US 11,892,565 B2
Controlling direction of LIDAR output signals
Dazeng Feng, El Monte, CA (US); Bradley Jonathan Luff, La Canada Flintridge, CA (US); and Mehdi Asghari, La Canada Flintridge, CA (US)
Assigned to SiLC Technologies, Inc., Monrovia, CA (US)
Filed by SiLC Technologies, Inc., Monrovia, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 12, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/600,492.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/745,207, filed on Oct. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0109195 A1, Apr. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G02F 1/29 (2006.01); G02F 1/313 (2006.01); G01S 3/802 (2006.01); G01S 3/788 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4814 (2013.01) [G01S 3/788 (2013.01); G01S 3/802 (2013.01); G01S 3/8022 (2013.01); G02F 1/292 (2013.01); G02F 1/313 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A LIDAR system, comprising:
a LIDAR chip with a waveguide array configured to output a LIDAR output signal such that the LIDAR output signal is reflected by an object located off the LIDAR chip,
the waveguide array includes multiple steering waveguides that each outputs a different portion of the LIDAR output signal and more than half of the steering waveguides each excludes a phase tuner; and
electronics configured to tune a wavelength of the LIDAR output signal such that a direction that the LIDAR output signal travels away from the LIDAR chip changes in response to the tuning of the wavelength by the electronics.