US 12,111,421 B2
Waveguide-based transmitters with adjustable lighting
Yakov G. Soskind, Plainsboro, NJ (US); Alexander Shpunt, Saratoga, CA (US); and Graham C. Townsend, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Assigned to APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/549,914.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/162,043, filed on Mar. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0299605 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01B 11/22 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G02F 1/21 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/484 (2013.01) [G01B 11/22 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G02F 1/216 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical transmission device, comprising:
a waveguide comprising a transparent medium having mutually-parallel first and second surfaces arranged so that light propagates within the waveguide by internal reflection between the first and second surfaces;
at least one light source, which is configured to inject coherent light into the waveguide;
a first array of diffractive structures applied to the waveguide and configured to couple respective beams of the coherent light out through the first surface of the waveguide; and
a second array of tunable optical phase modulators, which are overlaid on respective ones of the diffractive structures in the first array and are configured to apply different respective phase shifts to the respective beams, thereby modulating a far-field light pattern formed by interference between the beams.