US 12,066,577 B2
Reducing amplitude variations in LIDAR system output signals
Amir Ali Tavallaee, San Francisco, CA (US); Behnam Behroozpour, South San Francisco, 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 May 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/870,890.
Prior Publication US 2021/0349197 A1, Nov. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. G01C 3/08 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/4911 (2020.01); G01S 7/4912 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 7/4911 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4813 (2013.01); G01S 7/4917 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A LIDAR system, comprising:
multiple optical components, at least one of the optical components configured to output a system output signal that travels away from the LIDAR system and can be reflected by an object located outside of the LIDAR system such that light reflected from the object returns to the LIDAR system as a system return signal, the optical components configured to combine light from the system return signal with light from a reference signal, the reference signal including light that has not exited from the LIDAR system, the optical components include an amplifier that receives a pre-amplifier signal and outputs an amplified light signal, the pre-amplifier signal having a varying amplitude and a varying frequency,
the system output signal including light from the amplified light signal;
electronics configured to operate the amplifier in a saturated state during a period of time when the amplifier outputs the amplified light signal; and
a LIDAR chip configured to guide an outgoing LIDAR signal, the system output signal including light from the outgoing LIDAR signal,
the amplifier being included on an amplifier chip,
the amplifier chip being included on the LIDAR chip and being positioned at an edge of the LIDAR chip such that the amplified light signal exits from the LIDAR chip upon exiting from the amplifier chip.