Optical Scanner Phase Correction for Substrate Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical phased array technologies struggle to address errors caused by substrate distortion, which affects the three-dimensional arrangement of antenna elements, leading to beam profile collapse and emission angle shifting.
Innovation Solution
An optical scanner is designed with a light receiving unit featuring an optical phased array that controls the phases of branched lights for scanning. A reference light irradiating unit generates reference light to estimate phase shift amounts due to substrate distortion, allowing for phase adjustments to correct these errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If optical phased array scanning is performed without substrate distortion correction, then scanning function is achieved, but beam profile collapse and emission angle shifting occur due to substrate distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where a light receiving unit detects the actual beam emission angle and profile, compares it with the target values, and generates correction signals to adjust the phase shift amounts. This closed-loop feedback system continuously compensates for substrate distortion effects, maintaining reliable beam profile and accurate emission angles despite thermal environmental changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes the phase shift parameters of the optical phased array elements based on detected distortion. By adjusting the phase shift amounts in response to measured beam deviations, the system compensates for substrate distortion and maintains accurate beam control under varying temperature conditions.
2Measurement precision
If reference light irradiation is added for distortion correction, then phase shift estimation accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces reference light as an intermediary element that facilitates accurate measurement of substrate distortion. The reference light interacts with the optical phased array and light receiving unit to enable phase shift estimation without requiring direct measurement of the substrate itself, thus improving measurement precision while keeping the added complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference light creates a reference pattern or signal that copies the expected ideal beam characteristics. By comparing the actual beam output with this reference copy, the system can accurately estimate phase shifts caused by distortion. This copying approach enables precise measurement without requiring complex direct substrate sensing mechanisms.
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 optical scanner effectively corrects beam profile and emission direction errors caused by substrate distortion, enabling stable operation in harsh temperature environments, such as onboard LiDAR systems.
Implementation Method 1
an optical phased array that scans and emits light beams by individually controlling phases of a plurality of branched lights using a scanning phase amount
Implementation Method 2
a light receiving unit that includes an optical phased array
Implementation Method 3
a reference light irradiating unit that generates reference light and irradiates the reference light onto the light receiving unit
Data Source
AI summary
An optical scanner includes a light receiving unit, a reference light irradiating unit, and a light-receiving-side correcting unit. The light receiving unit includes an optical phased array that implements scanning by a light beam by individually controlling phases of a plurality of branched lights using a scanning phase amount. The reference light irradiating unit generates reference light and irradiate the reference light onto the light receiving unit. The light-receiving-side correcting unit estimates a phase shift amount that occurs in the plurality of branched lights as a result of distortion of a substrate on which the light receiving unit is mounted from a detection result of the light receiving unit onto which the reference light is incident, and sets a phase adjustment amount to be applied to the plurality of branched lights such that the estimated phase shift amount decreases.