Patent ID: 11936845
Assignee: WAYMO LLC
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC B  H  G | IPC B  G  H

Claim 0:
1. A contaminant detection system comprising:
an optical coupler, affixed to a first surface of an optical element, configured to couple light into and/or out of the optical element;
a plurality of light-emitter devices configured to emit emission light toward the optical coupler, wherein the optical coupler and the optical element are configured to guide the emission light by total internal reflection; and
a plurality of detector devices configured to:
detect at least a portion of the emission light by way of the optical element and the optical coupler; and
provide detector signals indicative of a presence of a contaminant on a second surface of the optical element, wherein the optical coupler comprises:
a plurality of lensed portions, wherein each lensed portion is configured to be optically coupled to a corresponding region of the optical element one of: a light-emitter device of the plurality of light emitter devices, or a detector device of the plurality of detector devices.