US 11,780,361 B2
Close-in illumination module
Giulia Guidi, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/935,447.
Application 17/935,447 is a continuation of application No. 17/125,321, filed on Dec. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,505,109.
Application 17/125,321 is a continuation of application No. 16/726,489, filed on Dec. 24, 2019, granted, now 10,899,267, issued on Jan. 26, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0014426 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60Q 1/00 (2006.01); G03B 15/02 (2021.01); B60R 11/04 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01)
CPC B60Q 1/0023 (2013.01) [B60R 11/04 (2013.01); G03B 15/02 (2013.01); G01S 7/4815 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical system comprising:
a camera, wherein the camera comprises an optical axis and an outer lens element disposed along the optical axis; and
a plurality of illumination modules, wherein each illumination module comprises:
at least one light-emitter device configured to emit light along a respective emission axis, wherein the plurality of illumination modules is arranged with respect to the optical axis of the camera such that the respective emission axes of the plurality of illumination modules are not parallel with respect to the optical axis.