Patents by Inventor Kevin Pollock

Kevin Pollock has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11977187
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an optical subsystem with an optical axis. The optical subsystem includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, a first optical lens to transmit the optical beam, an optical window to reflect a first portion of the optical beam to generate a LO signal, an optical scanner to transmit a second portion of the optical beam to a target to scan the target to generate a target return signal, where the LO signal is disposed to be decentered from the optical axis on a second optical lens in front of a photodetector (PD) to increase a percentage of an overlap of the LO signal and the target return signal on the PD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Gagne, Adrian Cort, Oguzhan Avci, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Mina Rezk, Behsan Behzadi, Gautam Prabhakar
  • Publication number: 20230408655
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an optical subsystem with an optical axis. The optical subsystem includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, a first optical lens to transmit the optical beam, an optical window to reflect a first portion of the optical beam to generate a LO signal, an optical scanner to transmit a second portion of the optical beam to a target to scan the target to generate a target return signal, where the LO signal is disposed to be decentered from the optical axis on a second optical lens in front of a photodetector (PD) to increase a percentage of an overlap of the LO signal and the target return signal on the PD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Keith Gagne, Adrian Cort, Oguzhan Avci, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Mina Rezk, Behsan Behzadi, Gautam Prabhakar
  • Patent number: 11768280
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, where a local oscillator (LO) signal is generated from a partial reflection of the optical beam from a partially-reflecting surface proximate to the first focal plane, and where a transmitted portion of the optical beam is directed toward a scanned target environment. LIDAR system to focus the LO signal and a target return signal at a second focal plane comprising a conjugate focal plane to the first focal plane. The system may also include a photodetector with a photosensitive surface proximate to the conjugate focal plane to mix the LO signal with the target return signal to generate target information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Gagne, Oguzhan Avci, Behsan Behzadi, Mina Rezk, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Gautam Prabhakar
  • Patent number: 11536813
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an optical subsystem with an optical axis. The optical subsystem includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, a first optical lens to transmit the optical beam, an optical window to reflect a first portion of the optical beam to generate a LO signal, an optical scanner to transmit a second portion of the optical beam to a target to scan the target to generate a target return signal, a second optical lens to transmit the LO signal and the target return signal to a PD, and the PD to mix the target return signal with the LO signal to extract range and velocity information. The LO signal is disposed to be decentered from the optical axis on the second optical lens to increase a percentage of an overlap of the LO signal and the target return signal on a detection plane of the PD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Inventors: Keith Gagne, Adrian Cort, Oguzhan Avci, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Mina Rezk, Behsan Behzadi, Gautam Prabhakar
  • Publication number: 20220163669
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system according to the present disclosure comprises an optical circulator and one or more photodetectors (PDs). The optical circulator is to transmit the target return signal to the one or more PDs, where the one or more PDs are to mix the target return signal with a local oscillator (LO) signal to generate a signal to extract information of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Gautam Prabhakar, Behsan Behzadi, Oguzhan Avci, Keith Gagne, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Mina Rezk
  • Publication number: 20220091242
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, where a local oscillator (LO) signal is generated from a partial reflection of the optical beam from a partially-reflecting surface proximate to the first focal plane, and where a transmitted portion of the optical beam is directed toward a scanned target environment. LIDAR system to focus the LO signal and a target return signal at a second focal plane comprising a conjugate focal plane to the first focal plane. The system may also include a photodetector with a photosensitive surface proximate to the conjugate focal plane to mix the LO signal with the target return signal to generate target information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Keith Gagne, Oguzhan Avci, Behsan Behzadi, Mina Rezk, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Gautam Prabhakar
  • Patent number: 11047983
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system according to the present disclosure comprises an optical circulator and one or more photodetectors (PDs). The optical circulator is to receive an optical beam and transmit the optical beam to a target, to receive a target return signal from the target and to transmit the target return signal to the one or more PDs, where the one or more PDs are to mix the target return signal with an LO signal to generate a heterodyne signal to extract range and velocity information of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Gautam Prabhakar, Behsan Behzadi, Oguzhan Avci, Keith Gagne, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Mina Rezk
  • Patent number: 10948598
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system according to the present disclosure comprises an optical source to emit an optical beam, and an optical circulator to receive the optical beam and transmit the optical beam to a target, to receive a target return signal from the target and to transmit the target return signal to one or more photodetectors (PDs). The optical circulator is configured to collect all polarization states in the target return signal. The LiDAR system further comprises an optical element to generate a local oscillator (LO) signal, and the one or more PDs to mix the target return signal with the LO signal to generate a heterodyne signal to extract range and velocity information of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: AEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Gautam Prabhakar, Behsan Behzadi, Oguzhan Avci, Keith Gagne, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Mina Rezk
  • Patent number: 10908267
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, and free-space optics coupled with the optical source to focus the optical beam at a first focal plane, where a local oscillator (LO) signal is generated from a partial reflection of the optical beam from a partially-reflecting surface proximate to the first focal plane, and where a transmitted portion of the optical beam is directed toward a scanned target environment. The free-space optics configured to focus the LO signal and a target return signal at a second focal plane comprising a conjugate focal plane to the first focal plane. The system also includes a photodetector with a photosensitive surface proximate to the conjugate focal plane to mix the LO signal with the target return signal to generate target information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: AEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Keith Gagne, Oguzhan Avci, Behsan Behzadi, Mina Rezk, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Gautam Prabhakar