Abstract: A method of compensation in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. The method includes generating a digitally-sampled target signal. The method also includes compensating for ego-velocity and target velocity in the digitally-sampled target signal based on an estimated ego-velocity and an estimated target velocity to produce a compensated digitally-sampled target signal.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an automatic gain control (AGC) unit to reduce the dynamic range, reducing processing power and saving circuit area and cost. The system detects a return beam of a light signal transmitted to a target, having a first dynamic range in a time domain. An analog to digital converter (ADC) generates a digital signal based on the return beam. A processor can perform time domain processing on the digital signal, convert the digital signal from the time domain to a frequency domain, and perform frequency domain processing on the digital signal in the frequency domain. The AGC unit can measure a power of the return beam, and apply variable gain in the frequency domain to reduce a dynamic range of the return beam to a second dynamic range lower than the first dynamic range.

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.

Abstract: A system uses range and Doppler velocity measurements from a lidar subsystem and images from a video subsystem to estimate a six degree-of-freedom trajectory of a target. The video subsystem and the lidar subsystem may be aligned with one another, and hence calibrated, by determining, for example, a centroid of an iris determined from the lidar subsystem and a centroid of the iris determined from the video subsystem and determining a calibration offset between the two centroids.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, and free-space optics coupled with the optical source. The free space optics include a photodetector and other optical components to direct a propagated portion of the optical beam or a reflected portion of the optical beam toward the photodetector as a local oscillator signal, and to transmit the optical beam toward a target environment.

Abstract: A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided that includes generating a beam of co-propagating, cross-polarized light using a first polarizing beam splitter; and determining a material characteristic or orientation of a target using the co-propagating, cross-polarized light.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling camera settings of a camera to improve detection of faces in an uncontrolled environment are described. A first image is received from the camera, where the first image is captured by the camera at a first set of camera settings. A face is detected in the first image. The camera is adjusted to a second set of camera settings based on the detected face, where the second set of camera settings different from the first set of camera settings. A second image is received from the camera, where the second image is captured by the camera at the second set of camera settings. The face is detected in the second image. A quality metric of the face in the second image is determined where the quality metric is indicative of an image quality of the face in the second image.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system to transmit optical beams including at least up-chirp frequency and at least one down-chirp frequency toward targets in a field of view of the LIDAR system and receive returned signals of the up-chirp and the down-chirp as reflected from the targets. The LIDAR system may perform IQ processing on one or more returned signals to generate baseband signals in the frequency domain of the returned signals during the at least one up-chirp and the at least one down-chirp. The baseband signal includes a first set of peaks associated with the at least one up-chirp frequency and a second set of peaks associated with the at least one down-chirp frequency. The LIDAR system determines the target location using the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks.

Abstract: Techniques for cascade filtering of a set of points of interest (POIs) in a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system is described. The method includes performing a series of cascaded filtering of a set of points of interest (POIs) in a first point cloud and a second point cloud of the LiDAR system. The method also includes calculating at least a first metric over at least the POI and to make a decision with respect to the second point cloud, and extracting at least one of range and velocity information based on the second point cloud.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus is provided that includes an optical source to emit a first optical beam having a first frequency and a second optical beam having a second frequency and a dispersive element to deflect the first optical beam having the first frequency at a first angle and the second optical beam having the second frequency at a second angle.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system encodes a frequency modulation (FM) modulated signal with a time of flight (TOF) signal as a power and frequency modulated signal. The system can emit the power and frequency modulated signal and apply processing to a signal reflection to generate a target point set. The target point set processing can include frequency processing to generate target points based on range and Doppler information, and TOF processing to provide TOF range information. The processing can include an FM processing path to extract FM signal information, and an AM processing path to extract the TOF signal information.

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 laser radar system using collocated laser beams to unambiguously detects a range of a target and a range rate at which the target is moving relative to the laser radar system. Another aspect of various embodiments of the invention may relate to a laser radar system that uses multiple laser radar sections to obtain multiple simultaneous measurements (or substantially so), whereby both range and range rate can be determined without various temporal effects introduced by systems employing single laser sections taking sequential measurements. In addition, other aspects of various embodiments of the invention may enable faster determination of the range and rate of the target, a more accurate determination of the range and rate of the target, and/or may provide other advantages.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an automatic gain control (AGC) unit to reduce the dynamic range, reducing processing power and saving circuit area and cost. The system detects a return beam of a light signal transmitted to a target, having a first dynamic range in a time domain. An analog to digital converter (ADC) generates a digital signal based on the return beam. A processor can perform time domain processing on the digital signal, convert the digital signal from the time domain to a frequency domain, and perform frequency domain processing on the digital signal in the frequency domain. The AGC unit can measure a power of the return beam, and apply variable gain in the time domain to reduce a dynamic range of the return beam to a second dynamic range lower than the first dynamic range.

Abstract: A system and method for improving a video characteristic of a video stream is described. According to various implementations of the invention, a changed region between a later-in-time image frame and an earlier-in-time image frame and an unchanged region between such two image frames are determined. A new improvement to the video characteristic is determined and applied to the changed region of the later-in-time image frame. A prior improvement to the video characteristic that was determined for the earlier-in-time image frame is applied to the unchanged region of the later-in-time image frame.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system encodes a frequency modulation (FM) modulated signal with a time of flight (TOF) signal as a power and frequency modulated signal. The system can emit the power and frequency modulated signal and apply processing to a signal reflection to generate a target point set. The target point set processing can include frequency processing to generate target points based on range and Doppler information, and TOF processing to provide TOF range information. The LIDAR system can include a modulator to AM modulate an FM modulated light signal with an active modulator to provide the TOF signal information with the FM modulated signal as the power and frequency modulated 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: A LIDAR system includes an optical source and multiple waveguides at different positions within the LIDAR system to receive a return signal. A first waveguide receives a first portion of the return signal at a first angle relative to the scanning mirror and a second waveguide receives a second portion of the return signal at a second angle relative to the scanning mirror. The system further includes multiple optical detectors at different positions within the LIDAR system. A first optical detector receives the first portion of the return signal from the first waveguide and a second optical detector receives the second portion of the return signal from the second waveguide. The system further includes a signal processing system operatively coupled to the plurality of optical detectors to determine a distance and velocity of the target object based on the returned signal and corresponding positions of the plurality of waveguides.

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: A light detection and ranging apparatus (LIDAR) includes an optical source to generate an optical beam and one or more waveguides to steer the optical beam. The one or more waveguides include a first cladding layer having a first refractive index and a second cladding layer disposed below the first cladding layer, the second cladding layer having second refractive indexes including a range of different refractive indexes, wherein the range of different refractive indexes is greater than the first refractive index of the first cladding layer.