US 12,461,208 B2
Diffractive light distribution for photosensor array-based lidar receiving system
Youmin Wang, Berkeley, CA (US); and Yue Lu, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to BEIJING VOYAGER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., Beijing (CN)
Filed by BEIJING VOYAGER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., Beijing (CN)
Filed on Dec. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/544,920.
Prior Publication US 2023/0176197 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01B 11/22 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 7/4817 (2013.01) [G01B 11/22 (2013.01); G01S 7/4814 (2013.01); G01S 7/4816 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical sensing system, comprising:
a laser emitter, configured to emit an optical signal;
a steering device, configured to direct the emitted optical signal toward an environment surrounding the optical sensing system;
a diffractive optical element, configured to diffract the optical signal returning from the environment to form a plurality of beams focusing at a plurality of spots on a focal plane, wherein the optical signal returning from the environment has a light intensity profile of one of a Gaussian distribution or a normal distribution and each of the plurality of beams has a top-hat intensity profile comprising sharp edges and a step energy drop-off between the plurality of spots; and
a photosensor array placed at the focal plane, configured to detect the plurality of beams diffracted by the diffractive optical element at the plurality of spots, wherein the photosensor array comprises a plurality of sensitive elements.