Coherent lidar system comprising an optical antenna array

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coherent LIDAR system comprising an array of optical antennas. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) transceiver comprises an array of optical antennas and an optical switch. Some of the array of optical antennas comprise a plurality of optical antennas and a splitter coupled to the optical antennas. The splitter can comprise a plurality of passive splitters. The splitter provides a portion of an input signal to the optical antennas. The optical switch is configured to selectively provide the input signal to at least one of the plurality of array of optical antennas. The optical switch enables addressable field of view scanning by selectively providing the input signal to the plurality of array of optical antennas one array at a time.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of PCT application number PCT / US2021 / 065133, which entered the Chinese national phase on June 19, 2023, with an international filing date of December 23, 2021, Chinese application number 202180085639.2, and an invention titled "Coherent LiDAR System Including Optical Antenna Array".

[0002] Cross-references to related applications

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application No. 17 / 558,476, filed December 21, 2021, and U.S. provisional application No. 63 / 129,847, filed December 23, 2020, which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] This disclosure generally relates to coherent optical detection and ranging (LIDAR), and more specifically to optical antenna architectures for coherent LIDAR. Background Technology

[0005] Frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LiDAR measures the distance and velocity of an object directly by pointing a frequency-modulated collimated beam at the target. Both the target's distance and velocity information can be derived from the FMCW LiDAR signal. Designs and techniques to improve the accuracy of LiDAR signals are desirable.

[0006] The automotive industry is currently developing autonomous features to control vehicles under specific conditions. According to SAE International Standard J3016, there are six levels of autonomy, from Level 0 (no autonomy) to Level 5 (the vehicle can operate in all conditions without operator input). Vehicles with autonomous features utilize sensors to perceive the environment they navigate through. Acquiring and processing data from sensors allows the vehicle to navigate within its environment. Autonomous vehicles may include one or more LIDAR devices for sensing their environment. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Embodiments of this disclosure include a transceiver for a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system. The transceiver includes multiple optical antenna arrays and an optical switch. At least two of the multiple optical antenna arrays include multiple optical antennas and beam splitters coupled to the multiple optical antennas. The optical switch is coupled to the multiple optical antenna arrays. The optical switch is configured to selectively provide an input signal to at least one of the multiple optical antenna arrays.

[0008] In this implementation, the input signal is a modulated laser signal. The optical switch includes an active beam splitter that selectively couples the modulated laser signal to only one of a plurality of optical antenna arrays.

[0009] In this implementation, the input signal is a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) laser signal. The optical switch includes an active beam splitter that selectively couples the FMCW laser signal to only one of a plurality of optical antenna arrays.

[0010] In one implementation, the optical switch optically couples the input signal one at a time to at least one of a plurality of optical antenna arrays during the transceiver's scanning period.

[0011] In one implementation, the beam splitter includes a plurality of passive beam splitters configured to split a portion of the input signal among a plurality of optical antennas in a selected one of a plurality of optical antenna arrays.

[0012] In one implementation, the beam splitter is configured to transmit input signals from multiple optical antennas concurrently.

[0013] In this implementation, multiple optical antennas are arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional pattern.

[0014] In one embodiment, at least one of the plurality of optical antenna arrays includes an optical pixel. The optical pixel includes at least one of the plurality of optical antennas and an optical combiner. The optical combiner is coupled to at least one of the plurality of optical antennas. The optical combiner is configured to receive a local oscillator signal and receive a returned LIDAR signal from at least one of the plurality of optical antennas. The optical combiner is configured to provide a combined output signal.

[0015] In one embodiment, the optical pixel also includes a plurality of photodiodes configured to convert the combined output signal into an electrical signal representing a LIDAR beat.

[0016] In an embodiment, the transceiver for a LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1 further includes a local oscillator configured to provide multiple local oscillator signals to multiple optical antenna arrays.

[0017] In one embodiment, the local oscillator includes a plurality of beam splitters configured to provide a plurality of oscillator signals to a plurality of optical antenna arrays, and includes a second optical switch coupled to the plurality of beam splitters and configured to selectively provide a portion of the input signal to at least one of the plurality of beam splitters.

[0018] In one embodiment, at least one of the multiple beam splitters includes multiple passive beam splitters configured to split a portion of the input signal among multiple optical antennas in a selected one of multiple optical antenna arrays.

[0019] In one embodiment, at least two of the plurality of optical antenna arrays include an output signal bus. The plurality of optical antennas in a first optical antenna array share the output signal bus with the plurality of optical antenna arrays in a second optical antenna array.

[0020] In an implementation, the output signal bus includes electrical signal lines for in-phase and quadrature signals from each of the plurality of optical antennas.

[0021] Embodiments of this disclosure include a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor system. The LIDAR sensor system includes a light source and a transceiver. The light source is configured to generate an input signal. The transceiver is coupled to the light source to receive the input signal. The transceiver includes a plurality of optical antenna arrays and an optical switch. At least two of the plurality of optical antenna arrays include a plurality of optical antennas and a beam splitter coupled to the plurality of optical antennas. The optical switch is coupled to the plurality of optical antenna arrays. The optical switch is configured to selectively provide the input signal to at least one of the plurality of optical antenna arrays.

[0022] In one implementation, the LIDAR sensor system also includes a lens. A transceiver is optically coupled to the lens to provide solid-state scanning of the lens's field of view.

[0023] In one implementation, the LIDAR sensor system also includes a processing engine configured to receive LIDAR return signals from a transceiver and to generate LIDAR data frames based on the LIDAR return signals.

[0024] Embodiments of this disclosure include autonomous vehicles. The autonomous vehicle includes a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor. The LIDAR sensor includes a light source and a transceiver configured to generate an input signal. The transceiver is coupled to the light source to receive the input signal. The transceiver includes a plurality of optical antenna arrays and an optical switch. At least two of the plurality of optical antenna arrays include a plurality of optical antennas and a beam splitter coupled to the plurality of optical antennas. The optical switch is coupled to the plurality of optical antenna arrays. The optical switch is configured to selectively provide the input signal to at least one of the plurality of optical antenna arrays.

[0025] In one implementation, the autonomous vehicle also includes a lens. The transceiver is optically coupled to the lens to provide a horizontal scan of the block of the autonomous vehicle's operating environment.

[0026] In one implementation, the autonomous vehicle also includes a processing engine configured to receive LIDAR return signals from a transceiver and to generate a point cloud representation of the autonomous vehicle’s operating environment based at least in part on the LIDAR return signals. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein, unless otherwise stated, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various views.

[0028] Figure 1 The illustration shows a chip for a LIDAR sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figures 2A to 2D Various embodiments of coherent pixels according to the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0030] Figure 3 The illustration shows a chip for a LIDAR sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figures 4A to 4B Various embodiments of coherent pixels according to the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0032] Figures 5A to 5C Various embodiments of optical switches that can be used in a LIDAR system according to embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0033] Figure 6 The illustration shows a LIDAR system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figures 7A to 7B The illustration shows an electrical wiring scheme for routing output signals according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 8 The diagram illustrates coherent pixels according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 9 The figure shows a system diagram of a LiDAR system based on a switchable coherent pixel array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 10A An autonomous vehicle including an example sensor array is illustrated according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 10B The illustration shows a top view of an autonomous vehicle including an example sensor array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 10C An example vehicle control system including sensors, a powertrain system, and a control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0040] This document describes embodiments of a LiDAR (Liquid Optical Detection and Ranging) system. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the implementation. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the techniques described herein can be practiced without one or more of these specific details or using other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring certain aspects.

[0041] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment" or "implementation" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0042] Several technical terms are used throughout this specification. These terms have their general meanings in the fields from which they originate, unless specifically defined herein or the context of their use will clearly imply otherwise. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "autonomous vehicle" includes vehicles possessing autonomous characteristics of any level of autonomy as defined in SAE International Standard J3016.

[0043] This paper discusses a scalable and switchable optical antenna array architecture that, when combined with a lens, forms a real-time addressable focal plane array for solid-state beam steering in coherent LiDAR systems.

[0044] Traditional LIDAR systems rely on mechanical moving parts to control the direction of the laser beam. Therefore, they can be bulky, costly, and unreliable for many applications such as motor vehicles and robots. The disclosed LIDAR system is a solid-state LIDAR system that overcomes these problems by eliminating or reducing the mechanical moving parts used to control the beam direction for LIDAR operation.

[0045] Coherent LiDAR systems include modulated, continuous wave (CW), and other types of LiDAR systems. Modulated LiDAR systems include frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LiDAR systems and phase-shift keying (PSK) systems, among others. Coherent LiDAR systems can directly measure the distance and velocity of an object by directing a collimated beam of frequency-modulated or CW light onto the object. The light reflected from the object is combined with a tapped version of the beam. Once corrected for a Doppler shift, possibly based on a second measurement, the resulting beat frequency is proportional to the distance of the object from the LiDAR system. These two measurements (which may be performed simultaneously or not) provide both range and velocity information.

[0046] One consideration in designing solid-state beam steering technology for LIDAR systems is the complexity of the control circuitry. Reducing complexity offers numerous advantages in terms of cost, reliability, and scalability.

[0047] Another consideration in solid-state beam steering design is the scanning pattern, which is the sequence of one or more lasers illuminating a scene. If parallel optical channels (e.g., optical antennas) can be spatially aggregated, smaller, contiguous blocks within the full field of view of the LiDAR system can be dynamically addressed and adjusted as needed for the application. This ability to dynamically address blocks or portions of the field of view can advantageously reduce artifacts that can appear in the point cloud generated from the scan. Additionally, concurrent operation of adjacent / closely located optical antenna arrays can occur with low latency, which can provide improved resolution and object recognition compared to conventional scanning techniques.

[0048] The disclosed coherent LIDAR system may be a modulated (e.g., FMCW) LIDAR system, a CW LIDAR system, or another coherent LIDAR system configured to determine depth information (e.g., distance, velocity, acceleration of one or more objects) of the system's field of view. The coherent LIDAR system may include a switchable coherent pixel array (SCPA) on a LIDAR chip (e.g., a photonic integrated circuit). The LIDAR chip may include one or more transceivers. The transceivers may include an optical antenna array and an optical switch. The optical antenna array includes groups of optical antennas (subarrays) and beam splitters coupled to the optical antennas. The beam splitter provides a portion of the input signal to each optical antenna. The input signal may be an electrical signal, an electro-optic signal, or an optical signal. The optical switch is configured to selectively provide the input signal to at least one of a plurality of optical antenna arrays as part of a scanning operation. The optical switch achieves addressable field-of-view scanning by selectively providing the input signal to a plurality of antenna arrays (one array at a time). Each optical antenna may be part of a coherent pixel comprising an optical antenna, an optical combiner, a beam splitter, and / or a photodiode. Therefore, a subarray or group of coherent pixels may include a subarray or group of optical antennas.

[0049] Coherent LiDAR systems can be configured to control the direction of light (e.g., a beam of light, a laser beam) emitted from the LiDAR system in at least one dimension. In some implementations, the optical antennas are arranged in a two-dimensional configuration, enabling the LiDAR system to control the direction of light in two dimensions. The ability to control the direction of light without moving parts can reduce the form factor, cost, and reliability issues present in many conventional mechanically driven LiDAR systems.

[0050] The apparatus and system for optical antenna architectures for coherent LiDAR transceivers disclosed herein achieve solid-state addressable field of view and scalable focal plane arrays, which can be used, for example, in autonomous vehicles. These, in combination with other embodiments... Figures 1 to 10C To describe in more detail.

[0051] Figure 1 A diagram of a chip for a LIDAR sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. According to various embodiments, the LIDAR sensor 100 may be part of a coherent LIDAR system, such as a modulated LIDAR system, a CW LIDAR system, an FMCW LIDAR system, or another coherent LIDAR system. According to one embodiment, the LIDAR sensor 100 is an on-chip switchable coherent pixel array (SCPA) LIDAR sensor that includes optical antennas configured to concurrently scan a portion of the field of view of the LIDAR system. The LIDAR sensor 100 may be a photonic integrated circuit and may be configured to perform block scanning with beams having dense spacing. Advantageously, the block scanning environment can reduce artifacts that may appear in the point cloud generated during the scanning operation. Additionally, concurrent operation of adjacent / proximity-positioned optical antenna groups supports low-latency operation, thereby providing improved resolution and improved object recognition in multiple applications, such as autonomous vehicle operation.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the LIDAR sensor 100 includes an input port 102 coupled to provide an input signal to a transceiver 104. The input signal can be an electrical signal, an electro-optical signal, or an optical signal. The input signal can be a CW laser signal. The input signal can be a modulated laser signal. The input signal can be an FMCW laser signal. The transceiver 104 includes an optical switch 106 and a plurality of optical antenna arrays 110 configured to perform block scanning of the environment with a LIDAR system. The optical switch 106 receives the input signal from the input port 102 via a communication channel 108 (e.g., a waveguide). The optical switch 106 selectively distributes at least a portion of the input signal to the optical antenna arrays 110, one at a time. According to one embodiment, the optical switch 106 is an active switch including M output channels and can be implemented as a silicon nitride switch with high power handling capability.

[0053] In one implementation, optical switch 106 routes input signals from input port 102 to each optical antenna array 110, one at a time during a scanning operation (e.g., during each scan of the field of view). Each of the optical antenna arrays 110 is a component block or group of components that routes a portion of the input signal to an optical antenna group (subarray) for concurrent transmission of the input signal. Components of each optical antenna array 110 are also configured to receive returned LIDAR signals and convert the returned LIDAR signals from optical signals to one or more electrical signals.

[0054] As shown in the figure, according to an embodiment, transceiver 104 includes a plurality of optical antenna arrays 110 (only one array is highlighted in the dashed box for clarity). Each optical antenna array 110 includes a beam splitter 112 coupled to an optical switch 106 via a communication channel 114 (e.g., a waveguide). Each optical antenna array 110 includes a group of coherent pixels 116 (e.g., a subarray), which is composed of a plurality of (e.g., 8, 50, 100, etc.) individual coherent pixels 118. Each of the individual coherent pixels 118 is spatially located in the vicinity of other individual coherent pixels 118 in a one-dimensional pattern (e.g., a line) or in a two-dimensional pattern (e.g., a rectangle, another shape, or in a non-uniform distribution).

[0055] The coherent pixel group 116 is coupled to the beam splitter 112 via multiple communication channels 120 (e.g., waveguides). According to an embodiment, the beam splitter 112 includes a passive beam splitter network configured to uniformly distribute the input signal from the communication channel 114 to the communication channel 120.

[0056] In this implementation, the optical switch 106 can be selected from M optical antenna arrays 110, and the beam splitter 112 splits the input signal into N communication channels 120, where the number N corresponds to the number of individual coherent pixels 118 in the coherent pixel group 116. N is also the number of transmitter and receiver channels, and therefore N can also define the total number of concurrent (approximately simultaneous) measurements that can be performed by the coherent pixel group 116. The convergence of the optical antennas 110 can be placed under a lens to form a solid-state focal plane array. Because the parallel channels are spatially grouped in this array, smaller blocks within the full field of view of the focal plane array can be illuminated, thereby allowing dynamic addressing of the full field of view.

[0057] One advantage of the transceiver 104 architecture is that the use of optical switch 106 reduces the number of optical ports used for operation. This reduction in optical ports results in the optical antenna of the individual coherent pixel 118 being located at input port 102. Figures 2A-2D A simpler and smaller silicon coverage area in the optical path between (as shown in the diagram).

[0058] Although a single transceiver 104 is shown, the LIDAR sensor 100 may include multiple transceivers 104 coupled to other optical ports or to the input port 102, depending on the implementation.

[0059] Figures 2A-2D The illustration shows coherent pixels (e.g., pixels that can be utilized in a LIDAR sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure). Figure 1 Various implementations of the individual coherent pixel 118 shown. The coherent pixel can be configured to (1) split the input signal into a local oscillator signal and a transmission signal, (2) couple the transmission signal to free space, (3) couple the return signal back to the coherent pixel, and / or (4) mix the local oscillator signal and the return signal.

[0060] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The illustration shows coherent pixels 220 and 230 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Coherent pixel 220 includes an optical antenna 200, an optical combiner 201, and a beam splitter 202. Coherent pixel 220 receives an optical signal (e.g., a modulated laser signal, a CW laser signal, an FMCW laser signal, etc.) at an input port 203. Beam splitter 202 is coupled between input port 203 and optical antenna 200. Beam splitter 202 may be a bidirectional 2x2 beam splitter configured to split the input signal received at input port 203 into antenna port 205 and local oscillator port 206. Antenna port 205 is coupled to optical antenna 200. Antenna port 205 is configured to provide a transmission signal to optical antenna 200 and is configured to receive a return signal from optical antenna 200.

[0061] According to embodiments, optical antenna 200 is a device for emitting light from an on-chip waveguide into free space and / or coupling light from free space into an on-chip waveguide. Optical antenna 200 can be implemented as a grating coupler, edge coupler, integrated reflector, or any spot size converter. Optical antenna 200 can be polarization-sensitive, exhibiting much higher emission / coupling efficiency for light with a specific polarization (e.g., transverse electric (TE) or transverse magnetic (TM)). Optical antenna 200 can be reciprocal and therefore can collect return signals (e.g., reflected beams) from a measured object (e.g., an object in the environment). Optical antenna 200 provides the return signal back to antenna port 205 of beam splitter 202. Beam splitter 202 can split the return signal between input port 203 and return signal port 204, or can be configured to provide the return signal only to return signal port 204. Beam splitter 202 can be configured as a "pseudo-looper" with co-located transmitter and receiver.

[0062] Optical combiner 201 is configured to mix a local oscillator signal with a return signal. Optical combiner 201 mixes the return signal from return signal port 204 and the local oscillator signal from local oscillator port 206 for coherent detection. Optical combiner 201 is an optical mixer, which can be a balanced 2x2 optical mixer.

[0063] Coherent pixel 220 includes a pair of photodiodes 207 configured to convert optical signals into electrical signals for beat detection. Coherent pixel 220 may be referred to as a balanced photodiode (BPD) coherent pixel.

[0064] Using beam splitter 202 as a "pseudo-circuiter" eliminates the need for discrete circuiters for each individual pixel, which is impractical for large-scale arrays with hundreds of pixels. Therefore, the implementation of coherent pixel 220 can significantly reduce cost and shape factor. For example, the return signal can be separated between input port 203 and return signal port 204, the latter used for coherent detection.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the coherent pixel 230 includes a hybrid optical combiner 209 and two photodiode pairs 207 to convert the return signal and the local oscillator signal into electrical signals for beat detection. According to another embodiment, the coherent pixel 230 uses the hybrid optical combiner 209 to provide an in-phase output signal RX_I and a quadrature output signal RX_Q. The in-phase output signal RX_I and the quadrature output signal RX_Q can be used to resolve velocity-distance ambiguities and / or implement advanced digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms in an FMCW LIDAR system.

[0066] Figure 2C and Figure 2D The illustration shows coherent pixels 240 and 250 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Coherent pixels 240 and 250 include polarization-split antennas that can simplify beam splitter designs used in the coherent pixels.

[0067] According to one embodiment, coherent pixel 240 includes a beam splitter 212, a polarization-split antenna 210, an optical combiner 201, and a pair of photodiodes 207. An input signal is received at input port 203. The beam splitter 212 may include an input port coupled to input port 203, an antenna port 215, and a local oscillator port 214. A portion of the input signal routed to antenna port 215 is transmitted directly from the chip using the polarization-split antenna 210, which has one polarization (e.g., TM). The polarization-split antenna 210 collects the return signal (reflected beam) from the object being measured. The polarization-split antenna 210 couples orthogonal polarization (e.g., TE) to antenna output port 213 (e.g., a waveguide) and transmits the orthogonal polarization return signal directly to the optical combiner 201. In this embodiment, the return signal received by the polarization-split antenna 210 is not further split by any additional beam splitter or "pseudo-circuiter".

[0068] Optical combiner 201 optically mixes a portion of the received return signal from antenna output port 213 with the optical signal from local oscillator port 214 for coherent detection. Photodiode pair 207 converts the combined / mixed optical signal into an electrical signal for beat detection.

[0069] The coherent pixel 250 includes a hybrid optical combiner 209 and a polarization split antenna 210, and two photodiode pairs 207 convert the optical signal into an in-phase output signal RX_I and a quadrature output signal RX_Q, which are electrical signals that can be used for beat detection.

[0070] The coherent pixel 240 and 250 design implements an efficient integrated circulator for each coherent pixel and enables an on-chip monolithic FMCW LIDAR with ultra-high sensitivity.

[0071] Figure 3 The illustration shows a chip of a LIDAR sensor 300 configured to selectively route local oscillator signals to coherent pixels according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The LIDAR sensor 300 may include a LIDAR sensor 100 ( Figure 1 As shown, the LIDAR sensor 300 reduces the component from the coherent pixels by directly providing an external local oscillator signal, rather than having the coherent pixels split off a portion of the input signal received at input port 102. Instead of the coherent pixels being configured to generate their own local oscillator signals, the LIDAR sensor 300 is configured to provide a stronger local oscillator signal to the coherent pixels.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the LIDAR sensor 300 includes a local oscillator network 302 coupled to a beam splitter 304 to receive a portion of the input signal as a local oscillator signal. The local oscillator network 302 (e.g., a switch tree) includes an optical switch 306 configured to selectively provide the local oscillator signal to one of a plurality of beam splitters 308. Each beam splitter 308 is coupled to the optical switch 306 via a communication channel 310 (e.g., a waveguide). According to one embodiment, the beam splitter 308 is coupled to a group of coherent pixels 116 via a communication channel 312. The optical switch 306 may be similar to optical switch 106 and may be configured to provide the local oscillator signal to a particular group of coherent pixels 116 while optical switch 106 provides the input signal to that particular group of coherent pixels 116. The optical beam splitter 308 may be similar to beam splitter 112 and may include a plurality of passive beam splitter components.

[0073] Figure 4A and Figure 4B The illustration shows coherent pixels 400 and 410 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which are configured, for example, to receive signals from a local oscillator network 302 ( Figure 3 (As shown in the diagram) receives an external local oscillator signal. Coherent pixels 400 and 410 are configured to receive a local oscillator signal at local oscillator port 402. According to an embodiment, coherent pixels 400 and 410 include signals from coherent pixels 240 and 250 (each located at...). Figure 2C and Figure 2D Similar features to those shown in the diagram.

[0074] Figures 5A-5C Various embodiments of optical switches that can be used in any LIDAR system disclosed herein are illustrated. Figure 5A An optical switch 506, which may be an embodiment of optical switch 106 and / or optical switch 306, is illustrated. According to an embodiment, optical switch 506 is a binary tree switch network having a plurality of individual switching units 501. Each individual switching unit 501 includes a beam splitter 500 configured to feed two optical phase shifters 502, which use control signals 503 and 504 to tune the phase of each arm. The electrical control of optical switch 506 can be a push-pull configuration using two controls or a single-sided configuration using a single control. In an embodiment, an optical combiner 505 is used to recombine signals passing through the optical phase shifters 502. Based on the operation of control signals 503 and 504, constructive or destructive interference occurs and causes light to switch between two outputs. The optical phase shifter 502 can be implemented as a thermo-optical phase shifter and / or an electro-optical phase shifter.

[0075] Figure 5BAn optical switch 520, implemented with an array of microring resonators (MRRs) 510 according to an embodiment, is illustrated. Each MRR 510 picks up an optical signal from a main bus waveguide 512 when the resonant frequency of the device is aligned with the laser wavelength. According to an embodiment, electrical control signals (e.g., Ctrl 0, Ctrl 1, Ctrl 3, Ctrl M) can be used to set the resonance of each MRR 510 in the array, and thus select coherent optical signals (e.g., FMCW optical signals) through their output ports 511 for transmission and reception.

[0076] Figure 5C An optical switch 530 implemented with an array of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches 515 is illustrated. According to an embodiment, each MEMS switch 515 is configured to control the direction of an optical signal from a main bus waveguide 512, and thus select the output port through which the optical signal is transmitted and received (e.g., Out 1, Out 2, Out 3, Out M).

[0077] Figure 6 The illustration shows a LiDAR system 600 that incorporates a LiDAR sensor 100 to form an addressable focal plane array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Each optical antenna array 110 includes N coherent pixels that concurrently transmit input signals when a particular optical antenna array 110 is selected. The input signals from the coherent pixels are transformed into laser beams 608 through a lens system 607. Each of the optical antenna arrays 110 scans a portion of the field of view of the lens system 607, giving the LiDAR system 600 a solid-state addressable field of view. When the output of the optical switch 106 selects a particular one of the optical antenna arrays 110, each of the N coherent pixels simultaneously illuminates the lens system 607, which collimates the incident light into N outgoing laser beams 608 that propagate at slightly different angles. The outgoing laser beams 608 propagate at slightly different angles based on the spacing between the coherent pixels in the LiDAR sensor 100 and based on the characteristics of the lens system 607. As a result, each optical antenna array 110 illuminates a small portion of the complete field of view of the focal plane array system.

[0078] Figure 7AThe illustration shows an electrical wiring scheme 700 for routing in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signals out of optical antenna arrays 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each optical antenna array comprising N coherent pixels. In the illustrated example, every 8th coherent pixel is connected together on bus 702, and a total of 2*N buses are led out from the switch (N buses for in-phase signals and N buses for quadrature signals). According to this wiring scheme, according to the embodiment, bus 702 (including channels RX_1, RX_2, RX_3, ..., RX_N) is used by one optical antenna array 110 at a time, because the optical switch 106 selects only one specific optical antenna array 110 at a time.

[0079] Figure 7B The illustration shows an electrical wiring scheme 710 for routing in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signals out of an optical antenna array 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each optical antenna array 110 comprising N coherent pixels. In the illustrated example, the optical antenna array 110 is divided into two (or more) smaller groups, which are read out on buses 712 and 714. Bus 712 includes output channels RX1_1, RX1_2, RX1_3, ..., RX1_N, and bus 714 includes output channels RX2_1, RX2_2, RX2_3, ..., RX2_N. Every eighth coherent pixel within these smaller groups is then connected to a common bus (e.g., bus 712 or bus 714) and routed out of the array. In this example, if there are P subgroups of coherent pixels, there are a total of 2*P*N signal buses leaving the optical antenna array. These 2*P*N buses can then be combined, for example, using electrical switches to reduce the total number of signal lines.

[0080] Figure 8The diagram illustrates a coherent pixel 813 that utilizes two polarizations of light to improve the performance of an FMCWLIDAR system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Input light 801 originating from a laser enters the coherent pixel 813 and is split by an X / (1-X) beam splitter 802 (also referred to as beam splitter 802). X% of the light (which constitutes the TX signal) exits from the top port of beam splitter 802, and (1-X)% of the light (which constitutes the local oscillator (LO) signal) exits from the bottom port of beam splitter 802. The TX signal enters a polarization assembly 820. As shown, the polarization assembly 820 includes a polarization beam splitter 803 and a polarization-insensitive free-space coupler 804. However, in other embodiments, the polarization beam splitter 803 and the polarization-insensitive free-space coupler 804 can be replaced by a single polarization splitter vertical chip to free-space coupler. The polarization beam splitter 803 (also referred to as a polarizer) separates transversely electrically (TE) and transversely magnetically (TM) polarized light. Because the TX signal light is TE-polarized, it is coupled to the top port on the right side of polarization beam splitter 803. The TM-polarized light exits through the bottom port on the right side of polarization beam splitter 803. The TX signal exiting polarization beam splitter 803 enters polarization-insensitive free-space coupler 804, which generates a free-space beam 805 with linear polarization matching the TE field of coherent pixel 813. Polarization-insensitive free-space coupler 804 is an example of an optical antenna. For example, polarization-insensitive free-space coupler 804 can be a vertical grating, an edge coupler (e.g., an inverted conical waveguide), or an angled reflector.

[0081] Free-space beam 805 propagates via a quarter-wave plate 806 that converts a linearly polarized beam 805 into a circularly polarized beam 807. The now circularly polarized light 807 propagates a distance, delaying the light relative to the LO signal. This beam is reflected from the target surface 808, producing a reflected beam 809 (return signal). Depending on the surface characteristics, this reflected beam may maintain its circular polarization or its polarization may become randomized. The reflected beam 809 propagates back through free space and the quarter-wave plate 806. If the reflected beam 809 maintains its circular polarization, the transmitted beam 810 will have TM polarization (relative to the original transmit and receive coherent pixels 813). If the reflected beam 809 has random polarization, the transmitted beam 810 will have random polarization. The transmitted beam 810 couples back to the coherent pixel 813 and propagates back to the top right port of the polarization beam splitter 803. If the received beam is TM polarized, all light will be coupled to the bottom left port of the polarization beam splitter 803. If the received beam is randomly polarized, then nominally half the optical power will be coupled to the bottom left port. Light coupled to the bottom left port of polarization beam splitter 803 enters dual-input power optical mixer 811, which mixes the delayed received signal with the LO signal. Optical mixer 811 generates one or more electrical signals 812, which are interpreted by the FMCW LIDAR system. Removing the quarter-wave plate may affect the system performance of the polarization-maintaining target, but it does not affect the fundamental principle of the design.

[0082] The polarization component 820 can be configured to form a transmission signal; polarize the transmission signal to have a first polarization; polarize the reflection signal (via internal coupling in 804) based on a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization to form a return signal; and couple the return signal to a second waveguide (e.g., toward 811) for optical detection.

[0083] Coherent pixel 813 could be, for example, coherent pixel 118 ( Figure 1 (As shown). Coherent pixels 813 can also be referenced above. Figures 2A-2B Examples of coherent pixels described. For example, beam splitter 202 can be replaced by X / (1-X) beam splitter 802 and polarization beam splitter 803, and optical antenna 200 can be replaced by polarization-insensitive free space coupler 804.

[0084] Figure 9The illustration shows a system diagram of an FMCW LIDAR system 900 based on a switchable coherent pixel array (SCPA) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, as a specific example of a coherent LIDAR system. The scanner module 901 includes an SCPA LIDAR chip 905 having one or more FMCW transceiver channels and a lens system 903 including one or more optical elements. In some embodiments, the lens system 903 is an embodiment of lens system 607.

[0085] The SCPA LIDAR chip 905 includes one or more frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LIDAR transceivers (e.g., transceiver 104), which are implemented as one or more photonic integrated circuits. The photonic integrated circuits used for the transceivers may include input ports, multiple optical antennas, optical switches, multiple beam splitters, and multiple mixers.

[0086] An input port is configured to receive a frequency-modulated laser signal. An optical switch is configured to switchably couple the input port to an optical antenna, thereby forming an optical path between the input port and the optical antenna. For each optical path from the input port to one of the optical antennas, a beam splitter is coupled along the optical path and configured to: split a portion of the received laser signal into a local oscillator signal and a transmitted signal, wherein the transmitted signal is transmitted via the optical antenna and the reflection of the transmitted signal is received via the optical antenna as a reflected signal; and output a return signal as a portion of the reflected signal. For each beam splitter, a mixer is coupled to receive the return signal and the local oscillator signal from the beam splitter, the mixer being configured to mix the return signal and the local oscillator signal to generate one or more output signals for determining depth information of the field of view of the LIDAR system (also referred to as the field of view of the scanner module 901).

[0087] In some embodiments, the lens system 903 generates collimated transmission signals that scan the field of view of the scanner module 901 along one or more angular dimensions (e.g., azimuth or elevation). The scanner module 901 has a field of view of 5 degrees or better along one angular dimension. And in embodiments with a two-dimensional arrangement (e.g., a rectangular grid) of optical antennas, signals from multiple optical antennas can be scanned in two dimensions within the field of view of the scanner module 901. For example, scanning can be performed along a first dimension and a second dimension, and the field of view of the scanner module 901 is 5 degrees or better along the first dimension and 5 degrees or better along the second dimension. The two-dimensional scanning in the above examples can be performed by selectively using different coherent pixels.

[0088] Scanner module 901 may also include a scanning mirror 902 to assist laser beam scanning and / or a quarter-wave plate (QWP) 904 to improve polarization-dependent sensitivity. In embodiments using scanning mirror 902, the field of view of scanner module 901 is 5 degrees or better along a first dimension (scanned via selective use of coherent pixels) and 10 degrees or better along a second dimension (scanned at least partially via movement of scanning mirror 902). The light source of LIDAR chip 905 can be directly integrated onto the same chip or coupled via fiber optic components. As shown, the light source can be a modulated laser source, a CW laser source, an FMCW laser source 907, or another coherent laser source that generates the input signal for coherent LIDAR operation. FMCW laser source 907 can be further amplified by optical amplifier 906 to increase the range of FMCW LIDAR. Optical amplifier 906 can be a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) chip or an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). FMCW laser source 907 is controlled by laser driver circuitry 908, which is typically a controllable low-noise current source. The output of the coherent pixels enters an array of transimpedance amplifier (TIA) circuits 911. On-chip switches are controlled by a switch driver array 910. The FMCW processing engine 909 can be implemented using one or more FPGA, ASIC, or DSP chips, and includes the following functionalities: SCPA control and calibration logic 915, FMCW LIDAR frame management and point cloud processing 914, a multi-channel analog-to-digital converter 916, an FMCW LIDAR DSP 912, and FMCW laser chirp control and calibration logic 913. In the case of implementing the SCPA LIDAR chip 905 on a CMOS silicon photonics platform, some or even all of the circuit functionalities can be monolithically implemented using photonic circuitry on a single chip. The data output 920 of the FMCW processing engine includes depth information. The depth information may include, for example, three-dimensional position data of a typical LIDAR point cloud and other information that the FMCW LIDAR can measure, such as velocity, reflectivity, etc.

[0089] Figure 9 An example LIDAR system is shown. In alternative configurations, different and / or additional components can be included in the LIDAR system. Additionally, combined with... Figure 9 The functionality described by one or more components shown can be combined with Figure 9 The components are distributed in different ways. For example, in some embodiments, the SCPA LIDAR chip 905 may be separate from the scanner module 901.

[0090] Figure 10A The illustration shows an example autonomous vehicle 1000 according to various aspects of this disclosure, which may be included in a LIDAR device. Figures 1-9Any LIDAR component. The autonomous vehicle 1000 shown includes a sensor array configured to capture one or more objects in the external environment of the autonomous vehicle and generate sensor data associated with the captured one or more objects for use in controlling the operation of the autonomous vehicle 1000. Figure 10A Sensors 1033A, 1033B, 1033C, 1033D, and 1033E are shown. Figure 10B The illustration shows a top view of an autonomous vehicle 1000, which includes sensors 1033F, 1033G, 1033H, and 1033I in addition to sensors 1033A, 1033B, 1033C, 1033D, and 1033E. Any one of sensors 1033A, 1033B, 1033C, 1033D, 1033E, 1033F, 1033G, 1033H, and / or 1033I may include a LiDAR device, which includes... Figures 1-9 Any LIDAR component. Figure 10C A block diagram of an example system 1099 for an autonomous vehicle 1000 is illustrated. For example, the autonomous vehicle 1000 may include a powertrain 1002 comprising a prime mover 1004 powered by an energy source 1006 and capable of powering a transmission system 1008. The autonomous vehicle 1000 may also include a control system 1010, which includes steering control 1012, powertrain control 1014, and braking control 1016. The autonomous vehicle 1000 can be implemented as any number of different vehicles, including vehicles capable of transporting people and / or goods and capable of operating in a wide variety of environments. It should be understood that the aforementioned components 1002-1016 can vary widely depending on the type of vehicle utilizing these components.

[0091] For example, the embodiments discussed below will focus on wheeled land vehicles, such as automobiles, vans, trucks, or buses. In such embodiments, the prime mover 1004 may include one or more electric motors and / or internal combustion engines (and others). Energy sources may include, for example, fuel systems (e.g., providing gasoline, diesel, hydrogen), battery systems, solar panels or other renewable energy sources, and / or fuel cell systems. The drivetrain 1008 may include wheels and / or tires along with a transmission and / or any other mechanical drive components adapted to convert the output of the prime mover 1004 into vehicle motion, as well as one or more brakes configured to controllably stop or slow down the autonomous vehicle 1000 and directional or steering components adapted to control the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle 1000 (e.g., rack and pinion steering linkages that enable one or more wheels of the autonomous vehicle 1000 to pivot about a generally vertical axis to change the angle of the wheel's plane of rotation relative to the vehicle's longitudinal axis). In some embodiments, a combination of powertrain and energy source may be used (e.g., in the case of an electric / gas hybrid vehicle). In some embodiments, multiple electric motors (e.g., dedicated to individual wheels or axles) may be used as prime movers.

[0092] Steering control 1012 may include one or more actuators and / or sensors for controlling and receiving feedback from steering or directional components to enable the autonomous vehicle 1000 to follow a desired trajectory. Powertrain control 1014 may be configured to control the output of powertrain 1002, such as controlling the output power of prime mover 1004, controlling the gears of the transmission in transmission system 1008, thereby controlling the speed and / or direction of the autonomous vehicle 1000. Braking control 1016 may be configured to control one or more brakes that decelerate or stop the autonomous vehicle 1000, such as disc or drum brakes coupled to the wheels of the vehicle.

[0093] Other vehicle types, including but not limited to off-road vehicles, all-terrain or tracked vehicles, or construction equipment, will necessarily utilize different powertrains, drive systems, energy sources, steering control, powertrain control, and braking control, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. Furthermore, in some embodiments, certain components can be combined; for example, where vehicle steering control is primarily handled by altering the output of one or more prime movers. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to the specific applications of the techniques described herein in autonomous wheeled land vehicles.

[0094] In the illustrated embodiment, autonomous control of the autonomous vehicle 1000 is implemented in a vehicle control system 1020. The vehicle control system 1020 may include one or more processors and one or more memories 1024 in processing logic 1022, wherein the processing logic 1022 is configured to execute program code (e.g., instructions 1026) stored in the memory 1024. The processing logic 1022 may include, for example, a graphics processing unit (GPU) and / or a central processing unit (CPU). The vehicle control system 1020 may be configured to control the powertrain 1002 of the autonomous vehicle 1000 in response to an infrared return beam that is propagated through waveguides into the external environment of the autonomous vehicle 1000 and reflected back to receive the infrared transmission beam of the LIDAR pixels.

[0095] Sensors 1033A-1033I may include various sensors suitable for collecting data from the surrounding environment of an autonomous vehicle for controlling the operation of the autonomous vehicle. For example, sensors 1033A-1033I may include a RADAR unit 1034, a LIDAR unit 1036, and (multiple) 3D positioning sensors 1038, such as satellite navigation systems, such as GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, or a compass. Figures 1-9 The LIDAR components may be included in the interferometer, modulator, and / or resonator of the LIDAR unit 1036. The LIDAR unit 1036 may include, for example, multiple LIDAR sensors distributed around the autonomous vehicle 1000. In some embodiments, the multiple 3D positioning sensors 1038 are capable of using satellite signals to determine the vehicle's position on Earth. Sensors 1033A-1033I may optionally include one or more ultrasonic sensors, one or more cameras 1040, and / or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 1042. In some embodiments, the camera 1040 may be a single-image or stereo camera and capable of recording still and / or video images. The camera 1040 may include a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor configured to capture images of one or more objects in the external environment of the autonomous vehicle 1000. The IMU 1042 may include multiple gyroscopes and accelerometers capable of detecting linear and rotational motion of the autonomous vehicle 1000 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 autonomous vehicle 1000.

[0096] The outputs of sensors 1033A-1033I can be provided to a control subsystem 1050, including a positioning subsystem 1052, a trajectory subsystem 1056, a perception subsystem 1054, and a control system interface 1058. The positioning subsystem 1052 is configured to determine the position and orientation (sometimes referred to as "attitude") of the autonomous vehicle 1000 in its surrounding environment, typically within a specific geographic area. The position of the autonomous vehicle can be compared with the positions of additional vehicles in the same environment as part of generating tagged autonomous vehicle data. The perception subsystem 1054 can be configured to detect, track, classify, and / or identify objects in the environment surrounding the autonomous vehicle 1000. The trajectory subsystem 1056 is configured to generate a trajectory of the autonomous vehicle 1000 and static and moving objects in the environment within a specific time frame given a desired destination. Machine learning models, according to several embodiments, can be used to generate the vehicle trajectory. The control system interface 1058 is configured to communicate with the control system 1010 to implement the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle 1000. In some embodiments, the machine learning model can be used to control the autonomous vehicle to achieve a planned trajectory.

[0097] It should be understood that, regarding the vehicle control system 1020 in Figure 10C The assembly of components shown is merely exemplary in nature. Individual sensors may be omitted in some embodiments. In some embodiments, Figure 10C The different types of sensors shown are used for redundancy and / or to cover different areas of the environment surrounding the autonomous vehicle. In some embodiments, different types and / or combinations of control subsystems may be used. Furthermore, although subsystems 1052-1058 are shown as separate from processing logic 1022 and memory 1024, it should be understood that in some embodiments, some or all of the functionality of subsystems 1052-1058 may be implemented as program code such as instructions 1026 residing in memory 1024 and executed by processing logic 1022, and these subsystems 1052-1058 may, in some cases, be implemented using the same(s) processor(s) and / or memory. Subsystems in some embodiments may be implemented at least in part using various application-specific circuit logics, various processors, various field-programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”), various application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), various real-time controllers, etc., and as mentioned above, multiple subsystems may utilize circuits, processors, sensors, and / or other components. Furthermore, various components in the vehicle control system 1020 may be networked in various ways.

[0098] In some implementations, different architectures, including various combinations of software, hardware, circuit logic, sensors, and networks, can be used to achieve... Figure 10CThe various components are shown. For example, each processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, and each memory may represent a random access memory (“RAM”) device including main memory, as well as any supplementary levels of memory, such as cache memory, non-volatile or backup memory (e.g., programmable memory or flash memory), or read-only memory. Furthermore, each memory may be considered to include memory physically located elsewhere in the autonomous vehicle 1000, such as any cache memory in the processor, and any storage capacity used as virtual memory, such as stored on a mass storage device or another computer controller. Figure 10C The processing logic 1022 shown, or a completely independent processing logic, can be used to achieve additional functionality in the autonomous vehicle 1000 beyond the purpose of autonomous control, such as controlling the entertainment system, operating doors, lights, or convenience features.

[0099] In addition, for additional storage, the autonomous vehicle 1000 may also include one or more mass storage devices, such as removable disk drives, hard disk drives, direct access storage devices (“DASD”), optical drives (e.g., CD drives, DVD drives), solid-state storage drives (“SSD”), network-attached storage, storage area networks, and / or tape drives, etc. Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle 1000 may include a user interface 1064 to enable the autonomous vehicle 1000 to receive multiple inputs from passengers and generate outputs for passengers, such as one or more displays, touchscreens, voice and / or gesture interfaces, buttons, and other tactile controls. In some embodiments, input from passengers may be received via another computer or electronic device, such as via an application on a mobile device or via a web interface.

[0100] In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle 1000 may include one or more network interfaces, such as network interface 1062, adapted to communicate with one or more networks 1070 (e.g., local area network (“LAN”), wide area network (“WAN”), wireless network, and / or the Internet, etc.) to allow information communication with other computer and electronic devices (including, for example, central services such as cloud services), from which the autonomous vehicle 1000 receives environmental and other data for its autonomous control. In some embodiments, data collected by one or more sensors 1033A-1033I can be uploaded via network 1070 to computing system 1072 for additional processing. In such embodiments, timestamps can be associated with each instance of vehicle data prior to upload.

[0101] Figure 10CThe processing logic 1022 shown herein, as well as the various additional controllers and subsystems disclosed herein, typically operate under the control of an operating system and execute or otherwise depend on various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, or data structures, as may be described in more detail below. Furthermore, the various applications, components, programs, objects, or modules may also execute on one or more processors in another computer coupled to the autonomous vehicle 1000 via network 1070, for example, in a distributed, cloud-based, or client-server computing environment, whereby the processing required to implement the computer program's functionality can be distributed across multiple computers and / or services via the network.

[0102] Routine executed to implement the various embodiments described herein, whether as part of an operating system or as a particular application, component, program, object, module, or sequence of instructions, or even a subset thereof, will be referred to herein as “program code.” Program code typically comprises one or more instructions that reside at various times in various memories and storage devices and, when read and executed by one or more processors, perform steps necessary to implement the steps or elements embodying various aspects of the invention. Furthermore, while embodiments have been and may be described below in the context of full-featured computers and systems, it should be understood that the various embodiments described herein can be distributed as program products in various forms and can be implemented regardless of the particular type of computer-readable medium used for the actual execution of the distribution. Examples of computer-readable media include tangible, non-transitory media such as volatile and non-volatile storage devices, floppy disks and other removable disks, solid-state drives, hard disk drives, magnetic tapes and optical discs (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs), and the like.

[0103] Furthermore, the various program codes described below can be identified based on the application implemented in a particular implementation. However, it should be understood that any particular program nomenclature described below is for convenience only, and therefore the invention should not be limited to use only in any particular application identified and / or implied by such nomenclature. Moreover, considering that there are generally countless ways to organize computer programs into routines, procedures, methods, modules, objects, etc., and various ways to distribute program functionality across various software layers residing in a typical computer (e.g., operating systems, libraries, APIs, applications, applets), it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific organization and allocation of program functionality described herein.

[0104] Those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure will recognize that Figure 10CThe exemplary environments shown are not intended to limit the implementations disclosed herein. In fact, those skilled in the art will recognize that other alternative hardware and / or software environments can be used without departing from the scope of the implementations disclosed herein.

[0105] In embodiments of this disclosure, visible light can be defined as having a wavelength range of approximately 380 nm to 700 nm. Non-visible light can be defined as light with wavelengths outside the visible light range, such as ultraviolet and infrared light. Infrared light with a wavelength range of approximately 700 nm to 1 mm includes near-infrared light. In various aspects of this disclosure, near-infrared light can be defined as having a wavelength range of approximately 700 nm to 1.6 μm.

[0106] In various aspects of this disclosure, the term "transparent" may be defined as having a light transmittance greater than 90%. In some aspects, the term "transparent" may be defined as a material having a visible light transmittance greater than 90%.

[0107] The term "processing logic" as used in this disclosure may include one or more processors, microprocessors, multi-core processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to perform the operations disclosed herein. In some embodiments, memory (not shown) is integrated into the processing logic to store instructions for performing operations and / or to store data. The processing logic may also include analog or digital circuitry to perform operations according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0108] The one or more “memories” described in this disclosure may include one or more volatile or non-volatile memory architectures. The one or more “memories” may be removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Example memory technologies may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), high-definition multimedia / data storage disk, or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic tape, disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transfer medium capable of storing information for access by a computing device.

[0109] A network can include any network or network system, such as, but not limited to, the following: peer-to-peer networks; local area networks (LANs); wide area networks (WANs); public networks, such as the Internet; private networks; cellular networks; wireless networks; wired networks; combined wireless and wired networks; and satellite networks.

[0110] Communication channels may include one or more wired or wireless communications using the IEEE 802.11 protocol, Bluetooth, SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), I2C (Internal Integrated Circuit), USB (Universal Serial Port), CAN (Controller Area Network), cellular data protocols (e.g., 3G, 4G, LTE, 5G), optical communication networks, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), peer-to-peer networks, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), public networks (e.g., the "Internet"), private networks, satellite networks, or other networks, or may be routed through the foregoing.

[0111] Computing devices can include desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, phablets, smartphones, feature phones, server computers, etc. Server computers can be located remotely in a data center or stored locally.

[0112] The processes explained above are described based on computer software and hardware. The described techniques can be embodied in machine-executable instructions on a tangible or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, which, when executed by a machine, will cause the machine to perform the described operations. Furthermore, these processes can be embodied in hardware, such as application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”) or others.

[0113] Tangible, non-transitory machine-readable storage media include any mechanism that provides information in a form accessible to a machine (e.g., a computer, network device, personal digital assistant, manufacturing tool, any device having one or more processors, etc.). For example, machine-readable storage media include recordable / non-recordable media (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.).

[0114] The above description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, including the content described in the abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples of the invention have been described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art.

[0115] These modifications can be made to the invention based on the above detailed description. The terminology used in the appended claims should not be construed as limiting the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification. Rather, the scope of the invention will be determined entirely by the appended claims, which will be interpreted in accordance with established principles of claim interpretation.

Claims

1. A light detection and ranging LIDAR sensor system, comprising: A transceiver configured to receive transmitted signals, wherein the transceiver includes: Multiple optical antenna arrays; and An active optical switch includes an input configured to receive the transmitted signal and a specific number of output channels respectively coupled to the plurality of optical antenna arrays, wherein the active optical switch is configured to selectively provide the transmitted signal to the plurality of optical antenna arrays by coupling the transmitted signal to at least one selected optical antenna array at a time during a scanning period of the transceiver; and At least three of the plurality of optical antenna arrays respectively include: A specific number of optical antennas arranged in a two-dimensional configuration; and A beam splitter coupled to the specified number of optical antennas and configured to individually provide the transmission signal to each of the specified number of optical antennas, wherein the beam splitter is configured to receive the transmission signal from the output channel of a specified number of output channels of the active optical switches, and wherein the beam splitter includes a plurality of active beam splitters configured to uniformly distribute the transmission signal to a specified number of communication channels corresponding to the specified number of optical antennas.

2. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 1, wherein, The specific number of optical antennas corresponds to a specific number of coherent pixels, and the corresponding coherent pixels in the specific number of coherent pixels are configured to provide transmission signals to the corresponding optical antennas in the specific number of optical antennas and receive return signals from the corresponding optical antennas.

3. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 1, wherein, The beam splitter is configured such that the transmitted signal can be simultaneously transmitted to the specific number of communication channels, and simultaneously transmitted from the specific number of optical antennas in at least one selected optical antenna array.

4. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 1, wherein, The active optical switch includes at least one of the following: a binary tree switch, an array of microring resonators, and an array of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches.

5. The LIDAR sensor system for optical detection and ranging according to claim 1, further comprising an additional beam splitter configured to receive the input signal, wherein, The input signal is configured to split into the transmission signal and the local oscillator signal.

6. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 5, wherein: The input signal is a modulated laser signal; and The active beam splitter includes an active beam splitter that selectively couples the modulated laser signal to only one of the plurality of optical antenna arrays at a time.

7. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 5, wherein: The input signal is a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) laser signal; and The active beam splitter includes an active beam splitter that selectively couples the FMCW laser signal to only one of the plurality of optical antenna arrays at a time.

8. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 3, wherein, The active optical switch is configured to optically couple the transmitted signal to at least one of the plurality of optical antenna arrays at a time during the scanning period of the transceiver to illuminate one or more specific portions of the scene in the field of view of the LIDAR sensor system.

9. The optical detection and ranging LIDAR sensor system of claim 5, further comprising a local oscillator network coupled to the additional beam splitter and configured to receive the local oscillator signal from the additional beam splitter, wherein, The local oscillator network is configured to selectively split the local oscillator signal into multiple local oscillator signals for the plurality of optical antenna arrays.

10. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 9, wherein, The local oscillator network includes: Multiple beam splitters, configured to provide the multiple local oscillator signals to the multiple optical antenna arrays; and An additional optical switch is coupled to the plurality of beam splitters and configured to selectively provide a portion of the local oscillator signal to at least one of the plurality of beam splitters in the local oscillator network.

11. The optical detection and ranging LIDAR sensor system of claim 9, further comprising an optical combiner coupled to at least one of the specified number of optical antennas to receive a returned signal, wherein, The optical combiner is configured to combine the returned signal with the local oscillator signal and provide a combined output signal.

12. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 11, wherein, The corresponding pixel of the light antenna in the specific number of optical antennas includes a plurality of photodiodes, which are configured to convert the combined output signal into an electrical signal representing a LIDAR beat.

13. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 1, wherein, At least three of the plurality of optical antenna arrays include an output signal bus, wherein a specific number of optical antennas in the first optical antenna array of the plurality of optical antenna arrays share the output signal bus with the second optical antenna array of the plurality of optical antenna arrays.

14. The LIDAR sensor system for light detection and ranging according to claim 13, wherein, The output signal bus includes electrical signal lines for in-phase and quadrature signals from each of the specified number of optical antennas.

15. An integrated chip for a light detection and ranging LIDAR sensor, the integrated chip comprising: A light source configured to generate an input signal; A beam splitter configured to receive an input signal, wherein the beam splitter is configured to split the input signal into a transmission signal and a local oscillator signal; A transceiver coupled to the optical splitter to receive the transmitted signal, wherein the transceiver includes: Multiple optical antenna arrays; and An active optical switch includes an input configured to receive the transmitted signal and a specific number of output channels respectively coupled to the plurality of optical antenna arrays, wherein the active optical switch is configured to selectively provide the transmitted signal to the plurality of optical antenna arrays by coupling the transmitted signal to at least one selected optical antenna array at a time during a scanning period of the transceiver; and At least three of the plurality of optical antenna arrays respectively include: A specific number of optical antennas arranged in a two-dimensional configuration; and A beam splitter coupled to the specified number of optical antennas and configured to individually provide the transmission signal to each of the specified number of optical antennas, wherein the beam splitter is configured to receive the transmission signal from the output channel of a specified number of output channels of the active optical switches, and wherein the beam splitter includes a plurality of active beam splitters configured to uniformly distribute the transmission signal to a specified number of communication channels corresponding to the specified number of optical antennas.

16. The integrated chip according to claim 15, further comprising a lens, wherein, The transceiver is optically coupled to the lens to scan the field of view of the lens.

17. The integrated chip according to claim 15, further comprising: A processing engine configured to receive a LIDAR return signal from the transceiver and to generate LIDAR data frames based on the LIDAR return signal.

18. An autonomous vehicle, comprising: A light detection and ranging LIDAR sensor, the light detection and ranging LIDAR sensor comprising: A light source configured to generate an input signal; A beam splitter configured to receive an input signal, wherein the beam splitter is configured to split the input signal into a transmission signal and a local oscillator signal; and A transceiver configured to receive the transmitted signal, wherein the transceiver includes: Multiple optical antenna arrays; and An active optical switch includes an input configured to receive the transmitted signal and a specific number of output channels respectively coupled to the plurality of optical antenna arrays, wherein the active optical switch is configured to selectively provide the transmitted signal to the plurality of optical antenna arrays by coupling the transmitted signal to at least one selected optical antenna array at a time during a scanning period of the transceiver; and At least three of the plurality of optical antenna arrays respectively include: A specific number of optical antennas arranged in a two-dimensional configuration; and A beam splitter coupled to the specified number of optical antennas and configured to individually provide the transmission signal to each of the specified number of optical antennas, wherein the beam splitter is configured to receive the transmission signal from the output channel of a specified number of output channels of the active optical switches, and wherein the beam splitter includes a plurality of active beam splitters configured to uniformly distribute the transmission signal to a specified number of communication channels corresponding to the specified number of optical antennas.

19. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 18, further comprising a lens, wherein, The transceiver is optically coupled to the lens to provide a horizontal scan of the operating environment of the autonomous vehicle.

20. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 18, further comprising: A processing engine configured to receive LIDAR return signals from the transceiver and configured to generate a point cloud representation of the autonomous vehicle's operating environment based at least in part on the LIDAR return signals.

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