Lidar system having a linear focal plane, and related methods and apparatus

1 . A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, comprising:

a plurality of laser sources configured to provide a plurality of transmit beams, each laser source of the plurality of laser sources being positioned on a planar substrate with a respective lateral offset of a first plurality of offsets relative to a reference line defined on the planar substrate;

a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) interfaces configured to pass the plurality of transmit beams and reflect received light towards a plurality of detectors, each T/R interface of the plurality of T/R interfaces being positioned on the planar substrate with a respective lateral offset of a second plurality of offsets relative to the reference line; and

a plurality of micro-optic lenses positioned between the plurality of laser sources and the plurality of T/R interfaces, each micro-optic lens of the plurality of micro-optic lenses being positioned on the planar substrate with a respective lateral offset of a third plurality of offsets relative to the reference line,

wherein the respective lateral offsets of the first, second, and third pluralities of offsets are configured in a calculated relationship that provides non-mechanical beam steering of the plurality of transmit beams across a field of view, and wherein the non-mechanical beam steering is configured to align the plurality of transmit beams to a flat focal plane.

2 . The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein each lens of the plurality of micro-optic lenses intersects a respective transmit beam of the plurality of transmit beams, and wherein each lens of the plurality of micro-optic lenses includes one or more micro-optic lenses configured to provide beam shaping of the respective transmit beam of the plurality of transmit beams.

3 . The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein each T/R interface of the plurality of T/R interfaces includes at least one mirror.

4 . The LIDAR device of claim 3 , wherein each detector of the plurality of detectors is included in a respective T/R interface of the plurality of T/R interfaces.

5 . The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laser sources, the plurality of micro-optic lenses, and the plurality of T/R interfaces are all disposed on the planar substrate to form a single integrated optical unit.

6 . A LIDAR system, comprising a plurality of LIDAR devices as recited in claim 5 , wherein the plurality of transmit beams from each LIDAR device are aligned to the flat focal plane.

7 . The LIDAR system of claim 6 , wherein the calculated relationship of the lateral offsets for each LIDAR device is determined based on a position of each LIDAR device within the LIDAR system.

8 . The LIDAR system of claim 7 , wherein the planar substrate in each LIDAR device comprises silicon.

9 . The LIDAR system of claim 7 , wherein each LIDAR device in the LIDAR system corresponds to two or more channels of a plurality of channels of the LIDAR system.

10 . The LIDAR system of claim 7 , wherein the LIDAR system includes a system lens and the reference line corresponds to a center of the system lens.

11 . The LIDAR system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of laser sources and the plurality of micro-optic lenses in each LIDAR device, as positioned, are configured to steer the plurality of transmit beams for each LIDAR device towards the center of the system lens.

12 . The LIDAR system of claim 11 , wherein the first plurality of offsets are larger than the third plurality of offsets and the third plurality of offsets are larger than the second plurality of offsets.

13 . The LIDAR system of claim 10 , wherein each LIDAR device is aligned using an active alignment process that includes energizing at least one laser source of the plurality of laser sources and measuring energy associated with at least one transmit beam of the plurality of transmit beams at the center of the system lens.

14 . The LIDAR device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of offsets correspond to a first pitch between the plurality of laser sources, the second plurality of offsets correspond to a second pitch between the plurality of T/R interfaces, and the third plurality of offsets correspond to a third pitch between the plurality of micro-optic lenses.

15 . The LIDAR device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of laser sources are fabricated as a laser source array having the first pitch, the plurality of T/R interfaces are fabricated as a T/R interface array having the second pitch, and the plurality of micro-optic lenses are fabricated as a micro-optic lens array having the third pitch.

16 . The LIDAR device of claim 15 , wherein each of the laser source array, the T/R interface array, and the micro-optic lens array is a monolithic array component.

17 . A method for operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of transmit beams via a plurality of laser sources positioned on a planar substrate, each laser source of the plurality of laser sources being positioned with a respective lateral offset of a first plurality of offsets relative to a reference line defined on the planar substrate;

conditioning the plurality of transmit beams via a plurality of lenses, each lens of the plurality of lenses being positioned with a respective lateral offset of a second plurality of offsets relative to the reference line; and

passing the plurality of transmit beams and reflecting received light towards a plurality of detectors via a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) interfaces, each T/R interface of the plurality of T/R interfaces being positioned on the planar substrate with a respective lateral offset of a third plurality of offsets relative to the reference line,

wherein the respective lateral offsets of the first, second, and third pluralities of offsets are configured in a calculated relationship that provides non-mechanical beam steering of the plurality of transmit beams across a field of view, and wherein the non-mechanical beam steering is configured to align the plurality of transmit beams to a flat focal plane.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each lens of the plurality of lenses intersects a respective transmit beam of the plurality of transmit beams, and wherein each lens of the plurality of lenses includes one or more micro-optic lenses and conditioning the plurality of transmit beams includes beam shaping the plurality of transmit beams using the micro-optic lenses.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each T/R interface of the plurality of T/R interfaces includes at least one mirror.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein each detector of the plurality of detectors is included in a respective T/R interface of the plurality of T/R interfaces.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of laser sources, the plurality of lenses, and the plurality of T/R interfaces are all disposed on the planar substrate to form a single integrated optical unit.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the single integrated optical unit is one of a plurality of integrated optical units in a Lidar system and wherein a plurality of intergrated optical units in the Lidar system generate a plurality of transmit beams aligned to the flat focal plane.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the calculated relationship of the lateral offsets for each Lidar device in the Lidar system is determined based on a position of each LIDAR device within the LIDAR system.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the planar substrate in each LIDAR device comprises silicon.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein each LIDAR device in the Lidar system corresponds to two or more channels of a plurality of channels of the LIDAR system.

26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the LIDAR system includes a system lens and the reference line corresponds to a center of the system lens.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the plurality of laser sources and the plurality of lenses, as positioned, steer the plurality of transmit beams towards the center of the system lens.

28 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the first plurality of offsets are larger than the third plurality of offsets and the third plurality of offsets are larger than the second plurality of offsets.

29 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising aligning the LIDAR device using an active alignment process that includes energizing at least one laser source of the plurality of laser sources and measuring energy associated with at least one transmit beam of the plurality of transmit beams at the center of the system lens.

30 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first plurality of offsets correspond to a first pitch between the plurality of laser sources, the second plurality of offsets correspond to a second pitch between the plurality of T/R interfaces, and the third plurality of offsets correspond to a third pitch between the plurality of lenses.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the plurality of laser sources are fabricated as a laser source array having the first pitch, the plurality of T/R interfaces are fabricated as a T/R interface array having the second pitch, and the plurality of lenses are fabricated as a lens array having the third pitch.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein each of the laser source array, the T/R interface array, and the lens array is a monolithic array component.

33 . A method for manufacturing a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, the method comprising:

providing a laser source array including a plurality of laser sources, each laser source disposed with a first pitch of the plurality of laser sources positioned on a first planar substrate with a respective lateral offset of a first plurality of offsets relative to a reference line defined on the planar substrate, the plurality of laser sources configured to provide a respective plurality of transmit beams, wherein providing the laser source array comprises positioning at least one laser source of the plurality of laser sources with a first offset relative to a reference line;

providing a transmit/receive (T/R) interface array including a plurality of T/R interfaces configured to pass the plurality of transmit beams and reflect received light towards a plurality of detectors, each T/R interface of the plurality of T/R interfaces being positioned on the planar substrate with a respective lateral offset of a second plurality of offsets relative to the reference line; and

providing a micro-optic lens array including a plurality of micro-optic lenses disposed positioned between the plurality of laser sources and the plurality of T/R interfaces, each micro-optic lens of the plurality of micro-optic lenses being positioned on the planar substrate with a respective lateral offset of a third plurality of offsets relative to the reference line, with a second pitch on a second substrate, the plurality of lenses configured to condition the respective plurality of transmit beams provided by the laser source array, wherein providing the lens array comprises positioning at least one lens of the plurality of lenses with a second offset relative to the reference line; and

providing a transmit/receive (T/R) interface array including a plurality of T/R interfaces disposed with a third pitch on a third substrate, the plurality of T/R interfaces configured to pass the respective plurality of transmit beams conditioned by the lens array and to reflect received light towards a plurality of detectors, wherein providing the T/R interface array comprises positioning at least one T/R interface of the plurality of T/R interfaces with a third offset relative to the reference line,

wherein the laser source array and the lens array, as positioned, are configured to provide beam steering of one or more of the plurality of transmit beams

wherein the respective lateral offsets of the first, second, and third pluralities of offsets are configured in a calculated relationship that provides non-mechanical beam steering of the plurality of transmit beams across a field of view, and wherein the non-mechanical beam steering is configured to align the plurality of transmit beams to a flat focal plane.

34 . The method of claim 33 , further comprising:

fabricating the plurality of laser sources as the laser source array having a first pitch;

fabricating the plurality of micro-optic lenses as the micro-optic lens array having a second pitch; and

fabricating the plurality of T/R interfaces as the T/R interface array having a third pitch.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein each of the laser source array, the T/R interface array, and the micro-optic lens array is fabricated as a monolithic array component.