Phased-Array Lidar Antenna Calibration via Parameter Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process limitations, such as inaccurate waveguide width, rough waveguide edges, and poor wafer surface flatness, result in mismatched parameters between transmitting and receiving antennas in phased-array lidar systems, leading to reduced ranging performance.
Innovation Solution
A lidar system with a phased-array antenna array and an antenna modification structure that adjusts the characteristic parameters of the transmitting and receiving antennas to reduce the deviation angle between their light spots, ensuring better alignment and improved ranging performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If standard manufacturing process is used for phased-array lidar chips, then production efficiency and cost are maintained, but light spot alignment between transmitting and receiving antennas deteriorates due to process variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calibrating the deviation angles between transmitting and receiving antennas during the manufacturing process. Compensation parameters are calculated and stored in advance based on measured deviations, so that the system can automatically compensate for alignment errors during operation without requiring manual real-time adjustment, thus maintaining both production efficiency and alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters by introducing compensation parameters that adjust the working parameters of the transmitting and receiving antennas. By modifying the beam deflection angles through these compensation parameters, the system compensates for manufacturing variations and achieves accurate light spot alignment despite standard manufacturing tolerances.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual calibration method is used to adjust antenna parameters, then light spot alignment precision is improved, but calibration time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by implementing an automated calibration system that performs measurements and calculations independently. The system automatically measures light spot positions, calculates deviation angles, determines compensation parameters, and applies corrections without requiring extensive manual intervention, thereby reducing calibration time while maintaining high alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback by measuring the actual light spot positions, comparing them with ideal positions, and using the measured deviations to calculate and apply compensation parameters. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables automated iterative calibration that converges to optimal alignment quickly, reducing both time and operational complexity compared to manual trial-and-error methods.
3Manufacturing precision
If compensation parameters are pre-calculated and stored, then real-time alignment accuracy is improved, but memory requirements and data management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by storing compensation parameters specifically for each antenna element's local characteristics rather than using global compensation values. Each transmitting and receiving antenna pair has its own dedicated compensation parameters stored in memory, allowing precise local alignment correction while minimizing overall memory requirements through targeted rather than universal parameter storage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The adjustment of antenna parameters using the antenna modification structure effectively reduces the deviation angle between the light spots of the transmitting and receiving antennas, enhancing the ranging performance of the lidar system by ensuring better alignment and detection accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a light source, configured to provide an emitted laser light beam
Implementation Method 2
a coupler, optically connected with the light source, and configured to couple the emitted laser light beam to an optical chip
Implementation Method 3
a beam splitter, optically connected with the coupler, and configured to split the emitted laser light beam to form an emitted laser light sub-beam
Implementation Method 4
a phase shifter, optically connected with the beam splitter, and configured to perform phase modulation to the emitted laser light sub-beam
Implementation Method 5
the transmitting antenna is configured to transmit a phase-modulated emitted laser light sub-beam to a detection area
Implementation Method 6
the receiving antenna is configured to receive an echo signal, the echo signal is a light beam reflected by an object in the detection area
Data Source
AI summary
A lidar and a calibration method thereof. In the lidar, a phase-modulated emitted laser light sub-beam is transmitted, by a transmitting antenna in a phased-array antenna array, to a detection area, and, an echo signal is received by a receiving antenna in the phased-array antenna array; and an antenna modification structure is utilized to adjust a characteristic parameter of the transmitting antenna and/or a characteristic parameter of the receiving antenna, a position of a corresponding light spot is changed by adjusting the characteristic parameter of the antenna, so that a deviation angle between a light spot of at least one transmitting antenna and a light spot of at least one receiving antenna is reduced and a distance between a center of the light spot of the transmitting antenna and a center of the light spot of the receiving antenna is decreased.