Abstract: A LIDAR system and a method for detecting objects are disclosed. The LIDAR system has a controller configured to acquire a plurality of data points representative of detected signals, and perform an iterative process. During the first iteration the controller is configured to determine a first number of bins based on the plurality of data points, and in response to the first number being above a threshold: (i) organize the plurality of data points into the first number of bins, (ii) identify a target bin amongst the first number of bins, (iii) determine the distance of a first object based on the target bin; and (iv) determine a reduced plurality of data points based on the plurality of data points, which excludes data points associated with the target bin. During a second iteration, the controller determines a distance of a second object based on the reduced plurality of data points.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for detecting an object, especially an object remotely placed in a field of view (FOV) using optical pulses with non-uniform pulse power, without exceeding the Accessible Emitted Limit (AEL) A plurality of optical pulses including two or more levels of pulse power may be emitted to detect an object in the FOV. Information related to the object may be generated from the returning optical pulses. The optical pulses with non-uniform pulse power may result in increased probability of detection associated with the pulses returning from the remotely located object, and therefore the density of point clouds associated with the remotely located object may be increased.

Abstract: The disclosed systems, structures, and methods are directed to a LiDAR system comprising a radiation source configured to emit light pulses towards a region of interest (ROI), a detector configured to detect light pulses reflected from the ROI, a processor, communicatively coupled to the radiation source and the detector, configured to cause the radiation source to emit a preamble light pulse having an energy EP and a pulse width W1 towards the ROI, determine, if the preamble light pulse is detected by the detector and whether there is an object in the ROI, responsive to a determination that there is an object in the ROI, cause the radiation source to emit a scanning light pulse having an energy EL and a pulse width W2 towards the ROI, else the radiation source to emit a scanning light pulse having an energy EH and the pulse width W2 towards the ROI.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of a LiDAR system to determine the distance of an object from the LiDAR system. Embodiments of the LiDAR system can use a coarse estimate of the distance of an object from the LiDAR system which is then used by a fast search to determine an estimate of the distance of an object from the LiDAR system within a precision threshold. In some embodiments the LiDAR system can use adaptive precision when determining the distance of an object from the LiDAR system.

Abstract: The disclosed systems, structures, and methods are directed to a LiDAR system comprising a radiation source configured to emit light pulses towards a region of interest (ROI), a detector configured to detect light pulses reflected from the ROI, a processor, communicatively coupled to the radiation source and the detector, configured to cause the radiation source to emit a preamble light pulse having an energy EP and a pulse width W1 towards the ROI, determine, if the preamble light pulse is detected by the detector and whether there is an object in the ROI, responsive to a determination that there is an object in the ROI, cause the radiation source to emit a scanning light pulse having an energy EL and a pulse width W2 towards the ROI, else the radiation source to emit a scanning light pulse having an energy EH and the pulse width W2 towards the ROI.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for detecting an object, especially an object remotely placed in a field of view (FOV) using optical pulses with non-uniform pulse power, without exceeding the Accessible Emitted Limit (AEL) A plurality of optical pulses including two or more levels of pulse power may be emitted to detect an object in the FOV. Information related to the object may be generated from the returning optical pulses. The optical pulses with non-uniform pulse power may result in increased probability of detection associated with the pulses returning from the remotely located object, and therefore the density of point clouds associated with the remotely located object may be increased.

Abstract: The disclosed systems, structures, and methods are directed to an object detection system, employing a receiver configured to receive a signal reflected from an object, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the received signal into a digital signal, a pre-processor configured to improve a signal-to-noise (SNR) of the digital signal and to generate a pre-processed signal corresponding to the digital signal, a parameter extractor configured to calculate a number of reference cells M and a multiplication factor K0, and a Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) processor configured to analyze a cell-under-test (CUT) and M reference cells in accordance with the number of reference cells M and the multiplication factor K0 to detect the presence of the object.

Abstract: The disclosed systems, structures, and methods are directed to an object detection system, employing a receiver configured to receive a signal reflected from an object, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the received signal into a digital signal, a pre-processor configured to improve a signal-to-noise (SNR) of the digital signal and to generate a pre-processed signal corresponding to the digital signal, a parameter extractor configured to calculate a number of reference cells M and a multiplication factor K0, and a Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) processor configured to analyze a cell-under-test (CUT) and M reference cells in accordance with the number of reference cells M and the multiplication factor K0 to detect the presence of the object.

Abstract: A wireless communications system for a downhole drilling operation comprises a drill string, surface communications equipment, and a downhole telemetry tool. The surface communications equipment comprises a surface EM communications module with an EM downlink transmitter configured to transmit through at least a portion of the drill string an EM downlink transmission at a frequency between 0.5 Hz and 180 kHz. The downhole telemetry tool is mountable to a drill string and has a downhole electromagnetic (EM) communications unit with an EM downlink receiver configured to receive the EM downlink transmission. The downhole EM communications unit can further comprise an EM uplink transmitter configured to transmit an EM uplink transmission at a frequency GO between 0.5 Hz and 180 kHz, in which case the surface EM communications module further comprises an EM uplink receiver configured to receive the EM uplink transmission.