Techniques for determining orientation of a target using light polarization

US11762069B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Aeva, Inc. · US

Inventors

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

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 11, 2022
• Grant date: Sep 19, 2023
• Expiry date: Nov 11, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B27/283
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method is provided that transmits a beam of co-propagating, cross-polarized light to a target. The method receives return light reflected from the target, which includes a first polarization and a second polarization. The method splits the return light into a first output corresponding to the first polarization and a second output corresponding to the second polarization using a first beam splitter. The method directs the first output to a first detector and directs the second output to a second detector. The method generates, by the first detector, a first electrical signal corresponding to the first polarization, and generates, by the second detector, a second electrical signal corresponding to the second polarization. The method determines an orientation of the target based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal, and generates a point cloud based on the orientation of the target.