Abstract: Disclosed herein are examples of ladar systems and methods where data about a plurality of ladar returns from prior ladar pulse shots gets stored in a spatial index that associates ladar return data with corresponding locations in a coordinate space to which the ladar return data pertain. This spatial index can then be accessed by a processor to retrieve ladar return data for locations in the coordinate space that are near a range point to be targeted by the ladar system with a new ladar pulse shot. This nearby prior ladar return data can then be analyzed by the ladar system to help define a control parameter for use by the ladar receiver with respect to the new ladar pulse shot.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device comprising: a laser emitting chip configured to emit laser, a laser detecting chip configured to detect laser, an emitting optic module configured to guide laser generated from the laser emitting chip to the outside of the LiDAR device, a detecting optic module configured to guide laser received from the outside of the LiDAR device to the laser detecting chip, an emitting optic holder located between the laser emitting chip and the emitting optic module, and an at least one emitting optic fixer located between the emitting optic holder and the emitting optic module, wherein the at least one emitting optic fixer is configured to fix a relative position between the laser emitting chip and the emitting optic module.

Abstract: One variation of a method for registering distance scan data includes: accessing a first distance scan recorded, at a first time, by a first depth sensor defining a first field of view; accessing a second distance scan recorded, at approximately the first time, by a second depth sensor defining a second field of view overlapping a portion of the first field of view; calculating a first set of lines represented by points in a first portion of the first distance scan overlapping a second portion of the second distance scan; calculating a second set of lines represented by points in the second portion of the second distance scan; calculating skew distances between each pair of corresponding lines in the first and second sets of lines; and calculating an alignment transformation that aligns the first distance scan and the second distance scan to minimize skew distances between corresponding pairs of lines.

Abstract: A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system integrated in a vehicle includes a LIDAR transmitter configured to transmit laser beams into a field of view, the field of view having a center of projection, and the LIDAR transmitter including a laser to generate the laser beams transmitted into the field of view. The LIDAR system further includes a LIDAR receiver including at least one photodetector configured to receive a reflected light beam and generate electrical signals based on the reflected light beam. The LIDAR system further includes a controller configured to receive feedback information and modify a center of projection of the field of view in a vertical direction based on the feedback information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser positioning apparatus and a laser positioning method, the laser positioning apparatus comprises a laser emitting module configured to generate a first laser; a laser direction adjusting module configured to adjust the first laser to a second laser in a first direction and a third laser in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a distance determining module configured to receive the laser reflected or diffused back by the second laser on a surface of a first object to be measured to determine a distance from the laser positioning apparatus to the first object to be measured, and/or receive the laser reflected or diffused back by the third laser on a surface of a second object to be measured to determine a distance from the laser positioning apparatus to the second object to be measured.

Abstract: A measuring device can have a scanning functionality for optical surveying of an environment, wherein the measuring device has a sensor comprising an assembly of microcells as a receiving surface and direction-dependent active sections of the receiver are defined depending on the transmission direction of the transmitted radiation, in order to adapt the active receiver surface to a varying imaging position of the received radiation.

Abstract: A lidar receiver that includes a photodetector circuit can be controlled so that the detection intervals used by the lidar receiver to detect returns from fired laser pulse shots are closely controlled. Such control over the detection intervals used by the lidar receiver allows for close coordination between a lidar transmitter and the lidar receiver where the lidar receiver is able to adapt to variable shot intervals of the lidar transmitter (including periods of high rate firing as well as periods of low rate firing). The lidar receiver can define the detection intervals based on a region in the field of view that a laser pulse shot is targeting (e.g., setting longer detection intervals for laser pulse shots targeting a horizon region, setting shorter detection intervals for laser pulse shots targeting a region that intersects within the ground within a relatively short distance of the lidar system).

Abstract: A lidar system comprises a lidar transmitter and a control circuit. The lidar transmitter fires laser pulse shots into a field of view and comprises a variable amplitude scan mirror for directing the laser pulse shots at targeted range points in the field of view (FOV). The control circuit (1) controls changes in a tilt amplitude of the variable amplitude scan mirror and (2) schedules the laser pulse shots according to a plurality of criteria, including criteria that take into account a settle time arising from controlled changes in the tilt amplitude. These controlled changes can include (1) a first tilt amplitude corresponding to a wide FOV coverage zone within the FOV and (2) a second tilt amplitude corresponding to a narrow FOV coverage zone within the FOV, wherein the second tilt amplitude is less than the first tilt amplitude.

Abstract: The laser radar includes: a light source configured to emit laser light; an optical system configured to shape the laser light into a line beam that is long in one direction, and project the line beam; a scanner configured to perform scanning with the line beam in a short side direction of the line beam; and a configuration for causing light intensity of the line beam to be different in a long side direction of the line beam. The light intensity of the line beam is caused to be different, for example, by a controller controlling emission power of a plurality of light emitting portions disposed in the light source along a direction corresponding to the long side direction of the line beam.

Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for detecting objects in a monitoring region (20), the sensor (10) having a scanning unit (12, 58) movable about an axis of rotation (18), a plurality of scanning modules (22) for periodically scanning the monitoring region (20) and for generating corresponding received signals, and an evaluation unit (48) for obtaining information about the objects from the received signals, the scanning modules (22) comprising at least one light transmitter (24) for transmitting several light beams (28) separated from one another and at least one light receiver (36) for generating the received signals from the light beams (32) remitted by the objects, wherein at least one scanning module (22) is at least one of tilted by a tilt angle (?) relative to its main viewing direction and rotated by a rotation angle (?).

Abstract: A device may include an input optical path, a first optical path, a plurality of second optical paths, a first optical amplifier, a plurality of second optical amplifiers, and a control circuit. The input optical path may receive, at one end thereof, a beam from a laser source. The first optical path and the second optical paths may be respectively branched from at the other end of the input optical path. The first optical amplifier may be coupled to the first optical path. The second optical amplifiers may be respectively coupled to the second optical paths. The control circuit may selectively turn on one of the second optical amplifiers to output a modulated optical signal of the beam. The control circuit may turn on the first optical amplifier, in synchronization with turning on any one of the second optical amplifiers, to output a local oscillator (LO) signal.

Abstract: A hybrid LiDAR-imaging device is configured for aerial surveying and comprises a camera arrangement adapted for generating orthophoto data and a LiDAR device, in which an overall exposure area is provided by the camera arrangement, which has a transverse extension of at least 60 mm and the LiDAR device has a longitudinal extension axially along a ground viewing nominal LiDAR axis and a lateral extension substantially orthogonal to the nominal LiDAR axis, in which the longitudinal extension is larger than the lateral extension.

Abstract: A lidar receiver that includes a photodetector circuit can be controlled so that the detection intervals used by the lidar receiver to detect returns from fired laser pulse shots are closely controlled. Such control over the detection intervals used by the lidar receiver allows for close coordination between a lidar transmitter and the lidar receiver where the lidar receiver is able to adapt to variable shot intervals of the lidar transmitter (including periods of high rate firing as well as periods of low rate firing). The detection intervals can vary across different shots, and at least some of the detection intervals can be controlled to be of different durations than the shot intervals that correspond to such detection intervals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser positioning apparatus and a laser positioning method, the laser positioning apparatus comprises a laser emitting module configured to generate a first laser; a laser direction adjusting module configured to adjust the first laser to a second laser in a first direction when the laser direction adjusting module is located in a first position, and adjust the first laser to a third laser in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction when the laser direction adjusting module is located in a second position; a distance determining module configured to receive the laser reflected or diffused back by the second laser on a surface of a first object to be measured to determine a distance from the laser positioning apparatus to the first object to be measured, or receive the laser reflected or diffused back by the third laser on a surface of a second object to be measured to determine a distance from the laser positioning apparatus to the second object to be measured

Abstract: A system comprising non-transitory and tangible memory comprising program instructions for performing an extended laser active ranging (ELAR) procedure having a first mode and a second mode. The system includes a processor configured to execute the program instructions to cause the processor to receive selection of a region-of-interest (ROI) having a pixel cluster; and cause laser ranging using a laser ranging system in the first mode. The process is configured to determine whether a laser ranging reflection (LRR) signal is received by a laser photodetector of a gimbal during the first mode. If the LRR signal is not received, the processor performs the second mode of the ELAR procedure initialized to a center of the selected ROI to search for a reflective surface in the ROI of an imaged real-world view of an ambient scene and registered to the pixel cluster to find a small target.

Abstract: A system for an aircraft includes an optical sensor, at least one aircraft sensor, and a controller. The optical sensor is configured to emit a laser outside the aircraft, and the at least one aircraft sensor is configured to sense at least one aircraft condition. The controller is configured to determine a first operational state of the aircraft based upon the at least one aircraft condition and determine a second operational state of the aircraft based on the at least one aircraft condition, and operate the optical sensor to emit the laser at a first intensity during the first operational state and a second intensity during the second operational state, wherein the second intensity is greater than the first intensity.

Abstract: A method is described for the in particular optical capture of at least one object (18, 20) with at least one sensor apparatus (14) of a vehicle (10), a device (34) of a sensor apparatus (14), a sensor apparatus (14) and a driver assistance system (12) with at least one sensor apparatus (14). In the method, in particular optical transmitted signals (36) are transmitted into a monitoring region (16) with the at least one sensor apparatus (14) and transmitted signals (36) reflected from object points (40) of the at least one object (18, 20) are captured as received signals (38) with angular resolution with reference to a main monitoring direction (42) of the at least one sensor apparatus (14). A spatial distribution of the object points (40) of the at least one object (18, 20) relative to the at least one sensor apparatus (14) is determined from a relationship between the transmitted signals (36) and the received signals (38), and the at least one object (18, 20) is categorized as stationary or non-stationary.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting a functional impairment of a laser scanner (2) of a motor vehicle (1), in which a laser beam (12) of the laser scanner (2) is transmitted through a protective screen (6) of the laser scanner (2) into a surrounding area (4) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein an echo (16) of the transmitted laser beam (12) at least partially reflected at the protective screen (6) is received by a reception unit (9) of the laser scanner (2) with an intensity value (19), and the functional impairment of the laser scanner (2) is detected if the intensity value (19) is different from a reference intensity value.

Abstract: An apparatus for light detection and ranging is provided. The apparatus includes a reflective surface configured to oscillate about a rotation axis, and a plurality of light sources each configured to controllably emit a respective light beam via an optical system onto the reflective surface. Further, the apparatus includes a controller configured to control emission times of the plurality of light sources so that the reflective surface emits a plurality of light beams to an environment according to a first sequence of beam directions for a first measurement, and according to a second sequence of beam directions for a subsequent second measurement.

Abstract: One example system includes a lens disposed relative to a scene and configured to focus light from the scene. The system also includes an opaque material. The opaque material defines a plurality of apertures including a primary aperture and one or more secondary apertures. The system also includes one or more light detectors (e.g., a single element detector or an array of detectors) configured to intercept and detect diverging light focused by the lens and transmitted through at least one of the plurality of apertures defined by the opaque material.