G02B26/125

2D scanning high precision LiDAR using combination of rotating concave mirror and beam steering devices
11782132 · 2023-10-10 · ·

The present disclosure describes a system and method for coaxial LiDAR scanning. The system includes a first light source configured to provide first light pulses. The system also includes one or more beam steering apparatuses optically coupled to the first light source. Each beam steering apparatus comprises a rotatable concave reflector and a light beam steering device disposed at least partially within the rotatable concave reflector. The combination of the light beam steering device and the rotatable concave reflector, when moving with respect to each other, steers the one or more first light pulses both vertically and horizontally to illuminate an object within a field-of-view; obtain one or more first returning light pulses, the one or more first returning light pulses being generated based on the steered first light pulses illuminating an object within the field-of-view, and redirects the one or more first returning light pulses.

Multi-beam scanning system

Optical apparatus includes a projector, which is configured to direct a pattern of one or more stripes, extending along a longitudinal dimension across a target. A receiver includes an array of optical sensors, and objective optics, which are configured to image the target onto the array, and which have a non-circular aperture, which is elongated in a direction dependent upon the longitudinal dimension of the stripes.

LIDAR SYSTEM WITH POLYGON MIRROR

A lidar system includes one or more light sources configured to generate a first beam of light and a second beam of light, a scanner configured to scan the first and second beams of light across a field of regard of the lidar system, and a receiver configured to detect the first beam of light and the second beam of light scattered by one or more remote targets. The scanner includes a rotatable polygon mirror that includes multiple reflective surfaces angularly offset from one another along a periphery of the polygon mirror, the reflective surfaces configured to reflect the first and second beams of light to produce a series of scan lines as the polygon mirror rotates. The scanner also includes a pivotable scan mirror configured to (i) reflect the first and second beams of light and (ii) pivot to distribute the scan lines across the field of regard.

Image forming apparatus
11774748 · 2023-10-03 · ·

A scanline curvature correction mechanism includes a holding mechanism to extend in a main scanning direction and hold an optical element in the main scanning direction, a pressing member provided near a center of the optical element in the main scanning direction and press the optical element of the optical scanning device in the sub-scanning direction, and a curvature adjustment mechanism provided on an opposite side of the pressing member with the optical element interposed therebetween and to adjust a curvature of the optical element in the sub-scanning direction. The curvature adjustment mechanism includes an eccentric cam to rotate around a rotation axis parallel to an optical axis of the optical element and include a cam portion of which an outer peripheral surface is eccentric with respect to the rotation axis, and a fixing mechanism to stepwisely fix an angular position of rotation of the eccentric cam.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus

An optical scanning device includes light sources, a deflector, an optical element, and light blockers. The light blockers are spaced apart in a rotation direction of the deflector. An inequality θ1<θ2 is satisfied, where when viewed from the rotation axis direction, θ1 is an angle formed by a line segment connecting the end portion of a light blocker disposed most downstream in the rotation direction to a rotation axis center of the deflector and a line segment connecting the end portion of a light blocker disposed most upstream in the rotation direction to the rotation axis center, and θ2 is an angle formed by a line segment connecting an upstream end portion of one mirror surface in the rotation direction to the rotation axis center and a line segment connecting a downstream end portion of the one mirror surface in the rotation direction to the rotation axis center.

2D SCANNING HIGH PRECISION LiDAR USING COMBINATION OF ROTATING CONCAVE MIRROR AND BEAM STEERING DEVICES
20230176193 · 2023-06-08 · ·

The present disclosure describes a system and method for coaxial LiDAR scanning. The system includes a first light source configured to provide first light pulses. The system also includes one or more beam steering apparatuses optically coupled to the first light source. Each beam steering apparatus comprises a rotatable concave reflector and a light beam steering device disposed at least partially within the rotatable concave reflector. The combination of the light beam steering device and the rotatable concave reflector, when moving with respect to each other, steers the one or more first light pulses both vertically and horizontally to illuminate an object within a field-of-view; obtain one or more first returning light pulses, the one or more first returning light pulses being generated based on the steered first light pulses illuminating an object within the field-of-view, and redirects the one or more first returning light pulses.

2D SCANNING HIGH PRECISION LiDAR USING COMBINATION OF ROTATING CONCAVE MIRROR AND BEAM STEERING DEVICES
20230194668 · 2023-06-22 · ·

The present disclosure describes a system and method for coaxial LiDAR scanning. The system includes a first light source configured to provide first light pulses. The system also includes one or more beam steering apparatuses optically coupled to the first light source. Each beam steering apparatus comprises a rotatable concave reflector and a light beam steering device disposed at least partially within the rotatable concave reflector. The combination of the light beam steering device and the rotatable concave reflector, when moving with respect to each other, steers the one or more first light pulses both vertically and horizontally to illuminate an object within a field-of-view; obtain one or more first returning light pulses, the one or more first returning light pulses being generated based on the steered first light pulses illuminating an object within the field-of-view, and redirects the one or more first returning light pulses.

OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20230138292 · 2023-05-04 · ·

An optical scanning device (15) includes a reference light guide part (50); a sub-light guide part (40); a reference holding structure (53) which includes a reference reception part (55) configured so as to be in contact with the reference lens (52) deflected in a sub-scanning direction; a sub-holding structure (45) which includes a sub-reception part (45) configured so as to be in contact with the sub-lens (42) deflected in the sub-scanning direction, wherein a deflection direction of the reference lens (52) coincides with a deflection direction of the sub-lens (42), and when it is assumed that the reference lens (52) and the sub-lens (42) are not deflected, an absolute value of a smallest distance between the sub-reception part (45) and the sub-lens (42) is set to be equal to or larger than an absolute value of a smallest distance between the reference reception part (55) and the reference lens (52).

Optical device, range sensor using optical device, and mobile object

An optical device includes a light source provided with a plurality of surface-emitting laser elements to emit a laser beam, a scanner to scan the laser beam emitted from the light source, and an optical system disposed in an optical path between the light source and the scanner and to guide the laser beam to the scanner. The optical system includes a first optical element to control a divergence angle of the laser beam emitted from the light source and a second optical element to concentrate the laser beam that has passed through the first optical element onto a to-be-scanned surface of the scanner.

2D scanning high precision LiDAR using combination of rotating concave mirror and beam steering devices
11782131 · 2023-10-10 · ·

The present disclosure describes a system and method for coaxial LiDAR scanning. The system includes a first light source configured to provide first light pulses. The system also includes one or more beam steering apparatuses optically coupled to the first light source. Each beam steering apparatus comprises a rotatable concave reflector and a light beam steering device disposed at least partially within the rotatable concave reflector. The combination of the light beam steering device and the rotatable concave reflector, when moving with respect to each other, steers the one or more first light pulses both vertically and horizontally to illuminate an object within a field-of-view; obtain one or more first returning light pulses, the one or more first returning light pulses being generated based on the steered first light pulses illuminating an object within the field-of-view, and redirects the one or more first returning light pulses.