US 11,867,808 B2
Waveguide diffusers for LIDARs
Pierre-Yves Droz, Los Altos, CA (US); David Neil Hutchison, Santa Clara, CA (US); James Dunphy, San Jose, CA (US); Nathaniel Golshan, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Ralph Hamilton Shepard, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/982,078.
Application 17/982,078 is a continuation of application No. 16/140,535, filed on Sep. 25, 2018, granted, now 11,520,044.
Prior Publication US 2023/0055071 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 17/02 (2020.01); G02B 27/09 (2006.01); G02B 6/122 (2006.01); G02B 6/12 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 17/02 (2013.01) [G02B 6/122 (2013.01); G02B 27/0955 (2013.01); G02B 2006/12104 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a light emitter configured to emit light;
a waveguide having a first end, a second end, and an output surface between the first end and the second end;
an input mirror coupled to the first end of the waveguide, wherein the input mirror is configured to reflect the emitted light from the light emitter into the waveguide, such that the waveguide guides the emitted light toward the second end as guided light; and
an output mirror coupled to the second end of the waveguide, wherein the output mirror is configured to reflect at least a portion of the guided light out of the waveguide through the output surface, wherein the light reflected out of the waveguide by the output mirror propagates toward a scene as a transmitted light beam.