US 12,111,396 B2
Device and method for scanning frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LiDAR range measurement
Sandeep Ummethala, Karlsruhe (DE); Naser Hosseini, Jette (BE); and Vladimir Davydenko, Bad Herrenalb (DE)
Assigned to Scantinel Photonics GmbH, Ulm (DE)
Filed by Scantinel Photonics GmbH, Ulm (DE)
Filed on Feb. 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/678,908.
Prior Publication US 2023/0266466 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. G01B 9/02 (2022.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/4911 (2020.01); G01S 17/34 (2020.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 7/487 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 17/34 (2020.01) [G01S 7/4814 (2013.01); G01S 7/4817 (2013.01); G01S 7/4911 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 7/487 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for scanning Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LiDAR range measurement, comprising:
a light source configured to produce light having a varying frequency,
a splitter configured to split the light into reference light and output light,
a distribution matrix configured to distribute the output light among a plurality of free space couplers that are configured to outcouple the output light into free space,
a plurality of optical waveguides that are configured to guide input light that was reflected at an object,
a detector configured to detect a superposition of the input light with the reference light, and
a calculation unit configured to determine the range to the object from the superposition detected by the detector,
wherein:
the device further comprises a common optical waveguide that is optically connected to the plurality of optical waveguides and the detector so that input light that is guided in any of the optical waveguides propagates through the common optical waveguide towards the detector without passing the distribution matrix;
each of the plurality of optical waveguides includes a splitter that separates the respective optical waveguide into a first portion and a second portion;
the first portion is configured to guide also the output light;
the second portion is configured to guide only the input light; and
the input light guided in each of the plurality of optical waveguides is coupled into the common optical waveguide using a passive or an active coupling unit.