OPA-Based Lidar Transceiver Antenna for Solid-State Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lidar technologies face challenges with high production costs, integration difficulties, and limited scanning speed and stability due to mechanical components, while silicon-based optical phase arrays suffer from processing complexities and low speed.
Innovation Solution
A lidar transceiver antenna based on an optical phased array (OPA) with a single-point transceiver module, signal processing, and central controller, utilizing resonant OPA chips for phase adjustment and control, which reduces processing complexity and enhances scanning capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If mechanical scanning components (optical vibration mirrors, coaxial rotary mirrors) are used in lidar, then scanning functionality is achieved, but production cost increases, integration becomes difficult, and system weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical scanning components (optical vibration mirrors, coaxial rotary mirrors) with an Optical Phased Array (OPA) system that uses optical path difference control to achieve beam scanning. This substitution eliminates heavy mechanical parts, reduces production cost, and simplifies integration while maintaining scanning functionality through electrical control of optical phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the mechanical scanning subsystem from the lidar system, retaining only the essential scanning functionality through the OPA approach. By taking out the mechanical components entirely, the system achieves simpler integration and lower cost while preserving the core scanning capability through optical phase manipulation.
2Device complexity
If MEMS micro-mirrors are used for electrically controlled scanning, then integration improves compared to mechanical scanning, but scanning speed and stability are limited due to mechanical vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces MEMS mechanical micro-mirrors with a purely optical OPA system that controls beam direction through optical path difference adjustment rather than physical mirror movement. This eliminates mechanical vibration inherent in MEMS devices, improving scanning stability and reliability while maintaining electrical controllability and integration benefits.
3Device complexity
If integrated silicon photonics OPA is used, then integration and cost are improved, but processing difficulty increases and phase modulator speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from silicon-based photonics to polymer-based optical waveguides. This parameter change simplifies processing by enabling lower-temperature fabrication compatible with plastic substrates, reduces processing difficulty, and allows for more flexible manufacturing while maintaining integration and cost advantages.
4Ease of operation
If conventional optical scanning systems are used, then scanning functionality is achieved, but signal-to-noise ratio decreases in strong light environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the OPA system adaptive to local environmental conditions. The optical path difference control allows dynamic adjustment of the beam pattern to maintain narrow field of view and optimize signal reception specifically in strong light environments, improving signal-to-noise ratio where it matters most while preserving scanning functionality.
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 solution achieves low-cost, high-performance scanning with improved signal-to-noise ratio and adaptability to strong light environments, maintaining a narrow field of view and reducing system complexity.
Implementation Method 1
OPA is an important development direction in the future, and has huge advantages in terms of cost and integration. Its principle is to adjust the phase of the emitted light wave through the method of the optical antenna array, so as to achieve the purpose of controlling the emission direction of the light wave
Implementation Method 2
the single-point receiving unit receives an optical signal reflected by a target object
Implementation Method 3
the laser driving module is configured to drive the emitter to emit a light beam
Data Source
AI summary
An OPA-based laser radar transceiver antenna and a distance measurement method; the OPA-based laser radar transceiver antenna comprises a distance measurement module based on a single-point transceiver, a signal processing module, a central controller and a laser driving module; the laser driving module and the signal processing module are both connected to the central controller. The distance measurement module comprises a single-point transmitting unit and a single-point receiving unit; the laser driving module drives the single-point transmitting unit to emit a light beam, and controls the light signal transmission direction of the light beam; the single-point receiving unit receives the light signal reflected by a detected object and transmits same to the signal processing module for processing so as to calculate the displacement of the detected object. The single-point transmitting unit and the single-point receiving unit can be a transmissive OPA and can also be a reflective OPA; the central point of the emitted light and the received light can be on the same optical axis or can be on different optical axes, such that the design of the transceiver antenna of the laser radar system achieves solid-state imaging scanning, providing the advantages of low cost, high signal-to-noise ratio, etc.