US 12,455,353 B2
Scanning laser devices and methods with non-uniform optical expansion and pulse energy variation
Henry J. Baron, Kirkland, WA (US); Alga Lloyd Nothern, III, Seattle, WA (US); Christopher Brian Adkins, Woodinville, WA (US); and Jonathan A. Morarity, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to Microvision, Inc., Redmond, WA (US)
Filed by Microvision, Inc., Redmond, WA (US)
Filed on Jun. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/303,606.
Prior Publication US 2022/0390569 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G02B 26/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4817 (2013.01) [G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G02B 26/105 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a laser light source configured to produce laser light pulses;
an optical assembly, the optical assembly including expansion optics and beam scanning optics to scan the laser light pulses into a scan field, wherein the expansion optics provide a non-uniform variation in optical expansion of the laser light pulses relative to position along a first axis in the scan field;
a detector to detect reflections of the laser light pulses from within the scan field; and
a light source controller operatively coupled to the laser light source, the light source controller configured to vary energy levels of the laser light pulses according to the position along the first axis in the scan field to form a dynamic range shape comprising a plurality of effective range regions along the first axis, wherein, within each effective range region, the energy level of the laser light pulses increases as an angular position along the first axis increases, and wherein, upon transition from one effective range region to an adjacent effective range region as the angular position along the first axis increases, the energy level of the laser light pulses is reduced to a lower value corresponding to a beginning of the adjacent effective range region.