative hardware and / or software environments can be used without departing from the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0051] 2. FM LIDAR for automotive applications

[0052] Trucks can include lidar systems (e.g. Figure 1A The vehicle control system 120, Figure 2 Lidar system in 201, Figure 3A Lidar system in 301, Figure 3B In some embodiments, the lidar system may use frequency modulation to encode the optical signal and use optical devices to scatter the encoded optical signal into free space. By detecting the frequency difference between the encoded optical signal and the return signal reflected from the object, the frequency modulation (FM) lidar system can determine the position of the object and / or accurately measure the velocity of the object using the Doppler effect. The FM lidar system may use continuous waves (referred to as "FMCW lidar" or "coherent FMCW lidar") or quasi-continuous waves (referred to as "FMQW lidar"). The lidar system may use phase modulation (PM) to encode the optical signal and use optical devices to scatter the encoded optical signal into free space.

[0053] FM or phase modulation (PM) lidar systems can offer significant advantages over conventional lidar systems for automotive and / or commercial truck applications. First, in some instances, an object (e.g., a pedestrian wearing dark clothing) may have low reflectivity, reflecting only a small amount of light (e.g., 10% or less) striking the object back to the sensor of the FM or PM lidar system (e.g., Figure 1AIn other examples, an object (e.g., a shiny road sign) may have a high reflectivity (e.g., greater than 10%) because it reflects a large amount of light impinging on the object back toward the sensor of the FM lidar system.

[0054] Regardless of the reflectivity of the object, the FM lidar system can detect (e.g., classify, identify, find, etc.) objects at a greater distance (e.g., 2 times) than a conventional lidar system. For example, the FM lidar system can detect low-reflectivity objects at a distance of 300 meters, and high-reflectivity objects at a distance of 400 meters.

[0055] To achieve such improvements in detection capabilities, FM lidar systems can use sensors (e.g. Figure 1A Sensors 130 in). In some embodiments, these sensors can be single photon sensitive, meaning they can detect the smallest possible amount of light. While FM lidar systems can use infrared wavelengths (e.g., 950nm, 1550nm, etc.) in certain applications, it is not limited to the infrared wavelength range (e.g., near infrared: 800nm-1500nm; mid-infrared: 1500nm-5600nm; and far infrared: 5600nm-1,000,000nm). By operating an FM or PM lidar system at infrared wavelengths, the FM or PM lidar system can broadcast more intense light pulses or beams while meeting eye safety standards. Conventional lidar systems are typically insensitive to single photons and / or operate only at near infrared wavelengths, requiring them to limit their light output (and distance detection capabilities) for eye safety reasons.

[0056] Therefore, by detecting objects at a greater distance, FM lidar systems can have more time to react to unexpected obstacles. In fact, even a few milliseconds of extra time can improve safety and comfort, especially for heavy vehicles (e.g., commercial trucks) traveling at highway speeds.

[0057] Another advantage of the FM lidar system is that it provides accurate speed for each data point instantaneously. In some embodiments, the speed measurement is achieved using the Doppler effect, which shifts the frequency of the light received from the object based on at least one of the radial velocity (e.g., the direction vector between the detected object and the sensor) or the frequency of the laser signal. For example, for speeds encountered in situations on roads where the speed is less than 100 meters per second (m / s), this shift at a wavelength of 1550 nanometers (nm) is equivalent to a frequency shift of less than 130 megahertz (MHz). This frequency shift is so small that it is difficult to detect directly in the optical domain. However, by using coherent detection in an FMCW, PMCW, or FMQW lidar system, the signal can be converted to the RF domain so that the frequency shift can be calculated using various signal processing techniques. This enables the autonomous vehicle control system to process incoming data more quickly.

[0058] Instantaneous velocity calculations also make it easier for FM lidar systems to identify distant or sparse data points as objects and / or track how these objects move over time. For example, FM lidar sensors (e.g., Figure 1A A sensor 130 in the image sensor 130 may receive only a few returns (e.g., hits) for an object 300 meters away, but if those returns give velocity values ​​of interest (e.g., moving toward the vehicle at >70 mph), the FM lidar system and / or the autonomous vehicle control system can determine a corresponding weight for the probability of being associated with the object.

[0059] Faster identification and / or tracking by the FM lidar system gives the autonomous vehicle control system more time to maneuver the vehicle. Better knowledge of how fast the object is moving also allows the autonomous vehicle control system to plan a better response.

[0060] Another advantage of FM lidar systems is that they have less static than conventional lidar systems. That is, conventional lidar systems, which are designed to be more sensitive to light, typically perform poorly in bright sunlight. These systems are also susceptible to crosstalk (e.g., when sensors are confused by each other's light pulses or beams) and self-interference (e.g., when sensors are confused by their own previous light pulses or beams). To overcome these shortcomings, vehicles using conventional lidar systems typically require additional hardware, complex software, and / or more computing power to manage this "noise."

[0061] In contrast, FM lidar systems do not encounter these types of problems because each sensor is specifically designed to respond only to its own light characteristics (e.g., light beam, light wave, light pulse). If the returning light does not match the timing, frequency, and / or wavelength of the light that was originally emitted, the FM sensor can filter out (e.g., remove, ignore, etc.) that data point. As a result, FM lidar systems produce (e.g., generate, derive, etc.) more accurate data with fewer hardware or software requirements, resulting in safer and smoother driving.

[0062] Finally, FM lidar systems can be more easily scaled than conventional lidar systems. As more autonomous vehicles (e.g., cars, commercial trucks, etc.) appear on the road, vehicles driven by FM lidar systems may not have to deal with interference issues caused by sensor crosstalk. In addition, FM lidar systems use less peak power of light than conventional lidar sensors. Therefore, some or all of the optical components of FM lidar can be produced on a single chip, which produces its own benefits, as discussed in this article.

[0063] 3. Commercial Trucking

[0064] Figure 1B 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck according to some embodiments. Environment 100B includes a commercial truck 102B for hauling cargo 106B. In some embodiments, commercial truck 102B may include a vehicle configured for long-haul freight, regional freight, intermodal freight (i.e., where a road-based vehicle is used as one of multiple modes of transportation to move cargo), and / or any other road-based freight application. Commercial truck 102B may be a flatbed truck, a refrigerated truck (e.g., a refrigerated truck), a ventilated van (e.g., a dry van), a moving truck, etc. Cargo 106B may be cargo and / or agricultural products. Commercial truck 102B may include a trailer for carrying cargo 106B, such as a flatbed trailer, a low bed trailer, a step deck trailer, an expandable flatbed trailer, a side kit trailer, etc.

[0065] Environment 100B includes object 110B (in Figure 1B ), the object 110B is located within a distance of 30 meters or less from the truck.

[0066] The commercial truck 102B may include a lidar system 104B (e.g., an FM lidar system, Figure 1A The vehicle control system 120, Figure 2 Lidar system in 201, Figure 3A Lidar system in 301, Figure 3BThe lidar system 350 in the apparatus is used to determine the distance to the object 110B and / or measure the speed of the object 110B. Figure 1B One lidar system 104B is shown mounted on the front of the commercial truck 102B, but the number of lidar systems and the area where the lidar systems are mounted on the commercial truck are not limited to a specific number or specific area. The commercial truck 102B may include any number of lidar systems 104B (or components thereof, such as sensors, modulators, coherent signal generators, etc.) mounted on any area (e.g., front, rear, side, top, bottom, under, and / or bottom) of the commercial truck 102B to facilitate detection of objects in any free space relative to the commercial truck 102B.

[0067] As shown, lidar system 104B in environment 100B may be configured to detect objects (eg, another vehicle, a bicycle, a tree, a street sign, a pothole, etc.) that are at a relatively close distance (eg, 30 meters or less) from commercial truck 102B.

[0068] Figure 1C 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck according to some implementations. Environment 100C includes the same components included in environment 100B (eg, commercial truck 102B, cargo 106B, lidar system 104B, etc.).

[0069] The environment 100C includes an object 110C (in Figure 1C As shown, the lidar system 104B in the environment 100C can be configured to detect objects (e.g., another vehicle, a bicycle, a tree, a street sign, a pothole, etc.) that are within a distance range of (i) greater than 30 meters and (ii) equal to or less than 150 meters from the commercial truck 102B. As shown, the lidar system 104B in the environment 100C can be configured to detect objects (e.g., another vehicle, a bicycle, a tree, a street sign, a pothole, etc.) that are a certain distance (e.g., 100 meters) from the commercial truck 102B.

[0070] Figure 1D 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck according to some implementations. Environment 100D includes the same components included in environment 100B (eg, commercial truck 102B, cargo 106B, lidar system 104B, etc.).

[0071] The environment 100D includes an object 110D (in Figure 1D As shown, the lidar system 104B in the environment 100D can be configured to detect objects (e.g., another vehicle, a bicycle, a tree, a street sign, a pothole, etc.) that are within a certain distance (e.g., 300 meters) from the commercial truck 102B.

[0072] In commercial truck transportation applications, due to the increase in weight, and therefore such vehicles require longer stopping distances, it is very important to effectively detect objects at all ranges. Due to the above advantages, FM lidar systems (e.g., FMCW and / or FMQW systems) or PM lidar systems are very suitable for commercial truck transportation applications. Therefore, commercial trucks equipped with such systems can have the ability to safely transport both personnel and goods across short or long distances, thereby not only improving the safety of commercial trucks, but also improving the safety of surrounding vehicles. In various embodiments, such FM or PM lidar systems can be used for semi-autonomous applications (wherein, commercial trucks have drivers, and some functions of commercial trucks use FM or PM lidar systems to automatically operate), or fully autonomous applications (wherein, commercial trucks are fully operated by FM or lidar systems alone or in combination with other vehicle systems).

[0073] 4. Continuous wave modulation and quasi-continuous wave modulation

[0074] In a lidar system using CW modulation, the modulator modulates the laser continuously. For example, if the modulation period is 10 seconds, the input signal is modulated throughout the entire 10 seconds. Instead, in a lidar system using quasi-CW modulation, the modulator modulates the laser to have an active portion and an inactive portion. For example, for a 10 second period, the modulator only modulates the laser for 8 seconds (sometimes called the "active portion"), but does not modulate the laser for 2 seconds (sometimes called the "inactive portion"). By doing this, the lidar system may be able to reduce power consumption for the 2 seconds because the modulator does not have to provide a continuous signal.

[0075] In frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) lidar for automotive applications, it may be beneficial to operate the lidar system using quasi-CW modulation, where FMCW measurement and signal processing methods are used, but the optical signal is not always in the on state (e.g., enabled, powered, transmitting, etc.). In some embodiments, the quasi-CW modulation can have a duty cycle equal to or greater than 1% and up to 50%. If the energy in the off state (e.g., disabled, powered off, etc.) can be consumed during the actual measurement time, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be improved and / or the signal processing requirements can be reduced to coherently integrate all the energy over a longer time scale.

[0076] 5. LIDAR systems for autonomous vehicles

[0077] Figure 22 is a block diagram illustrating an example environment for a lidar system for an autonomous vehicle according to some embodiments. The environment 200 includes a lidar system 201, which includes a transmit (Tx) path and a receive (Rx) path. The Tx path includes one or more Tx input / output ports ( Figure 2 ), and the Rx path includes one or more Rx input / output ports ( Figure 2 not shown).

[0078] In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate and / or semiconductor package may include a Tx path and an Rx.In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate and / or semiconductor package may include at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a photonic lightwave circuit (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

[0079] In some embodiments, the first semiconductor substrate and / or the first semiconductor package may include a Tx path, and the second semiconductor substrate and / or the second semiconductor package may include an Rx path. In some arrangements, the Rx input / output port and / or the Tx input / output port may appear (or be formed / arranged / positioned / placed) along one or more edges of one or more semiconductor substrates and / or semiconductor packages.

[0080] Environment 200 includes one or more transmitters 216 and one or more receivers 218 .

[0081] The environment 200 includes one or more optical devices 210 (e.g., an oscillating scanner, a one-way scanner, a Risley prism, a circulator optical device, and / or a beam collimator, etc.) coupled to the lidar system 201. In some embodiments, the one or more optical devices 210 can be coupled to the Tx path via one or more Tx input / output ports. In some embodiments, the one or more optical devices 210 can be coupled to the Rx path via one or more Rx input / output ports.

[0082] Environment 200 includes a vehicle control system 120 (eg, vehicle control system 120 of FIG. 1 ) coupled to a lidar system 201. In some implementations, vehicle control system 120 can be coupled to the Rx path via one or more Rx input / output ports.

[0083] The Tx path may include a laser source 202, a modulator 204A, a modulator 204B, an amplifier 206, and one or more transmitters 216. The Rx path may include one or more receivers 218, a mixer 208, a detector 212, a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) 214, and one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Figure 2Only a selected number of components and only one input / output channel are shown; however, environment 200 may include any number of components and / or input / output channels (in any combination) interconnected in any arrangement to facilitate combining the various functions of the lidar system to support the operation of the vehicle.

[0084] The laser source 202 can be configured to generate an optical signal (or light beam) derived from (or associated with) a local oscillator (LO) signal. In some embodiments, the optical signal can have an operating wavelength equal to or substantially equal to 1550 nanometers. In some embodiments, the optical signal can have an operating wavelength between 1250 nanometers and 1400 nanometers.

[0085] The laser source 202 may be configured to provide an optical signal to the modulator 204A, which is configured to generate an optical signal based on a first radio frequency (RF) signal (in Figure 2 The optical signal is modulated by a modulator 204A and a phase and / or frequency of the optical signal is modulated using continuous wave (CW) modulation or quasi-CW modulation to generate a modulated optical signal. The modulator 204A may be configured to send the modulated optical signal to the amplifier 206. The amplifier 206 may be configured to amplify the modulated optical signal to generate an amplified optical signal to the optical device 210. The amplifier 206 may be configured to amplify the modulated optical signal to generate an amplified optical signal to the optical device 210 via one or more transmitters 216. The one or more transmitters 216 may include one or more optical waveguides or antennas.

[0086] The optical device 210 can be configured to redirect the amplified optical signal it receives from the Tx path to the environment within a given field of view to the object 218, can receive the return signal reflected from the object 218, and provide the return signal to the mixer 208 of the Rx path through one or more receivers 218. The one or more receivers 218 may include one or more optical waveguides or antennas. In some arrangements, the transmitter 216 and the receiver 218 may constitute one or more transceivers ( Figure 2 In some arrangements, one or more transceivers may include a single static transceiver or a dual static transceiver.

[0087] The laser source 202 may be configured to provide an LO signal to the modulator 204B, which is configured to generate an LO signal based on the second RF signal (in Figure 2 ” RF2 ) and modulates the phase and / or frequency of the LO signal using continuous wave (CW) modulation or quasi-CW modulation to generate a modulated LO signal, and sends the modulated LO signal to the mixer 208 of the Rx path.

[0088] The mixer 208 may be configured to mix (eg, combine, multiply, etc.) the modulated LO signal with the return signal to generate a down-converted signal and send the down-converted signal to the detector 212. In some arrangements, the mixer 208 may be configured to send the modulated LO signal to the detector 212.

[0089] The detector 212 may be configured to generate an electrical signal based on the down-converted signal and send the electrical signal to the TIA 214. In some arrangements, the detector 212 may be configured to generate an electrical signal based on the down-converted signal and the modulation signal.

[0090] The TIA 214 may be configured to amplify the electrical signal and send the amplified electrical signal to the vehicle control system 120 via one or more ADCs 220 .

[0091] In some implementations, the TIA 214 can have a peak noise equivalent power (NEP) of less than 5 picowatts per square root hertz (ie, 5 x 10-12 watts per square root hertz). In some implementations, the TIA 214 can have a gain between 4 kiloohms and 25 kiloohms.

[0092] In some implementations, the detector 212 and / or the TIA 214 can have a 3 dB bandwidth between 80 kilohertz (kHz) and 450 megahertz (MHz).

[0093] The vehicle control system (eg, control subsystem 150 ) may be configured to determine the distance to object 218 and / or measure the speed of object 218 based on the one or more electrical signals it receives from the TIA via one or more ADCs 224 .

[0094] In some implementations, modulator 204A and / or modulator 204B may have a bandwidth between 400 megahertz (MHz) and 1000 (MHz).

[0095] In some embodiments, the modulator 204A can be configured to send the first modulated light (optical) signal and the second modulated light (optical) signal to the amplifier 206. The amplifier 206 can be configured to amplify the first modulated light signal and the second modulated light signal to generate amplified light signals to be transmitted to the optical device 210 through the transmitter 216. The optical device 210 can be configured to redirect the first modulated light signal and the second modulated light signal received from the Tx path to the object 218 in the environment within a given field of view, can receive the corresponding first return signal and the second return signal reflected from the object 218, and provide the first return signal and the second return signal to the mixer 208 of the Rx path through the receiver 218. The modulator 204B can be configured to generate (1) a first modulated LO signal associated with the first modulated light signal and (2) a second modulated LO signal associated with the second modulated light signal, and send the first modulated LO signal and the second modulated LO signal to the mixer 208 of the Rx path. The mixer 208 can be configured to pair (e.g., associate, link, identify, etc.) the first return optical signal with the first modulated LO signal, and mix (e.g., combine, multiply, etc.) the first return optical signal with the first modulated LO signal to generate a first down-converted signal and send the first down-converted signal to the detector 212. Similarly, the mixer 208 can be configured to pair the second return optical signal with the second modulated LO signal, and mix the second return optical signal with the second modulated LO signal to generate a second down-converted signal and send the second down-converted signal to the detector 212. The detector 212 can be configured to generate a first electrical signal and a second electrical signal based on the first down-converted signal and the second down-converted signal, respectively. The vehicle control system 120 can be configured to determine the distance to the object 218 and / or measure the speed of the object 218 based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal received through the TIA 214 and the ADC 220.

[0096] 6. LIDAR system including transceiver module (device)

[0097] The lidar sensor system may need to use limited or expensive hardware resources (e.g., receiving (RX) end hardware resources, such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs)). A mechanism is needed to effectively share such limited hardware resources among other circuit modules. In addition, when designing and implementing a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) or integrated optical circuit as a chip containing photonic components, a chip-level packaging solution is required to effectively share such limited hardware resources among other circuit modules.

[0098] To address these issues, in some embodiments, a lidar sensor system (e.g., a FMCW or other coherent lidar sensor system) may include a processor, a photon module (e.g., a photon device or a photon assembly) as a first device, a lidar processing device (e.g., a lidar computing assembly) including one or more ADCs as a second device, and a transmit (TX) / receive (RX) / optical device (e.g., a free space optical assembly) including multiple groups of transceivers. In some embodiments, the lidar sensor system may be configured to generate and transmit MxN optical signals (e.g., light beams, optical signals) in the following manner, where M and N are integers (e.g., M≥2, N≥8): by alternately turning on the photon module and turning on the TX / RX / optical device (or a group of N transceivers thereof) M times (e.g., by time-multiplexing the M groups of N transceivers) to transmit the MxN optical signals to the environment. In response to transmitting optical signals, multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., MxN transceivers) can receive return signals in MxN channels, and then the lidar processing device can process the return optical signals in the MxN channels. In this way, lidar processing equipment (e.g., ADC) can be efficiently shared among multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., M groups of N transceivers).

[0099] In some embodiments, the lidar sensor system can be configured to generate MxN optical signals and transmit them to the environment substantially simultaneously (e.g., without multiplexing M groups of N transceivers; M=1), and receive return optical signals (e.g., optical signals returned from an object) and process the return optical signals substantially simultaneously in N channels (M=1). For example, the lidar sensor system may include a photon module that may generate N TX beams, provide the N TX beams and LO signals to a transceiver device (or module) including N transceivers. The N transceivers may transmit N TX beams to the environment, receive the return optical signals in N RX channels as N RX optical signals, perform mixing and photoelectric detection on the N RX optical signals using the LO signal, and provide N electrical signals to the lidar processing device. The lidar processing device may process the N electrical signals using multiple ADCs (e.g., N ADCs). In this way, the lidar sensor system may process the N optical signals substantially simultaneously. For example, the lidar sensor system may process 16 optical signals (N=16) substantially simultaneously.

[0100] In some embodiments, the lidar sensor system can be configured to generate N optical signals at M different times (e.g., by time-multiplexing M groups of N transceivers) during a period and transmit them into the environment, and receive return optical signals (e.g., optical signals returned from an object) and process the return optical signals in MxN channels. For example, in the case of M=2, during a period, the photon module of the lidar sensor system can generate N TX beams, provide the N TX beams and the LO signal to a transceiver device (or module) including 2N transceivers twice (or at two different times), so that the 2N transceivers can transmit 2N TX beams into the environment during the period. In some embodiments, during the period, the photon module and a group of N transceivers (among the 2N transceivers) can be turned on alternately twice (or at two different times), thereby transmitting 2N TX beams into the environment. For example, during this period, (1) the photon module may be turned on to generate a first set of N optical signals, (2) the first set of N transceivers may be turned on to transmit the first set of N optical signals into the environment, (3) the photon module may be turned on to generate a second set of N optical signals, and (4) the second set of N transceivers may be turned on to transmit the second set of N optical signals into the environment. The 2N transceivers may receive the return optical signals as 2N RX optical signals in the 2N RX channels, mix and photodetect the 2N RX optical signals using the LO signal, and provide 2N electrical signals to a lidar processing device including a plurality of ADCs (e.g., 2N ADCs). The lidar processing device may process the 2N electrical signals using the ADC. In this way, the lidar sensor system (or ADC) may be efficiently shared among the first set of N transceivers and the second set of N transceivers. For example, the lidar sensor system may process 16 optical signals (M=2, N=8) by efficiently sharing the ADC among the first set of 8 transceivers and the second set of 8 transceivers.

[0101] In some embodiments, a processor of a lidar sensor system may time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers such that a (selected) group of N transceivers may transmit N optical signals to an environment at M different times during a time period. In some embodiments, a processor may determine a sequence of M groups of N transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the determined sequence such that each of the M groups of N transceivers may transmit N optical signals to an environment at M different times during a time period according to the sequence. In some embodiments, similarly, a lidar sensor system may be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to a TX / RX / optical device. For example, a processor may (1) time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers such that a (selected) group of N transceivers may receive N LO signals at M different times during a time period, or (2) determine a sequence of M groups of N transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the sequence such that each of the M groups of N transceivers may receive N LO signals at M different times during a time period according to the sequence.

[0102] In some embodiments, a photon module (as a first device) of a lidar sensor system may include a laser source, a seed device (e.g., a photon seed module), and a plurality of TX amplifiers (e.g., a photon TX amplifier module). In some embodiments, the laser source may be a laser diode (e.g., a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode). In some embodiments, the laser source may generate a laser having a wavelength in a range between 1530 nm and 1565 nm.

[0103] In some embodiments, the seed device may include an input optical path, a first optical path, a plurality of second optical paths, a first optical amplifier, a plurality of second optical amplifiers, and a control circuit. The input optical path may be configured to receive a light beam from a laser source at one end thereof. The first optical path and the plurality of second optical paths may be branched from the other end of the input optical path, respectively. The first optical amplifier may be coupled to the first optical path. The plurality of second optical amplifiers may be coupled to the plurality of second optical paths, respectively. The control circuit may be configured to selectively turn on one of the plurality of second optical amplifiers to output the modulated optical signal of the light beam as a TX optical signal. The control circuit may be configured to turn on the first optical amplifier to output the modulated optical signal of the light beam as an LO signal. In this way, the seed device may generate a TX optical signal and a LO signal based on the light beam from the laser source, provide the TX optical signal to one or more TX amplifiers, and provide the LO signal to one or more transceivers of the TX / RX / optical device. In some embodiments, the seed device may provide the LO signal to one or more transceivers through one or more multi-fiber push-in (MPO) connectors.

[0104] In some embodiments, multiple TX amplifiers may include multiple apertures on their input side, and the seed device may provide a single optical signal to them. In some embodiments, the seed device may provide a TX optical signal to multiple TX amplifiers through one or more splitters. The one or more splitters may be one or more fiber splitters. The splitter may be coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier using one of butt coupling or lens coupling. For example, in butt coupling, the input side of the optical amplifier may directly face the output end (e.g., waveguide end) of the seed device. In lens coupling, the input side of the optical amplifier and the output end of the seed device may be coupled using a lens (e.g., a ball lens). In this way, the seed device can seed multiple TX amplifiers (e.g., a tapered semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) or a tapered SOA array) with multiple apertures with one optical signal.

[0105] Each of the plurality of TX amplifiers may receive a TX optical signal and output an amplified TX optical signal to one or more transceivers of the TX / RX / optical device. In some embodiments, each TX amplifier may provide a plurality of amplified TX optical signals to one or more transceivers based on the amplified TX optical signal through the splitter. In some embodiments, the one or more amplified TX optical signals may be output to the one or more transceivers through an MPO connector (e.g., 16 optical fibers for 16 TX optical signals).

[0106] In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers may include a plurality of optical amplifiers. The optical amplifiers may include semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifiers, or erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). For example, the plurality of TX amplifiers may include one or more EDFAs with a 4W input power level. In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers may include an optical amplifier array. The optical amplifier may include an SOA array, a fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifier array, or an EDFA array.

[0107] In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers may include a plurality of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs), each tapered optical amplifier comprising a tapered section, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the amplified light beam gradually increases. The plurality of TPAs ​​may include one or more of a tapered SOA, a tapered fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifier, or a tapered EDFA. The plurality of TPAs ​​may include one or more of an array of tapered SOAs, an array of tapered fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifiers, or an array of tapered EDFAs.

[0108] In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers may include a group of amplifiers, wherein an input side of one of the amplifiers in the group is coupled to input sides of other amplifiers in the group. For example, a group of amplifiers may include five (5) TPAs ​​(e.g., first to fifth TPAs) configured such that an input side of a first TPA is coupled to input sides of second to fifth TPAs. In some embodiments, a group of amplifiers having the aforementioned configuration may be implemented in a chip (referred to as a U-turn chip). In some embodiments, a seed device may provide a first TX optical signal to an output side of a first TPA such that (1) the first TX optical signal is input to input sides of second to fifth TPAs, and (2) the second to fifth TPAs ​​output four amplified TX optical signals.

[0109] In some embodiments, the photonic module may include at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a photonic lightwave circuit (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, or a micro-optical circuit. The III-V semiconductor may include at least one of indium nitride (InN) or gallium arsenide (GaAs). In some embodiments, the PLC may be a glass-based PLC. The silicon photonic circuit may include a silicon nitride circuit (e.g., a Si3N4-based circuit). In some embodiments, the seed device may include at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, the seed device may be a chip or an integrated circuit including at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, a plurality of TX amplifiers may include at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, a plurality of TX amplifiers may include a chip or an integrated circuit including at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit.

[0110] In some embodiments, the TX / RX / optical device of the lidar sensor system may include one or more transceivers (e.g., MxN transceivers, each transceiver transmitting / receiving a single optical signal), one or more optical mixers, one or more photodetectors, one or more optical devices (e.g., collimators), and / or one or more laser scanners (e.g., galvanometer scanner, polygon scanner, etc.). Each of the one or more transceivers may be a single static transceiver, or a dual static transceiver including a TX waveguide (or antenna) and an RX waveguide (or antenna). The one or more optical devices may include one or more collimators configured to narrow / limit multiple optical signals (e.g., 16 beams). The one or more optical mixers may optically mix the one or more return optical signals with the LO signal received from the seed device to generate one or more mixed optical signals. The one or more photodetectors may receive the one or more mixed optical signals to generate one or more electrical signals. The one or more laser scanners may be controlled by the lidar processing device (e.g., using a software driver).

[0111] In some embodiments, the TX / RX / optical device may include at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, a III-V semiconductor circuit, or a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, one or more transceivers of the TX / RX / optical device may include at least one of a silicon photonic circuit or a PLC. In some embodiments, one or more transceivers may be a chip or integrated circuit including at least one of a silicon photonic circuit or a PLC.

[0112] In some embodiments, the lidar processing device (as the second device) of the lidar sensor system may include one or more ADCs or multi-channel ADCs (e.g., 16 ADCs or 16-channel ADCs) configured to generate one or more digital signals based on one or more returned optical signals and provide the digital signals to the autonomous vehicle control system. The lidar processing device may include one or more amplifiers and / or one or more digital-to-analog converters (DACs). The lidar processing device may be a computing system that can execute software modules stored in a memory (e.g., Fig.10 For example, the lidar processing device may store a software driver to control one or more scanners (e.g., a galvanometer scanner, a polygon scanner, etc.) of the TX / RX / optical device.

[0113] In some embodiments, the lidar processing device may include a radio frequency (RF) chip (or integrated circuit) that implements one or more ADCs, one or more amplifiers, and / or one or more DACs. The RF chip may be an RF system on chip (RFSoC). The RF chip may be an RF system on chip field programmable gate array (FR SoC FPGA). In some embodiments, the RF chip may include one or more radio frequency analog-to-digital converters (RF-ADCs), one or more radio frequency digital-to-analog converters (RF-DACs). In some embodiments, the RF-ADCs and RF-DACs may be configured in pairs for real and imaginary in-phase / quadrature (I / Q) data. For example, the lidar processing device may provide a 2-channel RF signal (e.g., I / Q data) to a seed device for modulation (e.g., I / Q modulation). The RF chip may communicate with a vehicle or a vehicle control system (e.g., an autonomous vehicle control system) via a Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) interface. In some embodiments, the lidar processing device may include a functional safety (FuSa) system that is implemented as a circuit or software in the lidar processing device.

[0114] According to certain aspects, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device, a light detection and ranging (lidar) system, comprising a transceiver, a first device including a laser source configured to generate a light beam and one or more optical components, a second device including one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and a processor configured to alternately turn on the first device and turn on the transceiver. The first device can generate an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the light beam. The transceiver can transmit the optical signal to the environment, receive a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment in response to the transmitted optical signal, and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The second device can generate a digital signal based on the electrical signal.

[0115] In some implementations, the processor can be configured to periodically turn on the first device at a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver at a second duty cycle.

[0116] In some embodiments, the transceiver includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a photonic lightwave circuit (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. In some embodiments, the first device includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit. In some embodiments, the second device includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

[0117] In some embodiments, the transceiver may have a first group of N transmit (TX) channels, a second group of N TX channels, and 2N receive (RX) channels, where N is an integer. The second device may have 2N channels. N may be greater than or equal to 8. For example, N may be in the range from 8 to 16, inclusive.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first device may be configured to generate a first optical signal associated with the first LO signal. In response to the first device generating the first optical signal, the transceiver may be configured to transmit the first optical signal to the environment through the first set of N TX channels. In response to the transceiver transmitting the first optical signal, the first device may be configured to generate a second optical signal associated with the second LO signal. In response to the first device generating the second optical signal, the transceiver may be configured to transmit the second optical signal to the environment through the second set of N TX channels.

[0119] In some embodiments, in response to turning on the first device, the first device can be configured to selectively provide an optical signal to one of the first group of N TX channels or the second group of N TX channels. In response to turning on the transceiver, the transceiver can be configured to transmit the optical signal to the environment through one of the first group of N TX channels or the second group of N TX channels, receive the return optical signal through the 2N RX channels, and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The second device can be configured to generate a digital signal based on the electrical signal through the 2N channels of the second device.

[0120] In some embodiments, the lidar system may further include a plurality of optical amplifiers configured to provide amplified optical signals to the first group of N TX channels. The number of the plurality of optical amplifiers may be less than N. The plurality of optical amplifiers may include one or more tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs). The one or more TPAs ​​may include tapered sections in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the amplified light beam gradually increases. The one or more TPAs ​​may be one or more tapered semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs).

[0121] In some embodiments, the first device can be configured to provide a seed optical signal to multiple optical amplifiers based on the light beam. The lidar system can also include a splitter. The first device can be configured to provide a seed optical signal to multiple optical amplifiers through the splitter. The splitter can be coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier using one of a butt coupling or a lens coupling.

[0122] In some embodiments, the transceiver can be an integrated circuit including at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit. In some embodiments, the transceiver can include a transmitter device and a receiver device. One of the transmitter device or the receiver device is an integrated circuit including at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

[0123] According to certain aspects, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an autonomous vehicle control system, the system comprising one or more processors, and one or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to alternately turn on a first device and turn on a transceiver. The first device may include a laser source configured to generate a light beam, and one or more optical components. The instructions may cause the first device to generate an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the light beam. The instructions may cause the transceiver to transmit the optical signal to the environment, and in response to the transmitted optical signal, receive a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment, and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The instructions may cause the second device to generate a digital signal based on the electrical signal. The second device may include one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The instructions may control the operation of the vehicle using the digital signal.

[0124] According to certain aspects, embodiments in the present disclosure relate to an autonomous vehicle, comprising at least one of a steering system or a braking system, and a vehicle controller comprising one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to alternately turn on a first device and turn on a transceiver. The first device may include a laser source configured to generate a light beam, and one or more optical components. The one or more processors may be configured to cause the first device to generate an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the light beam. The one or more processors may be configured to cause the transceiver to transmit an optical signal to an environment, and in response to transmitting the optical signal, receive a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment, and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal. The one or more processors may be configured to cause a second device to generate a digital signal based on the electrical signal. The second device may include one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The one or more processors may be configured to use a digital signal to control at least one of the steering system or the braking system.

[0125] Various implementations of the present disclosure may have one or more of the following advantages and benefits.

[0126] First, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide useful techniques for efficiently using limited or expensive hardware resources (e.g., receive (RX) side hardware resources, such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs)). In some embodiments, a lidar sensor system may be configured to generate and transmit MxN optical signals (e.g., M≥2, N≥8) by alternately turning on a photon module and turning on a TX / RX / optical device (or a group of N transceivers thereof) M times (e.g., by time-multiplexing M groups of N transceivers) to transmit the MxN optical signals to the environment. In response to transmitting the optical signals, multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., MxN transceivers) may receive return signals in MxN channels, and then the lidar processing device may process the return optical signals in the MxN channels. In this way, the lidar processing device (e.g., ADC) may be effectively shared among multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., M groups of N transceivers).

[0127] Secondly, the embodiments in the present disclosure can provide useful techniques for providing chip-level packaging solutions to effectively share such limited hardware resources among other circuit modules. In some embodiments, the lidar sensor system may include a seed device implemented in a chip or an integrated circuit ("seed device chip"), which includes at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. The lidar system may also include a plurality of transceivers implemented in a chip or an integrated circuit ("transceiver chip"), which includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit or a PLC. In a manner similar to the above, the seed device chip and the transceiver chip can be alternately turned on M times to time-multiplex the M groups of N transceivers in the transceiver chip, thereby transmitting MxN optical signals to the environment. In response to the transmitted optical signal, the transceiver chip can receive the return signal in MxN channels, and then the lidar processing device can process the return optical signal in MxN channels. In this way, the lidar processing device (e.g., ADC) can be effectively shared among multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., M groups of N transceivers in the transceiver chip).

[0128] Third, embodiments in the present disclosure may provide useful techniques for seeding multiple TX amplifiers having multiple apertures with one optical signal. In some embodiments, multiple TX amplifiers may include multiple apertures on their input side, to which a seed device may provide a single optical signal. The seed device may provide a TX optical signal to multiple TX amplifiers via one or more splitters. The one or more splitters may be one or more fiber splitters. The splitter may be coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier using one of a butt coupling or a lens coupling. In this way, the seed device may seed multiple TX amplifiers having multiple apertures (e.g., a tapered SOA or tapered SOA array) with one optical signal.

[0129] Figure 3A 300 includes a lidar sensor system 301, which includes a processor 340, a photon module 303 (or a photon device), a TX / RX / optical device 307, and a lidar processing device 305. The processor 340 may have Fig.10 The processor 1010 in FIG.

[0130] In some embodiments, the photon module 303 may include a laser source 302, a modulator 304A, a modulator 304B, and an amplifier 306. The laser source 302 may be configured to generate an optical signal (or light beam). The laser source 302 may be configured to provide the optical signal to the modulator 304A, and the modulator 304A is configured to modulate the phase and / or frequency of the optical signal based on a first radio frequency (RF) signal (shown as "RF3" in FIG. 3) and using continuous wave (CW) modulation or quasi-CW modulation to generate a modulated optical signal. In some embodiments, the photon module 303 may be configured to receive the RF signal RF3 from the lidar processing device 305 through the communication interface 309. The modulator 304A may be configured to send the modulated optical signal (e.g., a TX optical signal) to the amplifier 306. In some embodiments, the amplifier 306 may include a plurality of amplifiers that are configured to be coupled to the amplifier 306 through one or more splitters (in Figure 3A Each of the plurality of amplifiers may be configured to amplify the TX optical signal to generate an amplified TX optical signal, and based on the splitter ( Figure 3A The amplifier 306 may provide N amplified TX optical signals to the TX / RX / optical device 307 based on the amplified TX optical signal (not shown).

[0131] In some embodiments, the laser source 302 can be configured to provide an LO signal to the modulator 204B, which is configured to generate an LO signal based on the second RF signal (in Figure 3A 308 - 1 , . . . , 308 -M) of the TX / RX / optical device 307. In some embodiments, the photon module 303 can be configured to receive the RF signal RF4 from the lidar processing device 305 via the communication interface 309.

[0132] In some embodiments, the TX / RX / optical device 307 may include a plurality of N-channel transceivers 307-1, ..., 307-M (e.g., M N-channel transceivers; M, N are integers) and one or more optical devices 310. In some embodiments, each N-channel transceiver may include N transceivers, each transceiver transmitting / receiving a single optical signal. Each transceiver may be a single static transceiver or a dual static transceiver. Each N-channel transceiver (e.g., 307-1) may include an N-channel transmitter (e.g., transmitter 320-1, which may include N single-channel transmitters), an N-channel receiver (e.g., receiver 322-1, which may include N single-channel receivers), an N-channel mixer (e.g., mixer 308-1, which may include N single-channel mixers) and an N-channel photodetector (e.g., detector 321-1, which may include N single-channel photodetectors).

[0133] In some embodiments, the processor 340 of the lidar sensor system may use control signals 343, 347 to alternately turn on the photon module 303 and turn on the TX / RX / optical device 307 (or its N-channel transceiver) M times during a period to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor 340 of the lidar sensor system may use control signals 343, 347 to turn on the photon module 303 at a first duty cycle and turn on the TX / RX / optical device 307 (or its N-channel transceiver) at a second duty cycle during a period to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor 340 may use control signals 343, 347 to time-multiplex the M N-channel transceivers so that the (selected) N-channel transceiver can transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during a period. The processor 340 may determine a sequence of M N-channel transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the determined sequence, so that each of the M N-channel transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the period. In some embodiments, similarly, the lidar sensor system may be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to the TX / RX / optical device. For example, the processor may (1) time multiplex the M N-channel transceivers so that the (selected) N-channel transceiver may receive N LO signals at M different times during a period, or (2) determine a sequence of the M N-channel transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the sequence, so that each of the M N-channel transceivers may receive N LO signals according to the sequence at M different times during the period. In some embodiments, the photonic module 303 may provide the same LO signal to the M N-channel transceivers.

[0134] In some embodiments, the TX / RX / optical device 307 may include one or more optical devices 310 (e.g., an oscillating scanner, a one-way scanner, a Risley prism, a circulator optical device, and / or a beam collimator, etc.) coupled to the transceivers 307-1, ..., 307-M. In some embodiments, the one or more optical devices 210 may be coupled to the transmitters 320-1, ..., 320-M via corresponding Tx input / output ports. In some embodiments, the one or more optical devices 210 may be coupled to the receivers 322-1, ..., 322-M via corresponding Rx input / output ports.

[0135] In some embodiments, the optical device 310 may (1) receive N amplified optical signals generated by an N-channel transmitter (e.g., 320-1), and (2) transmit or redirect the N received amplified optical signals into the environment. The optical device 310 may repeat transmitting the N amplified optical signals M times during the period (e.g., transmissions by transmitters 320-1, 320-2, ..., 320-M).

[0136] In some embodiments, the optical device 310 may receive a return signal reflected from one or more objects and provide the return signal to a corresponding receiver (e.g., 322-1, ..., or 322-M). The return signal may include N return signals. A mixer (e.g., 308-1, ..., or 308-M) corresponding to the receiver (e.g., a mixer in the same transceiver) may (1) receive the return signal through the receiver, (2) receive the LO signal from the photon module 303, (3) optically mix (e.g., combine, multiply, etc.) the return signal and the LO signal, (4) generate a down-converted signal and send the down-converted signal to a detector (e.g., 312-1, ..., or 312-M) corresponding to the mixer (e.g., a detector in the same transceiver) to generate a mixed signal. The detector (e.g., 312-1) may (1) receive the mixed signal, (2) generate an electrical signal based on the mixed signal, and (3) send the electrical signal to the lidar processing device 305. The electrical signal may include N electrical signals.

[0137] In some embodiments, the lidar processing device 305 may include one or more amplifiers 314, one or more ADCs or multi-channel ADCs 324 (e.g., 16 ADCs or 16-channel ADCs) configured to generate one or more digital signals based on one or more electrical signals received from the TX / RX / optical device 307, and provide the digital signals to the autonomous vehicle control system.

[0138] In some embodiments, processor 340 may time multiplex M N-channel transceivers (eg, transceivers 307 - 1 , . . . , 307 -M) such that a (selected) N-channel transceiver may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during a period of time.

[0139] In some embodiments, the modulator 304A can be configured to send the first modulated optical (optical) signal and the second modulated optical (optical) signal to the amplifier 306. The amplifier 306 can be configured to amplify the first modulated optical signal to generate the first N amplified TX optical signals to the first transceiver of the M transceivers 307-1, 307-2, ..., 307-M. Similarly, the amplifier 306 can be configured to amplify the second modulated optical signal to generate the second N amplified TX optical signals to the second transceiver of the M transceivers.

[0140] The modulator 304B can be configured to generate a first modulated LO signal associated with the first modulated optical signal and send the first modulated LO signal to the mixer of the first transceiver. Similarly, the modulator 304B can be configured to generate a second modulated LO signal associated with the second modulated optical signal and send the second modulated LO signal to the mixer of the second transceiver.

[0141] The optical device 310 can be configured to steer the first N amplified TX optical signals it receives from the amplifier 306 to the environment within the given field of view toward the object 318. Similarly, the optical device 310 can be configured to steer the second N amplified TX optical signals it receives from the amplifier 306 to the environment within the given field of view toward the object 318.

[0142] In some embodiments, the optical device 310 can receive a first return signal (e.g., N return signals) reflected from the object 318 and provide the first return signal to an RX path of a first transceiver including a receiver, a mixer, and a detector. The mixer of the first transceiver can be configured to pair (e.g., associate, link, identify, etc.) the first return optical signal with the first modulated LO signal, and mix (e.g., combine, multiply, etc.) the first return optical signal with the first modulated LO signal to generate a first down-converted signal and send the first down-converted signal to the detector of the first transceiver. The detector of the first transceiver can generate a first electrical signal (e.g., N electrical signals) and send the first electrical signal to the lidar processing device 305.

[0143] Similarly, the optical device 310 may receive a second return signal (e.g., N return signals) reflected from the object 318 and provide the second return signal to an RX path of a second transceiver including a receiver, a mixer, and a detector. The mixer of the second transceiver may be configured to pair (e.g., associate, link, identify, etc.) the second returned optical signal with the second modulated LO signal and mix (e.g., combine, multiply, etc.) the second returned optical signal with the second modulated LO signal to generate a second down-converted signal and send the second down-converted signal to the detector of the second transceiver. The detector of the second transceiver may generate a second electrical signal (e.g., N electrical signals) and send the second electrical signal to the lidar processing device 305.

[0144] In some embodiments, the one or more ADCs 324 of the lidar processing device 305 can be configured to generate a first digital signal and a second digital signal based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal received from the TX / RX / optical device 307 through the one or more amplifiers 314, and provide the first digital signal and the second digital signal to the autonomous vehicle control system 120. The vehicle control system 120 can be configured to determine the distance to the object 318 and / or measure the speed of the object 318 based on the first digital signal and the second digital signal.

[0145] Figure 3B is a block diagram illustrating another example of a lidar sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0146] refer to Figure 3B , a lidar sensor system 350 (e.g., a FMCW or other coherent lidar sensor system) may include a processor 390, a photon module 380 (e.g., a photon device or a photon assembly) as a first device, a lidar processing device 370 (e.g., a lidar computing assembly) as a second device (which includes one or more ADCs 373), and a transmit (TX) / receive (RX) / optical device 360 ​​(e.g., a free space optical assembly) including multiple groups of transceivers. In some embodiments, the multiple groups of transceivers may include (1) M groups of N single-channel transceivers, where M and N are integers, or (2) M N-channel transceivers (e.g., 367-1, ..., 367-M).

[0147] In some embodiments, the lidar sensor system 350 can be configured to transmit MxN optical signals to the environment by (1) alternately turning on the photon module 380 and turning on the TX / RX / optical device 360 ​​(or a group of N transceivers thereof) M times or (2) time-multiplexing M groups of N transceivers to generate and transmit MxN optical signals (e.g., M≥2, N≥8). In response to the transmitted optical signals, multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., M groups of N single-channel transceivers or M N-channel transceivers) can receive return signals in MxN channels, and then the lidar processing device 350 can process the return optical signals in MxN channels. In this way, the lidar processing device 370 (or ADC 373) can be efficiently shared among multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., M groups of N single-channel transceivers or M N-channel transceivers).

[0148] In some embodiments, the lidar sensor system 350 can be configured to generate MxN optical signals and transmit them to the environment substantially simultaneously (when M=1; for example, without multiplexing M groups of N transceivers), and receive return optical signals (for example, optical signals returned from an object) and process the return optical signals in N channels substantially simultaneously. For example, when M=1, the photon module 380 can generate N TX beams, provide the N TX beams and the LO signal to the transceiver device (or module), which can be N single-channel transceivers or N-channel transceivers. The transceiver device can transmit N TX beams to the environment, receive the return optical signals in N RX channels as N RX optical signals, mix and photoelectrically detect the N RX optical signals using the LO signal, and provide N electrical signals to the lidar processing device 370. The lidar processing device 370 can process the N electrical signals using multiple ADCs 373 (for example, N ADCs). In this way, the lidar sensor system 350 can process the N optical signals substantially simultaneously. For example, a lidar sensor system can process 16 optical signals essentially simultaneously (M=1 and N=16).

[0149] In some embodiments, when M≥2, the lidar sensor system 350 can be configured to generate N optical signals by time-multiplexing M groups of N transceivers (e.g., 367-1, ..., 367-M) and transmit them to the environment at M different times during a period, and receive return optical signals (e.g., optical signals returned from an object) and process the return optical signals in MxN channels. For example, when M=2, during a period, the photon module 380 can generate N TX beams, provide the N TX beams and the LO signal to a transceiver device (or module) including N transceivers twice (or at two different times), so that a total of 2N transceivers can transmit 2N TX beams to the environment during the period. In some embodiments, during the period, the photon module 380 and one of the two (2) groups of N transceivers (e.g., 367-1 or 367-2) can be alternately turned on twice (or at two different times), thereby transmitting 2N TX beams to the environment. For example, during this period, (1) the photon module 380 may be turned on to generate a first set of N optical signals, (2) the first set of N transceivers (e.g., 367-1) may be turned on to transmit the first set of N optical signals to the environment, (3) the photon module 380 may be turned on to generate a second set of N optical signals, and (4) the second set of N transceivers (e.g., 367-2) may be turned on to transmit the second set of N optical signals to the environment. The 2N transceivers (e.g., 367-1 and 367-2) may receive the return optical signals in the 2N RX channels as 2N RX optical signals, mix and photoelectrically detect the 2N RX optical signals using the LO signal, and provide 2N electrical signals to the lidar processing device 370 including a plurality of ADCs 373 (e.g., 2N ADCs). The lidar processing device 370 may process the 2N electrical signals using the ADCs 373. In this way, the lidar processing device or ADC can be efficiently shared among the first group of N transceivers and the second group of N transceivers. For example, the lidar sensor system can process 16 optical signals (M=2, N=8) by efficiently sharing ADC 373 among the first group of 8 transceivers (e.g., 367-1) and the second group of 8 transceivers (e.g., 367-2).

[0150] In some embodiments, the processor 390 may control the photon module 380 to generate N TX optical signals at M different times during a time period and provide them to the TX / RX / optical device. The processor 390 may time-multiplex the M N-channel transceivers (e.g., 367-1, ..., 367-M) so that the (selected) N-channel transceiver may transmit the N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the time period. The processor 390 may determine a sequence of the M N-channel transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the determined sequence so that each of the M N-channel transceivers may transmit the N TX optical signals to the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the time period. The processor 390 may perform time multiplexing or time sequencing using (1) a control signal 393 input to the photon module 380 and (2) a control signal 391 input to the TX / RX / optical device 360.

[0151] In some embodiments, similarly, the lidar sensor system can be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to the TX / RX / optical device. For example, the processor 390 can control the photon module 380 to generate N LO signals at M different times during a time period and provide them to the TX / RX / optical device. The processor can (1) time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that the (selected) N-channel transceiver can receive the N LO signals at M different times during the time period, or (2) determine a sequence of the M N-channel transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the sequence so that each of the M N-channel transceivers can receive the N LO signals according to the sequence at M different times during the time period. The processor 390 can perform time multiplexing or time sequencing on the LO signals using the control signal input to the photon module 380 and the control signal input to the TX / RX / optical device 360.

[0152] In some embodiments, the photon module 380 (as a first device) may include a laser source 380, a seed device 382 (e.g., a photon seed module), and a plurality of TX amplifiers 384 (e.g., a photon TX amplifier module). The laser source 380 may be a laser diode (e.g., a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode). The laser source may generate laser light having a wavelength between 1530 nm and 1565 nm.

[0153] In some embodiments, the seed device 382 may include an input optical path, a first optical path, a plurality of second optical paths, a first optical amplifier, a plurality of second optical amplifiers, and a control circuit. The input optical path may be configured to receive a light beam from a laser source at one end thereof. The first optical path and the plurality of second optical paths may be branched from the other end of the input optical path, respectively. The first optical amplifier may be coupled to the first optical path. The plurality of second optical amplifiers may be coupled to the plurality of second optical paths, respectively. The control circuit may be configured to selectively turn on one of the plurality of second optical amplifiers to output the modulated optical signal of the light beam as a TX optical signal. The control circuit may be configured to turn on the first optical amplifier to output the modulated optical signal of the light beam as an LO signal. In this way, the seed device 382 may generate a TX optical signal and a LO signal based on the light beam from the laser source 380, provide the TX optical signal to one or more TX amplifiers 384, and provide the LO signal 353 to one or more transceivers (e.g., transceivers 367-1, ..., 367-M) of the TX / RX / optical device. In some implementations, the seed device 382 may provide the LO signal 353 to one or more transceivers via one or more multi-fiber push-on (MPO) connectors 388 .

[0154] Each of the plurality of TX amplifiers 384 may receive a TX optical signal and output an amplified TX optical signal to one or more transceivers of the TX / RX / optical device. In some embodiments, each TX amplifier may provide a plurality of amplified TX optical signals 351 to one or more transceivers based on the amplified TX optical signal through the splitter. In some embodiments, the one or more amplified TX optical signals may be output to the one or more transceivers through an MPO connector 386 (e.g., 16 optical fibers for 16 TX optical signals).

[0155] In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers 384 may include a plurality of optical amplifiers. The optical amplifiers may include one or more semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), one or more fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifiers, or one or more erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). For example, the one or more SOAs may have an input power in the range of 1 mW to 20 mW. The plurality of TX amplifiers may include one or more EDFAs having an input power level in the range of 0.1 mW to 1 mW. In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers 384 may include an optical amplifier array. The optical amplifier may include an SOA array, a fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifier array, or an EDFA array.

[0156] In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers 384 may include a plurality of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs), each TPA comprising a tapered section, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the amplified light beam gradually increases. The plurality of TPAs ​​may include one or more of a tapered SOA, a tapered fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifier, or a tapered EDFA. The plurality of TPAs ​​may include one or more of a tapered SOA array, a tapered fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifier array, or a tapered EDFA array.

[0157] In some embodiments, the TX / RX / optical device 360 ​​may include one or more transceivers (e.g., M N-channel transceivers 367-1, ..., 367-M, each transceiver transmitting / receiving N optical signals), one or more optical mixers (not shown), one or more photodetectors (not shown), one or more optical devices (e.g., collimator 364), and / or one or more laser scanners (e.g., galvanometer scanner 366, polygon scanner 368, etc.). Each of the one or more transceivers may be a single static transceiver or a dual static transceiver including a TX waveguide (or antenna) and an RX waveguide (or antenna). In some embodiments, each of the one or more transceivers may also include an optical mixer and a photodetector. The one or more optical devices may include one or more collimators 364 configured to narrow / limit multiple optical signals (e.g., 16 beams). The one or more optical mixers may optically mix the one or more return optical signals with the LO signal 353 received from the seed device 382 to generate one or more mixed optical signals. One or more photodetectors may receive the one or more mixed optical signals to generate one or more electrical signals.The one or more laser scanners 366, 368 may be controlled by a lidar processing device 370 (eg, using a software driver).

[0158] In some embodiments, the lidar processing device 370 (as the second device) may include one or more ADCs 373 or multi-channel ADCs (e.g., 16 ADCs or 16-channel ADCs) configured to generate one or more digital signals based on one or more returned optical signals and provide the digital signals to the autonomous vehicle control system. The ADC 373 may receive one or more electrical signals (e.g., MxN electrical signals 355) from the photodetector of the TX / RX / optical device 360 ​​via the RF connector 372. The lidar processing device 370 may include one or more amplifiers 371 and / or one or more digital-to-analog converters (DACs) 375. The lidar processing device 370 may be a device having a 3D-scaling circuit. Fig.10The computing system 1000 in the embodiment of the present invention may be configured similarly to the computing system 1000 in the embodiment of the present invention and may execute software modules stored in the memory. For example, the lidar processing device 370 may store software drivers (e.g., galvanometer driver 376, polygon motor driver 378) to control one or more scanners (e.g., galvanometer scanner 366, polygon scanner 368) of the TX / RX / optical device through the communication interface 357, 359.

[0159] In some embodiments, the lidar processing device 370 may include a radio frequency (RF) chip 374 (or integrated circuit) implementing one or more ADCs, one or more amplifiers, and / or one or more DACs. The RF chip 374 may be an RF system on chip (RF SoC). The RF chip 374 may be an RF system on chip field programmable gate array (FR SoC FPGA). In some embodiments, the RF chip 374 may include one or more radio frequency analog-to-digital converters (RF-ADCs), one or more radio frequency digital-to-analog converters (RF-DACs). In some embodiments, the RF-ADCs and RF-DACs may be configured in pairs for real and imaginary in-phase / quadrature (I / Q) data. For example, the lidar processing device 370 may provide a 2-channel RF signal 377 (e.g., I / Q data) to the seed device 382 for modulation (e.g., I / Q modulation). The RF chip 374 may communicate with a vehicle or a vehicle control system (e.g., an autonomous vehicle control system 120) via a Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) interface 395. In some embodiments, the lidar processing device 370 may include a functional safety (FuSa) system implemented as circuitry or software in the lidar processing device.

[0160] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a diagram illustrating an example of a transmit (TX) amplifier according to some embodiments.

[0161] refer to Figure 4A , TX amplifier (e.g., Figure 3BTX amplifier 384 in silicon photonics) may include multiple TX amplifiers 420. Multiple TX amplifiers 420 may include chips 422, 426, each chip including an array of optical amplifiers. Chip 426 may include an array 432 of four tapered optical amplifiers and multiple lenses 434 coupled between the array 432 and corresponding waveguide circuits 428 (which may be connected to multiple transceivers). In some embodiments, lens 434 may be coupled to waveguide circuit 428 on a silicon photonics chip or other waveguide platform (e.g., PLC). Examples of waveguide circuit 428 may include fiber optic cables or fiber arrays implemented in silicon photonics circuits. In some embodiments, chip 426 may include an array of solid-state optical amplifiers. In some embodiments, the number of tapered optical amplifiers in array 432 may be in the range of 2 to 6. Array 432 may include multiple apertures (not shown) on its input side, to which a seed device (e.g., seed device 382) may provide an optical signal (e.g., TX optical signal). The seed device may use one or more splitters ( Figure 4A The seed device 430 may be a seeding device 422 or a seeding device 434. The seed device 430 may be a seeding device 432 that is configured to generate a plurality of TX optical signals (not shown) and provide the plurality of TX optical signals to the array 432 via the optical fiber cable 424. The one or more splitters may be one or more optical fiber splitters. The splitter may be coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier using one of butt coupling or lens coupling. For example, in butt coupling, the input side of the optical amplifier may directly face the output end (e.g., the waveguide end) of the seed device. In lens coupling, the input side of the optical amplifier and the output end of the seed device may be coupled using a lens (e.g., a ball lens). In this way, the seed device may seed a plurality of TX amplifiers (e.g., arrays 422, 424) having a plurality of apertures with one TX optical signal.

[0162] refer to Figure 4A In some embodiments, the optical fiber cables 424, 428 (or optical fiber arrays) can be implemented in silicon photonic circuits (e.g., silicon nitride (Si3N4) based circuits). The array 432 of tapered optical amplifiers (e.g., tapered SOAs) can be implemented in III-V semiconductor circuits. The plurality of lenses 434 can be implemented in micro-optical circuits.

[0163] refer to Figure 4B , TX amplifier (e.g., Figure 3BThe TX amplifier 384 in FIG. 4 may include U-turn chips 440 , 450 and an optical fiber cable 460 . The U-turn chip 440 may include a plurality of lenses 444 , an array 446 of five (5) tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs), and an input line 448 . Similarly, the U-turn chip 450 may include a plurality of lenses 454 , an array 456 of five (5) TPAs ​​(referred to as first to fifth TPAs ​​from right to left), and an input line 458 . In the input lines 448 , 458 , an input side of a first TPA (e.g., the rightmost TPA) may be coupled to input sides of second to fifth TPAs ​​(e.g., the remaining 4 TPAs). With this configuration, a TX optical signal 461 received at the first TPA through a corresponding lens 454 may be provided to an input side of the second to fifth TPAs, so that the second to fifth TPAs ​​may output four (4) amplified TX optical signals to four (4) waveguide circuits 463 through the corresponding lenses 454 . Examples of waveguide circuit 463 may include fiber optic cables or fiber optic arrays implemented in silicon photonic circuits.

[0164] refer to Figure 4B In some embodiments, the waveguide circuit 460 can be a fiber optic cable or fiber array implemented in a silicon photonic circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4) based circuit). The TPA arrays 446, 456 can be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The plurality of lenses 444, 454 can be implemented in a micro-optical circuit.

[0165] Figure 4C is a diagram illustrating an example of a transceiver device according to some embodiments.

[0166] refer to Figure 4C , a single-channel transceiver 480 capable of transmitting / receiving a single optical signal may include a transmitter (or TX waveguide or antenna) 482, a receiver (or RX waveguide or antenna) 484, an optical mixer 486, a photodetector 488, a TX input 483, and a LO input 481. The transmitter 482 may transmit the TX optical signal received at the TX input 483 to the environment. The receiver 484 may receive a return signal reflected from an object and provide the return signal to the optical mixer 486. The optical mixer may receive the LO signal (from the seed device) at the LO input 481 and optically mix the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate a mixed optical signal. The photodetector 488 may receive the mixed optical signal to generate an electrical signal to be output to a lidar processing device (e.g., lidar processing device 370).

[0167] refer to Figure 4CIn some embodiments, the transceiver 480 (and its transmitter 482, receiver 484, optical mixer 486, photodetector 488, LO input 481, and TX input 483) can be implemented in a silicon photonic circuit including a silicon nitride (Si3N4) based circuit. In some embodiments, the transceiver 480 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a silicon photonic circuit. In some embodiments, the photodetector 488 can be implemented in a silicon photonic circuit or monolithically integrated with a PLC.

[0168] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lidar sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0169] refer to Figure 5 , the lidar sensor system 500 may include a seed device 550 and a transceiver / TX amplifier device 502. In some embodiments, the seed device 550 may include a laser source 552, a first set of optical devices including a lens 553, an optical isolator 554, a lens 555, a modulator 556 (e.g., an I / Q modulator), a pair of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) 557, a second set of optical devices including lenses 558, 559, and a third set of optical devices including lenses 560, 561. The first set of optical devices may form a common optical path. The upper TPA and the second set of optical devices in the pair 557 may form a LO optical path, and the lower TPA and the third set of optical devices in the pair 557 may form a TX optical path. With this configuration, the seed device 550 may generate an LO signal based on a light beam from the laser source 552 through the common optical path and the LO optical path, and provide the LO optical signal to the LO input path 505 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502. The seed device 550 may generate a TX optical signal based on the light beam from the laser source 552 through the common optical path and the TX optical path, and provide the TX optical signal to the TX input path 506 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 .

[0170] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 may include multiple TX amplifier arrays 510, 520, 530, 540. Each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 510, 520, 530, 540 may be configured to have a Figure 4AThe configuration of chip 426 in FIG. 4 is implemented in a chip having a configuration similar to that of chip 426 in FIG. Each TX amplifier array may include multiple apertures (not shown) on its input side, and the TX optical signal generated by the seed device 550 may be provided to these apertures. The TX optical signal generated by the seed device 550 may be provided to multiple TX amplifier arrays through one or more splitters 508-1, 508-2, 508-3, 508-4, 509. The one or more splitters may be one or more fiber splitters. The splitter may be coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier using one of butt coupling or lens coupling. For example, in butt coupling, the input side of the optical amplifier may directly face the output end (e.g., waveguide end) of the seed device. In lens coupling, the input side of the optical amplifier and the output end of the seed device may be coupled using a lens (e.g., a spherical lens). In this way, the seed device can seed multiple TX amplifiers (e.g., a tapered SOA or a tapered SOA array) having multiple apertures with one optical signal.

[0171] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 may include a plurality of transceivers 514-1, 514-2, ..., 514-32. Each of the plurality of transceivers may have a Figure 4C The plurality of TX amplifier arrays 510, 520, 530, 540 may output amplified TX optical signals to corresponding TX input terminals of the plurality of transceivers via a waveguide circuit (e.g., waveguide circuit 511), a plurality of splitters (e.g., splitter 512), and a plurality of split TX optical circuits 513, 523, 533, 543. Examples of the waveguide circuit 511 may include an optical fiber cable or an optical fiber array implemented in a silicon photonic circuit. For example, Figure 5 As shown, the plurality of transceivers may include four (4) groups of eight (8) transceivers (M=4, N=8). With this configuration, the processor of the lidar sensor system (e.g., Figure 3B The processor 340 in the embodiment of the present invention may alternately turn on the seed device 550 and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 M times during a period of time to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may turn on the seed device 550 at a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 at a second duty cycle during the period of time to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that a (selected) group of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period of time. The processor may determine a sequence of the M groups of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the determined sequence so that each of the M groups of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the period of time.

[0172] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device can be provided to the corresponding LO inputs of the plurality of transceivers 514-1, 514-2, ..., 514-32 via a splitter (e.g., splitter 507) and a plurality of split optical LO paths 517, 527, 537, 547. With this configuration, the lidar sensor system 500 can be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to the plurality of transceivers. For example, the processor can (1) time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that a (selected) group of N transceivers can receive N LO signals at M different times during a time period, or (2) determine a sequence of M groups of N transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the sequence so that each of the M groups of N transceivers can receive N LO signals according to the sequence at M different times during the time period. In some embodiments, the seed device 550 can provide the same LO signal to the M groups of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0173] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including silicon photonic circuits and / or silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuits. For example, multiple transceivers 514-1, ..., 514-32 can be implemented in silicon photonic circuits. LO optical circuits 505, 507, 517, 527, 537, 547 and TX optical circuits 506, 509, 508-1 to 508-4, 511, 512, 513, 523, 533, 543 can be implemented in silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuits.

[0174] In some embodiments, the seed device 550 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a III-V semiconductor circuit and / or a micro-optical circuit. For example, the laser source 552, the modulator 556, and the pair of TPAs ​​557 can be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The optical isolator 554 and the lenses 553, 555, 558, 559, 560, 561 can be implemented in a micro-optical circuit.

[0175] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of a lidar system according to some embodiments.

[0176] refer to Figure 6, the lidar sensor system 600 may include a TX amplifier device 601, a transceiver device 602, and a seed device 650. In some embodiments, the seed device 650 may include a laser source 652, a first group of optical devices including a lens 653 and an optical isolator 654, a second group of optical devices including a splitter 655, a lens 656, a modulator 657 (e.g., an I / Q modulator), and lenses 658, 659, and a third group of optical devices including a splitter 661, a lens 662, a TPA 663, and two lenses 664, 665. The first group of optical devices may form a common optical path. The second group of optical devices may form a LO optical path, and the third group of optical devices may form a TX optical path. With this configuration, the seed device 650 may generate an LO signal based on a light beam from the laser source 652 through the common optical path and the LO optical path, and provide the LO optical signal to the LO input path 605 of the transceiver device 602. The seed device 650 may generate a TX optical signal through the common optical path and the TX optical path based on the light beam from the laser source 652 , and provide the TX optical signal to the TX input path 606 of the TX amplifier device 601 .

[0177] In some embodiments, the TX amplifier device 601 may include multiple TX amplifier arrays 610, 620, 630, 640. Each TX amplifier array may include multiple apertures (not shown) on its input side, and the TX optical signal generated by the seed device 650 may be provided to these apertures. The TX optical signal generated by the seed device 650 may be provided to the multiple TX amplifier arrays through one or more splitters 608-1, 608-2, 608-3, 608-4, 609. The one or more splitters may be one or more fiber splitters. The splitter may be coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier using one of butt coupling or lens coupling. In this way, the seed device 650 can seed multiple TX amplifiers (e.g., tapered SOA or tapered SOA arrays) with multiple apertures with one optical signal. Multiple sets of lenses 615, 625, 635, 645 may be coupled to the TX amplifier device 601 at respective portions corresponding to the output sides of the TX amplifier arrays 610, 620, 630, 640.

[0178] In some embodiments, the transceiver device 602 may include a plurality of transceivers 614-1, 614-2, ..., 614-32. Each of the plurality of transceivers may have a Figure 4CThe plurality of TX amplifier arrays 610, 620, 630, 640 may output amplified TX optical signals to corresponding TX input terminals of the plurality of transceivers via a waveguide circuit (e.g., waveguide circuit 611), a plurality of splitters (e.g., splitter 612), and a plurality of split TX optical circuits 613, 623, 633, 643. Examples of the waveguide circuit 611 may include a fiber optic cable or fiber optic array implemented in a silicon photonic circuit. For example, Figure 6 As shown, the plurality of transceivers may include four (4) groups of eight (8) transceivers (M=4, N=8). With this configuration, the processor of the lidar sensor system (e.g., Figure 3B The processor 340 in the embodiment may alternately (1) turn on the seed device 550 and (2) turn on the transceiver device 602 / TX amplifier device 601 M times during a time period to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may turn on the seed device 650 at a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver device 602 / TX amplifier device 601 at a second duty cycle during the time period to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that a (selected) group of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the time period. The processor may determine a sequence of the M groups of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the determined sequence so that each of the M groups of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the time period.

[0179] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device 650 can be provided to the corresponding LO inputs of the plurality of transceivers 614-1, 614-2, ..., 614-32 via a splitter (e.g., splitter 607) and a plurality of split optical LO paths 617, 627, 637, 647. With this configuration, the lidar sensor system 600 can be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to the plurality of transceivers. For example, the processor can (1) time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that a (selected) group of N transceivers can receive N LO signals at M different times during a time period, or (2) determine a sequence of M groups of N transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the sequence so that each of the M groups of N transceivers can receive N LO signals according to the sequence at M different times during the time period. In some embodiments, the seed device 650 can provide the same LO signal to the M groups of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0180] In some embodiments, the TX amplifier device 601 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a silicon photonic circuit and / or a silicon nitride (Si3N4) based circuit. For example, the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 610, 620, 630, 640 can be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The TX optical paths 606, 609, 608-1 to 608-4 can be implemented in a silicon photonic circuit including a silicon nitride (Si3N4) based circuit.

[0181] In some embodiments, the transceiver device 602 may be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a silicon photonic circuit and / or a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit. For example, a plurality of transceivers 614-1, ..., 614-32 may be implemented in a silicon photonic circuit. The LO optical paths 605, 607, 617, 627, 637, 647 and the TX optical paths 611, 612, 613, 623, 633, 643 may be implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit.

[0182] In some embodiments, the seed device 650 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a III-V semiconductor circuit and / or a micro-optical circuit. For example, the laser source 652, the modulator 657, and the TPA 663 can be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The optical isolator 654, the optical splitter 661, 655, and the lenses 653, 656, 658, 659, 662, 664, 665 can be implemented in a micro-optical circuit.

[0183] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of a lidar system according to some embodiments.

[0184] refer to Figure 7 , the lidar sensor system 700 may include a seed device 750 and a transceiver device 702. In some embodiments, the seed device 750 may include a laser source 752, an optical isolator 755, a TPA 757, and lenses 754, 756, 758, 759, which form an LO optical path. With this configuration, the seed device 750 may generate an LO signal based on a light beam from the laser source 752 through the LO optical path, and provide the LO optical signal to the LO input path 705 of the transceiver device 702.

[0185] In some embodiments, the lidar sensor system 700 may include a plurality of TX amplifier arrays 710, 720, 730, 740, each TX amplifier array including five (5) TPAs. Each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 710, 720, 730, 740 may be implemented in a manner similar to that of FIG. Figure 4B The configuration of the chip 440 or 450 is similar to the configuration of the U-turn chip.

[0186] In some embodiments, the transceiver device 702 may include a splitter 701, a splitter 703, and a modulator 704. The modulator 704 may receive the LO optical signal from the seed device 750 through the splitter 701, generate a TX optical signal based on the LO optical signal, and provide the TX optical signal to a TX input path 706 of the transceiver device 702. Each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 710, 720, 730, 740 may receive the TX optical signal at a corresponding TX input path 715, 725, 735, 745 through the splitter 703. In response to receiving the TX optical signal, each TX amplifier array may output amplified TX signals from four TPAs ​​(e.g., the leftmost four TPAs) in the array to one of four (4) groups of eight (8) transceivers (M=4, N=8).

[0187] In some embodiments, the transceiver device 702 may include a plurality of transceivers 714-1, 714-2, ..., 714-32. Each of the plurality of transceivers may have Figure 4C As described above, the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 710, 720, 730, 740 may output amplified TX optical signals to corresponding TX input terminals of the plurality of transceivers via a waveguide circuit (e.g., waveguide circuit 711), a plurality of splitters (e.g., splitter 712), and a plurality of split TX optical circuits 713, 723, 733, 743. Examples of the waveguide circuit 711 may include a fiber optic cable or fiber optic array implemented in a silicon photonic circuit. For example, Figure 7 As shown, the plurality of transceivers may include four (4) groups of eight (8) transceivers (M=4, N=8). With this configuration, the processor of the lidar sensor system (e.g., Figure 3B The processor 340 in the embodiment of the present invention may alternately turn on the seed device 750 and turn on the transceiver device 702 / multiple TX amplifier arrays M times during a period to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may turn on the seed device 750 at a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver device 702 / multiple TX amplifier arrays at a second duty cycle during the period to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that a (selected) group of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period. The processor may determine a sequence of the M groups of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the determined sequence so that each of the M groups of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the period.

[0188] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device can be provided to the corresponding LO inputs of the plurality of transceivers 714-1, 714-2, ..., 714-32 via a splitter (e.g., splitter 707) and a plurality of split optical LO paths 717, 727, 737, 747. With this configuration, the lidar sensor system 700 can be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to the plurality of transceivers. For example, the processor can (1) time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that a (selected) group of N transceivers can receive N LO signals at M different times during a time period, or (2) determine a sequence of M groups of N transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the sequence so that each of the M groups of N transceivers can receive N LO signals according to the sequence at M different times during the time period. In some embodiments, the seed device 750 can provide the same LO signal to the M groups of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0189] In some embodiments, the transceiver device 702 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a silicon photonic circuit and / or a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit. For example, multiple transceivers 714-1, ..., 714-32 and the modulator 704 can be implemented in a silicon photonic circuit. The LO optical paths 701, 705, 707, 717, 727, 737, 747 and the TX optical paths 706, 703, 711, 712, 713, 723, 733, 743, 715, 725, 735, 745 can be implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit.

[0190] In some embodiments, the seed device 750 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a III-V semiconductor circuit and / or a micro-optical circuit. For example, the laser source 752 and the TPA 757 can be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The optical isolator 755 and the lenses 754, 756, 758, 759 can be implemented in a micro-optical circuit.

[0191] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating another example of a lidar system according to some embodiments.

[0192] refer to Figure 8, the lidar sensor system 800 may include a seed device 850 and a transceiver device 802. In some embodiments, the seed device 850 may include a laser source 852, a first group of optical devices including a lens 853, an optical isolator 854, a lens 855, a modulator 856 (e.g., an I / Q modulator), a pair of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) 857, a second group of optical devices including lenses 858, 859, and a third group of optical devices including lenses 860, 861. The first group of optical devices may form a common optical path. The upper TPA and the second group of optical devices in the pair 857 may form a LO optical path, while the lower TPA and the third group of optical devices in the pair 857 may form a TX optical path. With this configuration, the seed device 850 may generate an LO signal based on a light beam from the laser source 852 through the common optical path and the LO optical path, and provide the LO optical signal to the LO input path 805 of the transceiver device 802. The seed device 850 may generate a TX optical signal through the common optical path and the TX optical path based on the light beam from the laser source 852 , and provide the TX optical signal to the TX input path 806 of the transceiver device 802 .

[0193] In some embodiments, the lidar sensor system 800 may include a plurality of TX amplifier arrays 810, 820, 830, 840, each TX amplifier array including five (5) TPAs. Each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 810, 820, 830, 840 may be configured to have a plurality of TX amplifier arrays 810, 820, 830, 840 having ... Figure 4B A U-turn chip in a configuration similar to chip 440 or 450 is implemented.

[0194] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 810, 820, 830, 840 can receive a TX optical signal at a corresponding TX input path 815, 825, 835, 845 via a splitter 809. In response to receiving the TX optical signal, each TX amplifier array can output amplified TX signals from four TPAs ​​(e.g., the leftmost four TPAs) in the array to one of four (4) groups of eight (8) transceivers (M=4, N=8).

[0195] In some implementations, the transceiver device 802 may include a plurality of transceivers 814-1, 814-2, ..., 814-32. Each of the plurality of transceivers may have Figure 4CAs described above, the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 810, 820, 830, 840 may output amplified TX optical signals to corresponding TX input terminals of the plurality of transceivers via a waveguide circuit (e.g., waveguide circuit 811), a plurality of splitters (e.g., splitter 812), and a plurality of split TX optical circuits 813, 823, 833, 843. Examples of the waveguide circuit 811 may include a fiber optic cable or fiber optic array implemented in a silicon photonic circuit. For example, Figure 8 As shown, the plurality of transceivers may include four (4) groups of eight (8) transceivers (M=4, N=8). With this configuration, the processor of the lidar sensor system (e.g., Figure 3B The processor 340 in the embodiment of the present invention may alternately turn on the seed device 850 and turn on the transceiver device 802 / multiple TX amplifier arrays M times during a period to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may turn on the seed device 850 at a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver device 802 / multiple TX amplifier arrays at a second duty cycle during the period to transmit MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that a (selected) group of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period. The processor may determine a sequence of the M groups of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the determined sequence so that each of the M groups of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the period.

[0196] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device can be provided to the corresponding LO inputs of the plurality of transceivers 814-1, 814-2, ..., 814-32 via a splitter (e.g., splitter 807) and a plurality of split optical LO paths 817, 827, 837, 847. With this configuration, the lidar sensor system 800 can be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to the plurality of transceivers. For example, the processor can (1) time-multiplex M groups of N transceivers so that a (selected) group of N transceivers can receive the N LO signals at different times during a time period, or (2) determine a sequence of the M groups of N transceivers and perform time sequencing according to the sequence so that each of the M groups of N transceivers can receive the N LO signals according to the sequence at M different times during the time period. In some embodiments, the seed device 850 can provide the same LO signal to the M groups of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0197] In some embodiments, the transceiver device 802 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a silicon photonic circuit and / or a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit. For example, multiple transceivers 814-1, ..., 814-32 can be implemented in a silicon photonic circuit. The LO optical circuits 805, 807, 817, 827, 837, 847 and the TX optical circuits 806, 811, 812, 813, 823, 833, 843, 815, 825, 835, 845 can be implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit.

[0198] In some embodiments, the seed device 850 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including a III-V semiconductor circuit and / or a micro-optical circuit. For example, the laser source 852, the modulator 856, and the TPA pair 857 can be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The optical isolator 854 and the lenses 853, 855, 858, 859, 860, 861 can be implemented in a micro-optical circuit.

[0199] Fig. 9 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for controlling a lidar system (e.g., lidar sensor system 301, 350, 500, 600, 700, 800) according to some embodiments. The system may include a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 307, 367, 480, 502, 602, 702, 802), a first device (e.g., photon module 303, seed device 382, ​​550, 650, 750, 850) including a laser source configured to generate a light beam and one or more optical components, a second device (e.g., lidar processing device 305, 370) including one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and a processor (e.g., processor 340, 390, 1000).

[0200] In some embodiments, the transceiver includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a photonic lightwave circuit (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. In some embodiments, the first device includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit. In some embodiments, the second device includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

[0201] In some embodiments, the transceiver may have a first set of N transmit (TX) channels (e.g., when M=2, N-channel transmitter 320-1), a second set of N TX channels (e.g., when M=2, N-channel transmitter 320-2), and 2N receive (RX) channels (e.g., when M=2, N-channel receivers 322-1 and 322-2), where N is an integer. The second device may have 2N channels. N may be greater than or equal to 8. For example, N may be in the range of 8 to 16, inclusive.

[0202] In some embodiments, the lidar system may further include a plurality of optical amplifiers (e.g., optical amplifiers 306, 384, 422, 426, 440, 450, 510, 520, 530, 540, 610, 620, 630, 640, 710, 720, 730, 740, 810, 820, 830, 840) configured to provide amplified optical signals to the first group of N TX channels. The number of the plurality of optical amplifiers may be less than N. The plurality of optical amplifiers may include one or more tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs). The one or more TPAs ​​may include tapered sections in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the amplified light beam gradually increases. The one or more TPAs ​​may be one or more tapered semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs).

[0203] In some embodiments, the first device may be configured to provide a seed optical signal (e.g., a TX optical signal) to a plurality of optical amplifiers based on the optical beam. The lidar system may further include a splitter (e.g., splitters 509, 508-1, 508-2, 508-3, 508-4, 609, 608-1, 608-2, 608-3, 608-4, 701, 703, 809). The first device may be configured to provide a seed optical signal to a plurality of optical amplifiers through the splitter. The splitter may be coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier using one of a butt coupling or a lens coupling.

[0204] In some embodiments, the transceiver can be an integrated circuit (e.g., transceiver chip 480, 602, 702, 802) that includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit. In some embodiments, the transceiver can include a transmitter device (e.g., transmitter 320-1, ..., 320-M) and a receiver device (e.g., receiver 322-1, ..., 322-M). One of the transmitter device or the receiver device is an integrated circuit that includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

[0205] In this example method, process 900 begins at step 910 by alternately turning on, by a processor, a first device (e.g., seed device 382, ​​550, 650, 750, 850) and turning on a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 307, 367, 480, 502, 602, 702, 802). In some implementations, the processor may be configured to periodically turn on the first device at a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver at a second duty cycle.

[0206] For example, refer to Figure 3B , the lidar sensor system 350 can be configured to generate and transmit MxN optical signals (e.g., M≥2, N≥8) to the environment by (1) alternately turning on the photon module 380 and turning on the TX / RX / optical device 360 ​​(or a group of N transceivers thereof) M times or (2) time multiplexing M groups of N transceivers to generate and transmit MxN optical signals (e.g., M≥2, N≥8). In response to the transmitted optical signals, multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., M groups of N single-channel transceivers or M N-channel transceivers) can receive return signals in MxN channels, and then the lidar processing device 350 can process the return optical signals in MxN channels. In this way, the lidar processing device 370 (or ADC 373) can be efficiently shared among multiple groups of transceivers (e.g., M groups of N single-channel transceivers or M N-channel transceivers).

[0207] At step 920 , in some implementations, the first device may be configured to generate an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the optical beam.

[0208] At step 930, in some embodiments, the transceiver may be configured to transmit an optical signal to the environment, receive a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment in response to transmitting the optical signal, and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal.

[0209] For example, refer to Figure 3A , the first device (e.g., modulator 304B) can be configured to generate a first optical signal associated with the first LO signal. In response to the first device generating the first optical signal, the transceiver (e.g., transceiver 307) can be configured to transmit the first optical signal to the environment through a first group of N TX channels (e.g., when M=2, transmitter 320-1). In response to the transceiver transmitting the first optical signal, the first device can be configured to generate a second optical signal associated with the second LO signal. In response to the first device generating the second optical signal, the transceiver can be configured to transmit the second optical signal to the environment through a second group of N TX channels (e.g., when M=2, transmitter 320-2).

[0210] In some embodiments, in response to turning on the first device, the first device can be configured to selectively provide an optical signal to one of the first group of N TX channels (e.g., transmitter 320-1 when M=2) or the second group of N TX channels (e.g., transmitter 320-2 when M=2). In response to turning on the transceiver, the transceiver can be configured to transmit the optical signal to the environment through one of the first group of N TX channels or the second group of N TX channels, receive the return optical signal through the 2N RX channels (e.g., receivers 322-1 and 322-2 when M=2), and pair the return optical signal with the LO signal to generate an electrical signal.

[0211] At step 940, in some embodiments, the second device (e.g., Figure 3A The lidar processing device 305 in the embodiment of the present invention can be configured to generate a digital signal based on the electrical signal. Figure 3A , the one or more ADCs 324 of the lidar processing device 305 can be configured to generate a first digital signal and a second digital signal based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal received from the TX / RX / optical device 307 through the one or more amplifiers 314, and provide the first digital signal and the second digital signal to the autonomous vehicle control system 120.

[0212] Fig.10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system according to some implementations.

[0213] refer to Fig.10 , the illustrated example computing system 1000 includes one or more processors 1010 that communicate with memory 1060, at least one network interface controller 1030 having a network interface port for connecting to a network (not shown), and other components (e.g., input / output (“I / O”) component interface 1050 connected to a display (not shown) and input devices (not shown)) via a communication system 1040 (e.g., a bus). Typically, the processor 1010 will execute instructions (or computer programs) received from the memory. The illustrated processor 1010 is coupled to or directly connected to a cache 1020. In some instances, instructions are read from the memory 1060 into the cache 1020 and executed by the processor 1010 from the cache 1020.

[0214] In more detail, processor 1010 may be any logic circuit that processes instructions (e.g., instructions obtained from memory 1060 or cache 1020). In some embodiments, processor 1010 is a microprocessor unit or a dedicated processor. Computing device 1000 may be based on any processor or processor group capable of operating as described herein. Processor 1010 may be a single-core or multi-core processor. Processor 1010 may be a plurality of different processors.

[0215] The memory 1060 may be any device suitable for storing computer-readable data. The memory 1060 may be a device with fixed storage or a device for reading removable storage media. Examples include all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, semiconductor memory devices (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, SDRAM, and flash memory devices), magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, and optical disks (e.g., CDROM, DVD-ROM, or Blu-Ray® optical disks). The computing system 1000 may have any number of memory devices as the memory 1060.

[0216] Cache 1020 is typically a form of computer memory that is placed close to processor 1010 to enable fast read times. In some implementations, cache 1020 is part of processor 1010 or is located on the same chip as processor 1010. In some implementations, there are multiple levels of cache 1020, such as L2 and L3 cache layers.

[0217] The network interface controller 1030 manages data exchange through a network interface (sometimes referred to as a network interface port). The network interface controller 1030 handles the physical layer and the data link layer of the OSI model for network communication. In some embodiments, some tasks of the network interface controller are handled by one or more processors 1010. In some embodiments, the network interface controller 1030 is part of the processor 1010. In some embodiments, the computing system 1000 has multiple network interfaces controlled by a single controller 1030. In some embodiments, the computing system 1000 has multiple network interface controllers 1030. In some embodiments, each network interface is a connection point for a physical network link (e.g., a Category 5 Ethernet link). In some embodiments, the network interface controller 1030 supports wireless network connections, and the interface port is a wireless (e.g., radio) receiver / transmitter (e.g., for any of the IEEE 802.11 protocol, near field communication "NFC", Bluetooth, ANT, or any other wireless protocol). In some embodiments, the network interface controller 1030 implements one or more network protocols, such as Ethernet. Typically, computing device 1000 exchanges data with other computing devices through a network interface over a physical or wireless link. The network interface may be linked directly to another device or linked to another device through an intermediate device, such as a network device (such as a hub, bridge, switch, or router) that connects computing device 1000 to a data network (such as the Internet).

[0218] The computing system 1000 may include or provide an interface for one or more input or output ("I / O") devices. Input devices include, but are not limited to, keyboards, microphones, touch screens, foot pedals, sensors, MIDI devices, and pointing devices such as mice or trackballs. Output devices include, but are not limited to, video displays, speakers, refreshable Braille terminals, lights, MIDI devices, and 2D or 3D printers.

[0219] Other components may include I / O interfaces, external serial device ports, and any additional coprocessors. For example, computing system 1000 may include interfaces (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) interfaces) for connecting input devices, output devices, or additional storage devices (e.g., portable flash drives or external media drives). In some embodiments, computing device 1000 includes additional devices, such as coprocessors, such as math coprocessors that can assist processor 1010 in performing high-precision or complex calculations.

[0220] The previous description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the various modifications to these aspects, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but should be given a full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein references to singular elements are not intended to mean "one and only one", unless explicitly stated, but "one or more". Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the term "some" refers to one or more. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements of the various aspects described throughout the previous description (which are known or later known to those of ordinary skill in the art) are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be included by the claims. In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be exclusive to the public, whether or not this disclosure is explicitly stated in the claims. No claim element should be interpreted as a means plus function unless the phrase "means for" is used to explicitly state the element.

[0221] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the disclosed process is an example of an illustrative means. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the process can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the above description. The accompanying method claims present elements of various blocks in an example order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0222] The description of the foregoing disclosed embodiments is intended to enable those skilled in the art to make or use the disclosed subject matter. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate various modifications to these embodiments, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the foregoing description. Therefore, the foregoing description is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0223] The various examples shown and described are provided as examples only to illustrate various features of the claims. However, the features shown and described with respect to any given example are not necessarily limited to the associated example and may be used or combined with other examples shown and described. Furthermore, the claims are not intended to be limited by any one example.

[0224] The foregoing method descriptions and flow charts are provided as illustrative examples only and are not intended to require or imply that the blocks of the various examples must be executed in the order presented. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the order of the blocks in the foregoing examples can be executed in any order. Words such as "thereafter," "then," "next," etc. are not intended to limit the order of the blocks; these words are only used to guide the reader through the description of the method. In addition, any reference to a claim element in the singular (e.g., using the articles "a," "an," or "the") should not be interpreted as limiting the element to the singular.

[0225] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm blocks described in connection with the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. In order to clearly illustrate such interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and blocks have been generally described above with respect to their functionality. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. A skilled person may implement the described functions in a varying manner for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing deviations from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0226] The hardware for implementing the various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the examples disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but, in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Alternatively, some blocks or methods may be performed by circuits specific to a given function.

[0227] In some exemplary examples, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. The blocks of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein may be embodied in a processor-executable software module, which may reside on a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium. A non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium may be any storage medium that can be accessed by a computer or processor. As an example but not limited to, such a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, FLASH memory, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer. The disks and optical disks used herein include compact disks (CDs), laser disks, optical disks, digital versatile disks (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray disks, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical disks use lasers to reproduce data optically. The above combinations are also included within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable and processor-readable media. Furthermore, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside as one or any combination or set of codes and / or instructions on a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium and / or a computer-readable storage medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0228] The foregoing description of the disclosed examples is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate various modifications to these examples, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to some examples without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but is to be given the widest scope consistent with the appended claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A light detection and ranging (lidar) system for a vehicle, the lidar system comprising: Multiple transceivers; An apparatus comprising a laser source and one or more optical components configured to generate a light beam; as well as a processor configured to operate the device to generate a plurality of optical signals associated with a plurality of local oscillator (LO) signals based on the optical beam, and multiplex the plurality of transceivers to transmit the plurality of optical signals to an environment, wherein In response to transmitting the plurality of optical signals, the plurality of transceivers are configured to receive a plurality of return optical signals reflected from objects in the environment and pair the plurality of return optical signals with the plurality of LO signals.

2. The lidar system according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to multiplex the plurality of transceivers such that selected transceivers transmit optical signals to the environment at a plurality of different times during a period of time.

3. The lidar system according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to periodically turn on the device at a first duty cycle and turn on the plurality of transceivers at a second duty cycle.

4. The lidar system according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of transceivers include at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a photonic lightwave circuit (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

5. The lidar system according to claim 1, wherein: The device includes at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a PLC, or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

6. The lidar system according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of transceivers includes M transceivers, each transceiver is an N-channel transceiver, wherein each of M and N is an integer, and The processor is configured to multiplex the M transceivers such that a selected N-channel transceiver transmits N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during a time period.

7. The lidar system according to claim 6, wherein: The plurality of transceivers are configured to receive the plurality of return signals in MxN channels.

8. The lidar system according to claim 6, further comprising: a second device, the second device comprising one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), wherein The plurality of transceivers are configured to generate M×N electrical signals by pairing the plurality of return optical signals with the plurality of LO signals, and The second device is configured to generate digital signals in MxN channels based on the MxN electrical signals.

9. The lidar system according to claim 6, wherein: N ranges from 8 to 16.

10. The lidar system according to claim 6, further comprising: a plurality of optical amplifiers configured to provide amplified optical signals to the N-channel transceiver, Wherein, the number of the plurality of optical amplifiers is less than N.

11. The lidar system according to claim 10, wherein: The plurality of optical amplifiers include one or more tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs), wherein the one or more TPAs ​​include a tapered section in which a cross-sectional area of ​​an amplified optical beam gradually increases.

12. The lidar system according to claim 11, wherein: The one or more TPAs ​​are one or more tapered semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs).

13. The lidar system according to claim 10, wherein: The apparatus is configured to provide a seed optical signal to the plurality of optical amplifiers based on the optical beam.

14. An autonomous vehicle comprising: at least one of a steering system or a braking system; as well as A vehicle controller comprising one or more processors configured to: operating a device including a laser source to generate a plurality of optical signals associated with a plurality of local oscillator (LO) signals based on a light beam generated from the laser source, and multiplexing the plurality of transceivers to transmit the plurality of optical signals to an environment, in response to transmitting the plurality of optical signals, causing the plurality of transceivers to receive a plurality of return optical signals reflected from objects in the environment and pair the plurality of return optical signals with the plurality of LO signals to generate a plurality of electrical signals, and The plurality of electrical signals are used to control the at least one of the steering system or the braking system.

15. An autonomous vehicle control system comprising a LIDAR system according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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