Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system including integrated light source

Abstract

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system mounted to a vehicle includes a first device and a second device coupled to the first device. The first device includes a laser source and one or more optical components. The first device is configured to output an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal. The second device includes an optical amplifier array device and a transceiver device. The optical amplifier array device includes an integrated optical component and is configured to amplify an optical signal. The transceiver device is configured to transmit the amplified optical signal to the environment and to receive a return optical signal reflected from an object in the environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor systems, and more particularly to LIDAR sensor systems including an integrated light source. Background Art

[0002] LIDAR sensor systems are used in a variety of applications from altimetry to imaging to collision avoidance. Compared with conventional microwave ranging systems such as radio wave detection and ranging (RADAR), LIDAR provides a finer scale of distance resolution with a smaller beam size. Optical detection of distance can be achieved with several different techniques, including direct ranging based on the round-trip time of an optical pulse to an object, and chirp detection based on the frequency difference between a transmitted chirped optical signal and a return signal scattered from an object, and phase-encoded detection based on a sequence of single-frequency phase changes distinguishable from natural signals. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for LIDAR sensor systems including an integrated light source.

[0004] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system for a vehicle may include a first device and a second device coupled to the first device. The first device may include a laser source and one or more components, and may be configured to output an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal. The second device may include an optical amplifier array device and a transceiver device. The optical amplifier array device may include integrated optical components and may be configured to amplify the optical signal. An input of the optical amplifier array device may be coupled to a first output of the first device for receiving the optical signal. The transceiver device may be configured to transmit the amplified optical signal into the environment and receive a returned optical signal reflected from an object in the environment. A first input of the transceiver device may be coupled to an output of the optical amplifier array device for receiving the amplified optical signal, and a second input of the transceiver device may be coupled to a second output of the first device for receiving the LO signal. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an autonomous vehicle control system may include a LIDAR sensor system as described herein and one or more processors configured to use the returned optical signal to determine at least one of a distance to an object or a speed of the object, and to control an operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to at least one of the distance or the speed. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an autonomous vehicle may include a LIDAR sensor system, a steering system, a braking system, and a vehicle controller as described herein. The vehicle controller may include one or more processors configured to use the returned optical signal to determine at least one of a distance to an object or a speed of the object, and to control an operation of at least one of the steering system and the braking system in response to at least one of the distance or the speed.

[0005] These and other embodiments may each optionally include one or more of the following aspects. For example, these aspects may include an integrated optical component that includes a U-shaped passive waveguide for receiving an optical signal from a first output of a first device and directing the optical signal into an input of an optical amplifier array device for amplification. For example, the aspects may further include that the input and output of the optical amplifier array device are on a particular side of the optical amplifier array device. For example, the aspects may further include that the waveguide end of the output of the optical amplifier array device is aligned and coupled to the waveguide end of a first input of a transceiver device. For example, the aspects may additionally include that the optical amplifier array device includes at least one of a plurality of cascaded optical amplifier array devices in a second device, and the transceiver device includes at least one of a plurality of cascaded transceiver devices in a second device. For example, the aspects may include an optical amplifier array device that includes a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers, and each semiconductor optical amplifier of the plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers receives an optical signal through a corresponding input and outputs an amplified optical signal through a corresponding output. For example, the aspects may further include that the second device includes a beam splitter assembly, and the first device is configured to provide an optical signal to the optical amplifier array device through the beam splitter assembly. For example, the aspects may further include that an output of the beam splitter assembly is coupled to an input of the optical amplifier array device, and an input of the beam splitter assembly is coupled to a first output of the first device. For example, the aspects may include that the transceiver device is further configured to determine an amplitude and a phase of a returned optical signal. For example, the aspects may further include that an output optical power of each semiconductor optical amplifier of the plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers is at least 200 milliwatts. For example, the aspects may additionally include that the first device includes a III-V semiconductor circuit, and the second device includes at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

[0006] Those skilled in the art will understand that the Summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Any feature described herein may be used in conjunction with any other feature, and any subset of these features may be used in combination according to various embodiments. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the devices and / or processes described herein, which are limited only by the claims, will become apparent in the detailed description set forth herein and in the detailed description of the figures. Additionally, the language used in this disclosure has been selected primarily for readability and guidance purposes and does not limit the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

[0008] Figure 1Ais a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous vehicle according to some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 1B is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck vehicle according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 1C is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck vehicle according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 1D is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck vehicle according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a LIDAR sensor system for an autonomous vehicle according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figures 3A to 3D is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transmit (TX) amplifier component for use in a LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figures 4A to 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transceiver device according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system according to some embodiments.

[0020] It should be understood that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein. Detailed Description

[0021] According to some aspects, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system for a vehicle can include a first device and a second device coupled to the first device. The first device can include a laser source and one or more components, and be configured to output an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal. The second device can include an optical amplifier array device and a transceiver device. The optical amplifier array device can include integrated optical components and be configured to amplify the optical signal. An input of the optical amplifier array device can be coupled to a first output of the first device for receiving the optical signal. The transceiver device can be configured to transmit the amplified optical signal into the environment and receive a returned optical signal reflected from an object in the environment. A first input of the transceiver device can be coupled to an output of the optical amplifier array device for receiving the amplified optical signal, and a second input of the transceiver device can be coupled to a second output of the first device for receiving the LO signal.

[0022] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of different example embodiments. Note that in various instances, any particular example embodiment may be practiced without all of the specific details and / or with variations, permutations, and combinations of the various features and elements described herein. Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0023] System Environment of Autonomous Vehicle

[0024] Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1A an example of a system environment 100A of an autonomous vehicle 111A in which various techniques disclosed herein can be implemented is shown. For example, vehicle 111A can include: a powertrain 102 that includes a prime mover 104 powered by an energy source 106 and capable of providing power to a driveline 108; and a control system 110 that includes a steering control 112, a powertrain control 114, and a braking control 116. Vehicle 111A can be implemented as any number of different types of vehicles, including vehicles capable of transporting people and / or cargo and capable of traveling over land, and it should be understood that the above components 102 to 116 can vary broadly depending on the type of vehicle in which they are utilized.

[0025] For simplicity, the embodiments discussed below focus on wheeled land vehicles such as cars, vans, trucks, buses, etc. In such embodiments, the prime mover 103 may include one or more electric motors and / or internal combustion engines (etc.). The energy source 106 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 drivetrain 108 includes wheels and / or tires and a transmission and / or any other mechanical drive components adapted to convert the output of the prime mover 104 into vehicle motion, and one or more brakes configured to controllably stop or slow down the vehicle 111A, and a direction or steering component suitable for controlling the trajectory of the vehicle 111A (e.g., a rack and pinion steering linkage enables one or more wheels of the vehicle 111A to pivot about a generally vertical axis to change the angle of the rotational plane of the wheel relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle). In some embodiments, a combination of a power system and an energy source may be used (e.g., in the case of an electric / gasoline hybrid vehicle), and in other embodiments, multiple electric motors (e.g., dedicated to individual wheels or axles) may be used as the prime mover 104. In the case of a hydrogen fuel cell embodiment, the prime mover 104 may include one or more electric motors, and the energy source 106 may include a fuel cell system powered by hydrogen fuel.

[0026] The direction control 112 may include one or more actuators and / or sensors for controlling and receiving feedback from the direction or steering component to enable the vehicle 111A to follow a desired trajectory. The power system control 114 may be configured to control the output of the power system 102, e.g., control the output power of the prime mover 104, control the gear position of the transmission in the drivetrain 108, etc., so as to control the speed and / or direction of the vehicle 111A. The brake control 116 may be configured to control one or more brakes that slow down or stop the vehicle 111A, e.g., a disc brake or a drum brake coupled to the wheels of the vehicle.

[0027] Other vehicle types, including but not limited to all-terrain or tracked vehicles, and construction equipment, may utilize different power systems, drivetrains, energy sources, direction controls, power system controls, and brake controls. Additionally, in some embodiments, some components may be combined, e.g., where the direction control of the vehicle is primarily handled by changing the output of one or more prime movers. Thus, the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to the specific application of the techniques described herein to autonomous wheeled land vehicles.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, various levels of autonomous control, including full or semi-autonomous control of vehicle 111A, can be implemented in vehicle control system 120, which can include one or more processors 122 and one or more memories 124, where each processor 122 is configured to execute program code instructions 126 stored in memory 124. The processors can include, for example, a graphics processing unit (“GPU”) and / or a central processing unit (“CPU”).

[0029] Sensors 130 can include various sensors suitable for collecting information from the surrounding environment of vehicle 111A for use in controlling the operation of the vehicle. For example, sensors 130 can include one or more detection and ranging sensors (e.g., RADAR sensor 134, LIDAR sensor 136, or both), a 3D positioning sensor 138, such as 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. Sensors 130 can optionally include camera 140 and / or IMU (inertial measurement unit) 142. Camera 140 can be a single-frame or stereo camera and can record still and / or video images. IMU 142 can include multiple gyroscopes and accelerometers that can detect the linear and rotational motion of vehicle 111A in three directions. One or more encoders 144, such as wheel encoders, can be used to monitor the rotation of one or more wheels of vehicle 110A. In some embodiments, LIDAR sensor 136 can include a structure of silicon photonics devices for a coherent LIDAR system, as described below.

[0030] The output of sensor 130 can be provided to a set of control subsystems 150, including a localization subsystem 152, a perception subsystem 154, a planning subsystem 156, and a control subsystem 158. The localization subsystem 152 is primarily responsible for precisely determining the position and orientation (sometimes referred to as "pose" or "pose estimation") of vehicle 111A within its surrounding environment and typically within a certain reference frame. The perception subsystem 154 is primarily responsible for detecting, tracking, and / or identifying objects within the environment around vehicle 111A. Machine learning models according to some embodiments can be used in tracking objects. The planning subsystem 156 is primarily responsible for planning the trajectory or path of the movement of vehicle 111A within a certain time range given a desired destination and static and moving objects within the environment. Machine learning models according to some embodiments can be used in planning the vehicle trajectory. The control subsystem 158 is primarily responsible for generating appropriate control signals to control various controls in the vehicle control system 120 to achieve the planned trajectory of vehicle 111A. Similarly, machine learning models can be utilized to generate one or more signals to control the autonomous vehicle 111A to achieve the planned trajectory.

[0031] It will be understood that Figure 1A the set of components of the vehicle control system 120 illustrated in is merely an example. In some embodiments, individual sensors may be omitted. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, Figure 1A multiple sensors of the same type illustrated in may be used for redundancy and / or to cover different regions around the vehicle. Furthermore, in addition to the sensors described above, there may be other types of sensors to provide actual sensor data related to the operation and environment of the wheeled land vehicle. Similarly, in other embodiments, different types and / or combinations of control subsystems may be used. Additionally, although subsystems 152 through 158 are illustrated as separate from the processor 122 and the memory 124, it should be understood that in some embodiments, some or all of the functions of subsystems 152 through 158 may be implemented with program code instructions 126 residing in one or more memories 124 and executed by one or more processors 122, and these subsystems 152 through 158 may, in some instances, use the same processor and / or memory to implement. The subsystems may be implemented at least in part using various dedicated circuit logics, various processors, various field programmable gate arrays ("FPGAs"), various application specific integrated circuits ("ASICs"), various real-time controllers, etc., and as described above, multiple subsystems may utilize circuitry, processors, sensors, and / or other components. Additionally, the various components in the vehicle control system 120 may be networked in various ways.

[0032] In some embodiments, vehicle 111A may further include an auxiliary vehicle control system (not shown), which may serve as a redundant or backup control system for vehicle 111A. In some embodiments, the auxiliary vehicle control system may be capable of fully operating autonomous vehicle 111A in the event of an adverse event in vehicle control system 120, while in other embodiments, the auxiliary vehicle control system may have only limited functionality, e.g., performing a controlled stop of vehicle 111A in response to an adverse event detected in the primary vehicle control system 120. In still other embodiments, the auxiliary vehicle control system may be omitted.

[0033] Generally, different architectures may be used to implement Figure 1A the various components illustrated in, which architectures include various combinations of software, hardware, circuit logic, sensors, networks, etc. For example, each processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, and each memory may represent a random access memory (“RAM”) device, including a main storage device and any supplementary levels of memory, such as cache memory, non-volatile or backup memory (e.g., programmable or flash memory), read-only memory, etc. Additionally, each memory may be considered to include memory storage devices physically located elsewhere in vehicle 111A, such as any cache memory in the processor, and any storage capacity used as virtual memory, such as that stored on a mass storage device or another computer controller. Figure 1A One or more of the processors 122 illustrated in or a completely separate processor may be used to implement additional functions in vehicle 1A other than for autonomous control purposes, such as controlling an entertainment system, operating doors, lights, convenience features, etc.

[0034] Additionally, for additional storage, vehicle 111A may include one or more mass storage devices, e.g., removable disk drives, hard disk drives, direct access storage devices (“DASD”), optical disk drives (e.g., CD drives, DVD drives, etc.), solid state storage drives (“SSD”), network attached storage, storage area networks, and / or tape drives, etc.

[0035] Additionally, for additional storage, vehicle 111A may include one or more mass storage devices, such as removable disk drives, hard disk drives, direct access storage devices (“DASD”), optical disk drives (e.g., CD drives, DVD drives, etc.), solid state storage drives (“SSD”), network attached storage, storage area networks, and / or tape drives, etc.

[0036] In addition, vehicle 111A may include one or more network interfaces (e.g., network interface 162) adapted to communicate with one or more networks 176 to permit information communication with other computers and electronic devices, including, for example, central services such as cloud services, from which vehicle 111A receives information including a trained machine learning model and other data for its autonomous control. One or more networks 176 may be, for example, communication networks and include a wide area network ("WAN") such as the Internet, one or more local area networks ("LAN") such as Wi-Fi LAN, mesh networks, etc., and one or more bus subsystems. One or more networks 176 may optionally utilize one or more standard communication technologies, protocols, and / or inter-process communication techniques. In some embodiments, data collected by one or more sensors 130 may be uploaded via network 176 to computing system 172 for additional processing. In the illustrated embodiment, vehicle 111A may communicate with computing system 172 via network 176 and signal line 178. In some embodiments, computing system 172 is a cloud-based computing device. Additionally, reference Figure 2 describes the processing of autonomous vehicle data by computing system 172 according to many embodiments.

[0037] Figure 1A Each processor illustrated in [reference] and the various additional controllers and subsystems disclosed herein generally 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 described in more detail below. Additionally, various applications, components, programs, objects, modules, etc. may also be executed, for example, on one or more processors in another computer (e.g., computing system 172) coupled to vehicle 100A via network 176 in a distributed, cloud-based, or client-server computing environment, where the processing required to implement the functionality of a computer program may be distributed among multiple computers and / or services on the network.

[0038] Typically, routines executed to implement the various embodiments described herein, whether implemented as part of an operating system or as a specific 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 includes 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 the steps necessary to execute the steps or elements embodying the various aspects of the present disclosure. Additionally, while the embodiments have been and will be described hereinafter in the context of fully operational computers and systems, it should be understood that the various embodiments described herein can be distributed in a variety of forms as a program product, and that the embodiments can be implemented regardless of the specific type of computer-readable medium used to actually effectuate the distribution.

[0039] Examples of computer-readable media include tangible, non-transitory media such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices, floppy disks and other removable disks, solid state drives, hard disk drives, magnetic tape, and optical discs (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, etc.).

[0040] Additionally, the various program codes described hereinafter may be identified based on the application in which the program code is implemented in its inherent specific embodiment. However, it should be understood that any specific program nomenclature hereinafter is used for convenience only, and thus the present disclosure should not be limited to use only in any specific application identified and / or implied by such nomenclature. Further, given computer programs can be organized in any of a typically innumerable number of ways into routines, procedures, methods, modules, objects, etc., and in various ways in which program functionality can be distributed among the various software layers (e.g., operating system, libraries, APIs, applications, applets, etc.) in which the program functionality can reside within a typical computer, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific organization and distribution of program functionality described herein.

[0041] Figure 1A The example environments illustrated herein are not intended to limit the embodiments disclosed herein. Indeed, other alternative hardware and / or software environments may be used without departing from the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0042] FM LIDAR for Automotive Applications

[0043] The truck may include a LIDAR system (e.g., Figure 1A the vehicle control system 120 in Figure 2such as the LIDAR system 201 in []. In some embodiments, the LIDAR system may use frequency modulation to encode an optical signal and use optics 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 an object, a frequency-modulated (FM) LIDAR system can determine the position of the object and / or precisely measure the velocity of the object using the Doppler effect. The FM LIDAR system may use continuous wave (referred to as "FMCW LIDAR" or "coherent FMCW LIDAR") or quasi-continuous wave (referred to as "FMQW LIDAR"). The LIDAR system may use phase modulation (PM) to encode an optical signal and use optics to scatter the encoded optical signal into free space.

[0044] For automotive and / or commercial truck applications, FM or phase modulation (PM) LIDAR systems can provide significant advantages over traditional LIDAR systems. First, in some instances, an object (e.g., a pedestrian wearing dark clothing) may have a low reflectivity as it only reflects a small amount (e.g., 10% or less) of the light hitting the object back to the sensor (e.g., Figure 1A the sensor 130 in []). In other instances, an object (e.g., a shiny road sign) may have a high reflectivity (e.g., higher than 10%) as it reflects a large amount of the light hitting the object back to the sensor of the FM LIDAR system.

[0045] Regardless of the reflectivity of the object, the FM LIDAR system is able to detect (e.g., classify, distinguish, discover, etc.) objects at a greater distance (e.g., 2 times) than traditional LIDAR systems. For example, the FM LIDAR system can detect low-reflectivity objects more than 300 meters away and high-reflectivity objects more than 400 meters away.

[0046] To achieve this improvement in detection capabilities, the FM LIDAR system may use a sensor (e.g., Figure 1Ain the sensor 130). 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., 950 nm, 1550 nm, etc.) in some applications, they are not limited to the infrared wavelength range (e.g., near infrared: 800 nm to 1500 nm; mid-infrared: 1500 nm to 5600 nm; and far-infrared: 5600 nm to 1,000,000 nm). By operating an FM or PM LIDAR system within the infrared wavelength, the FM or PM LIDAR system can broadcast stronger light pulses or beams while meeting eye safety standards. Traditional LIDAR systems are generally not single-photon sensitive and / or operate only within the near-infrared wavelength, thus requiring them to limit their light output (and distance detection capabilities) for eye safety reasons.

[0047] Thus, by detecting objects at greater distances, the FM LIDAR system can have more time to react to unexpected obstacles. In fact, even a few milliseconds of additional time can improve safety and comfort, especially for heavy vehicles (e.g., commercial truck vehicles) driving at highway speeds.

[0048] Another advantage of the FM LIDAR system is that it can provide accurate velocity for each data point instantaneously. In some embodiments, the velocity measurement is done using the Doppler effect, which shifts the frequency of the light received from an object based on at least one of the velocity in the radial direction (e.g., the direction vector between the detected object and the sensor) or the frequency of the laser signal. For example, for velocities encountered in road situations with speeds less than 100 meters per second (m / s), this shift at a wavelength of 1550 nanometers (nm) totals less than 130 megahertz (MHz) of frequency shift. This frequency shift is small, making it difficult to directly detect in the optical domain. However, by using coherent detection in an FMCW, or PMCW LIDAR system, the signal can be converted to the RF domain so that various signal processing techniques can be used to calculate the frequency shift. This enables the autonomous vehicle control system to process incoming data faster.

[0049] Instantaneous velocity calculation also makes it easier for the FM LIDAR system to identify distant or sparse data points as objects and / or track how these objects are moving over time. For example, an FM LIDAR sensor (e.g., Figure 1A the sensor 130 in) may only receive a few returns (e.g., hits) on an object 300 meters away, but if these returns give a velocity value of interest (e.g., moving towards the vehicle at a speed > 70 mph), the FM LIDAR system and / or the autonomous vehicle control system can determine the corresponding weights of the probabilities associated with the object.

[0050] Faster recognition and / or tracking by the FM LIDAR system gives the autonomous vehicle control system more time to maneuver the vehicle. A better understanding of how fast an object is moving also allows the autonomous vehicle control system to plan better responses.

[0051] Another advantage of the FM LIDAR system is that it has less static interference compared to traditional LIDAR systems. That is, traditional LIDAR systems, which are designed to be sensitive to light, typically do not perform well in bright sunlight. These systems are also prone to crosstalk (e.g., when sensors are confused by each other's light pulses or beams) and self-interference (e.g., when a sensor is confused by its own previous light pulses or beams). To overcome these drawbacks, vehicles using traditional LIDAR systems typically require additional hardware, complex software, and / or more computing power to manage this "noise".

[0052] In contrast, the FM LIDAR system does not suffer from these types of problems because each sensor is specifically designed to respond only to its own light characteristics (e.g., beam, light wave, light pulse). If the returned light does not match the timing, frequency, and / or wavelength of the originally emitted light, the FM sensor can filter (e.g., remove, ignore, etc.) that data point. Thus, the FM LIDAR system produces (e.g., generates, exports, etc.) more accurate data with fewer hardware or software requirements, enabling safer and smoother driving.

[0053] Finally, the FM LIDAR system is easier to scale than traditional LIDAR systems. As more and more self-driving vehicles (e.g., cars, commercial trucks, etc.) appear on the road, vehicles driven by the FM LIDAR system may not have to face interference problems caused by sensor crosstalk. Additionally, the FM LIDAR system uses less optical peak power than traditional LIDAR sensors. Therefore, some or all of the optical components of the FM LIDAR can be produced on a single chip, which yields its own benefits, as discussed herein.

[0054] Commercial Truck

[0055] Figure 1BFIG. is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck vehicle according to some embodiments. Environment 100B includes a commercial truck 180B for hauling a cargo 182B. In some embodiments, commercial truck 180B may include a vehicle configured for long-haul freight transportation, regional freight transportation, intermodal freight transportation (i.e., where a road-based vehicle is used as one of multiple modes of transportation to move goods), and / or any other road-based freight transportation application. Commercial truck 180B may be a flatbed truck, a refrigerated truck (e.g., a freezer truck), a ventilated van (e.g., a dry van), a moving truck, etc. Cargo 182B may be merchandise and / or products. Commercial truck 180B may include a trailer for carrying cargo 182B, such as a flatbed trailer, a lowboy trailer, a step deck trailer, a telescopic flatbed trailer, a side-hanging trailer, etc.

[0056] Environment 100B includes an object 111B (shown as another vehicle in Figure 1B ), which is within a distance range equal to or less than 30 meters from the truck.

[0057] Commercial truck 180B may include a LIDAR system 184B (e.g., Figure 1A the FM LIDAR system in Figure 2 the LIDAR system 201 in Figure 1B etc.), for determining the distance to object 111B and / or measuring the speed of object 111B. Although

[0058] one LIDAR system 184B is shown mounted in front of commercial truck 180B, the number of LIDAR systems and the mounting area of the LIDAR systems on the commercial truck are not limited to a specific number or a specific area. Commercial truck 180B may include any number of LIDAR systems 184B (or its components, such as sensors, modulators, coherent signal generators, etc.), which are mounted on any area of commercial truck 180B (e.g., front, rear, side, top, bottom, under, and / or beneath) to facilitate detecting objects in any free space relative to commercial truck 180B.

[0058] As shown, the LIDAR system 184B in environment 100B may be configured to detect objects (e.g., another vehicle, a bicycle, a tree, a street sign, a pothole, etc.) at a short distance (e.g., 30 meters or less) from commercial truck 180B.

[0059] Figure 1C FIG. is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck vehicle according to some embodiments. Environment 100C includes the same components as those included in environment 100B (e.g., commercial truck 180B, cargo 182B, LIDAR system 184B, etc.).

[0060] Environment 100C includes object 111C (shown as another vehicle in Figure 1C ), which is within a distance from commercial truck 180B that is (i) greater than 30 meters and (ii) equal to or less than 150 meters. As shown, the LIDAR system 184B in environment 100C can be configured to detect an object (e.g., another vehicle, bicycle, tree, street sign, pothole, etc.) at a distance (e.g., 100 meters) from commercial truck 180B.

[0061] Figure 1D is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for an autonomous commercial truck vehicle according to some embodiments. Environment 100D includes the same components (e.g., commercial truck 180B, cargo 182B, LIDAR system 184B, etc.) included in environment 100B.

[0062] Environment 100D includes object 111D (shown as another vehicle in Figure 1D ), which is within a distance greater than 150 meters from commercial truck 180B. As shown, the LIDAR system 184B in environment 100D can be configured to detect an object (e.g., another vehicle, bicycle, tree, street sign, pothole, etc.) at a distance (e.g., 300 meters) from commercial truck 180B.

[0063] In commercial truck applications, it is important to effectively detect objects at all distances due to the increased weight and accordingly the longer stopping distances required for such vehicles. Due to the above advantages, FM LIDAR systems (e.g., FMCW and / or FMQW systems) or PM LIDAR systems are well-suited for commercial truck applications. Thus, a commercial truck equipped with such a system can have enhanced capabilities to safely move both people and cargo over short or long distances, thereby improving not only the safety of the commercial truck but also the safety of surrounding vehicles. In various embodiments, such an FM or PM LIDAR system can be used in the following: semi-autonomous applications, where the commercial truck has a driver and some functions of the commercial truck are autonomously operated using the FM or PM LIDAR system; or fully autonomous applications, where the commercial truck is operated entirely by the FM or LIDAR system alone or in combination with other vehicle systems.

[0064] CW Modulation and Quasi-CW Modulation

[0065] In a LIDAR system using CW modulation, the modulator continuously modulates the laser. For example, if the modulation period is 10 seconds, the input signal is modulated throughout the 10 seconds. In contrast, in a LIDAR system using quasi-CW modulation, the modulator modulates the laser to have both an active portion and a non-active portion. For example, for a 10-second period, the modulator modulates the laser only for 8 seconds (sometimes referred to as the "active portion"), but not for 2 seconds (sometimes referred to as the "non-active portion"). By doing so, the LIDAR system can reduce power consumption for that 2 seconds because the modulator does not have to provide a continuous signal.

[0066] 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 on all the time (e.g., enabled, powered on, 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 energy can be consumed during the off state (e.g., disabled, powered off, etc.) during the actual measurement time, then there can be an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and / or a reduction in signal processing requirements to coherently integrate all the energy over a longer time scale.

[0067] LIDAR System of Autonomous Vehicle

[0068] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example environment of a LIDAR sensor system for an autonomous vehicle according to some embodiments. Environment 200 includes a LIDAR sensor system 201, and the LIDAR sensor system 201 includes a transmit (Tx) path and a receive (Rx) path. The Tx path includes one or more Tx input / output ports ( Figure 2 not shown in the figure), and the Rx path includes one or more Rx input / output ports ( Figure 2 not shown in the figure).

[0069] In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate and / or semiconductor package can include the Tx path and the Rx. In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate and / or semiconductor package can include at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first semiconductor substrate and / or the first semiconductor package can include the Tx path, and the second semiconductor substrate and / or the second semiconductor package can include the Rx path. In some arrangements, the Rx input / output ports and / or the Tx input / output ports can occur (or be formed / set / located / placed) along one or more edges of one or more semiconductor substrates and / or semiconductor packages.

[0071] The environment 200 includes one or more transmitters 216 and one or more receivers 222.

[0072] The environment 200 includes one or more optical devices 210 (such as, for example, oscillating scanners, unidirectional scanners, Risley prisms, circulator optics, and / or beam collimators, etc.) coupled to the LIDAR sensor system 201. In some embodiments, the one or more optical devices 210 may be coupled to the Tx path via one or more Tx input / output ports. In some embodiments, the one or more optical devices 210 may be coupled to the Rx path via one or more Rx input / output ports.

[0073] The environment 200 includes a vehicle control system 120 (such as, for example, Figure 1A the vehicle control system 120 in coupled to the LIDAR system 201. In some embodiments, the vehicle control system 120 may be coupled to the Rx path via one or more Rx input / output ports.

[0074] 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 222, a mixer 208, a detector 212, a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) 214, and one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Although Figure 2 only a selected number of components and only one input / output channel are shown; however, the environment 200 may include any number of components and / or input / output channels (in any combination) interconnected in any arrangement to facilitate the combination of multiple functions of the LIDAR system to support the operation of the vehicle.

[0075] The laser source 202 may be configured to generate an optical signal (or beam) derived from (or associated with) a local oscillator (LO) signal. In some embodiments, the optical signal may have an operating wavelength equal to or substantially equal to 1550 nanometers. In some embodiments, the optical signal may have an operating wavelength between 1400 nanometers and 1440 nanometers.

[0076] The laser source 202 may be configured to provide the optical signal to the modulator 204A, and the modulator 204A is configured to be based on a first radio frequency (RF) signal (at Figure 2shown as “RF1” in ) and modulates the phase and / or frequency of the optical signal using continuous wave (CW) modulation or quasi-CW modulation to generate a modulated optical signal. Modulator 204A may be configured to send the modulated optical signal to amplifier 206. Amplifier 206 may be configured to amplify the modulated optical signal to generate an amplified optical signal that is sent to optical device 210 via one or more transmitters 216. One or more transmitters 216 may include one or more optical waveguides or antennas.

[0077] Optical device 210 may be configured to direct the amplified optical signal it receives from the Tx path towards object 218 into an environment within a given field of view, may receive a return signal reflected back from object 218, and provide the return signal to mixer 208 of the Rx path via one or more receivers 222. One or more receivers 222 may include one or more optical waveguides or antennas. In some arrangements, transmitters 216 and receivers 222 may constitute one or more transceivers ( Figure 2 not shown in ). In some arrangements, one or more transceivers may include monostatic transceivers or bistatic transceivers.

[0078] Laser source 202 may be configured to provide an LO signal to modulator 204B, which is configured to modulate the phase and / or frequency of the LO signal based on a second RF signal (shown as “RF2” in Figure 2 ) and use continuous wave (CW) modulation or quasi-CW modulation to generate a modulated LO signal and send the modulated LO signal to mixer 208 of the Rx path.

[0079] Mixer 208 may be configured to mix (e.g., combine, multiply, etc.) the modulated LO signal with the return signal to generate a down-converted signal and send the down-converted signal to detector 212. In some arrangements, mixer 208 may be configured to send the modulated LO signal to detector 212.

[0080] Detector 212 may be configured to generate an electrical signal based on the down-converted signal and send the electrical signal to TIA214. In some arrangements, detector 212 may be configured to generate an electrical signal based on the down-converted signal and the modulated signal.

[0081] TIA214 may be configured to amplify the electrical signal and send the amplified electrical signal to vehicle control system 120 via one or more ADC220.

[0082] In some embodiments, the TIA214 may have a peak noise equivalent power (NEP) of less than 5 picowatts per square root hertz (i.e., 5 x 10-12 watts per square root hertz). In some embodiments, the TIA214 may have a gain between 4 kiloohms and 25 kiloohms.

[0083] In some embodiments, the detector 212 and / or the TIA214 may have a 3 dB bandwidth between 80 kilohertz (kHz) and 450 megahertz (MHz).

[0084] The vehicle control system 120 may be configured to determine the distance to the object 218 and / or measure the speed of the object 218 based on one or more electrical signals received from the TIA via one or more ADCs 220.

[0085] In some embodiments, the modulator 204A and / or the modulator 204B may have a bandwidth between 400 megahertz (MHz) and 1000 (MHz).

[0086] In some embodiments, modulator 204A may be configured to send a first modulated optical signal and a second modulated optical signal to amplifier 206. Amplifier 206 may be configured to amplify the first modulated optical signal and the second modulated optical signal to generate an amplified optical signal via transmitter 216 to optical device 210. Optical device 210 may be configured to direct the first modulated optical signal and the second modulated optical signal received from the Tx path towards object 218 into an environment within a given field of view, may receive corresponding first return signal and second return signal reflected back from object 218, and may provide the first return signal and the second return signal to mixer 208 of the Rx path via receiver 222. Modulator 204B may be configured to generate (1) a first modulated LO signal associated with the first modulated optical signal and (2) a second modulated LO signal associated with the second modulated optical signal, and send the first modulated LO signal and the second modulated LO signal to mixer 208 of the Rx path. Mixer 208 may 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 detector 212. Similarly, mixer 208 may 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 detector 212. Detector 212 may be configured to generate a first electrical signal and a second electrical signal respectively based on the first and second down-converted signals. Vehicle control system 120 may be configured to determine the distance to object 218 and / or measure the speed of object 218 based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal received via TIA 214 and ADC 220.

[0087] LIDAR System Including Integrated Light Source

[0088] In some embodiments, a LIDAR sensor system may include a processor, a laser source for providing an optical signal (sometimes referred to as a "beam"), one or more modulators for modulating the phase and / or frequency of the optical signal using continuous wave (CW) modulation or quasi-CW modulation, an optical amplifier for amplifying the modulated signal to send the signal to a specific range, and a transceiver and / or optical device (e.g., a mirror scanner) for steering the amplified signal into an environment within a given field of view.

[0089] In some embodiments, a LIDAR sensor system (e.g., an FMCW or other coherent LIDAR sensor system) can include a processor, a photonics device (e.g., a photonics component) as a first device, a transmit (TX) / receive (RX) / optics device (e.g., a free-space optics component) as a second device that includes multiple sets of transceivers, and a LIDAR processing device as a third device that includes one or more ADCs (e.g., a LIDAR computing component). In some embodiments, the LIDAR sensor system can be configured to generate and transmit MxN optical signals (e.g., light beams, optical signals), where M and N are integers (e.g., M≥2, N≥8), by alternately turning on the photonics device and turning on the TX / RX / optics device (or a set of its N transceivers) M times (e.g., by time-division multiplexing M sets of N transceivers) to transmit the MxN optical signals into the environment. In response to transmitting the optical signals, multiple sets of transceivers (e.g., MxN transceivers) can receive the returned signals in MxN channels, and the LIDAR processing device can then process the returned optical signals in the MxN channels. In this way, the LIDAR processing device (e.g., the ADC) can be effectively shared among multiple sets of transceivers (e.g., M sets of N transceivers).

[0090] In some embodiments, the photonics device of the LIDAR sensor system can include a laser source, a seeder device (e.g., a photonics seeding module), and multiple optical TX amplifiers (e.g., a photonics TX amplifier module). In some embodiments, the laser source can be a laser diode (e.g., a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode). In some embodiments, the laser source can generate a laser beam having a wavelength in the range between 1530 nm and 1565 nm.

[0091] In some embodiments, the multiple TX amplifiers can include multiple holes at their input sides to which the seeder device can provide a single optical signal. In some embodiments, the seeder device can provide a TX optical signal to the multiple TX amplifiers via one or more beam splitters. The one or more beam splitters can be one or more fiber optic beam splitters. The beam splitter can be coupled to the input of the optical amplifier using one of butt coupling or lens coupling. For example, in butt coupling, the input of the optical amplifier can directly face the output of the seeder device (e.g., the waveguide end). In lens coupling, a lens (e.g., a spherical lens) can be used to couple the input of the optical amplifier and the output of the seeder device. In this way, the seeder device can seed multiple TX amplifiers (e.g., a tapered SOA or a tapered SOA array) with multiple holes having one optical signal.

[0092] Each of the plurality of TX amplifiers can receive a TX optical signal and output an amplified TX optical signal to one or more transceivers of the TX / RX / Optics. In some embodiments, each TX amplifier can provide multiple amplified TX optical signals to one or more transceivers via a beam splitter based on the amplified TX optical signal. In some embodiments, one or more amplified TX optical signals can be output to one or more transceivers via an MPO connector (e.g., 16 optical fibers for 16 TX optical signals).

[0093] In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers can include a plurality of optical amplifiers. The optical amplifiers can include semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifiers, or erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). For example, the plurality of TX amplifiers can include one or more EDFAs having an input power level of 4W. In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers can include an array of optical amplifiers. The optical amplifiers can include an array of SOAs, an array of fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifiers, or an array of EDFAs.

[0094] In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers can include a plurality of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs), each tapered optical amplifier including a tapered portion where the cross-sectional area of the amplified beam gradually increases. The plurality of TPAs can include one or more of tapered SOAs, tapered fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifiers, or tapered EDFAs. The plurality of TPAs can 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.

[0095] In some embodiments, high integration levels can be achieved by using SOAs for coherent signal generation. For example, a large number of SOAs can be scaled down and placed on a single semiconductor (silicon photonics) chip, which can not only result in improvements in speed (e.g., less latency) and power consumption (e.g., power can be routed more efficiently between SOAs), but also in improvements in the manufacturing process. That is, scaling down the coherent signal generator (sometimes referred to as a "signal processing system") to a single semiconductor chip means that the size of the semiconductor chip (e.g., silicon) can be smaller, thereby reducing the likelihood that manufacturing defects affect the performance of the coherent signal generator.

[0096] In some embodiments, the photonic device may include at least one of a silicon photonic circuit, a programmable logic controller (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 device circuit. In some embodiments, the seed device may be a chip or integrated circuit including at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers may include at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical device circuit. In some embodiments, the plurality of TX amplifiers may include a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical device circuit.

[0097] In some embodiments, the TX / RX / optical device of the LIDAR sensor system may include one or more transceivers (e.g., an MxN transceiver that transmits / receives a single optical signal each), one or more optical mixers, one or more optical detectors, one or more optical devices (e.g., collimators), and / or one or more laser scanners (e.g., Galvo scanners, polygon scanners, etc.). Each of the one or more transceivers may be a monostatic transceiver or a bistatic transceiver including a TX waveguide (or antenna) and an RX waveguide (or antenna). The one or more optical devices of the device may include one or more collimators configured to narrow / limit a plurality of optical signals (e.g., 16 light beams). The one or more optical mixers may optically mix one or more returned optical signals with the LO signal received from the seed device to generate one or more mixed optical signals. The one or more optical detectors 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).

[0098] 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.

[0099] In some embodiments, the LIDAR processing device (as a 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), which are 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 (e.g., Figure 9 the computing system 900 in

[0100] that can execute software modules stored in a memory. For example, the LIDAR processing device may store software drivers to control one or more scanners of the TX / RX / optics (e.g., Galvo scanners, polygon scanners, etc.).

[0101] Figures 3A to 3D is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transmit (TX) amplifier component used in a LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0102] Refer to Figure 3A, the exemplary TX amplifier assembly 300 can include a configuration of a first chip 302 and a second chip 304. In some embodiments, the first chip 302 can include an optical amplifier array. For example, the optical amplifier array in the first chip 302 can include an array of five (5) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The SOA can be at least one of a single-mode SOA or a tapered SOA. In some embodiments, the second chip 304 can include a beam splitter 310 and an array 312 of U-shaped components coupled to the output of the beam splitter 310. In this example, the components in the array 312 have a U-shape with any suitable bend radius. However, the shape of the components is not limited to a U-shape. The components can have any suitable shape in which the components change the direction of the signal transmission path. For example, a V-shape or an L-shape (or an inverted L-shape) can also be used as the shape of the components in the array 312. The input of the beam splitter 310 can be coupled to the input side of an optical amplifier (e.g., the rightmost optical amplifier) in the first chip 302. In one example, the array 312 of U-shaped components in the second chip 304 can include an array of four (4) passive waveguide components. The first chip 302 can include a plurality of holes (not shown) at its input side, and the corresponding holes of the second chip 304 can be coupled to the plurality of holes by hybrid integration. For example, the corresponding waveguide ends of the optical amplifier array in the first chip 302 (e.g., implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit) and the corresponding waveguide ends of the U-shaped components in the second chip 304 (e.g., implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit) can be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled).

[0103] This configuration of the first chip 302 and the second chip 304 allows the input side of one of the optical amplifier arrays to be coupled to the input sides of the others in the optical amplifier array. For example, the input side of the first optical amplifier (e.g., the rightmost optical amplifier) in the first chip 302 is coupled to the input sides of the second to fifth optical amplifiers (e.g., the remaining four optical amplifiers) in the first chip 302 through the arrangement of the beam splitter 310 and the array 312 of U-shaped components of the second chip 304. The first chip 302 may include a plurality of holes (not shown) at its output side, and the set of optical input / output (I / O) paths 306, 308 may be coupled to the plurality of holes through hybrid integration. For example, the corresponding waveguide ends of the optical amplifier array in the first chip 302 (e.g., implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit) and the corresponding waveguide ends of the optical I / O paths 306, 308 (e.g., implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit) may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled). In some embodiments, a seed device (not shown) may provide a first TX optical signal to the output side of the first optical amplifier (e.g., the rightmost optical amplifier) through the rightmost optical input path 306, such that (1) the first TX optical is input to the input sides of the second to fifth optical amplifiers through the arrangement of the beam splitter 310 and the array 312 of U-shaped components in the second chip 304, and (2) the second to fifth optical amplifiers provide four amplified TX optical signals to one or more transceivers on their output sides through the remaining optical output paths 308. The beam splitter 310 in the second chip 304 may be configured to split the first TX optical signal received from the input side of the first optical amplifier (e.g., the rightmost optical amplifier) into four TX optical signals, and the array 312 of U-shaped components may be configured to couple the four corresponding TX optical signals into the input sides of the second to fifth optical amplifiers in the first chip 302 for amplification. The configuration of the first chip 302 and the second chip 304 can be used as an optical gain block for splitting and amplifying the optical signals coupled into the optical path 306. The advantage of this configuration is that all the optical I / O paths 306, 308 are on one specific side of the first chip 302 for effectively coupling the optical signals of the first chip 302 in and out for amplification. This is made possible through the arrangement of the beam splitter 310 and the array 312 of U-shaped components in the second chip 304 to split and redirect (e.g., reverse the signal direction) the TX optical signals into the inputs of the optical amplifiers in the first chip 302. Another advantage of this configuration is the improvement in the throughput of the wafer-level assembly of both the first chip 302 and the second chip 304 on a main integration chip (e.g., a silicon photonics chip) hosting multiple transceivers.

[0104] Reference Figure 3A, in some embodiments, the set of optical I / O paths 306, 308 can be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit). The optical amplifier array in the first chip 302 can be implemented in at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. The array 312 of U-shaped components and the beam splitter 310 in the second chip 304 can be implemented in at least one of a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. In some embodiments, the exemplary TX amplifier assembly 300 can be implemented on-chip of a main integrated chip hosting multiple transceivers.

[0105] Reference Figure 3B , another exemplary TX amplifier assembly 325 can include a configuration of a first chip 326, a second chip 328, and a microlens array 330. In some embodiments, the first chip 326 can include an array of five (5) tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs). In one example, the TPA can include a tapered semiconductor optical amplifier (TSOA). The second chip 328 can include a beam splitter 338 and an array 340 of U-shaped components coupled to the output of the beam splitter 338. In one example, the array 340 of U-shaped components in the second chip 328 can include an array of four (4) passive waveguide components. It will be understood that Figure 3B the elements of the second chip 328 in Figure 3A are the same or similar to the elements of the second chip 304 in Figure 3B , and thus the description of these elements will not be repeated here. For example, Figure 3AThose described. The first chip 326 may include a plurality of holes (not shown) at its input side, and the corresponding holes of the second chip 328 may be coupled to the plurality of holes by hybrid integration. For example, the corresponding waveguide ends of the TPA (e.g., implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit) in the first chip 326 and the corresponding waveguide ends of the U-shaped component (e.g., implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit) in the second chip 328 may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled). This configuration of the first chip 326 and the second chip 328 allows the input side of the first TPA (e.g., the rightmost TPA) to be coupled to the input sides of the second to fifth TPAs (e.g., the remaining 4 TPAs). The first chip 326 may include a plurality of holes (not shown) at its output side, and the set 332 of optical input / output (I / O) paths may be coupled to the plurality of holes via the microlens array 330. With this configuration, the TX optical signal transmitted along the optical input path 334 is received at the output side of the first TPA by the microlens array 330, and is provided to the input sides of the second to fifth TPAs by the arrangement of the beam splitter 338 and the array 340 of U-shaped components in the second chip 328, such that the second to fifth TPAs can output four (4) amplified TX optical signals to the array of four (4) optical output paths 336 via the microlens array 330. The TX amplifier assembly 325 may act as an optical gain block for splitting and amplifying the optical signals coupled into the optical path 334. The advantage of the configuration of the TX amplifier assembly 325 is that all the optical I / O paths 334, 336 are located on a specific side of the TX amplifier assembly 325 for effectively coupling the optical signals of the TX amplifier assembly 325 in and out for amplification. This is made possible by the arrangement of the beam splitter 338 and the array 340 of U-shaped components in the second chip 328 to split and redirect (e.g., reverse the signal direction) the TX optical signal into the input of the TPA in the first chip 326.

[0106] Reference Figure 3B , in some embodiments, the set 332 of optical I / O paths may be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit). The array of TPAs in the first chip 326 may be implemented in at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. The array 340 of U-shaped components and the beam splitter 338 in the second chip 328 may be implemented in at least one of a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. The plurality of lenses in the microlens array 330 may be implemented in a micro-optics device circuit. In some embodiments, the exemplary TX amplifier assembly 325 may be implemented outside the chip of the main integration chip hosting a plurality of transceivers.

[0107] Reference Figure 3C , another example TX amplifier assembly 350 may include a configuration of a chip 352 and a microlens array 354. The chip 352 may include an optical amplifier array. In one example, the optical amplifier array may be an array of four (4) high-power and high-gain tapered semiconductor optical amplifiers (TSOAs). In some embodiments, the example TX amplifier assembly 350 excludes the use of U-shaped passive waveguide components associated with the optical amplifier array in the chip 352. The microlens array 354 may be configured to couple the output side of the chip 352 to an array or bundle 356 of optical output paths (which may be connected to multiple transceivers). The chip 352 may include a plurality of holes (not shown) at its input side, and a corresponding array or bundle 358 of optical input paths may be coupled to these holes by hybrid integration. For example, the corresponding waveguide ends of the TSOAs in the chip 352 (e.g., implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit) and the corresponding waveguide ends of the bundle 358 of optical input paths (e.g., implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit) may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled). A seed device (not shown) may provide optical signals (e.g., TX optical signals) to the plurality of holes of the chip 352 at the input side of the chip 352. For example, the seed device may use one or more beam splitters ( Figure 3C not shown in) to generate multiple TX optical signals based on a single TX optical signal, and provide the multiple TX optical signals to the chip 352 via the optical input path bundle 358. With this configuration, multiple TX optical signals are received at the input side of the optical amplifier array, such that the optical amplifier array can output a corresponding plurality of amplified TX optical signals, and couple them to the optical output path bundle 356 through the microlens array 354.

[0108] Reference Figure 3C , in some embodiments, the bundle 358 of optical input paths and the bundle 356 of optical output paths may be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit). The chip 352 including tapered optical amplifiers (e.g., tapered SOAs) may be implemented in at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. The plurality of lenses in the microlens array 354 may be implemented in a micro-optics device circuit. In some embodiments, the example TX amplifier assembly 350 including the chip 352 and the microlens array 354 may be disposed in an opening 360 on a main integration chip hosting multiple transceivers.

[0109] Reference Figure 3D, Another example TX amplifier assembly 375 may include a chip 376. In some embodiments, the chip 376 may be fabricated to integrate an optical amplifier array 384 with an array 382 of U-shaped components. In this example, the components in the array 382 have a U-shape. However, the shape of the components in the array 382 is not limited to a U-shape. The components may have any suitable shape in which the components change the direction of the signal transmission path. For example, a V-shape or an L-shape (or an inverted L-shape) may also be used as the shape of the components in the array 382. In other embodiments, the chip 376 may also be fabricated to integrate the optical amplifier array 384 with an array 382 of U-shaped components and other optical components (such as beam splitters, etc.). In one example, the optical amplifier array 384 in the chip 376 may include an array of four (4) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The SOA may be at least one of a single-mode SOA or a tapered SOA. Each SOA may be a high-power SOA having a high-wall plug efficiency that can operate at high temperatures. For example, the output optical power of the SOA may be at least 200 milliwatts, having a wall plug efficiency of at least 15% (e.g., the ratio of the output optical power to the input electrical power). The advantage of using this type of SOA is that it allows the optical modes in the SOA and the optical waveguide to be similar, which is beneficial for optical packaging. For example, the optical mode of each SOA may be large enough to facilitate the hybrid integration of the optical amplifier array 384 and the optical waveguide of the main integrated chip (not shown). In another example, the array 382 of U-shaped components may include an array of four (4) passive waveguide components. The chip 376 may include a first plurality of holes (not shown) that are coupled to an array or bundle 378 of optical input paths via hybrid integration. For example, the corresponding waveguide ends of the U-shaped components in the array 382 within the chip 376 (e.g., implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit) and the corresponding waveguide ends of the bundle 378 of optical input paths (e.g., implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit) may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled). The chip 376 may also include a second plurality of holes (not shown) that are coupled to an array or bundle 380 of optical output paths via hybrid integration. For example, the corresponding waveguide ends of the optical amplifier array 384 within the chip 376 (e.g., implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit) and the corresponding waveguide ends of the optical output path bundle 380 (e.g., implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit) may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled). As Figure 3D shown, the integration of the array 382 of U-shaped components and the optical amplifier array 384 in the chip 376 enables the input and output to be on the same side or end face of the chip 376 (e.g., Figure 3Don the top side). The advantage of this is that since all optical input and output paths are on a specific side of the chip 376, it is easy and efficient to couple optical signals into and out of the chip 376. Another advantage is the improved throughput of wafer-level assembly and packaging of the SOA array on the main integrated chip (e.g., a silicon photonics chip). For example, the throughput of the wafer-level components is doubled. As Figure 3D shown, the U-shaped components in the array 382 can start from the waveguide ends of the optical input path bundle 378 coupled to one side of the chip 376 and end at the input side of the optical amplifier array 384 within the chip 376. The U-shaped components in the array 382 can be bent with any suitable bending radius before being coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier array 384 in the chip 376. The optical amplifier array 384 integrated with the array 382 of U-shaped components in the chip 376 can be used as an optical gain block for providing amplification to the optical signals coupled into from the optical waveguides of the main integrated chip. A seed device (not shown) can provide optical signals (e.g., TX optical signals) to multiple holes of the chip 376 at the input side of the chip 376. For example, the seed device can use one or more beam splitters ( Figure 3C not shown in) to generate multiple TX optical signals based on a single TX optical signal and provide multiple TX optical signals to the chip 372 via the array 378 of optical input paths. The optical input paths are coupled to the input side of the optical amplifier array 384 in the chip 376 via the integrated array 382 of U-shaped components. In this configuration, the integrated array 382 of U-shaped components receives multiple TX optical signals and routes them to the input side of the optical amplifier array 384 in the chip 376 for amplification, so that the optical amplifier array 384 can output the corresponding multiple amplified TX optical signals to the array 380 of optical output paths (which can be connected to multiple transceivers of the main integrated chip).

[0110] Reference Figure 3D , in some embodiments, the array 378 of optical input paths and the array 380 of optical output paths can be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a circuit based on silicon nitride (Si3N4)). The chip 376 including the array 384 of optical amplifiers (e.g., SOAs) and the array 382 of U-shaped components can be implemented in at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. The multiple lenses in the microlens array 354 can be implemented in a micro-optical device circuit. In some embodiments, the example TX amplifier component 375 can be implemented on-chip of the main integrated chip hosting multiple transceivers.

[0111] Figures 4A to 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transceiver device according to some embodiments.

[0112] Reference Figure 4A For example, an exemplary single-channel transceiver 400 that can transmit / receive a single optical signal may include a transmitter (or TX waveguide or antenna) 422, a receiver (or RX waveguide or antenna) 424, a 2×2 optical mixer 426, a configuration of a photodetector 428, a TX input 423, and an LO input 421. The transmitter 422 may transmit the TX optical signal received at the TX input 423 into the environment. The receiver 424 may receive the return signal reflected from the object and provide the return signal to the 2x2 optical mixer 426. The 2x2 optical mixer 426 may receive an LO signal (from a seed device) at the LO input 421 and optically mix the returned optical signal with the LO signal to generate a pair of mixed optical signals. For example, a detection scheme using the 2x2 optical mixer 426 may recover the amplitude of the returned optical signal. The configuration of the photodetector 428 may receive the pair of mixed optical signals to generate an electrical signal, which will be output to a processing device in the LIDAR sensor system for detection and sensing.

[0113] Reference Figure 4B For another example, another exemplary single-channel transceiver 450 that can transmit / receive a single optical signal may include a transmitter (or TX waveguide or antenna) 482, a receiver (or RX waveguide or antenna) 484, a 2x4 optical mixer 486, a first configuration of a photodetector 488 and a second configuration of a photodetector 490, a TX input 483, and an LO input 481. The transmitter 482 may transmit the TX optical signal received at the TX input 483 into the environment. The receiver 484 may receive the return signal reflected from the object and provide the return signal to the 2x4 optical mixer 486. The 2x4 optical mixer 486 may receive an LO signal (from a seed device) at the LO input 481 and optically mix the returned optical signal with the LO signal to generate two pairs of mixed optical signals. The 2x4 optical mixer 486 (sometimes referred to as an "optical mixer") facilitates coherent detection of the optical signal. For example, a detection scheme using the 2x4 optical mixer 486 recovers the amplitude and phase of the returned optical signal. The first configuration of the photodetector 488 may receive the first pair of mixed optical signals, and the second configuration of the photodetector 490 may receive the second pair of mixed optical signals to generate an electrical signal, which will be output to a processing device in the LIDAR sensor system for detection and sensing.

[0114] Reference Figure 4A and Figure 4B, in some embodiments, each of transceiver 400 (and the configuration of its transmitter 422, receiver 424, 2x2 optical mixer 426, photodetector 428, LO input 421, and TX input 423) and transceiver 450 (and the configuration of its transmitter 482, receiver 484, 2x4 optical mixer 486, photodetectors 488 and 490, LO input 481, and TX input 483) can be implemented in a silicon photonics circuit that includes a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit, a III-V semiconductor circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, each of transceivers 400 and 450 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes a silicon photonics circuit.

[0115] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system 500 according to some embodiments.

[0116] Reference Figure 5 , the LIDAR sensor system 500 can include a seed device 550 and a transceiver / TX amplifier device 502. In some embodiments, the seed device 550 can include a laser source 552, a first set of optical devices including lenses 554, an optical isolator 556, and a lens 558, a modulator 560 (e.g., an I / Q modulator), a pair of tapered optical amplifiers (TPA) 562, a second set of optical devices including lenses 564, 568, and a third set of optical devices including lenses 566, 570. The first set of optical devices including lenses 554, the optical isolator 556, and the lens 558 can form a common optical path. The upper branch 572 in the modulator 560, the upper TPA in the pair 562, and the second set of optical devices including lenses 564, 568 can form an LO optical path, while the lower branch 574 in the modulator 560, the lower TPA in the pair 562, and the third set of optical devices including lenses 566, 570 can form a TX optical path. With this configuration, the seed device 550 can generate an LO signal based on a 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 516 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 using lens coupling. The seed device 550 can generate a TX optical signal based on a 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 518 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 using lens coupling. In lens coupling, the input of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 and the output of the seed device 550 can be coupled using lenses (e.g., ball lenses).

[0117] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 may include components of a plurality of TX amplifier arrays 506-1...506-8 and a plurality of U-shaped passive arrays 504-1...504-8. Each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 506-1...506-8 may be implemented in a chip having a configuration similar to that of the chip 302 in Figure 3A . Each of the plurality of U-shaped passive arrays 504-1...504-8 may be implemented in a chip having a configuration similar to that of the chip 304 in Figure 3A . The TX optical signal generated by the seed device 550 may be provided to the plurality of TX amplifier arrays via a multi-stage beam splitter assembly including one or more beam splitters 508, 510-1, 510-2, 510-3, and 510-4. In one example, one or more of the beam splitters may be one or more fiber optic beam splitters. The output of a beam splitter (e.g., beam splitter 510-1) may be coupled to the input of an optical amplifier (e.g., TX amplifier array 506-1) using butt coupling. For example, in butt coupling, the input (e.g., waveguide end) of the optical amplifier in the TX amplifier array 506-1 may be directly facing the output (e.g., waveguide end) of the beam splitter 510-1. In this way, the seed device may seed multiple TX amplifiers (e.g., SOA or SOA array) with multiple holes having one optical signal.

[0118] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 may include a plurality of transceivers 512-1…512-32. Each of the plurality of transceivers may have a configuration similar to that of the single-channel transceiver 400 in Figure 4A . Each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays (e.g., TX amplifier array 506-1) may output the amplified TX optical signal to the corresponding TX inputs of a plurality of transceivers (e.g., transceivers 512-1, 512-2, 512-3, 512-4) via a plurality of output optical paths (e.g., optical TX path bundle 520). For example, as shown in Figure 5As shown, multiple transceivers may include eight (8) sets of four (4) transceivers (M = 8, N = 4). With this configuration, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system may alternately turn on the seed device 550 and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 M times during the period of transmitting MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may turn on the seed device 550 with a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 with a second duty cycle during the period of transmitting MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may time-division multiplex M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) set 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 M sets of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the determined sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period according to the sequence.

[0119] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device 550 may be provided to the respective LO inputs of multiple transceivers (e.g., transceivers 512-1, 512-2, 512-3, 512-4) via a beam splitter (e.g., beam splitter 522) and multiple split optical LO paths (e.g., optical LO path bundle 514). With this configuration, the LIDAR sensor system 500 may be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to multiple transceivers. For example, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system 500 may (1) time-division multiplex M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) set of N transceivers may receive N LO signals at M different times during the period, or (2) determine a sequence of M sets of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers may receive N LO signals at M different times during the period according to the sequence. In some embodiments, the seed device 550 may provide the same LO signal to the M sets of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0120] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 may be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, or a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit. For example, each of the plurality of transceivers 512-1, …, 512-32, the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 506-1 … 506-8, and the plurality of U-shaped passive arrays 504-1 … 504-8 may be implemented in a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit, or a combination thereof. In another example, the optical TX path (e.g., 518, beam 520, etc.) and the optical LO path (e.g., 516, beam 514, etc.) may be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit).

[0121] In some embodiments, the seed device 550 may be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optics circuit. For example, the laser source 552, the modulator 560, and the TPA pair 562 may be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The optical isolator 556 and the lenses 554, 558, 564, 566, 568, 570 may be implemented in a micro-optics circuit.

[0122] Figure 5 An advantage of the example architecture of the coherent LIDAR sensor system 500 in is that the wafer-level components of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 506-1 … 506-8 and the plurality of U-shaped passive arrays 504-1 … 504-8 are easier, and the chip component throughput is improved.

[0123] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system 600 according to some embodiments.

[0124] Reference Figure 6, the LIDAR sensor system 600 may include a seed device 650 and a transceiver / TX amplifier device 602. In some embodiments, the seed device 650 may include a laser source 652, a first set of optical devices including lenses 654, an optical isolator 656, and a lens 658, a modulator 660 (e.g., an I / Q modulator), a pair of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) 662, a second set of optical devices including lenses 664, 668, and a third set of optical devices including lenses 666, 670. The first set of optical devices including lenses 654, the optical isolator 656, and the lens 658 may form a common optical path. The upper branch 672 in the modulator 660, the upper TPA in the pair 662, and the second set of optical devices including lenses 664, 668 may form an LO optical path, while the lower branch 674 in the modulator 660, the lower TPA in the pair 662, and the third set of optical devices including lenses 666, 670 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 608 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602 using lens coupling. The seed device 650 may generate a TX optical signal based on a light beam from the laser source 652 through the common optical path and the TX optical path, and provide the TX optical signal to the TX input path 606 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602 using lens coupling. In lens coupling, the input of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602 and the output of the seed device 650 may be coupled using lenses (e.g., ball lenses).

[0125] In some embodiments, the LIDAR sensor system 600 may include a plurality of TX amplifier components 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4. Each of the plurality of TX amplifier components 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4 may be similar to Figure 3Bimplemented with the configuration shown. For example, the TX amplifier assembly 604-1 can include an array of five (5) tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) in the first chip 624, an array of U-shaped passive waveguide components in the second chip 626, and a microlens array 628. Each of the multiple TX amplifier assemblies 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4 can be a separate unit in itself and exist outside the chip of the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602. In some embodiments, each of the multiple TX amplifier assemblies 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4 can receive TX optical signals at the corresponding TX input optical paths 614, 616, 618, 620 via a beam splitter 610. In response to receiving the TX optical signals, each TX amplifier array can output the amplified TX signals from four (4) TPAs (e.g., the leftmost four TPAs) in the array to one of four (4) sets of eight (8) transceivers (M = 4, N = 8).

[0126] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602 can include multiple transceivers 622-1, 622-2, ……, 622-32. Each of the multiple transceivers can have a configuration similar to Figure 4A the single-channel transceiver 400 in. As described above, the multiple TX amplifier assemblies 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4 can output the amplified TX optical signals to the corresponding TX inputs of the multiple transceivers via an output optical path or an array of TX optical paths (e.g., the TX optical path array 630), multiple beam splitters (e.g., the beam splitter 632), and multiple split TX optical paths (e.g., the split TX optical path bundle 634). For example, as Figure 6 shown, the multiple transceivers can include four (4) sets of eight (8) transceivers (M = 4, N = 8). With this configuration, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system can alternately turn on the seed device 650 and turn on the transceiver device 602 / the multiple TX amplifier arrays M times during the period of transmitting MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor can turn on the seed device 650 at a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver device 602 / the multiple TX amplifier arrays of the at a second duty cycle during the period of transmitting MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor can time-division multiplex M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) set of N transceivers can transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period. The processor can determine the sequence of M sets of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the determined sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers can transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period according to the sequence.

[0127] In some embodiments, the LO signals generated by the seed device 650 can be provided to the respective LO inputs of the plurality of transceivers 622-1, 622-2, 622-32 via a beam splitter (e.g., beam splitter 612) and a plurality of beam splitting optical LO paths (e.g., beam splitting optical LO path bundle 636). 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-division multiplex M sets of N transceivers such that a (selected) set of N transceivers can receive N LO signals at M different times during a time period, or (2) determine a sequence of M sets of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers can receive N LO signals at M different times during the time period according to the sequence. In some embodiments, the seed device 650 can provide the same LO signal to M sets of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0128] In some embodiments, the transceiver device 602 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, or a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit. For example, the plurality of transceivers 622-1, 622-2, 622-32 can be implemented in a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit, or a combination thereof. LO optical paths (such as 608, 636, etc.) and TX optical paths 606, 614, 616, 618, 620, 630, 634, etc. can be implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit.

[0129] In some embodiments, the seed device 650 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. For example, the laser source 652, the modulator 660, and the TPA pair 662 can be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The optical isolator 656 and the lenses 654, 658, 664, 666, 668, 670 can be implemented in a micro-optical circuit.

[0130] Figure 6 An advantage of the exemplary architecture of the coherent LIDAR sensor system 600 in [reference] is improved warpage tolerance in the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602 because each of the plurality of TX amplifier components is separate and includes hybrid integration on the input side of the optical amplifier array and lens coupling on the output side of the optical amplifier array. However, the separate TX amplifier components may require active alignment during assembly.

[0131] Figure 7 FIG. is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system 700 according to some embodiments.

[0132] Referring Figure 7 , the LIDAR sensor system 700 may include a seed device 750 and a transceiver / TX amplifier device 702. In some embodiments, the seed device 750 may include a laser source 752, a first set of optical devices including lenses 754, an optical isolator 756, and a lens 758, a modulator 760 (e.g., an I / Q modulator), a pair of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) 762, a second set of optical devices including lenses 764, 768, and a third set of optical devices including lenses 766, 770. The first set of optical devices including lenses 754, the optical isolator 756, and the lens 758 may form a common optical path. The upper branch 772 in the modulator 760, the upper TPA in the pair 762, and the second set of optical devices including lenses 764, 768 may form an LO optical path, while the lower branch 774 in the modulator 760, the lower TPA in the pair 762, and the third set of optical devices including lenses 766, 770 may form a TX optical path. With this configuration, the seed device 750 may generate an LO signal based on a beam from the laser source 752 through the common optical path and the LO optical path, and provide the LO optical signal to the LO input path 716 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 using lens coupling. The seed device 750 may generate a TX optical signal based on a beam from the laser source 752 through the common optical path and the TX optical path, and provide the TX optical signal to the TX input path 718 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 using lens coupling. In lens coupling, the input of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 and the output of the seed device 750 may be coupled using lenses (e.g., ball lenses).

[0133] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 may include a plurality of TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4. Each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4 may be in a state having the same as Figure 3Cis implemented in a chip 352 having a configuration similar to that of the chips. Each TX amplifier array may include a plurality of holes (not shown) on its input side, and the TX optical signals generated by the seed device 750 may be provided to these holes. The TX optical signals generated by the seed device 750 may be provided to the plurality of TX amplifier arrays via a multi-stage beam splitter assembly including one or more beam splitters 704, 706-1, 706-2, 706-3, 706-4. In one example, one or more beam splitters may be one or more fiber optic beam splitters. The output side of a beam splitter (e.g., beam splitter 706-1) may be coupled to the input side of an optical amplifier (e.g., TX amplifier array 724-1) using butt coupling. For example, in butt coupling, the input side of the optical amplifier in the TX amplifier array 724-1 may directly face the output (e.g., waveguide end) of the beam splitter 706-1. In this way, the seed device 750 may seed multiple TX amplifiers (e.g., tapered SOAs or tapered SOA arrays) using multiple holes with one optical signal.

[0134] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 may include a plurality of transceivers 710-1, 710-2, …, 710-32. Each of the plurality of transceivers may have a configuration similar to that of Figure 4A the single-channel transceiver 400 in. The plurality of TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4 may output the amplified TX optical signals to the corresponding TX inputs of the plurality of transceivers via a plurality of output optical paths or TX optical path arrays (e.g., TX optical path array 712), a plurality of beam splitters (e.g., beam splitter 712), and a plurality of split TX optical paths (e.g., split TX optical path bundle 722). For example, as Figure 7 shown, the plurality of transceivers may include four (4) sets of eight (8) transceivers (M = 4, N = 8). With this configuration, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system may alternately turn on the seed device 750 and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 M times during a period of transmitting 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 / TX amplifier device 702 at a second duty cycle during the period of transmitting MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may time-division multiplex M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) set 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 M sets of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the determined sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period according to the sequence.

[0135] In some embodiments, the LO signals generated by the seed device 750 may be provided to the respective LO inputs of the plurality of transceivers 710-1, 710-2, 710-32 via a beam splitter (e.g., beam splitter 708) and a plurality of split optical LO paths (e.g., split optical LO path bundle 720) exiting the beam splitter 708. 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 may (1) time-multiplex M sets of N transceivers such that a (selected) set of N transceivers can receive N LO signals at M different times during a time period, or (2) determine a sequence of M sets of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers can receive N LO signals at M different times during the time period according to the sequence. In some embodiments, the seed device 750 may provide the same LO signal to M sets of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0136] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 may be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, or a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit. For example, the plurality of transceivers 710-1, 710-2, 710-32 and the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4 may be implemented in a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit, or a combination thereof. LO optical paths (such as 716, 720, etc.) and TX optical paths 718, 712, 722, etc. may be implemented in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit.

[0137] In some embodiments, the seed device 750 may be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes a III-V semiconductor circuit and / or a micro-optical circuit. For example, the laser source 752, the modulator 760, and the TPA pair 762 may be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The optical isolator 756 and the lenses 754, 758, 764, 766, 768, 770 may be implemented in a micro-optical circuit.

[0138] Figure 7The advantages of the exemplary architecture of the coherent LIDAR sensor system 700 in [ ] are the wafer-level components of multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4 using hybrid integration of waveguides in III-V semiconductor circuits and silicon photonics circuits at the input side of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4. The chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 may include an opening 726 to reduce the micro-lens array to couple the output sides of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4. The implementation of the micro-lens array may require active alignment during assembly.

[0139] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system 800 according to some embodiments.

[0140] Reference Figure 8, the LIDAR sensor system 800 may include a seed device 850 and a transceiver / TX amplifier device 802. In some embodiments, the seed device 850 may include a laser source 852, a first set of optical devices including a lens 854, an optical isolator 856, and a lens 858, a modulator 860 including a plurality of optical amplifiers, and a third set of optical devices including a microlens array 862. The first set of optical devices including the lens 854, the optical isolator 856, and the lens 858 may form a common input optical path and be configured to receive a beam from the laser source 852 at one end thereof. The modulator 860 may include a first optical path 872 and a plurality of second optical paths 874 branching from the other end of the common input optical path respectively. A first optical amplifier 876 may be coupled to the first optical path 872 to form an LO optical path. A plurality of second optical amplifiers 878 may be respectively coupled to the plurality of second optical paths 874 to form a plurality of TX optical paths. The seed device 850 may be configured to turn on the first optical amplifier 876 to output a modulated optical signal of the beam as an LO signal. The seed device 850 may be configured to selectively turn on one or more of the plurality of second optical amplifiers 878 to output a modulated optical signal of the beam as a TX signal. With this configuration, the seed device 850 may generate an LO signal based on the beam from the laser source 852 through the common input optical path and the LO optical path, and provide the LO optical signal to the LO input path 832 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 using lens coupling. The seed device 850 may generate a TX signal based on the beam from the laser source 852 through the common input optical path and the TX optical path, and provide the TX signal to one or more of the plurality of TX input paths 834 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 using lens coupling. In lens coupling, the input of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 and the output of the seed device 850 may be coupled using a lens (e.g., a spherical lens).

[0141] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 may include a plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1…808-8. Each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1…808-8 may be in a state having the same as Figure 3DThe configuration of the chip 376 is implemented in a chip with a similar configuration. For example, the chip 376 is configured to integrate an optical amplifier array 384 (e.g., an array of 4 SOAs) with an array 382 of U-shaped passive waveguide components, and direct the input and output of the optical amplifier array 384 on one side of the chip 376. Multiple TX optical signals generated by the seed device 550 can be provided to multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 via a multi-stage beam splitter assembly including one or more beam splitters 804-1...804-8 and 806-1...806-8. In one example, one or more beam splitters can be one or more fiber optic beam splitters. In some embodiments, each of the beam splitters 804-1...804-8 can be a 1x2 beam splitter, and each of the beam splitters 806-1...806-8 can be a 1x4 beam splitter. Each of the multiple TX input paths 834 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 is coupled to the input of each of the beam splitters 804-1...804-8. The corresponding inputs 816, 818, 820, 822, 824, 826, 828, 830 of the beam splitter 806 are coupled to the outputs of the beam splitter 804. The output of a beam splitter (e.g., beam splitter 806-1) can be coupled to the input side of an optical amplifier array (e.g., TX amplifier array 808-1) using butt coupling. For example, in butt coupling, the input side of the optical amplifier in the TX amplifier array 808-1 is coupled to one end of an integrated U-shaped passive waveguide component, and the other end of the integrated U-shaped passive waveguide component can directly face the output (e.g., waveguide end) of the beam splitter 806-1. In response to receiving a TX optical signal, each TX amplifier array (e.g., an array of 4 SOAs) can output the amplified TX signal to one of four (8) sets of eight (4) transceivers (M = 8, N = 4).

[0142] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 can include multiple transceivers 810-1...810-32. Each of the multiple transceivers can have a configuration similar to Figure 4B the single-channel transceiver 450 in. Each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays (e.g., TX amplifier array 808-1) can output the amplified TX optical signal to the corresponding TX inputs of multiple transceivers (e.g., transceivers 810-1, 810-2, 810-3, 810-4) via multiple output optical paths (e.g., optical TX path bundle 814). For example, as Figure 8As shown, multiple transceivers may include eight (8) sets of four (4) transceivers (M = 8, N = 4). With this configuration, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system may alternately turn on the seed device 850 and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 M times during the period of transmitting 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 / TX amplifier device 802 at a second duty cycle during the period of transmitting MxN TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may time-division multiplex the set of N transceivers such that the (selected) set 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 M sets of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the determined sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period according to the sequence.

[0143] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device 850 may be provided to the respective LO inputs of multiple transceivers (e.g., transceivers 810-1, 810-2, 810-3, 810-4) via a beam splitter (e.g., beam splitter 836) and multiple beam-splitting optical LO paths (e.g., optical LO path bundle 812). With this configuration, the LIDAR sensor system 800 may be configured to generate MxN LO signals and provide them to multiple transceivers. For example, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system 800 may (1) time-division multiplex the M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) set of N transceivers may receive N LO signals at M different times during the period, or (2) determine a sequence of M sets of N transceivers and perform time sorting according to the sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers may receive N LO signals at M different times during the period according to the sequence. In some embodiments, the seed device 850 may provide the same LO signal to the M sets of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0144] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 may be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, or a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit. For example, each of the plurality of transceivers 810-1, 810-32 and the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1, 808-8 may be implemented in a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a III-V semiconductor circuit, a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit, or a combination thereof. In another example, the optical TX paths (e.g., 816, 818, 820, 822, 824, 826, 828, 830, beam 814, etc.) and the optical LO paths (e.g., 832, beam 514, etc.) may be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit).

[0145] In some embodiments, the seed device 850 may be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes a III-V semiconductor circuit and / or a micro-optics circuit. For example, the laser source 852, the modulator 860, and the optical amplifiers 876, 878 may be implemented in a III-V semiconductor circuit. The optical isolator 856 and the lenses 854, 858, 862 may be implemented in a micro-optics circuit.

[0146] Figure 8 An advantage of the exemplary architecture of the coherent LIDAR sensor system 800 in is that the throughput of wafer-level assembly of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 in the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 is doubled. Integrating U-shaped passive components in the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 is beneficial because the optical input / output (I / O) paths of each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 are on the same side to effectively couple optical signals into and out of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 for amplification. The configuration of the optical I / O paths on the same side of each of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 facilitates the ease of hybrid integration of the corresponding waveguides on the TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 in the III-V semiconductor circuit and the silicon photonics circuit of the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802. Another advantage of the configuration of the optical I / O paths on the same side is that any possible warping of the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 is inconsequential in the wafer-level assembly and packaging of the plurality of TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 in the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802.

[0147] Figure 9is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system according to some embodiments.

[0148] Referring Figure 9 , the illustrated example computing system 900 includes one or more processors 910 communicating with a memory 960 via a communication system 940 (e.g., a bus), at least one network interface controller 930 having a network interface port for connecting to a network (not shown), and other components connected to a display (not shown) and input devices (not shown), e.g., an input / output (“I / O”) component interface 950. Generally, the processor 910 will execute instructions (or computer programs) received from the memory. The illustrated processor 910 incorporates or is directly connected to a cache memory 920. In some instances, instructions are read from the memory 960 into the cache memory 920 and executed by the processor 910 from the cache memory 920.

[0149] More specifically, the processor 910 can be any logic circuit that processes instructions (e.g., instructions fetched from the memory 960 or the cache 920). In some embodiments, the processor 910 is a microprocessor unit or a dedicated processor. The computing device 900 can be based on any processor or collection of processors capable of operating as described herein. The processor 910 can be a single-core or multi-core processor. The processor 910 can be multiple different processors.

[0150] The memory 960 can be any device suitable for storing computer-readable data. The memory 960 can 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., CD ROM, DVD-ROM, or discs). The computing system 900 can have any number of memory devices as the memory 960.

[0151] The cache memory 920 is generally in the form of computer memory placed adjacent to the processor 910 for fast read times. In some embodiments, the cache memory 920 is part of the processor 910 or on the same chip as the processor 910. In some embodiments, there are multiple levels of cache 920, e.g., L2 and L3 cache layers.

[0152] The network interface controller 930 manages data exchange via a network interface (sometimes referred to as a network interface port). The network interface controller 930 processes the physical and data link layers of the OSI model for network communication. In some embodiments, the tasks of some network interface controllers are handled by one or more processors 910. In some embodiments, the network interface controller 930 is part of the processor 910. In some embodiments, the computing system 900 has multiple network interfaces controlled by a single controller 930. In some embodiments, the computing system 900 has multiple network interface controllers 930. In some embodiments, each network interface is a connection point for a physical network link (e.g., a cat-5 Ethernet link). In some embodiments, the network interface controller 930 supports wireless network connections, and the interface port is wireless (e.g., radio) receiver / transmitter (e.g., for any IEEE802.11 protocol, near field communication "NFC", Bluetooth, ANT, or any other wireless protocol). In some embodiments, the network interface controller 930 implements one or more network protocols, such as Ethernet. Generally, the computing device 900 exchanges data with other computing devices via a network interface through a physical or wireless link. The network interface can be directly linked to another device or linked to another device via an intermediate device (e.g., a network device such as a hub, bridge, switch, or router) that connects the computing device 900 to a data network such as the Internet.

[0153] The computing system 900 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, touchscreens, 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 2-D or 3-D printers.

[0154] Other components may include I / O interfaces, external serial device ports, and any additional coprocessors. For example, the computing system 900 may include an interface (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) interface) for connecting input devices, output devices, or additional memory devices (e.g., a portable flash drive or an external media drive). In some embodiments, the computing device 900 includes additional devices such as a coprocessor. For example, a math coprocessor may assist the processor 910 in performing high-precision or complex calculations.

[0155] The foregoing description is provided to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, where elements recited in the singular are not intended to mean "one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather "one or more." The term "some," unless specifically stated otherwise, means one or more. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements of the various aspects described throughout the foregoing description that are known or later become known to a person of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. Moreover, any disclosures herein that are not dedicated to the public are not so dedicated, whether or not such disclosures are explicitly recited in the claims. A claim element is not to be construed as a means-plus-function unless the phrase "means for" is expressly recited in connection with the claim element.

[0156] It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the disclosed processes is an example of an illustrative approach. Based on design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the process can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the foregoing description. The appended method claims present the elements of the various blocks in a sample order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0157] The foregoing description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosed subject matter. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the foregoing description. Thus, the foregoing description is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0158] The various examples illustrated and described are provided only as examples to illustrate the 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 can be used or combined with the other examples shown and described. Moreover, the claims are not intended to be limited by any one example.

[0159] The foregoing method descriptions and process flow diagrams are provided only as illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the blocks of the various examples must be executed in the order presented. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the order of the blocks in the foregoing examples may 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, for example using the articles "a," "an," or "the," should not be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

[0160] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm blocks described in connection with the examples disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and blocks have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0161] The hardware for implementing the various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the examples disclosed herein can 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 thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the 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, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Alternatively, some blocks or methods may be performed by circuitry specific to a given function.

[0162] In some illustrative examples, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code 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 that 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 a processor. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. As used herein, disk and optical disk include compact disk (CD), laser disk, optical disk, digital versatile disk (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disk, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical disks reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable and processor-readable media. Additionally, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside as code and / or instructions in one or any combination or set on a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium and / or a computer-readable storage medium that can be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0163] The schematic diagrams described above are part of the design of an integrated circuit chip. The chip design is created in a graphical computer programming language and stored in a computer-readable storage medium (such as a disk, tape, physical hard disk drive, or virtual hard disk drive, such as in a storage access network). If the designer does not fabricate the chip or the lithography masks used to fabricate the chip, the designer emits the resulting design directly or indirectly to such an entity either physically (e.g., by providing a copy of the computer-readable storage medium storing the design) or electronically (e.g., via the Internet). The stored design is then converted into an appropriate format (e.g., GDSII) for manufacturing the lithography masks, which typically include multiple copies of the chip design in question to be formed on a wafer. The lithography masks are utilized to define the areas of the wafer (and / or the layers thereon) to be etched or otherwise processed.

[0164] In addition, relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom" or "rear" or "below" and "upper" or "top" or "front" or "above" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that the relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in one of the figures is flipped, an element described as on the "lower" side of other elements will be oriented on the "upper" side of the other elements. Thus, depending on the specific orientation of the figures, the exemplary term "lower" can cover the orientations of both "lower" and "upper". Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is flipped, an element described as "below" or "beneath" other elements will be oriented "above" the other elements. Thus, the exemplary terms "below" or "above" can cover the orientations of both above and below.

[0165] The foregoing detailed description of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the disclosure is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

[0166] Although some embodiments of the disclosure and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many of the features, functions, processes and materials described herein may be varied while remaining within the scope of the disclosure. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, devices, methods and steps described in the specification. As will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art from the description of the disclosure, processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, devices, methods or steps performing substantially the same function or achieving substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein can be utilized according to the disclosure, whether currently existing or later to be developed. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover such processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, means, methods or steps within their scope.

[0167] 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 make various modifications to these examples, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to some examples without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system for a vehicle, comprising: A first device, the first device including a laser source and one or more optical components, the first device being configured to output an optical signal associated with a local oscillator (LO) signal; And A second device coupled to the first device, the second device including: An optical amplifier array device, the optical amplifier array device including integrated optical components and being configured to amplify the optical signal, an input of the optical amplifier array device being coupled to a first output of the first device for receiving the optical signal; And A transceiver device, the transceiver device being configured to transmit the amplified optical signal into the environment and receive a returned optical signal reflected from an object in the environment, a first input of the transceiver device being coupled to an output of the optical amplifier array device for receiving the amplified optical signal, and a second input of the transceiver device being coupled to a second output of the first device for receiving the LO signal.

2. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein, The integrated optical components include a U-shaped passive waveguide for receiving the optical signal from the first output of the first device and guiding the optical signal into the input of the optical amplifier array device for amplification.

3. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein, The input and the output of the optical amplifier array device are on a specific side of the optical amplifier array device.

4. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein, A waveguide end of the output of the optical amplifier array device is aligned and coupled to a waveguide end of the first input of the transceiver device.

5. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein: The optical amplifier array device includes at least one of a plurality of cascaded optical amplifier array devices in the second device.

6. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1 or claim 5, wherein: The transceiver device includes at least one of a plurality of cascaded transceiver devices in the second device.

7. The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of claims 1, 5, and 6, wherein: The optical amplifier array device includes a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers, each semiconductor optical amplifier of the plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers receiving the optical signal through a corresponding input and outputting the amplified optical signal through a corresponding output.

8. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein, The second device further includes a beam splitter assembly, and the first device is configured to provide the optical signal to the optical amplifier array device through the beam splitter assembly.

9. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1 or claim 8, wherein, An output of the beam splitter assembly is coupled to the input of the optical amplifier array device, and an input of the beam splitter assembly is coupled to the first output of the first device.

10. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein, The transceiver device is further configured to determine an amplitude and a phase of the returned optical signal.

11. The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of claims 1, 5, 6, and 7, wherein, An output optical power of each semiconductor optical amplifier of the plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers is at least 200 milliwatts.

12. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein, The first device includes a III-V semiconductor circuit.

13. The LIDAR sensor system according to claim 1, wherein, The second device includes at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

14. An autonomous vehicle control system, comprising: The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 13; And One or more processors configured to: Use the returned optical signal to determine at least one of the distance to the object or the speed of the object; And Control the operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to at least one of the distance or the speed.

15. An autonomous vehicle, comprising: The LIDAR sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 13; A steering system; A braking system; And A vehicle controller including one or more processors configured to: Use the returned optical signal to determine at least one of the distance to the object or the speed of the object; And Control the operation of at least one of the steering system and the braking system in response to at least one of the distance or the speed.

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