Lidar systems including a gallium and nitrogen containing laser light source

• US 10,222,474 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Raring, James W., McLaurin, Melvin, Rudy, Paul, Novotny, Vlad
• Primary Examiner(s): Hansen, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US15/841,053
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/64 using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/10 using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/487 Extracting wanted echo signals , e.g. pulse detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0085 for modulating the output, i.e. the laser beam is modulated outside the laser cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0087 for illuminating phosphorescent or fluorescent materials, e.g. using optical arrangements specifically adapted for guiding or shaping laser beams illuminating these materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0215 Bonding to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0217 Removal of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02212 Can-type, e.g. TO-CAN housings with emission along or parallel to symmetry axis
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02251 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02255 using beam deflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02325 Mechanically integrated components on mount members or optical micro-benches
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02345 Wire-bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02375 Positioning of the laser chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02469 Passive cooling, e.g. where heat is removed by the housing as a whole or by a heat pipe without any active cooling element like a TEC
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0287 : Facet reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 : having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 : with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4012 : Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4031 : Edge-emitting structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 : emitting more than one wavelength

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a mobile machine including a laser diode based lighting system having an integrated package holding at least a gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode and a wavelength conversion member. The gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode is configured to emit a first laser beam with a first peak wavelength. The wavelength conversion member is configured to receive at least partially the first laser beam with the first peak wavelength to excite an emission with a second peak wavelength that is longer than the first peak wavelength and to generate the white light mixed with the second peak wavelength and the first peak wavelength. The mobile machine further includes a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system configured to generate a second laser beam and manipulate the second laser beam to sense a spatial map of target objects in a remote distance.

Claims

1. A mobile machine comprising:

a laser diode based lighting system comprising an integrated package holding at least a gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode and a wavelength conversion member, the gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode being configured to emit a first laser beam with a first peak wavelength, the wavelength conversion member being configured to receive at least partially the first laser beam with the first peak wavelength to excite an emission with a second peak wavelength that is longer than the first peak wavelength and to generate white light mixed with the second peak wavelength and the first peak wavelength; and

a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system configured to generate a second laser beam and manipulate the second laser beam to sense a spatial map of target objects in a remote distance.

2. The mobile machine of claim 1, wherein the white light illuminates the target objects and their surrounding environment.

3. The mobile machine of claim 2, wherein the gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode is configured to produce the first laser beam with the first peak wavelength in a blue color range, the wavelength conversion member comprises a phosphor material configured to be excited by the first laser beam in the blue color range to produce the second peak wavelength in a broad color range including yellow color.

4. The mobile machine of claim 2, wherein the gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode is configured to produce the first laser beam with the first peak wavelength in a violet color range, the wavelength conversion member comprises a phosphor material configured to be excited by the first laser beam in the violet color range to produce the second peak wavelength in a broad color range including green color.

5. The mobile machine of claim 3, the phosphor material is comprised of a ceramic yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) doped with Ce or a single crystal YAG doped with Ce or a powdered YAG comprising a binder material;

wherein the phosphor has an optical conversion efficiency of greater than 50 lumen per optical watt, greater than 100 lumen per optical watt, greater than 200 lumen per optical watt, or greater than 300 lumen per optical watt.

6. The mobile machine of claim 3, wherein the phosphor material is configured to operate in a mode selected from a reflective mode, a transmissive mode, and a combination of a reflective mode and a transmissive mode in association with receiving the first laser beam with the first peak wavelength to excite the emission with the second peak wavelength.

7. The mobile machine of claim 2, wherein the integrated package comprises the wavelength conversion member configured as a remote pumped phosphor and a space supporting free-space-optics to guide the laser beam from the gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode to the remote pumped phosphor.

8. The mobile machine of claim 2, wherein the integrated package comprises the wavelength conversion member configured as a remote pumped phosphor and an optical fiber to guide the laser beam from the gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode to the remote pumped phosphor.

9. The mobile machine of claim 2, wherein the integrated package comprises a surface mount device (SMD) package including a common support member configured to support at least one gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode and the wavelength conversion member.

10. The mobile machine of claim 2, wherein the at least one gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode comprises multiple laser diodes such as 2 laser diodes, 3 laser diodes, or 4 laser diodes to generate 2 laser beams, 3 laser beams, or 4 laser beams, respectively;

and wherein the multiple laser beams form an excitation spot on the wavelength conversion member.

11. The mobile machine of claim 10, wherein each of the multiple laser diodes is characterized by one of multiple first peak wavelengths in 420 nm to 485 nm blue color range;

wherein the multiple first peak wavelengths result in an improved color quality of the white light.

12. The mobile machine of claim 2, wherein the wavelength conversion member comprises a first phosphor material configured to be excited by the first laser beam with the first peak wavelength to produce a first emission of a second peak wavelength and a second phosphor material configured to be excited by the laser beam to produce a second emission with a third peak wavelength.

13. The mobile machine of claim 12, wherein the gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode is characterized by the first laser beam with the first peak wavelength in violet color range, the first phosphor material is characterized by the first emission with the second peak wavelength in blue color range, and the second phosphor material is characterized by the second emission with the third wavelength in yellow color range, and wherein the white light is comprised of at least the first emission and the second emission.

14. The mobile machine of claim 1 wherein the LIDAR system comprises a laser subsystem including a driver and a laser diode to generate the second laser beam and a transmitter to transmit one or more sensing light signals based on the second laser beam out to environment;

a detection subsystem including at least a receiver to detect reflected light signals from the environment based on the one or more sensing light signals; and

a signal processor to synchronize the transmitter and the receiver to compute respective time of flight for the one or more sensing light signals and the reflected light signals to generate a spatial map image and identify objects or areas of interest.

15. The mobile machine of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensing light signals are based on the second laser beam at a wavelength selected from about 905 nm, about 1000 nm, about 1064 nm, or about 1550 nm, or about 532 nm.

16. The mobile machine of claim 14, wherein the LIDAR system comprises a scanning MEMS or other beam scanner for manipulating the second laser beam carrying the one or more sensing light signals projected with a survey pattern to the environment.

17. The mobile machine of claim 14, wherein the LIDAR system is configured with a detector array for simultaneous detection of the reflected light signals at multiple locations in a plane for generating some or all pixels of a frame of image.

18. The mobile machine of claim 1 further is configured as a vehicle including autonomous vehicle, aircraft, spacecraft, drone, motorcycle, boat, marine vehicle, submarine, bicycle, tricycle, electrical scooter.

19. The mobile machine of claim 14, further comprises a signal processor that is configured to control the laser diode based lighting system based on feedback information provided from the LIDAR system, wherein the laser diode based lighting system is configured to preferentially use the white light to illuminate at least one of the target objects and surrounding areas identified by the LIDAR system.

20. The mobile machine of claim 19, wherein the laser diode based lighting system is controlled to dynamically change at least one of the illumination intensity, illumination pattern, beam angle, beam shape, and beam location of the white light based on at least some feedback information from the LIDAR system when detecting at least one moving target object.

21. The mobile machine of claim 20, wherein the feedback information includes mapping image of the at least one oncoming moving object obtained by the LIDAR system and the white light is used for send out messages through a visible light communication network.