Abstract: A LIDAR apparatus for scanning a scene, comprising a transmitter stage, a receiver stage, a beam-steering engine configured to steer the light beam received from the transmitter stage in different directions to scan at least a portion of the scene, the beam-steering engine being responsive to steering commands to produce corresponding deflections of the light beam and an operation monitor for monitoring a beam-steering function of the beam-steering engine.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to various embodiments of an optical component for a LIDAR Sensor System. The optical component may include an optical element having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, a first lens array formed on the first main surface, and/or a second lens array formed on the second main surface. The optical element has a curved shape in a first direction of the LIDAR Sensor System.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a LIDAR system (100) may have: a detector (104) having a plurality of detector pixels (106) arranged along a first direction, wherein each detector pixel (106) of the plurality of detector pixels (106) is assigned to a respective sub-section of the field of view (102); a light source (110) having a plurality of sub-light sources (112) arranged along a second direction at an angle to the first direction, wherein each sub-light source (112) of the plurality of sub-light sources (112) is assigned to a respective sub-section of the field of view (102); a coarse angle control element (114) which is configured to deflect light from the light source (110) to the field of view and to deflect light from the field of view (102) to the detector (104); and a light emission controller (118) which is configured to control the sub-light sources (112) of the plurality of sub-light sources (112) in such a way that each sub-light source (112) of the plurality of sub-light sources (112) emits l

Abstract: A beam-steering engine, comprising an optical element switchable between a first operational mode and a second operational mode, in the first operational mode of the optical element the beam-steering engine is configured to output an input light beam incident on the beam-steering engine along a first propagation direction and in the second operational mode of the optical element the beam-steering engine is configured to output the input light beam incident on the beam-steering engine along a second propagation direction. A transition of the optical element between the first and second operational modes is characterized by a transition time period that varies with a temperature of the optical element. The beam-steering engine further includes a device to control a temperature of the solid-state optical element to maintain the transition time period below a certain limit.

Abstract: Methods and systems for combining information from a first image captured of a scene via a first sensor and information from a second image captured of the scene via a second sensor wherein the first image and second image have at least one common field of view (FoV) and wherein the first image comprises pixels that are distributed according to a non-linear image point distribution function. The first image is corrected, before combining, based on said non-linear distribution function.

Abstract: There is provided a method for optically scanning a region according to a plurality of scanning directions, comprising: receiving an interleave sequence defining a scanning order for the plurality of scanning directions; sequentially propagating optical pulses according to the interleave sequence; detecting pulse echoes corresponding to a reflection of the propagated optical pulses on at least one object present within the region; and outputting the detected pulse echoes. There is further described a computer-implemented method for correcting a temporal slippage of an optical echo.

Abstract: A LIDAR apparatus for scanning a scene is provided that includes a transmitter stage, a receiver stage, a beam-steering engine configured to steer the light beam received from the transmitter stage in different directions to scan at least a portion of the scene. The beam-steering engine is responsive to steering commands to produce corresponding deflections of the light beam.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and a system for at least partially removing intrinsic static noise from data obtained by an optical time-of-flight sensor using full-waveform analysis. The method includes receiving a plurality of calibration traces, the calibration traces being obtained in a controlled environment wherein no object is present in a field of view of the optical time-of-flight sensor; determining a noise template using the calibration traces by performing a statistical analysis on the calibration traces to determine a shape and an amplitude of the intrinsic static noise in the calibration traces; receiving a normal operation trace, the normal operation trace being obtained in an uncontrolled environment wherein a presence of the object in the field of view is unknown; subtracting the noise template from the normal operation trace, obtaining and outputting a denoised signal.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for at least partially removing extrinsic static noise from data obtained by an optical time-of-flight sensor using full-waveform analysis. The method comprises finding a mathematical representation of the electromagnetic crosstalk present in victim calibration traces and caused by aggressor photosensitive element using aggressor calibration traces and victim calibration traces, determining a predetermined threshold for the amplitude of the aggressor calibration trace at which the electromagnetic crosstalk is present in the victim calibration traces, predicting the extrinsic static noise generated by the aggressor signal on the synchronized victim operation trace using the mathematical representation to generate a predicted crosstalk signal, removing the predicted crosstalk signal from the synchronized victim operation trace to output a denoised signal.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and a system for at least partially removing intrinsic static noise from data obtained by an optical time-of-flight sensor using full-waveform analysis. The method includes receiving a plurality of calibration traces, the calibration traces being obtained in a controlled environment wherein no object is present in a field of view of the optical time-of-flight sensor; determining a noise template using the calibration traces by performing a statistical analysis on the calibration traces to determine a shape and an amplitude of the intrinsic static noise in the calibration traces; receiving a normal operation trace, the normal operation trace being obtained in an uncontrolled environment wherein a presence of the object in the field of view is unknown; subtracting the noise template from the normal operation trace, obtaining and outputting a denoised signal.

Abstract: A method for detecting a vehicle comprising: providing a multi-channel scannerless full-waveform lidar system operating in pulsed Time-Of-Flight operation oriented towards a surface of the roadway to cover the detection zone; providing at least one initialization parameter; emitting pulses at an emission frequency; receiving reflections of the pulses from the detection zone; and acquiring and digitalizing a series of individual complete traces at each channel of system; identifying at least one detection in at least one of the traces; obtaining a height and an intensity for the detection; determining a nature of the detection to be one of an environmental particle detection, a candidate object detection and a roadway surface detection; if the nature of the detection is the candidate object detection, detecting a presence of a vehicle in the detection zone.

Abstract: A method for tracking and characterizing a plurality of vehicles simultaneously in a traffic control environment, comprising: providing a 3D optical emitter; providing a 3D optical receiver with a wide and deep field of view; driving the 3D optical emitter into emitting short light pulses; receiving a reflection/backscatter of the emitted light, thereby acquiring an individual digital full-waveform LIDAR trace for each detection channel of the 3D optical receiver; using the individual digital full-waveform LIDAR trace and the emitted light waveform, detecting a presence of a plurality of vehicles, a position of at least part of each vehicle and a time at which the position is detected; assigning a unique identifier to each vehicle; repeating the steps of driving, receiving, acquiring and detecting, at a predetermined frequency; tracking and recording an updated position of each vehicle and an updated time at which the updated position is detected.

Abstract: A multiple-field-of-view scannerless optical rangefinder operating in pulsed Time-Of-Flight operation for use in high ambient background light is described.

Abstract: The traffic detection system includes an optical unit having an emitter module emitting pulses; a receiver module having a field of view including a plurality of adjacent detection channels receiving pulses reflected by an object and acquiring and converting the received pulses into a corresponding plurality of a digital signal waveforms; an image sensing module providing an image. The method comprises providing a status overlay image including the image and a visual indication on the image of an outline of the plurality of adjacent detection channels; positioning the field of view to cover the detection zone using the status overlay image; obtaining the plurality of digital signal waveforms; detecting a signal echo caused by an object in one of the digital signal waveforms at a position within the field of view; determining a location for the object using the position; storing the location for the object.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method for detecting a distance to an object. The method comprises providing a lighting system having at least one pulse width modulated visible-light source for illumination of a field of view; emitting an illumination signal for illuminating the field of view for a duration of time y using the visible-light source at a time t; integrating a reflection energy for a first time period from a time t?x to a time t+x; determining a first integration value for the first time period; integrating the reflection energy for a second time period from a time t+y?x to a time t+y+x; determining a second integration value for the second time period; calculating a difference value between the first integration value and the second integration value; determining a propagation delay value proportional to the difference value; determining the distance to the object from the propagation delay value.

Abstract: A multiple-field-of-view scannerless optical rangefinder operating in pulsed Time-Of-Flight operation for use in high ambient background light is described.

Abstract: A multiple-field-of-view scannerless optical rangefinder operating in pulsed Time-Of-Flight operation for use in high ambient background light is described.

Abstract: A method for tracking and characterizing a plurality of vehicles simultaneously in a traffic control environment, comprising: providing a 3D optical emitter; providing a 3D optical receiver with a wide and deep field of view; driving the 3D optical emitter into emitting short light pulses; receiving a reflection/backscatter of the emitted light, thereby acquiring an individual digital full-waveform LIDAR trace for each detection channel of the 3D optical receiver; using the individual digital full-waveform LIDAR trace and the emitted light waveform, detecting a presence of a plurality of vehicles, a position of at least part of each vehicle and a time at which the position is detected; assigning a unique identifier to each vehicle; repeating the steps of driving, receiving, acquiring and detecting, at a predetermined frequency; tracking and recording an updated position of each vehicle and an updated time at which the updated position is detected.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method for detecting a distance to an object. The method comprises providing a lighting system having at least one pulse width modulated visible-light source for illumination of a field of view; emitting an illumination signal for illuminating the field of view for a duration of time y using the visible-light source at a time t; integrating a reflection energy for a first time period from a time t?x to a time t+x; determining a first integration value for the first time period; integrating the reflection energy for a second time period from a time t+y?x to a time t+y+x; determining a second integration value for the second time period; calculating a difference value between the first integration value and the second integration value; determining a propagation delay value proportional to the difference value; determining the distance to the object from the propagation delay value.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method for detecting a distance to an object. The method comprises providing a lighting system having at least one pulse width modulated visible-light source for illumination of a field of view; emitting an illumination signal for illuminating the field of view for a duration of time y using the visible-light source at a time t; integrating a reflection energy for a first time period from a time t?x to a time t+x; determining a first integration value for the first time period; integrating the reflection energy for a second time period from a time t+y?x to a time t+y+x; determining a second integration value for the second time period; calculating a difference value between the first integration value and the second integration value; determining a propagation delay value proportional to the difference value; determining the distance to the object from the propagation delay value.