System and method for FMCW LIDAR with DC laser

US11320522B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Aeva, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Oguzhan Avci · Cupertino, US
• Omer P. Kocaoglu · Fremont, US
• Neal N. Oza · Palo Alto, US
• Keith Gagne · Santa Clara, US
• Behsan Behzadi · Menlo Park, US
• Mina Rezk · Haymarket, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 17, 2019
• Grant date: May 3, 2022
• Expiry date: Jun 15, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S7/4817
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system uses optical sources to emit a continuous-wave (CW) optical beam and a frequency-modulated (FMCW) optical beam. A first set off optical components is coupled with the optical sources to generate a CW local oscillator (LO) signal from the CW optical beam, to generate an FMCW LO signal from the FMCW optical beam, and to combine the CW optical beam and the FMCW optical beam into a combined optical beam. A second set of optical components is coupled with the first set of optical components, to transmit the combined optical beam toward a target environment and to receive a target return signal from the target environment. A third set of optical components is coupled with the second set of optical components, to generate and detect a target velocity component of the target return signal and a target range component of the target return signal.