US 11,714,167 B2
LIDAR adapter for use with LIDAR chip
Dazeng Feng, El Monte, CA (US); Mehdi Asghari, La Canada Flintridge, CA (US); and Bradley Jonathan Luff, La Canada Flintridge, CA (US)
Assigned to SiLC Technologies, Inc., Monrovia, CA (US)
Filed by SiLC Technologies, Inc., Monrovia, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 21, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/547,522.
Prior Publication US 2021/0055388 A1, Feb. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/58 (2006.01); G01S 17/08 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4812 (2013.01) [G01S 17/08 (2013.01); G01S 17/58 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising:
a LIDAR chip configured to output a LIDAR output signal; and
a LIDAR adapter configured to receive the LIDAR output signal from the LIDAR chip and to output an adapter output signal that includes light from the LIDAR output signal, and
the LIDAR adapter being configured to receive a LIDAR return signal that includes light from the adapter output signal that was reflected by an object located outside of the LIDAR system,
the LIDAR adapter configured such that the adapter output signal and the LIDAR return signal travel the same optical pathway between the LIDAR adapter and the object,
the LIDAR adapter configured to output a LIDAR input signal that is received by the LIDAR chip,
the LIDAR input signal including light from the LIDAR return signal, and the LIDAR input signal and the LIDAR output signal traveling different optical pathways between the LIDAR adapter and the LIDAR chip
the LIDAR adapter includes discrete optical components attached to a substrate such that light signals travel between the different optical components through free space and the LIDAR chip includes integrated optical components integrated with a chip substrate, the chip substrate and the substrate being separate components.