Light detection and distance measurement sensor system including an integrated light source

Abstract

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

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] LIDAR sensor systems are used in a variety of applications, from altitude measurement to imaging and collision avoidance. LIDAR offers finer range resolution with smaller beam sizes than traditional microwave ranging systems such as Radio-Wave Detection and Ranging (RADAR). Optical ranging can be performed using a variety of techniques, including direct ranging based on the round-trip travel time of a light pulse to an object; chirp detection, based on the frequency difference between a transmitted chirped light signal and the return signal scattered from the object; and phase-encoded detection, based on a series of single-frequency phase changes that are distinguishable from natural signals. Summary of the Invention

[0003] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 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 that include an integrated light source.

[0004] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a vehicle light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system 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 related to 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 an environment and receive a return 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 signals to determine at least one of a distance to an object or a velocity of the object and control operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to at least one of the distance or velocity. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the autonomous vehicle may include a LIDAR sensor system as described herein, a steering system, a braking system, and a vehicle controller. The vehicle controller may include one or more processors configured to use the returned optical signals to determine at least one of a distance to an object or a velocity of the object and control operation of at least one of the steering system and the braking system in response to at least one of the distance or velocity.

[0005] These and other embodiments may each optionally include one or more of the following aspects. For example, an aspect may include an integrated optical component including a U-shaped passive waveguide for receiving an optical signal from a first output of a first device and directing the optical signal to an input of an optical amplifier array device for amplification. For example, an aspect may include the input and output of the optical amplifier array device being located on particular sides of the optical amplifier array device. For example, an aspect may further include a waveguide end of the output of the optical amplifier array device being aligned and coupled to a waveguide end of the first input of the transceiver device. For example, an aspect may further include an optical amplifier array device including at least one of a plurality of cascaded optical amplifier array devices in a second device, and a transceiver device including at least one of a plurality of cascaded transceiver devices in the second device. For example, an aspect may include an optical amplifier array device including a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers, each of the plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers receiving an optical signal via a corresponding input and outputting an amplified optical signal via a corresponding output. For example, the embodiment may also include a second device including a splitter assembly and a first device configured to provide an optical signal to an optical amplifier array device via the splitter assembly. For example, the embodiment may further include an output of the splitter assembly coupled to an input of the optical amplifier array device and an input of the splitter assembly coupled to a first output of the first device. For example, the embodiment may further include a transceiver device configured to determine the amplitude and phase of the returned optical signal. For example, the embodiment may further include an output optical power of each of the plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers being at least 200 milliwatts. For example, an embodiment may further include a first device including a III-V semiconductor circuit, and a second device including 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 appreciate that this Summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Any of the features described herein may be used with other features, and any subset of such features may be used in combination, according to various embodiments. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the apparatus and / or processes described herein, as defined solely by the claims, will become apparent from the detailed description disclosed herein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Additionally, the language used in this disclosure has been chosen primarily for readability and descriptive purposes, and not to limit the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

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

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

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

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

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

[0012] [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a LIDAR sensor system for an autonomous vehicle, according to some embodiments.

[0013] [Figure 3a] Or [Figure 3d] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transmit (TX) amplifier assembly used in a LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0014] [Figure 4a] Or [Figure 4b] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transceiver device according to some embodiments.

[0015] [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0016] [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0017] [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0018] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0019] [Figure 9] FIG. 1 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 described herein may be applied without departing from the principles described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] According to certain aspects, a vehicle light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor system 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 related to 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 an environment and receive a return 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.

[0022] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are presented in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of various exemplary embodiments. It should be noted that certain exemplary embodiments may be practiced in various cases without all of the specific details and / or by variations, substitutions, 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 are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. System Environment for Autonomous Vehicles

[0023] 1a, referring to the drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views, illustrates one embodiment of a system environment 100A for an autonomous vehicle 111A in which various techniques disclosed herein may be implemented. For example, the vehicle 111A may include a powertrain 102 including a prime mover 104 driven by an energy source 106 and capable of powering a drivetrain 108, and a control system 110 including directional control 112, powertrain control 114, and brake control 116. It should be appreciated that the vehicle 111A may be implemented as any number of different types of vehicles, including vehicles capable of transporting people and / or cargo and traveling on land, and that the components 102-116 described above may vary significantly depending on the type of vehicle in which these components are utilized.

[0024] For simplicity, the embodiments discussed below focus on wheeled land vehicles such as cars, vans, trucks, and buses. In such embodiments, the prime mover 104 may include (among other things) one or more electric motors and / or internal combustion engines. The energy source may include, for example, a fuel system (e.g., providing gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, etc.), a battery system, solar panels or other renewable energy sources, and / or a fuel cell system. The drivetrain 108 may include wheels and / or tires along with a transmission and / or any other mechanical drive components for converting the power output of the prime mover 104 into vehicle motion, and may include one or more brakes configured to controllably stop or slow the vehicle 111A, and a steering or steering component suitable for controlling the trajectory of the vehicle 111A (e.g., a rack-and-pinion steering linkage that allows one or more wheels of the vehicle 111A to pivot about a generally vertical axis to change the angle of the wheel's plane of rotation relative to the vehicle's longitudinal axis). In some embodiments, a combination of powertrains and energy sources can be used (e.g., in the case of electric / gas hybrid vehicles), and in some embodiments, multiple electric motors (e.g., dedicated to individual wheels or axles) can be used as prime mover 104. In the case of a hydrogen fuel cell implementation, prime mover 104 can include one or more electric motors, and energy source 106 can include a fuel cell system powered by hydrogen fuel.

[0025] Directional control 112 may include one or more actuators and / or sensors for controlling and receiving feedback from directional or steering components to enable vehicle 111A to follow a desired trajectory. Powertrain control 114 may be configured to control the speed and / or direction of vehicle 111A by controlling the output of powertrain 102, such as by controlling the output power of prime mover 104 and controlling the gears of a transmission in drivetrain 108. Brake control 116 may be configured to control one or more brakes (e.g., disc or drum brakes coupled to the wheels of the vehicle) to slow or stop vehicle 111A.

[0026] Other vehicle types, including, but not limited to, all-terrain or tracked vehicles, construction equipment, and the like, may utilize different powertrains, drivetrains, energy sources, directional control, powertrain control, and braking control. Also, in some embodiments, some of the components may be combined; for example, vehicle directional control is primarily handled by modifying the output of one or more prime movers. Accordingly, the embodiments described herein are not limited to the specific application of the technology described herein in autonomous wheeled land vehicles.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, various levels of autonomous control, including fully or semi-autonomous control, for vehicle 111A may be implemented in vehicle control system 120, which may include one or more processors 122 and one or more memories 124, each of which may be configured to execute program code instructions 126 stored in memory 124. The processors may include, for example, graphics processing units (GPU(s)) and / or central processing units (CPU(s)).

[0028] The sensors 130 may include various sensors suitable for collecting information from the vehicle's surrounding environment for use in controlling the operation of the vehicle 111A. For example, the sensors 130 may include one or more detection and ranging sensors (e.g., a RADAR sensor 134, a LIDAR sensor 136, or both), a 3D positioning sensor 138, or a satellite navigation system such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Galileo, or Compass. The 3D positioning sensor 138 can be used to determine the vehicle's position on Earth using satellite signals. The sensors 130 may optionally include a camera 140 and / or an inertial measurement device (IMU) 142. The camera 140 may be a monographic or stereographic camera and may record still and / or video images. The IMU 142 may include multiple gyroscopes and accelerometers capable of detecting linear and rotational motion of the vehicle 111A in three directions. One or more encoders 144, such as wheel encoders, may be used to monitor the rotation of one or more wheels of the vehicle 111A. In some embodiments, the LIDAR sensor 136 may include a silicon photonics device structure for a coherent LIDAR system, as described in more detail below.

[0029] The outputs of the sensors 130 may be provided to a series of control subsystems 150, including a position estimation subsystem 152, a perception subsystem 154, a planning subsystem 156, and a control subsystem 158. The position estimation subsystem 152 may primarily perform functions such as precisely determining the position and orientation (also sometimes referred to as “pose” or “pose estimation”) of the vehicle 111A within the surrounding environment and generally within some reference frame. The perception subsystem 154 may primarily perform functions such as detecting, tracking, and / or identifying objects within the vehicle 111A's environment. Machine learning models, according to some embodiments, may be utilized to track the objects. The planning subsystem 156 may primarily perform functions such as planning a trajectory or travel path for the vehicle 111A over some time frame given a desired destination as well as static and moving objects within the environment. Machine learning models, according to some embodiments, may be utilized to plan the vehicle trajectory. The control subsystem 158 may primarily perform functions such as generating appropriate control signals to control various controls within the vehicle control system 120 to implement the planned trajectory of the vehicle 111A. Similarly, machine learning models can be utilized to generate one or more signals for controlling the autonomous vehicle 111A to implement a planned trajectory.

[0030] It will be understood that the collection of components shown in FIG. 1a for vehicle control system 120 is merely exemplary. In some embodiments, individual sensors may be omitted. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, multiple sensors of the same type as those shown in FIG. 1a may be used for redundancy and / or to cover different areas around the vehicle. Also, other types of sensors beyond those described above may be added to provide actual sensor data related to the operation and environment of the wheeled land vehicle. Similarly, different types and / or combinations of control subsystems may be used in other implementations. Also, while subsystems 152-158 are shown as separate from processor 122 and memory 124, it should be understood that in some embodiments, some or all of subsystems 152-158 may be implemented as program code instructions 126 resident in one or more memories 124 and executed by one or more processors 122, and that these subsystems 152-158 may, in some cases, be implemented using the same processor and / or memory. The subsystems may be implemented, at least in part, using various dedicated circuit logic, various processors, various field programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”), various application specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), various real-time controllers, etc., and as previously mentioned, multiple subsystems may utilize circuits, processors, sensors, and / or other components. Additionally, the various components of vehicle control system 120 may be networked in various ways.

[0031] In some embodiments, vehicle 111A may further include a secondary vehicle control system (not shown) that can be used as a redundant or backup control system for vehicle 111A. The secondary vehicle control system may be capable of fully operating autonomous vehicle 111A in the event of an adverse event occurring in vehicle control system 120, while in other embodiments, the secondary vehicle control system may have only limited functionality, such as performing a controlled stop of vehicle 111A in response to an adverse event detected by primary vehicle control system 120. In still other embodiments, the secondary vehicle control system may be omitted.

[0032] In general, the various components shown in FIG. 1a can be implemented using many different architectures, including various combinations of software, hardware, circuit logic, sensors, and networks. Each processor can be implemented, for example, as a microprocessor, and each memory can include not only random access memory (RAM) devices constituting main storage, but also any secondary levels of memory, such as cache memory, non-volatile or backup memory (e.g., programmable or flash memory), read-only memory, etc. Each memory can also be considered to include memory storage devices physically located elsewhere in vehicle 111A, such as any cache memory within the processor, as well as any storage capacity used as virtual memory, such as stored in a mass storage device or other computer controller. One or more of the processors shown in FIG. 1a, or entirely separate processors, can be used to implement additional functions within vehicle 111A other than those for autonomous control, such as controlling the entertainment system, operating doors, lighting, convenience functions, etc.

[0033] Also, for additional storage devices, vehicle 111A may include one or more mass storage devices, such as, among others, a removable disk drive, a hard disk drive, a direct access storage device (DASD), an optical drive (e.g., a CD drive, a DVD drive, etc.), a solid state storage drive (SSD), network attached storage, a storage area network, and / or a tape drive.

[0034] Vehicle 111A may also include a user interface 118, such as one or more displays, touchscreens, voice and / or gesture interfaces, buttons and other tactile controls, etc., that enables vehicle 111A to receive a number of inputs from a user or operator and generate outputs for the user or operator. Alternatively, user input may be received via an app or web interface on another computer or electronic device, such as a mobile device.

[0035] Vehicle 111A may also include one or more network interfaces (e.g., network interface 162) suitable for communicating with one or more networks 176 to enable communication of information with other computers and electronic devices, including central services such as cloud services from which vehicle 111A receives information including trained machine learning models and other data for use in autonomous control. For example, one or more networks 176 may be a communications network and may include a wide area network (“WAN”) such as the Internet, one or more local area networks (“LAN”) such as Wi-Fi LAN, mesh networks, and one or more bus subsystems. One or more networks 176 may optionally utilize one or more standard communications technologies, protocols, and / or inter-process communications technologies. In some embodiments, data collected by one or more sensors 130 may be uploaded via network 176 to computing system 172 for further 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. Further processing of autonomous vehicle data by computing system 172 according to many embodiments is described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0036] 1a and the various additional controllers and subsystems disclosed herein generally operate under the control of an operating system, as described in more detail below, and execute or rely on various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data structures, etc. Additionally, the various applications, components, programs, objects, modules, etc. may execute on one or more processors of other computers (e.g., computing system 172) connected to vehicle 111A via network 176, e.g., in a distributed, cloud-based, or client-server computing environment, where the processing required to implement the functionality of a computer program is allocated across multiple computers and / or services via the network.

[0037] In general, the routines executed to implement the various embodiments described herein are referred to herein as "program code," whether implemented as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module, or sequence of instructions, or a subset thereof. Program code generally consists of one or more instructions that reside at different times in various memory and storage devices and that, when read and executed by one or more processors, perform the steps necessary to perform the steps or elements embodying various aspects of the present disclosure. Also, while the embodiments are described in the context of fully functional computers and systems, it should be understood that the various embodiments described herein are capable of being distributed as program products in various forms, and that the embodiments may be implemented independently of the particular type of computer-readable medium used to effect such distribution.

[0038] Examples of computer-readable media include tangible, non-transitory media such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices, floppy and other removable disks, solid-state drives, hard disk drives, magnetic tape, and optical disks (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.), among others.

[0039] Additionally, various program code described below may be identified based on the application for which it is embodied in a particular embodiment. However, any particular program nomenclature below is used merely for convenience, and thus the present disclosure should not be limited to use with only any particular application identified and / or implied by such nomenclature. Furthermore, given the generally infinite number of ways in which computer programs can be organized into routines, procedures, methods, modules, objects, etc., and the various ways in which program functionality may be allocated among the various software layers (e.g., operating system, libraries, APIs, applications, applets, etc.) resident within a typical computer, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific structure and allocation of program functionality described herein.

[0040] The exemplary environment illustrated in Figure 1a is not intended to limit the embodiments disclosed herein, and in fact, other alternative hardware and / or software environments may be used without departing from the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein. FM LIDAR for Automotive Applications

[0041] The truck may include a LIDAR system (e.g., vehicle control system 120 in FIG. 1a, LIDAR sensor system 201 in FIG. 2, etc.). In some embodiments, the LIDAR system may encode an optical signal using frequency modulation and scatter the encoded optical signal into free space using an optical system. By detecting the frequency difference between the encoded optical signal and a return signal reflected from an object, a frequency modulation (FM) LIDAR system can determine the object's location or precisely measure the object's velocity using the Doppler effect. FM LIDAR systems can 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 encode an optical signal using phase modulation (PM) and scatter the encoded optical signal into free space using an optical system.

[0042] FM or phase-modulated (PM) LIDAR systems may offer significant advantages over conventional LIDAR systems for automotive and / or commercial trucking applications. First, in some cases, an object (e.g., a pedestrian wearing dark clothing) may have low reflectivity, in that only a small amount (e.g., 10% or less) of the light striking the object is reflected back to the FM or PM LIDAR system's sensor (e.g., sensor 130 in FIG. 1a). In other cases, an object (e.g., a shiny road sign) may have high reflectivity (e.g., 10% or more), in that a large amount of the light striking the object is reflected back to the FM LIDAR system's sensor.

[0043] Regardless of the object's reflectivity, FM LIDAR systems can detect (e.g., classify, recognize, locate, etc.) objects at greater distances (e.g., twice as far) than conventional LIDAR systems. For example, FM LIDAR systems can detect low-reflectivity objects at distances of over 300 meters and high-reflectivity objects at distances of over 400 meters.

[0044] To achieve this improved detection capability, FM LIDAR systems can use sensors (e.g., sensor 130 in FIG. 1a). In some embodiments, these sensors can be sensitive to single photons, meaning they can detect the smallest possible amount of light. In some applications, FM LIDAR systems can use infrared wavelengths (e.g., 950 nm, 1550 nm, etc.), but are not limited to infrared wavelength ranges (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 at infrared wavelengths, the FM or PM LIDAR system can emit more intense light pulses or beams while still meeting eye safety standards. Conventional LIDAR systems are often not sensitive to single photons and / or operate only at near-infrared wavelengths, requiring their light output (and distance sensing capabilities) to be limited for eye safety reasons.

[0045] Therefore, by detecting objects at greater distances, FM LIDAR systems have more time to react to unexpected obstacles. In fact, even a few extra milliseconds can improve stability and convenience, especially for large vehicles (e.g., commercial trucks) traveling at highway speeds.

[0046] Another advantage of FMCW or PMCW LIDAR systems is that they can instantly provide accurate velocity for each data point. In some embodiments, velocity measurement is achieved using the Doppler effect, which shifts the frequency of light received from an object based on at least one of the radial velocity (e.g., the direction vector between the detected object and the sensor) or the frequency of the laser signal. For example, for speeds occurring in road conditions where speeds are less than 100 m / s, this shift at a 1550 nm wavelength corresponds to a frequency shift of less than 130 MHz. This frequency shift is small enough to be difficult to detect directly in the optical domain. However, by utilizing coherent detection in FMCW or PMCW LIDAR systems, the signal can be converted to the RF domain so that the frequency shift can be calculated using various signal processing techniques. This allows autonomous vehicle control systems to process the data received more quickly.

[0047] Instantaneous velocity calculations also make it easier for an 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., sensor 130 in FIG. 1a) may receive only a few returns (e.g., hits) for an object 300 m away, but if these returns provide a velocity value of interest (e.g., moving toward the vehicle at a speed greater than 70 mph), the FM LIDAR system and / or autonomous vehicle control system may determine individual weights for the probability associated with the object.

[0048] Faster identification and / or tracking for FM LIDAR systems gives autonomous vehicle control systems more time to steer the vehicle. With a better understanding of how fast an object is moving, autonomous vehicle control systems can better plan their response.

[0049] Another advantage of FM LIDAR systems is that they are less static than traditional LIDAR systems. Traditional LIDAR systems, designed to be more sensitive to light, typically perform poorly in bright sunlight. Such systems tend to suffer from 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 pulse or beam). To overcome this drawback, vehicles using traditional LIDAR systems often require additional hardware, complex software, and / or more computing power to manage this "noise."

[0050] FM LIDAR systems, on the other hand, do not experience these types of problems because each sensor is specifically designed to respond only to its own unique light characteristics (e.g., light beams, light waves, light pulses). If the returning light does not match the timing, frequency, and / or wavelength of the originally transmitted light, the FM sensor can filter (e.g., remove, ignore, etc.) that data point. This allows FM LIDAR systems to compute (e.g., generate, derive, etc.) more accurate data with fewer hardware or software requirements, resulting in safer, smoother driving.

[0051] Finally, FM LIDAR systems are more easily scalable than traditional LIDAR systems. With more autonomous vehicles (e.g., cars, commercial trucks, etc.) on the road, vehicles powered by FM LIDAR systems will not have to face interference issues due to sensor crosstalk. FM LIDAR systems also use less optical peak power than traditional LIDAR sensors. This allows some or all of the optical components for FM LIDAR to be fabricated on a single chip, which offers unique advantages as discussed herein. Commercial Trucking

[0052] FIG. 1b is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for autonomous commercial trucking vehicles, according to some embodiments. The environment 100B includes a commercial truck 180B for carrying cargo 182B. In some embodiments, the commercial truck 180B may include a vehicle configured for long-haul freight transportation, regional freight transportation, intermodal freight transportation (i.e., a road-based vehicle is used as one of multiple transportation modes to transport cargo), and / or any other road-based freight transportation application. The commercial truck 180B may be a flatbed truck, a refrigerated truck (e.g., a reefer truck), a ventilated van (e.g., a dry van), a moving truck, etc. The cargo 182B may be merchandise and / or agricultural products. The commercial truck 180B may include a trailer for carrying the cargo 182B, such as a flatbed trailer, a lowboy trailer, a step deck trailer, an extendable flatbed trailer, a side-kick trailer, etc.

[0053] The environment 100B includes an object 111B (shown as another vehicle in FIG. 1b) within a distance range of 30 meters or less from the truck.

[0054] Commercial truck 180B may include a LIDAR system 184B (e.g., an FM LIDAR system, vehicle control system 120 of FIG. 1a, LIDAR system 201 of FIG. 2, etc.) for determining the distance to object 111B and / or measuring the speed of object 111B. Although FIG. 1b shows one LIDAR system 184B mounted on the front of commercial truck 180B, the number of LIDAR systems mounted on the commercial truck and the areas in which the LIDAR systems are mounted are not limited to a particular number or area. Commercial truck 180B may include any number of LIDAR systems (or components thereof, such as sensors, modulators, coherent signal generators, etc.) mounted on any area of ​​commercial truck 180B (e.g., front, back, side, top, bottom, lower, and / or bottom), which facilitates detection of objects in any free space associated with commercial truck 180B.

[0055] As shown, LIDAR system 184B in environment 100B may be configured to detect objects (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, trees, road signs, potholes, etc.) at a short distance (e.g., 30 meters or less) from commercial truck 180B.

[0056] 1c 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 (e.g., commercial truck 180B, cargo 182B, LIDAR system 184B, etc.) included in environment 100B.

[0057] Environment 100C includes object 111C (shown as other vehicles in FIG. 1c) within a distance range of (i) 30 meters or more and (ii) 150 meters or less from commercial truck 180B. As shown, LIDAR system 184B in environment 100C may be configured to detect objects (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, trees, road signs, potholes, etc.) within a predetermined distance (e.g., 100 meters) from commercial truck 180B.

[0058] 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.

[0059] Environment 100D includes object 111D (shown as another vehicle in FIG. 1d) within a distance range of 150 meters or more from commercial truck 180B. As shown, LIDAR system 184B in environment 100D may be configured to detect objects (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, trees, road signs, potholes, etc.) within a predetermined distance (e.g., 300 meters) from commercial truck 180B.

[0060] For commercial trucking applications, effective object detection at all ranges is important due to the increased vehicle weight and correspondingly longer stopping distances. FM LIDAR systems (e.g., FMCW and / or FMQW systems) or PM LIDAR systems are ideally suited for commercial trucking applications due to the advantages discussed above. Thus, commercial trucks equipped with these systems may have an improved ability to safely transport both people and goods over short or long distances, thereby improving the safety of the commercial truck as well as surrounding vehicles. In various embodiments, these FM or PM LIDAR systems can be used in semi-autonomous applications, where a driver is on board the commercial truck and some functions of the commercial truck are performed autonomously using the FM or PM LIDAR system, or in fully autonomous applications, where the commercial truck is operated fully autonomously by the FM or LIDAR system alone or in combination with other vehicle systems. Continuous Wave (CW) Modulation and Quasi-Continuous Wave (Quasi-CW) Modulation

[0061] In LIDAR systems using CW modulation, the modulator continuously modulates the laser light. For example, if the modulation period is 10 seconds, the input signal is modulated for the entire 10 seconds. Alternatively, in LIDAR systems using quasi-CW modulation, the modulator modulates the laser light to have both active and inactive portions. For example, for a 10-second period, the modulator modulates the laser light for only 8 seconds (sometimes called the "active portion") and does not modulate the laser light for 2 seconds (sometimes called the "inactive portion"). This allows the LIDAR system to reduce power consumption for those 2 seconds because the modulator does not need to provide a continuous signal.

[0062] In the case of frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LIDAR for vehicle applications, FMCW measurement and signal processing methodologies are used, but it may be advantageous to operate the LIDAR system using quasi-CW modulation, rather than the optical signal always being on (e.g., activated, powered, transmitting, etc.). In some embodiments, the quasi-CW modulation may have a duty cycle that is greater than or equal to 1% and less than or equal to 50%. If the energy in the off state (e.g., inactivated, powered down, etc.) is consumed during the actual measurement time, this may improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and / or reduce the signal processing requirements to consistently integrate all the energy over a longer period of time. LIDAR Systems for Autonomous Vehicles

[0063] 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example environment of a LIDAR system for an autonomous vehicle, according to some embodiments. The environment 200 includes a LIDAR system 201 including a transmit (TX) path and a receive (RX) path. The transmit path includes one or more transmit input / output ports (not shown in FIG. 2), and the receive path includes one or more receive input / output ports (not shown in FIG. 2).

[0064] In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate and / or the semiconductor package may include a transmit path and / or a receive path, hi some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate and / or the semiconductor package may include at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit.

[0065] In some embodiments, a first semiconductor substrate and / or a first semiconductor package may include a transmit path, and a second semiconductor substrate and / or a second semiconductor package may include a receive path. In some arrangements, the receive input / output ports and / or the transmit input / output ports may occur (or be formed / arranged / located / disposed) along one or more edges of one or more semiconductor substrates and / or semiconductor packages.

[0066] The environment 200 includes one or more transmitters 216 and one or more receivers 222 .

[0067] The environment 200 includes one or more optical systems (e.g., an oscillating scanner, a unidirectional scanner, a Risley prism, a circulator optic, and / or a beam collimator, etc.) coupled to a LIDAR system 201. In some embodiments, the one or more optical systems 210 may be coupled to a transmit path via one or more transmit input / output ports. In some embodiments, the one or more optical systems 210 may be coupled to a receive path via one or more receive input / output ports.

[0068] Environment 200 includes a vehicle control system (e.g., vehicle control system 120 of FIG. 1a) coupled to LIDAR system 201. In some embodiments, vehicle control system 120 may be coupled to the receive path via one or more receive input / output ports.

[0069] The transmit path may include laser source 202, modulator 204A, modulator 204B, amplifier 206, and one or more transmitters 216. The receive path may include one or more receivers 222, mixer 208, detector 212, transimpedance amplifier (TIA) 214, and one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). While Figure 2 shows only a select number of components and one input / output channel, environment 200 may include any number of components and / or input / output channels (with any combination) interconnected in any arrangement to facilitate combination of various functions of the LIDAR system to support vehicle operation.

[0070] The laser source 202 may be configured to generate an optical signal (or beam) derived from (or related to) 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.

[0071] The laser source 202 may be configured to provide an optical signal to the modulator 204A, which is configured to generate a modulated optical signal by modulating the phase and / or frequency of the optical signal using continuous wave (CW) modulation or quasi-CW modulation based on a first radio frequency (RF) signal (denoted as "RF1" in FIG. 2). The modulator 204A may be configured to transmit the modulated optical signal to the amplifier 206. The amplifier 206 may be configured to amplify the modulated optical signal to generate an amplified optical signal to the optical system 210 via one or more transmitters 216. The one or more transmitters 216 may include one or more optical waveguides or antennas.

[0072] The optical system 210 may be configured to steer the amplified optical signal received from the transmit path toward an object 218 in the environment within a given field of view, receive a return signal reflected back from the object 218, and provide the return signal to the mixer 208 of the receive path via one or more receivers 222. The one or more receivers 222 may include one or more optical waveguides or antennas. In some arrangements, the transmitter 216 and the receiver 222 may form one or more transceivers (not shown in FIG. 2). In some arrangements, the one or more transceivers may include monostatic transceivers or bistatic transceivers.

[0073] The laser source 202 may be configured to provide an LO signal to the modulator 204B, which is configured to generate a modulated LO signal by modulating the phase and / or frequency of the LO signal using continuous wave (CW) modulation or quasi-CW modulation based on a second RF signal (shown as "RF2" in FIG. 2) and send the modulated LO signal to the mixer 208 in the receive path.

[0074] The 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 the detector 212. In some arrangements, the mixer 208 may be configured to send the modulated LO signal to the detector 212.

[0075] The detector 212 may be configured to generate an electrical signal based on the down-converted signal and send the electrical signal to the TIA 214. In some arrangements, the detector 212 may be configured to generate an electrical signal based on the down-converted signal and the modulated signal.

[0076] The TIA 214 may be configured to amplify the electrical signal and transmit the amplified electrical signal to the vehicle control system 120 via one or more ADCs 220 .

[0077] In some embodiments, the TIA 214 provides 5 picowatts per square root hertz (i.e., 5×10 -12 In some embodiments, the TIA 214 may have a gain between 4 kilohms and 25 kilohms.

[0078] In some embodiments, the detector 212 and / or the TIA 214 may have a 3 decibel bandwidth between 80 kilohertz (kHz) and 450 megahertz (MHz).

[0079] The vehicle control system 120 may be configured to determine the distance to the object 218 and / or measure the velocity of the object 218 based on one or more electrical signals received from the TIA via one or more ADCs 220.

[0080] In some embodiments, modulator 204A and / or modulator 204B may have a bandwidth between 400 MHz and 1000 MHz.

[0081] In some embodiments, modulator 204A may be configured to transmit a first modulated optical signal and a second modulated optical signal to amplifier 206. Amplifier 206 may be configured to amplify the first and second modulated optical signals to generate amplified optical signals for optical system 210 via transmitter 216. Optical system 210 may be configured to steer the first and second modulated optical signals received from the transmit path toward an object 218 in the environment within a given field of view, receive corresponding first and second return signals reflected back from object 218, and provide the first and second return signals to mixer 208 in the receive 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 transmit the first and second modulated LO signals to mixer 208 in the receive path. Mixer 208 may be configured to pair (e.g., connect, link, identify, etc.) the first return optical signal and the first modulated LO signal, 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 transmit 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, mix the second return optical signal with the second modulated LO signal to generate a second down-converted signal, and transmit the second down-converted signal to detector 212. Detector 212 may be configured to generate first and second electrical signals based on the first and second down-converted signals, respectively. Vehicle control system 120 may be configured to determine a distance for object 218 and / or measure a velocity of object 218 based on the first and second electrical signals received via TIA 214 and ADC 220. LIDAR systems including integrated light sources

[0082] In some embodiments, a LIDAR sensor system may include a processor, a laser source for providing an optical signal (sometimes called 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 and transmitting the signal over a specified distance, a transceiver for steering the amplified signal to an environment within a given field of view, and / or an optical system (e.g., a mirror scanner).

[0083] In some embodiments, a LIDAR sensor system (e.g., an FMCW or other coherent LIDAR sensor system) includes a processor, a photonics device (e.g., a photonics assembly) as a first device, a transmit (TX) / receive (RX) / optics device (e.g., a free-space optical assembly) including multiple sets of transceivers as a second device, and a LIDAR processing unit (e.g., a LIDAR computing assembly) including one or more ADCs as a third device. In some embodiments, the LIDAR sensor system can be configured to generate and transmit M×N optical signals (e.g., light beams, optical signals) by alternately turning on the photonics device and turning on the TX / RX / optics device (or these N sets of transceivers) M times (e.g., by temporal multiplexing the M sets of N transceivers) to transmit M×N optical signals into the environment, where M and N are integers (e.g., M≧2, N≧8). In response to transmitting the optical signals, multiple transceiver sets (e.g., M×N transceivers) may receive the returned signals in the M×N channels, and the LIDAR processing unit may process the returned optical signals in the M×N channels. In this manner, the LIDAR processing unit (e.g., ADC) may be efficiently shared among multiple transceiver sets (e.g., M sets of N transceivers).

[0084] In some embodiments, the photonics device of the LIDAR sensor system may include a laser source, a seed device (e.g., a photonics seed module), and multiple optical TX amplifiers (e.g., a photonics TX amplifier module). In some embodiments, the laser source may be a laser diode (e.g., a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode). In some embodiments, the laser source may generate a laser beam having a wavelength in the range of 1530 nm to 1565 nm.

[0085] In some embodiments, the multiple TX amplifiers may include multiple apertures at their inputs to which the seed device can provide a single optical signal. In some embodiments, the seed device may provide TX optical signals to the multiple TX amplifiers via one or more splitters. The one or more splitters may be one or more optical fiber splitters. The splitters may be coupled to the inputs of the optical amplifiers using either butt coupling or lens coupling. For example, in butt coupling, the input of the optical amplifier may be directly directed toward the output of the seed device (e.g., the end of a waveguide). In lens coupling, the input of the optical amplifier and the output of the seed device may be coupled using a lens (e.g., a ball lens). In this way, the seed device can seed multiple TX amplifiers with multiple apertures (e.g., a tapered SOA or tapered SOA array) with a single optical signal.

[0086] Each of the multiple TX amplifiers may receive a TX optical signal and output an amplified TX optical signal to one or more transceivers of the TX / RX / optical device. In some embodiments, each TX amplifier may provide multiple amplified TX optical signals to one or more transceivers based on the amplified TX optical signal via a splitter. In some embodiments, the one or more amplified TX optical signals may be output to one or more transceivers via an MPO connector (e.g., 16 optical fibers for 16 TX optical signals).

[0087] In some embodiments, the multiple TX amplifiers may include multiple optical amplifiers. The optical amplifiers may include semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), optical fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifiers, or erbium-doped optical fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). For example, the multiple TX amplifiers may include one or more EDFAs with an input power level of 4 W. In some embodiments, the multiple TX amplifiers may include an array of optical amplifiers. The optical amplifiers may include an SOA array, an optical fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifier array, or an EDFA array.

[0088] In some embodiments, the multiple TX amplifiers may include multiple tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) including tapered sections that gradually increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the amplified beam. The multiple TPAs ​​may include one or more of tapered SOAs, tapered optical fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifiers, or tapered EDFAs. The multiple TPAs ​​may include one or more of tapered SOA arrays, tapered optical fiber Raman and Brillouin amplifier arrays, or tapered EDFA arrays.

[0089] In some embodiments, a high level of integration can be achieved by using SOAs for coherent signal generation. For example, multiple SOAs can be scaled down and placed on a single semiconductor (silicon photonics) chip, which not only improves speed (e.g., reduced latency) and power consumption (e.g., power can be routed more efficiently between SOAs), but also improves the manufacturing process. That is, scaling a coherent signal generator (sometimes called a "signal processing system") down to a single semiconductor chip means that as the size of the semiconductor chip (e.g., silicon) decreases, the likelihood of manufacturing defects affecting the performance of the coherent signal generator can be reduced.

[0090] In some embodiments, the photonics device may include at least one of a silicon photonics 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 photonics circuit may include a silicon nitride circuit (e.g., a Si3N4-based circuit). In some embodiments, the seed device may include at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, the seed device may be a chip or integrated circuit including at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, the multiple TX amplifiers may include at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, the multiple TX amplifiers may include a chip or integrated circuit including at least one of a III-V semiconductor circuit or a micro-optical circuit.

[0091] In some embodiments, the TX / RX / optical device of the LIDAR sensor system may include one or more transceivers (e.g., M×N transceivers each transmitting / receiving a single optical signal), one or more optical mixers, one or more photodetectors, one or more optical devices (e.g., collimators), and / or one or more laser scanners (e.g., 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 may include one or more collimators configured to narrow or limit multiple optical signals (e.g., 16 optical 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 photodetectors may receive the one or more mixed optical signals and generate one or more electrical signals. The one or more laser scanners can be controlled by the LIDAR processing unit (eg, using a software driver).

[0092] In some embodiments, the TX / RX / optical device may include at least one of a silicon photonics 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 photonics 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 photonics circuit or a PLC.

[0093] In some embodiments, the LIDAR processing unit of the LIDAR sensor system (as the second device) may include one or more ADCs or multi-channel ADCs (e.g., 16 ADCs or 16-channel ADCs) configured to generate one or more digital signals based on one or more returned optical signals and provide the digital signals to the autonomous vehicle control system. The LIDAR processing unit may include one or more amplifiers and / or one or more digital-to-analog converters (DACs). The LIDAR processing unit may be a computing system (e.g., computing system 900 of FIG. 9) capable of executing software modules stored in a memory. For example, the LIDAR processing unit may store software drivers for controlling one or more scanners (e.g., galvo scanners, polygon scanners, etc.) of the TX / RX / optical unit.

[0094] In some embodiments, the LIDAR processing device may include a radio frequency (RF) chip (or integrated circuit) implementing one or more ADCs, one or more amplifiers, and / or one or more DACs. The RF chip may be an RF system-on-chip (RFSoC). The RF chip may be an RF system-on-chip field programmable gate array (RF SoC FPGA). In some embodiments, the RF chip may include one or more radio frequency analog-to-digital converters (RF-ADCs), one or more radio frequency digital-to-analog converters (RF-DACs), etc. In some embodiments, the RF-ADCs and RF-DACs may be configured in pairs for real and virtual in-phase / quadrature (I / Q) data. For example, the LIDAR processing device may provide a two-channel RF signal (e.g., I / Q data) to a seed device for modulation (e.g., I / Q modulation). The RF chip may communicate with a vehicle or vehicle control system (e.g., an autonomous vehicle control system) via a Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) interface. In some embodiments, the LIDAR processing device may include a Functional Safety (FuSa) system implemented as circuitry or software in the LIDAR processing device.

[0095] 3a-3d are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a transmit (TX) amplifier assembly used in a LIDAR sensor system according to some embodiments.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 3a, an exemplary TX amplifier assembly 300 may include a first chip 302 and a second chip 304. In some embodiments, the first chip 302 may include an optical amplifier array. For example, the optical amplifier array of the first chip 302 may include an array of five semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The SOAs may be at least one of single-mode SOAs or tapered SOAs. In some embodiments, the second chip 304 may include a splitter 310 and an array 312 of U-shaped components coupled to the output of the splitter 310. In this example, the components of 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 may have any suitable shape that changes 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 of the array 312. The input of the splitter 310 may be coupled to the input side of an optical amplifier (e.g., the rightmost optical amplifier) ​​of the first chip 302. In one example, the array 312 of U-shaped components in the second chip 304 may include an array of four passive waveguide components. The first chip 302 may include a plurality of apertures (not shown) at its input side to which corresponding apertures in the second chip 304 may be coupled by hybrid integration. For example, corresponding waveguide ends of the optical amplifier array in the first chip 302 (e.g., implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry) and corresponding waveguide ends of the U-shaped components in the second chip 304 (e.g., implemented in silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry) may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled).

[0097] This configuration of the first chip 302 and the second chip 304 allows the input of one optical amplifier array to be coupled to the input of another optical amplifier in the optical amplifier array. For example, the input of the first optical amplifier (e.g., the rightmost optical amplifier) ​​in the first chip 302 can be coupled to the inputs of the second through fifth optical amplifiers (e.g., the remaining four optical amplifiers) in the first chip 302 via an array of splitters 310 and an array of U-shaped components 312 in the second chip 304. The first chip 302 can include multiple apertures (not shown) on its output side to which sets of optical input / output (I / O) paths 306, 308 can be coupled via hybrid integration. For example, corresponding waveguide ends of the optical amplifier array in the first chip 302 (e.g., implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry) and corresponding waveguide ends of the optical I / O paths 306, 308 (e.g., implemented in silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry) can 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 of a first optical amplifier (e.g., the rightmost optical amplifier) ​​via the rightmost optical input path 306, such that (1) the first TX optical signal is input to the inputs of the second through fifth optical amplifiers via the splitter 310 and the array of U-shaped components 312 in the second chip 304, and (2) the second through fifth optical amplifiers provide four amplified TX optical signals to one or more transceivers via the remaining optical output paths 308 on the output side. The splitter 310 in the second chip 304 may be configured to split the first TX optical signal received from the input of the first optical amplifier (e.g., the rightmost optical amplifier) ​​into four TX optical signals, and the array of U-shaped components 312 may be configured to couple the four corresponding TX optical signals to the inputs of the second through fifth optical amplifiers in the first chip 302 for amplification. The configuration of the first chip 302 and the second chip 304 may function as an optical gain block to split and amplify the optical signals coupled to the optical path 306. An advantage of this configuration is that all optical I / O paths 306, 308 are located on a particular side of the first chip 302, thereby efficiently coupling optical signals in and out of the first chip 302 for amplification.This is possible due to the placement of splitter 310 and array of U-shaped components 312 on second chip 304 to split and redirect (e.g., reverse signal direction) the TX optical signal to the optical amplifier input of first chip 302. Another advantage of this configuration is that it increases the throughput of wafer-level assembly of first chip 302 and second chip 304 on a main integrated chip (e.g., a silicon photonics chip) that hosts multiple transceivers.

[0098] 3a, in some embodiments, the set of optical I / O paths 306, 308 can be passive waveguides implemented in silicon photonics circuitry (e.g., silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry). The optical amplifier array of the first chip 302 can be implemented in at least one of silicon photonics circuitry, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or III-V semiconductor circuitry. The array of U-shaped components 312 and the splitter 310 of the second chip 304 can be implemented in at least one of silicon photonics circuitry (e.g., silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or III-V semiconductor circuitry. In some embodiments, the exemplary TX amplifier assembly 300 can be implemented on-chip in a main integrated chip that hosts multiple transceivers.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 3b, another exemplary TX amplifier assembly 325 may include a first chip 326, a second chip 328, and a microlens array 330. In some embodiments, the first chip 326 may include an array of five tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs). In one example, the TPAs ​​may include tapered semiconductor optical amplifiers (TSOAs). The second chip 328 may include a splitter 338 and an array of U-shaped components 340 coupled to the output of the splitter 338. In one example, the array of U-shaped components 340 of the second chip 328 may include an array of four passive waveguide components. It will be appreciated that the elements of the second chip 328 of FIG. 3b are identical to or similar to the elements of the second chip 304 of FIG. 3a, and therefore a description of these elements will not be repeated here. For example, the characteristics and functions of the splitter 338 and the array of U-shaped components 340 of the second chip 328 of FIG. 3b are similar to those described above in connection with FIG. 3a. The first chip 326 may include multiple apertures (not shown) on its input side to which corresponding apertures on the second chip 328 can be coupled via hybrid integration. For example, corresponding waveguide ends of TPAs ​​in the first chip 326 (e.g., implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry) and corresponding waveguide ends of U-shaped components in the second chip 328 (e.g., implemented in silicon nitride (SiN)-based circuitry) can 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 right-most TPA) to be coupled to the input sides of the second through fifth TPAs ​​(e.g., the remaining four TPAs). The first chip 326 may include multiple apertures (not shown) on its output side to which a set of optical input / output (I / O) paths 332 can be coupled via a microlens array 330.With this configuration, a TX optical signal transmitted along optical input path 334 is received at the output of the first TPA via microlens array 330 and provided to the inputs of the second through fifth TPAs ​​via splitter 338 and array of U-shaped components 340 within second chip 328, which then output four amplified TX optical signals via microlens array 330 to an array of four optical output paths 336. TX amplifier assembly 325 can function as an optical gain block to split and amplify the optical signals coupled into optical path 334. An advantage of the configuration of TX amplifier assembly 325 is that all optical I / O paths 334, 336 are located on specific sides of TX amplifier assembly 325, allowing optical signals to be efficiently coupled into and out of TX amplifier assembly 325 for amplification. This is possible due to the placement of a splitter 338 and an array of U-shaped components 340 in the second chip 328 to split and redirect (eg, reverse signal direction) the TX optical signal to the input of the TPA in the second chip.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 3b, in some embodiments, the set of optical I / O paths 332 can be passive waveguides implemented in silicon photonics circuitry (e.g., silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry). The array of TPAs ​​in the first chip 326 can be implemented in at least one of silicon photonics circuitry, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), or III-V semiconductor circuitry. The array of U-shaped components 340 and the splitter 338 in the second chip 328 can be implemented in at least one of silicon photonics circuitry (e.g., silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), or III-V semiconductor circuitry. The lenses of the microlens array 330 can be implemented in micro-optical circuitry. In some embodiments, the exemplary TX amplifier assembly 325 can be implemented off-chip from a main integrated chip that hosts multiple transceivers.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 3c, another exemplary TX amplifier assembly 350 may include a chip 352 and a microlens array 354 configuration. The chip 352 may include an optical amplifier array. In one example, the optical amplifier array may be an array of four high-power and high-gain tapered semiconductor optical amplifiers (TSOAs). In some embodiments, the exemplary TX amplifier assembly 350 eliminates the use of U-shaped passive waveguide components associated with the optical amplifier array of 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 connect to multiple transceivers). The chip 352 may include multiple apertures (not shown) at its input side to which corresponding arrays or bundles 358 of optical input paths can be coupled via hybrid integration. For example, corresponding waveguide ends of the TSOAs in the chip 352 (e.g., implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry) and corresponding waveguide ends of the optical input path bundle 358 (e.g., implemented in silicon nitride (SiN)-based circuitry) may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled). A seed device (not shown) may provide optical signals (e.g., TX optical signals) to multiple apertures on the input side of the chip 352. For example, the seed device may generate multiple TX optical signals based on a single TX optical signal using one or more splitters (not shown in FIG. 3c) 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, causing the optical amplifier array to output corresponding multiple amplified TX optical signals, which may be coupled to the optical output path bundle 356 via the microlens array 354.

[0102] 3c, in some embodiments, the optical input path bundle 358 and the optical output path bundle 356 can be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit). The chip 352 including the tapered optical amplifier (e.g., a tapered SOA) can be implemented in at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. The lenses of the microlens array 354 can be implemented in the micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, the exemplary TX amplifier assembly 350 including the chip 352 and the microlens array 354 can be deposited within an aperture 360 ​​on a main integrated chip that hosts multiple transceivers.

[0103] Referring to FIG. 3d, another exemplary 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 of the array 382 have a U-shape. However, the shape of the components of the array 382 is not limited to a U-shape. The components may have any suitable shape that changes 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 of the array 382. In other embodiments, the chip 376 may also be fabricated to integrate the optical amplifier array 384 with the array 382 of U-shaped components and other optical components, such as a splitter. In one example, the optical amplifier array 384 in the chip 376 may include an array of four semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The SOAs may be at least one of single-mode SOAs or tapered SOAs. Each SOA may be a high-power SOA with high wall-plug efficiency capable of operating at high temperatures. For example, the output optical power of the SOA may be at least 200 milliwatts, and the wall-plug efficiency (e.g., the ratio of output optical power to input power) may be at least 15%. An advantage of using this type of SOA is that the optical modes of the SOA and optical waveguides are similar, which is advantageous for optical packaging. For example, the optical mode of each SOA may be sufficiently large to facilitate hybrid integration of the optical amplifier array 384 and the optical waveguides (not shown) of the main integrated chip. In another example, the array 382 of U-shaped components may include an array of four passive waveguide components. The chip 376 may include a first plurality of apertures (not shown) that couple to the array or bundle 378 of optical input paths via hybrid integration. For example, corresponding waveguide ends of the U-shaped components of the array 382 in the chip 376 (e.g., implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry) and corresponding waveguide ends of the bundle 378 of optical input paths (e.g., implemented in silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry) may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled).The chip 376 may also include a second plurality of apertures (not shown) that couple to the array or bundle of optical output paths 380 via hybrid integration. For example, the corresponding waveguide ends of the optical amplifier array 384 within the chip 376 (e.g., implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry) and the corresponding waveguide ends of the bundle of optical output paths 380 (e.g., implemented in silicon nitride (SiN)-based circuitry) may be directly aligned and butt-coupled (edge-coupled). As shown in Figure 3d, integrating the U-shaped component array 382 and the optical amplifier array 384 on the chip 376 allows the inputs and outputs to be on the same side or cross-section of the chip 376 (e.g., the top surface in Figure 3d). The advantage of this is that all optical input and output paths are on a specific side of the chip 376, allowing for easy and efficient coupling of optical signals in and out of the chip 376. Another advantage is increased throughput for wafer-level assembly of the main integrated chip (e.g., a silicon photonics chip) and SOA array packaging. For example, the throughput of wafer-level assembly can be doubled. As shown in FIG. 3d, the U-shaped components of the array 382 can begin with a waveguide end that couples to a bundle 378 of optical input paths on one side of the chip 376 and terminate at the input side of an optical amplifier array 384 within the chip 376. The U-shaped components within the array 382 can be bent with any suitable bend radius before coupling to the input side of the optical amplifier array 384 within the chip 376. The optical amplifier array 384 integrated with the array 382 of U-shaped components within the chip 376 can function as an optical gain block to provide amplification to optical signals coupled 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 apertures on the input side of the chip 376. For example, the seed device can generate multiple TX optical signals based on a single TX optical signal using one or more splitters (not shown in FIG. 3c) and provide the multiple TX optical signals to the chip 372 via the array 378 of optical input paths. The optical input path is coupled to the input side of an optical amplifier array 384 within chip 376 via an integrated array 382 of U-shaped components.In this configuration, an integrated array of U-shaped components 382 receives multiple TX optical signals and routes them to the inputs of an optical amplifier array 384 within chip 376 for amplification, allowing the optical amplifier array 384 to output corresponding multiple amplified TX optical signals to an array of optical output paths 380 (which can connect to multiple transceivers on the main integrated chip).

[0104] 3d, in some embodiments, the array of optical input paths 378 and the array of optical output paths 380 can be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit). The chip 376 including the array of optical amplifiers (e.g., SOAs) 384 and the array of U-shaped components 382 can be implemented in at least one of a silicon photonics circuit, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a III-V semiconductor circuit. The lenses of the microlens array 354 can be implemented in a micro-optical circuit. In some embodiments, the exemplary TX amplifier assembly 375 can be implemented on-chip in a main integrated chip that hosts multiple transceivers.

[0105] 4a-4b are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a transceiver device according to some embodiments.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 4a, an exemplary single-channel transceiver 400 capable of transmitting and receiving 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 photodetector arrangement 428, a TX input 423, and an LO input 421. The transmitter 422 may transmit a TX optical signal received at the TX input 423 into the environment. The receiver 424 may receive a return signal reflected from an object and provide the return signal to the 2×2 optical mixer 426. The 2×2 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 2×2 optical mixer 426 can recover the amplitude of the returned optical signal. The photodetector arrangement 428 may receive the pair of mixed optical signals and generate electrical signals that are output to a processing unit of the LIDAR sensor system for detection and sensing.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 4b, another exemplary single-channel transceiver 450 capable of transmitting and receiving a single optical signal may further include a transmitter (or TX waveguide or antenna) 482, a receiver (or RX waveguide or antenna) 484, a 2×4 optical mixer 486, a first arrangement of photodetectors 488, a second arrangement of photodetectors 490, a TX input 483, and an LO input 481. The transmitter 482 may transmit a TX optical signal received at the TX input 483 into the environment. The receiver 484 may receive a return signal reflected from an object and provide the return signal to the 2×4 optical mixer 486. The 2×4 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 2×4 optical mixer 486 (sometimes referred to as an “optical hybrid”) facilitates coherent detection of the optical signal. For example, a detection scheme using 2x4 optical mixer 486 recovers both the amplitude and phase of the returned optical signals. A first arrangement of optical detectors 488 receives the first pair of mixed optical signals, and a second arrangement of optical detectors 490 receives the second pair of mixed optical signals and may generate electrical signals that are output to a processing unit of the LIDAR sensor system for detection and sensing.

[0108] 4a and 4b, in some embodiments, each of transceiver 400 (and its transmitter 422, receiver 424, 2×2 optical mixer 426, photodetector 428 configuration, LO input 421, and TX input 423) and transceiver 450 (and its transmitter 482, receiver 484, 2×4 optical mixer 486, photodetector 488 and 490 configuration, LO input 481, and TX input 483) can be implemented with silicon photonics circuitry, including silicon nitride (SiN)-based circuitry, III-V semiconductor circuitry, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, each of transceivers 400 and 450 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes silicon photonics circuitry.

[0109] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system 500 according to some embodiments.

[0110] 5, a LIDAR sensor system 500 may include a seed device 550 and a transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 502. In some embodiments, the seed device 550 may include a first optical set including a laser source 552, a lens 554, an optical isolator 556, and a lens 558, a modulator 560 (e.g., an I / Q modulator), a pair of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) 562, a second optical set including lenses 564, 568, and a third optical set including lenses 566, 570. The first optical set including lens 554, optical isolator 556, and lens 558 may form a common optical path. A second optical set including the upper branch 572 of the modulator 560, the upper TPA of the pair 562, and lenses 564 and 568 may form an LO optical path, and a third optical set including the lower branch 574 of the modulator 560, the lower TPA of the pair 562, and lenses 566 and 570 may form a TX optical path. In this configuration, the seed device 550 may generate an LO signal based on an optical beam from the laser source 552 via 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 apparatus 502 using lens coupling. The seed device 550 may generate a TX optical signal based on an optical beam from the laser source 552 via 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 apparatus 502 using lens coupling. In lens coupling, the input of the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 502 and the output of the seed device 550 may be combined using a lens, for example, a ball lens.

[0111] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 502 may include an assembly of multiple TX amplifier arrays 506-1...506-8 and multiple U-shaped passive arrays 504-1...504-8. Each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 506-1...506-8 may be implemented as a chip having a configuration similar to chip 302 of FIG. 3a. Each of the multiple U-shaped passive arrays 504-1...504-8 may be implemented as a chip having a configuration similar to chip 304 of FIG. 3a. The TX optical signal generated by the seed device 550 may be provided to the multiple TX amplifier arrays via a multi-stage splitter assembly including one or more splitters 508, 510-1, 510-2, 510-3, and 510-4. In one example, the one or more splitters may be one or more fiber optic splitters. The output of a splitter (e.g., splitter 510-1) can 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 an optical amplifier in TX amplifier array 506-1 can be directly directed to the output (e.g., waveguide end) of splitter 510-1. In this way, a seed device can seed multiple TX amplifiers (e.g., SOAs or SOA arrays) with multiple apertures with one optical signal.

[0112] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier unit 502 may include multiple transceivers 512-1...512-32. Each of the multiple transceivers may have a configuration similar to the single-channel transceiver 400 of FIG. 4a. Each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays (e.g., TX amplifier array 506-1) may output an amplified TX optical signal to a respective TX input of a plurality of transceivers (e.g., transceivers 512-1, 512-2, 512-3, 512-4) via multiple output optical paths (e.g., optical transmit path bundle 520). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the multiple transceivers may include eight sets of four transceivers (M=8, N=4). With this configuration, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system may alternately turn on the seed device 550 for a period of time and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier unit 502 M times to transmit M×N TX optical signals into the environment. The processor may turn on the seed device 550 at a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 502 at a second duty cycle during the period to transmit M×N TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may temporally multiplex the M set 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 may determine a sequence for the M set of N transceivers and execute time sequencing according to the determined sequence, so that each of the M sets of N transceivers can transmit N TX optical signals to the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the period.

[0113] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device 550 may be provided to each LO input of multiple transceivers (e.g., transceivers 512-1, 512-2, 512-3, 512-4) via a splitter (e.g., 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 and provide M×N LO signals to the multiple transceivers. For example, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system 500 may (1) time-multiplex the M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) set of N transceivers can receive the N LO signals at M different times during a period of time, or (2) determine a sequence for the M sets of N transceivers and time-order them according to the determined sequence so that each of the M sets of N transceivers can receive the N LO signals according to the determined sequence at M different times during the period of time. In some embodiments, the seed device 550 may provide the same LO signal to M sets of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0114] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including 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 transceivers 512-1...512-32, the TX amplifier arrays 506-1...506-8, and the U-shaped passive arrays 504-1...504-8 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. In another example, the optical transmit path (e.g., 518, bundle 520, etc.) and the optical LO path (e.g., 516, bundle 514, etc.) can be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit).

[0115] In some embodiments, the seed device 550 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of III-V semiconductor circuitry or micro-optical circuitry. For example, the laser source 552, the modulator 560, and the pair of TPAs ​​562 can be implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry. The optical isolator 556 and the lenses 554, 558, 564, 566, 568, and 570 can be implemented in micro-optical circuitry.

[0116] An advantage of the exemplary architecture of the coherent LIDAR sensor system 500 of FIG. 5 is that it facilitates wafer-level assembly of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 506-1...506-8 and the multiple U-shaped passive arrays 504-1...504-8, increasing chip assembly throughput.

[0117] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system 600 according to some embodiments.

[0118] 6 , a LIDAR sensor system 600 may include a seed device 650 and a transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 602. In some embodiments, the seed device 650 may include a first optical set including a laser source 652, a lens 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 optical set including lenses 664, 668, and a third optical set including lenses 666, 670. The first optical set including lens 654, optical isolator 656, and lens 658 may form a common optical path. A second optical set including the upper branch 672 of the modulator 660, the upper TPA of the pair 662, and lenses 664, 668 may form an LO optical path, and a third optical set including the lower branch 674 of the modulator 660, the lower TPA of the pair 662, and lenses 666, 670 may form a TX optical path. With this configuration, the seed device 650 may generate an LO signal based on the optical beam of the laser source 652 via 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 apparatus 602 using lens coupling. The seed device 650 may generate a TX optical signal based on the optical beam from the laser source 652 via 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 apparatus 602 using lens coupling. In lens coupling, the input of the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 602 and the output of the seed device 650 may be combined using a lens, for example, a ball lens.

[0119] In some embodiments, the LIDAR sensor system 600 may include multiple TX amplifier assemblies 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4. Each of the multiple TX amplifier assemblies 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4 may be implemented in a configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 3b. For example, the TX amplifier assembly 604-1 may include an array of five tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) on a first chip 624, an array of U-shaped passive waveguide components on a second chip 626, and a microlens array 628. Each of the multiple TX amplifier assemblies 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4 may be a separate unit in itself and may exist off-chip from the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602. In some embodiments, each of multiple TX amplifier assemblies 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4 may receive a TX optical signal at a respective TX input optical path 614, 616, 618, 620 via splitter 610. In response to receiving the TX optical signal, each TX amplifier array may output amplified TX signals from four TPAs ​​in the array (e.g., the four left-most TPAs) to one of four sets of eight transceivers (M=4, N=8).

[0120] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602 may include multiple transceivers 622-1, 622-2...622-32. Each of the multiple transceivers may have a configuration similar to the single-channel transceiver 400 of FIG. 4a. As described above, the multiple TX amplifier assemblies 604-1, 604-2, 604-3, and 604-4 may output amplified TX optical signals to respective TX inputs of the multiple transceivers via an output optical path or TX optical path array (e.g., TX optical path array 630), multiple splitters (e.g., splitter 632), and multiple split TX optical paths (e.g., split TX optical path bundle 634). For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the multiple transceivers may include four sets of eight transceivers (M=4, N=8). With this configuration, a processor of the LIDAR sensor system may alternately turn on the seed device 650 for a period of time and turn on the transceiver device 602 / multiple TX amplifier arrays M times to transmit M×N TX optical signals into the environment. The processor may turn on the seed device 650 with a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver device 602 / multiple TX amplifier arrays with a second duty cycle during the period to transmit M×N TX optical signals into the environment. The processor may temporally multiplex the M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) set of N transceivers can transmit N TX optical signals into the environment at M different times during the period. The processor may determine a sequence for the M sets of N transceivers and execute a time sequence according to the determined sequence, and each of the M sets of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals into the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the period.

[0121] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device 650 may be provided to each LO input of the multiple transceivers 622-1, 622-2, ..., 622-32 via a splitter (e.g., splitter 612) and multiple split optical LO paths (e.g., split optical LO path bundle 636). With this configuration, the LIDAR sensor system 600 may be configured to generate and provide M x N LO signals to the multiple transceivers. For example, the processor may (1) time-multiplex the M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) N sets of transceivers can receive the N LO signals at M different times during a period of time, or (2) determine a sequence for the M sets of N transceivers and time-sequence them according to the sequence so that each of the M sets of N transceivers can receive the N LO signals according to the sequence at M different times during the period of time. In some embodiments, the seed device 650 may provide the same LO signal to the M sets of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0122] In some embodiments, the transceiver device 602 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including at least one of silicon photonics circuitry, programmable logic controller (PLC), III-V semiconductor circuitry, or silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry. For example, the transceivers 622-1, 622-2, ..., 622-32 can be implemented in silicon photonics circuitry, programmable logic controller (PLC), III-V semiconductor circuitry, silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry, or a combination thereof. The LO optical paths, such as 608 and 636, and the TX optical paths, such as 606, 614, 616, 618, 620, 630, and 634, can be implemented in silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry.

[0123] In some embodiments, the seed device 650 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes at least one of III-V semiconductor circuitry or micro-optical circuitry. For example, the laser source 652, the modulator 660, and the pair of TPAs ​​662 can be implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry. The optical isolator 656 and the lenses 654, 658, 664, 666, 668, and 670 can be implemented in micro-optical circuitry.

[0124] 6 is that the multiple TX amplifier assemblies are each separated and include hybrid integration at the input side of the optical amplifier array and lens coupling at the output side of the optical amplifier array, thereby improving warpage tolerance of the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 602. However, the separate TX amplifier assemblies may require active alignment during assembly.

[0125] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system 900 according to some embodiments.

[0126] 7, a LIDAR sensor system 900 may include a seed device 750 and a transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 702. In some embodiments, the seed device 750 may include a first optical set including a laser source 752, a lens 754, an optical isolator 756, and a lens 758, a modulator 960 (e.g., an I / Q modulator), a pair of tapered optical amplifiers (TPAs) 762, a second optical set including lenses 764, 768, and a third optical set including lenses 766, 770. The first optical set including lens 754, optical isolator 756, and lens 758 may form a common optical path. A second optical set including the upper branch 772 of the modulator 960, the upper TPA of the pair 762, and lenses 764, 768 may form an LO optical path, and a third optical set including the lower branch 774 of the modulator 960, the lower TPA of the pair 762, and lenses 766, 770 may form a TX optical path. In this configuration, the seed device 750 may generate an LO signal based on the optical beam of the laser source 752 via 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 apparatus 702 using lens coupling. The seed device 750 may generate a TX optical signal based on the optical beam from the laser source 752 via 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 apparatus 702 using lens coupling. In lens coupling, the input of the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 702 and the output of the seed device 750 may be coupled using a lens, for example, a ball lens.

[0127] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 may include multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, and 724-4. Each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, and 724-4 may be implemented on a chip having a configuration similar to that of the chip 352 in FIG. 3c. Each TX amplifier array may include multiple apertures (not shown) at its input side to which the TX optical signal generated by the seed device 750 can be provided. The TX optical signal generated by the seed device 750 may be provided to the multiple TX amplifier arrays via a multi-stage splitter assembly including one or more splitters 704, 706-1, 706-2, 706-3, and 706-4. In one example, the one or more splitters may be one or more optical fiber splitters. The output side of a splitter (e.g., 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 amplifiers in TX amplifier array 724-1 may face directly toward the output (e.g., waveguide end) of splitter 706-1. In this way, seed device 750 can seed multiple TX amplifiers with multiple apertures (e.g., tapered SOAs or tapered SOA arrays) with a single optical signal.

[0128] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 may include multiple transceivers 910-1, 910-2, ..., 910-32. Each of the multiple transceivers may have a configuration similar to the single-channel transceiver 400 of FIG. 4a. The multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4 may output amplified TX optical signals to respective TX inputs of the multiple transceivers via multiple output optical paths or TX optical path arrays (e.g., TX optical array 712), multiple splitters (e.g., splitter 712), and multiple split TX optical paths (e.g., split TX optical path bundle 722). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the multiple transceivers may include four sets of eight transceivers (M=4, N=8). With this configuration, a processor of the LIDAR sensor system may alternately turn on the seed device 750 and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 702 M times for a period of time to transmit M×N TX optical signals into the environment. The processor may turn on the seed device 750 with a first duty cycle and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 702 with a second duty cycle during the period to transmit M×N TX optical signals into the environment. The processor may temporally multiplex the M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) N sets of transceivers can transmit N TX optical signals into the environment at M different times during the period. The processor may determine a sequence for the M sets of N transceivers and execute a time sequence according to the determined sequence, and each of the M sets of N transceivers may transmit N TX optical signals into the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the period.

[0129] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by seed device 750 may be provided to each LO input of multiple transceivers 910-1, 910-2, ..., 910-32 via a splitter (e.g., splitter 708) and multiple split optical LO paths (e.g., split optical LO path bundle 920) exiting splitter 708. With this configuration, LIDAR sensor system 900 may be configured to generate and provide M x N LO signals to multiple transceivers. For example, the processor may (1) time-multiplex the M sets of N transceivers such that the (selected) N sets of transceivers can receive the N LO signals at M different times during a period of time, or (2) determine a sequence for the M sets of N transceivers and time-sequence them according to said sequence, such that each of the M sets of N transceivers can receive the N LO signals according to said sequence at M different times during a period of time. In some embodiments, seed device 750 may provide the same LO signal to the M sets of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0130] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 702 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including at least one of silicon photonics circuitry, a programmable logic controller (PLC), III-V semiconductor circuitry, or silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry. For example, the multiple transceivers 910-1, 910-2, ..., 910-32 and the multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4 can be implemented in silicon photonics circuitry, a programmable logic controller (PLC), III-V semiconductor circuitry, silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry, or a combination thereof. The LO optical paths, such as 716 and 920, and the TX optical paths, such as 718, 712, and 722, can be implemented in silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuitry.

[0131] In some embodiments, the seed device 750 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes III-V semiconductor circuitry and / or micro-optical circuitry. For example, the laser source 752, the modulator 960, and the pair of TPAs ​​762 can be implemented in III-V semiconductor circuitry. The optical isolator 756 and lenses 754, 758, 764, 766, 768, and 770 can be implemented in micro-optical circuitry.

[0132] An advantage of the exemplary architecture of the coherent LIDAR sensor system 900 of Figure 7 is that it performs wafer-level assembly of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4 using hybrid integration of III-V semiconductor circuits and silicon photonics circuit waveguides on the input sides 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 for dropping a microlens array to couple the output sides of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 724-1, 724-2, 724-3, 724-4. The implementation of the microlens array may require active alignment during assembly.

[0133] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example architecture of a coherent LIDAR sensor system 800 according to some embodiments.

[0134] Referring to FIG. 8 , the LIDAR sensor system 800 may include a seed device 850 and a transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 802. In some embodiments, the seed device 850 may include a first optical set including a laser source 852, a lens 854, an optical isolator 856, and a lens 858, a modulator 860 including multiple optical amplifiers, and a third optical set including a microlens array 862. The first optical set 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. The modulator 860 may include a first optical path 872 and multiple second optical paths 874 each branching from the other end of the common input optical path. The first optical amplifier 876 may be coupled to the first optical path 872 to form an LO optical path. The multiple second optical amplifiers 878 may be coupled to the multiple second optical paths 874 to form multiple TX optical paths. The seed device 850 may be configured to turn on the first optical amplifier 876 to output the 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 the modulated optical signal of the beam as a TX optical signal. With this configuration, the seed device 850 may generate an LO signal based on the optical beam of the laser source 852 via a common input optical path and an LO optical path and provide the LO optical signal to the LO input path 832 of the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 802 using lens coupling. The seed device 850 may generate a TX optical signal based on the optical beam from the laser source 852 via a common input optical path and a TX optical path and provide the TX optical signal to one or more of the plurality of TX input paths 834 of the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 802 using lens coupling. In lens coupling, the input of the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 802 and the output of the seed device 850 may be combined using a lens, for example, a ball lens.

[0135] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 802 may include multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8. Each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 may be implemented on a chip having a configuration similar to the chip 376 of FIG. 3d. For example, the chip 376 may be configured to integrate an optical amplifier array 384 (e.g., an array of four SOAs) with an array 382 of U-shaped passive waveguide components, with the inputs and outputs of the optical amplifier array 384 directed to one side of the chip 376. The multiple TX optical signals generated by the seed device 550 may be provided to the multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 via a multi-stage splitter assembly including one or more splitters 804-1...804-8 and 806-1...806-8. In one example, the one or more splitters may be one or more optical fiber splitters. In some embodiments, each of splitters 804-1...804-8 may be a 1x2 splitter, and each of splitters 806-1...806-8 may be a 1x4 splitter. Each of the multiple TX input paths 834 of the transceiver / TX amplifier device 502 is coupled to an input of a respective splitter 804-1...804-8. Corresponding inputs 816, 818, 820, 822, 824, 826, 828, 830 of splitters 806-1...806-8 are coupled to the outputs of splitters 804-1...804-8. The output of a splitter (e.g., splitter 806-1) may be coupled to the input 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 amplifiers in TX amplifier array 808-1 may be coupled to one end of an integrated U-shaped passive waveguide component, and the other end of the integrated U-shaped passive waveguide component may face directly to the output (e.g., waveguide end) of splitter 806-1. In response to receiving a TX optical signal, each TX amplifier array (e.g., four SOA arrays) may output an amplified TX signal to one of four sets of eight transceivers (M=8, N=4).

[0136] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier unit 802 may include multiple transceivers 810-1...810-32. Each of the multiple transceivers may have a configuration similar to the single-channel transceiver 450 of FIG. 4b. Each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays (e.g., TX amplifier array 808-1) may output an amplified TX optical signal to a respective TX input of a plurality of 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 shown in FIG. 8, the multiple transceivers may include eight sets of four transceivers (M=8, N=4). With this configuration, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system may alternately turn on the seed device 850 for a period of time and turn on the transceiver / TX amplifier unit 802 M times to transmit M×N TX optical signals into the environment. The processor may turn on seed device 850 at a first duty cycle and turn on transceiver / TX amplifier apparatus 802 at a second duty cycle during the period to transmit M×N TX optical signals to the environment. The processor may temporally multiplex the M transceiver sets such that the (selected) N transceiver sets can transmit N TX optical signals to the environment at M different times during the period. The processor may determine a sequence for the M sets of N transceivers and execute a time sequence according to the determined sequence, such that each of the M sets of N transceivers can transmit N TX optical signals to the environment according to the sequence at M different times during the period.

[0137] In some embodiments, the LO signal generated by the seed device 850 may be provided to respective LO inputs of multiple transceivers (e.g., transceivers 810-1, 810-2, 810-3, 810-4) via a splitter (e.g., splitter 836) and multiple split optical LO paths (e.g., optical LO path bundle 812). With this configuration, the LIDAR sensor system 800 may be configured to generate and provide M×N LO signals to the multiple transceivers. For example, the processor of the LIDAR sensor system 800 may perform the following steps: (1) (1) time-multiplexing the M sets of N transceivers such that the selected (N) sets of transceivers can receive the N LO signals at M different times during a period of time, or (2) determining a sequence for the M sets of N transceivers and performing time sequencing according to said sequence such that each of the M sets of N transceivers can receive the N LO signals according to said sequence at M different times during said period of time. In some embodiments, seed device 850 may provide the same LO signals to the M sets of N transceivers substantially simultaneously.

[0138] In some embodiments, the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit including 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 multiple transceivers 810-1...810-32 and the multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 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. In another example, the optical transmit path (e.g., 816, 818, 820, 822, 824, 826, 828, 830, bundle 814, etc.) and the optical LO path (e.g., 832, bundle 514, etc.) can be passive waveguides implemented in a silicon photonics circuit (e.g., a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based circuit).

[0139] In some embodiments, the seed device 850 can be implemented in a chip or integrated circuit that includes III-V semiconductor circuits and / or micro-optical circuits. For example, the laser source 852, the modulator 860, and the optical amplifiers 876, 878 can be implemented in III-V semiconductor circuits. The optical isolator 856 and the lenses 854, 858, 862 can be implemented in micro-optical circuits.

[0140] An advantage of the exemplary architecture of the coherent LIDAR sensor system 800 of FIG. 8 is that it doubles the throughput of wafer-level assembly of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 on a chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802. Integrating U-shaped passive elements on the multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 is advantageous because the optical input / output (I / O) paths of each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 are located on the same plane, thereby efficiently coupling optical signals into and out of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 for amplification. Configuring the optical I / O paths on the same plane of each of the multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 facilitates hybrid integration of corresponding waveguides on the TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 with III-V semiconductor circuitry and silicon photonics circuitry of the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802. Another advantage of configuring the optical I / O paths on the same plane is that warpage that may occur in the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802 becomes less significant in wafer-level assembly and packaging of multiple TX amplifier arrays 808-1...808-8 of the chip implementing the transceiver / TX amplifier device 802.

[0141] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system in accordance with some embodiments.

[0142] 9, the illustrated computing system 900 includes one or more processors 910 in communication with 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 an input / output ("I / O") component interface 950 connected to other components, such as a display (not shown) and input devices (not shown). Generally, the processor 910 executes instructions (or computer programs) received from memory. The illustrated processor 910 integrates with or is directly connected to a cache memory 920. In some cases, instructions are read from memory 960 into the cache memory 920 and executed by the processor 910 from the cache memory 920.

[0143] More particularly, processor 910 may be any logic circuitry that processes instructions, for example, instructions fetched from memory 960 or cache 920. In some embodiments, processor 910 is a microprocessor unit or a special purpose processor. Computing device 900 may be based on any processor or set of processors capable of operating as described herein. Processor 910 may be a single-core or multi-core processor. Processor 910 may be multiple different processors.

[0144] Memory 960 may be any device suitable for storing computer-readable data. Memory 960 may be a device for reading fixed storage devices or removable storage media. For example, it may 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 Blu-Ray® disks). Computing system 900 may have any number of memory devices as memory 960.

[0145] Cache memory 920 is a type of computer memory that is typically located close to processor 910 for fast read times. In some embodiments, cache memory 920 may be part of processor 910 or located on the same chip as processor 910. In some embodiments, there may be multiple levels of cache 920 (e.g., L2 and L3 cache layers).

[0146] The network interface controller 930 manages data exchange through network interfaces (also referred to as network interface ports). The network interface controller 930 handles the physical and data link layers of the OSI model for network communication. In some embodiments, some of the network interface controller's tasks 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 ports are wireless (e.g., radio) receiver / transmitters (e.g., for either the IEEE 802.11 protocol, Near Field Communication "NFC," Bluetooth, ANT, or other wireless protocols). In some embodiments, the network interface controller 930 implements one or more network protocols, such as Ethernet. Generally, computing device 900 exchanges data with other computing devices over a physical or wireless link via a network interface, which may be directly connected to the other devices or connected to the other devices through an intermediary device (e.g., a network device such as a hub, bridge, switch, or router) that connects computing device 900 to a data network such as the Internet.

[0147] Computing system 900 may include or provide an interface to 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, pointing devices such as mice or trackballs. Output devices include, but are not limited to, video displays, speakers, refreshable Braille terminals, lighting, MIDI devices, 2D or 3D printers, etc.

[0148] Other components may include I / O interfaces, external serial device ports, and any additional coprocessors. For example, 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 external media drive). In some embodiments, computing device 900 includes additional devices such as coprocessors, e.g., a math coprocessor, to support processor 910 with high-precision or complex calculations.

[0149] The foregoing description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Accordingly, the claims are not limited to the embodiments described herein but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claim language. Reference to a component in the singular does not mean "one and only one," unless expressly stated otherwise, but rather "one or more." The term "some" means one or more, unless otherwise stated. All structural and functional equivalents known or later known to those skilled in the art to elements of the various embodiments described herein are expressly incorporated by reference herein and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be publicly available, whether or not expressly recited in the claims. A claim element should not be construed as a means-function combination unless expressly recited using the phrase "means."

[0150] It is understood that the particular order or hierarchy of the blocks in the disclosed processes is an example of an illustrative approach. Based on design preferences, it is understood that the particular order or hierarchy of the blocks in the processes can be rearranged within the scope of the foregoing description. The accompanying method claims present components of the various blocks in an example order and are not limited to the particular order or hierarchy presented.

[0151] 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 such embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the foregoing description. Therefore, the foregoing description is not intended to be limited to the embodiments disclosed herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0152] The various embodiments shown and described are provided merely as examples to illustrate various features of the claims. However, features shown and described with respect to a particular embodiment are not necessarily limited to the associated embodiment, and may also be used or combined with other embodiments shown and described. Furthermore, the claims are not intended to be limited to any single embodiment.

[0153] The foregoing method descriptions and process flow charts are provided only as illustrative examples and do not require or imply that the blocks of the various embodiments be performed in the order presented. As one skilled in the art would understand, the order of the blocks of the foregoing embodiments may be performed in any order. Words such as "follows," "then," and "next" are not intended to limit the order of the blocks; these words are merely used to guide the reader through the method descriptions. Additionally, references to claim components referred to in the singular, for example, using "a," "an," or "the," should not be construed as limiting that element to the singular.

[0154] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm blocks described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and blocks are described generally according to their functionality. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality for each particular application in various ways, and such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0155] The hardware used to implement the various exemplary logic, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed by a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, individual gate or transistor logic, individual hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but the processor may alternatively be a conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented in 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 other similar configurations. Alternatively, some blocks or methods may be performed by circuitry adapted for a given function.

[0156] In some exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium. Blocks of methods or algorithms disclosed herein may be implemented in processor-executable software modules, which may reside on a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium. A non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium may be any storage medium accessible by a computer or processor. For example, such non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. As used herein, disk and disc include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the foregoing are also included within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable and processor-readable media. Also, the method or algorithm operations may reside as one or any combination or set of code and / or instructions in a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium and / or computer-readable storage medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0157] The schematic diagram above is a portion of an integrated circuit chip design. The chip design is created in a graphical computer programming language and stored on a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a disk, tape, physical hard drive, or virtual hard drive such as a storage access network). If the designer does not manufacture the chip or the photolithography masks used in chip fabrication, the designer transmits the resulting design directly or indirectly to an entity by physical means (e.g., providing a copy of the computer-readable storage medium storing the design) or electronic means (e.g., via the Internet). The stored design is converted into a format (e.g., GDSII) suitable for photolithography mask fabrication, which typically includes multiple copies of the chip design formed on a wafer. The photolithography mask is utilized to define the areas of the wafer (and / or layers thereon) to be etched or otherwise processed.

[0158] Additionally, relative terms such as "bottom" or "lower" or "back" or "below" and "top" or "upper" or "front" or "top" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to other elements, as depicted in the figures. It will be understood that the relative terms are intended to include other orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in one of the figures were turned over, an element described as being "below" the other elements would then be "above" the other elements. Thus, the exemplary term "lower" can encompass both an orientation of "lower" and "upper," depending on the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if a device in one of the figures were turned over, an element described as being "below" or "bottom" the other elements would then be "above" the other elements. Thus, the exemplary terms "lower" or "lower" can encompass both an orientation of up and down.

[0159] The foregoing detailed description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be complete or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The described embodiments were selected to best explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practical application, and thus to enable those skilled in the art to best utilize the present disclosure through various modifications suited to the particular uses contemplated in the various embodiments. The scope of the present disclosure is intended to be defined by the claims appended hereto.

[0160] Although some embodiments of the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various modifications, substitutions, and alterations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present 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 can be modified within the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular implementations of the processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, and steps described herein. As those skilled in the art will readily understand from the description of the present disclosure, currently existing or future developed processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, and steps can perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding implementations described herein in accordance with the present disclosure. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

[0161] The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to some embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments disclosed herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

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

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

3. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the input and the output of the optical amplifier array device are located on particular sides of the optical amplifier array device.

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

5. 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the optical amplifier array device comprises at least one of a plurality of cascaded optical amplifier array devices within the second device.

6. 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1 or 5, wherein the transceiver unit comprises at least one of a plurality of cascaded transceiver units within the second unit.

7. 7. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the optical amplifier array device includes a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers, each of the plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers receiving the optical signal via a corresponding input and outputting the amplified optical signal via a corresponding output.

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

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

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

11. 8. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the output optical power of each of the plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers is at least 200 milliwatts.

12. 10. The LIDAR sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first device includes a III-V semiconductor circuit.

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

14. 1. An autonomous vehicle control system, comprising: A LIDAR sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 13; one or more processors; The one or more processors: using the returned optical signal to determine at least one of a distance to the object or a velocity of the object; An autonomous vehicle control system configured to control operation of an autonomous vehicle in response to at least one of the distance or the velocity.

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

Images