US 11,892,566 B1
Multiplexed light detection and ranging apparatus
Tsung-Han Tsai, Newton, MA (US); Jie Jensen Hou, El Dorato Hills, CA (US); Hao Wu, Wuhan (CN); Shanxing Su, Wuhan (CN); and Jiaqi Zhang, Wuhan (CN)
Assigned to Optowaves, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Optowaves, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/950,178.
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01B 11/24 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 17/58 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4817 (2013.01) [G01B 11/24 (2013.01); G01S 7/4816 (2013.01); G01S 17/58 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hybrid scanner within a multiplexed light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system for executing a scan pattern of a plurality of sample pulsed wavelength-modulated coherent light beams, comprising:
a plurality of optical collimators configured such that one sampled pulsed wavelength-modulated coherent light beam is transferred to each collimator of the plurality of optical collimators;
wherein each of the plurality of collimators comprise: one or more graded-index fiber rods, where in each fiber rod is formed with a separate lens in contact with the graded-index fiber rod to provide the low numerical aperture as required of the graded-index fiber rod and the engineered graded-index lens for long-distance illumination and the higher numerical aperture required for receiving back-reflected pulsed wavelength-modulated coherent light from the object;
at least one slow-axis rotating planar mirror to receive and reflect at one least collimated sample pulsed wavelength-modulated coherent light beam and configured to rotate along a first axis to form a first-dimensional scan pattern of the sample pulsed wavelength-modulated coherent light beams;
a fast-axis rotating multi-faceted scanning mirror structured for reflecting the multiple pulsed wavelength-modulated coherent light beams configured to rotate on a second axis to form a second-dimensional scan pattern of the multiple pulsed wavelength-modulated coherent light beams;
wherein the multiple pulsed wavelength-modulated coherent light beams are transmitted to an object to determine its geometric dimensions with a combination of the first-dimensional scan and the second-dimensional scan pattern.