Abstract: A system and method for performing facial recognition is described. In some implementations, the system and method identify points of a three-dimensional scan that are associated with occlusions, such as eyeglasses, to a face of a target subject and remove the identified points from the three-dimensional scan.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus is provided that includes an optical source to emit an optical beam towards a target and a mode field expander operatively coupled to the optical source to expand a mode area of the optical beam from a first mode of a single mode optical fiber to a second mode of a larger mode area optical fiber.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical source to emit a corresponding plurality of optical beams with synchronized chirp rates and synchronized chirp durations. The plurality of optical beams are each tuned to produce regions of constructive and destructive interference into a combined optical beam. A first optical component forms a phase-locked loop to correct nonlinearities detected in the plurality of optical beams. A second optical component transmits a combined optical beam toward a target environment and receives a target return signal. A third optical component downconverts the target return signal to a plurality of fixed frequency downconverted target return signals, each including a target range component and a target velocity component.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system that includes a first beam splitter to multiplex a first optical beam and a second optical beam into a combined beam having orthogonal linear polarizations. The system also includes lensing optics to emit the combined beam towards a target and collect light returned from the target in a return optical beam to be received by the first beam splitter. The first beam splitter demultiplexes the return optical beam into a first return beam and a second return beam having orthogonal linear polarizations. The system also includes an optical element to generate a first beat frequency from the first return beam and to generate a second beat frequency from the second return beam. The system also includes a signal processing system to determine a range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency.

Abstract: A polarization splitter-rotator (PSR) is described. The PSR having a silicon nitride based waveguide to split and rotate an optical beam. The silicon nitride based waveguide having a first silicon nitride segment including a first layer and a second layer coupled with the first layer.

Abstract: A system and method for remotely monitoring an individual, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. More particularly, one or more physiological functions and/or physical activities of the individual may be monitored. In order to monitor the individual, a range to, and/or a range rate (i.e., velocity) of, one or more points on one or more surfaces of the individual (e.g., skin, clothing, lips, etc.) may be determined over time. Based on the determinations of the range and/or range rate of the points on the surfaces of the individual, the one or more physiological functions and/or physical activities of the individual may be monitored. This may enable the physiological functions and/or physical activities to be monitored remotely from the individual without access or proximity to the individual.

Abstract: A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided that includes generating a beam of polarized light; and transforming a polarization state of the beam of polarized light at a rate faster than a rate of data collection at a plurality of detectors configured to detect light reflected from a target for the purpose of speckle-reduction.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes optical sources to emit a continuous-wave (CW) optical beam and a frequency-modulated CW (FMCW) optical beam, a first and second optical coupler to generate a CW local oscillator (LO), and an FMCW LO signal. The system further includes a first optical component to combine the CW optical beam and the FMCW optical beam, a second optical component to transmit the combined optical beam toward a target, a third optical component to split a target return signal into a CW return signal and a FMCW return signal based on polarization or frequency, a first optical detector to detect a first beat frequency from a combination of the CW LO signal and the CW return signal, and a second optical detector to detect a second beat frequency from a combination of the FMCW LO and the FMCW return signal.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a first optical source to generate a first optical beam transmitted towards an output lens, a second optical source to generate a second optical beam transmitted towards the output lens, wherein the first optical beam and the second optical beam generate a first beam pattern, and a light detection sensor to detect a second beam pattern at an image plane, wherein the second beam pattern comprises a shift in the first or second optical beam from the first beam pattern. The LIDAR system further includes alignment optics disposed between the light detection sensor and the first optical source and the second optical source, the alignment optics including one or more optical components adjustable to shift the first and second optical beams at the image plane to align with the first beam pattern.

Abstract: A first signal is sampled at the LiDAR system to produce a first set of samples around a first detected frequency peak related to the first signal. A second signal is sampled at the LiDAR system to produce a second set of samples around a second detected frequency peak related to the second signal. A first function based on the first set of samples and a second function based on the second set of samples are convolved to produce a third function. At least one of the first signal or the second signal is refined to produce at least one of a first refined signal or a second refined signal based on the third function. Range and velocity information is extracted related to a target based on the at least one of the first refined signal or the second refined signal.

Abstract: Various implementations of the invention compensate for “phase wandering” in tunable laser sources. Phase wandering may negatively impact a performance of a lidar system that employ such laser sources, typically by reducing a coherence length/range of the lidar system, an effective bandwidth of the lidar system, a sensitivity of the lidar system, etc. Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering near the laser source and before the output of the laser is directed toward a target. Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering in the target signal (i.e., the output of the laser that is incident on and reflected back from the target). Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering at the laser source and in the target signal.

Abstract: An interferometer comprises a plurality of waveguide branches comprising a plurality of bus waveguides and a plurality of photonic resonators. A first waveguide branch of the plurality of waveguide branches comprises a first photonic resonator coupled to a first bus waveguide. The first photonic resonator is disposed to couple and circle a first portion of an optical beam at the first photonic resonator to generate a first phase shift of the first portion of the optical beam, where the first phase shift is the same as a second phase shift of a second photonic resonator coupled to a second bus waveguide. The interferometer forms at least a portion of an in-phase and quadrature (IQ) modulator.

Abstract: A method transmits a first optical beam towards targets within a field of view (FOV). The first optical beam is modulated at a first chirp rate for a first set of scan lines that correspond to a first distance of the targets. The method identifies conditions based on the FOV to calculate a second chirp rate, and generates a scan pattern by transmitting a second optical beam towards the targets within the FOV. The second optical beam is modulated at the second chirp rate for a second set of scan lines that corresponds to a second distance of the one or more targets. The method generates, based on the first and second optical beams, the point cloud that includes multiple data points related to the target in which some of the data points are related to a first target and other data points are related to a second target.

Abstract: An electro-optical system has a laser drive electronic circuit, a laser light source and an optical interferometer, forming a closed loop. The laser drive electronic circuit is arranged to receive a reference frequency as input, and a beat frequency as feedback. The laser drive electronic circuit generates a drive output based on a phase difference between the reference frequency and the beat frequency. The optical interferometer, coupled to the laser light, generates optical energy at the beat frequency.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system to transmit an optical beam toward a target and receive a returned optical beam. The optical beam includes an up-chirp frequency and a down-chirp frequency, and is modulated to have phase non-linearities. The LIDAR system generates a baseband signal from the returned optical beam, which includes a plurality of peaks corresponding with the up-chirp frequency and the down-chirp frequency. The LIDAR system identifies a first true peak in the baseband signal, and identifies a second true peak in the baseband signal based, at least in part, on a spectral shape of the second true peak caused by the phase non-linearities. The LIDAR system is to determine the location of the target using the first true peak and the second true peak.

Abstract: A frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system that includes an optical source to generate light at a target frequency. The system also includes a first transistor to transmit a modulation current through a modulation path that includes the optical source and a modulation resistor. The system also includes electro optical circuitry coupled to the first transistor to produce a phase locked loop. The system also includes a second transistor to transmit a bias current through a bias path that includes the optical source and is separate from the modulation path, wherein the bias path is separate from the modulation path.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, includes an optical source to generate a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) optical beam, a memory, and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, to identify energy peaks in a frequency domain of a range-dependent baseband signal that corresponds to a return signal from a reflection of the FMCW optical beam and identify an obstruction of the LIDAR system based on a comparison of a frequency of the energy peaks to a threshold frequency.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided that includes a first optical source and a second optical source configured to emit respectively a first optical beam and a second optical beam that are nondegenerate and are chirped antiphase and at least one tap configured to split each of the first optical beam and the second optical beam to generate a first local oscillator and a second local oscillator.

Abstract: A system uses range and Doppler velocity measurements from a lidar system and images from a video system to estimate a six degree-of-freedom trajectory (6DOF) of a target. The 6DOF transformation parameters are used to transform multiple images to the frame time of a selected image, thus obtaining multiple images at the same frame time. These multiple images may be used to increase a resolution of the image at each frame time, obtaining the collection of the superresolution images.

Abstract: A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system is provided that includes performing a scene measurement using a LiDAR sensor capable of measuring Doppler per point. The method also includes estimating a velocity of the LiDAR sensor with respect to static points within the scene based on the scene measurement. The method may also include compensating for the velocity of the LiDAR sensor and compensating for a Doppler velocity of the LiDAR sensor.