Abstract: A set of POIs of a point cloud are received at a first filter, where each POI of the set of POIs comprises one or more points. Each POI of the set of POIs is filtered. At a second filter, a first set of neighborhood points of a POI is selected. A first metric for the first set of neighborhood points is computed. Based on the first metric, a first score of the POI is determined. At a third filter, a second set of neighborhood points of a POI is selected. A second metric for the second set of neighborhood points is computed. Based on the second metric, a second score of the POI is determined. At the first filter, based on the first score and the second score, whether to accept the POI, modify the POI, or reject the POI, is determined to extract range or velocity information.

Abstract: A system and method including, determining an alignment between one or more points of a first point set and one or more points of a second point set; predicting a first set of Doppler velocity information for the first point set to produce a first predicted set of Doppler velocity information; comparing a second set of Doppler velocity information and the first predicted set of Doppler velocity information to compute one or more Doppler velocity errors; predicting a third set of Doppler velocity information for the second point set to produce a second predicted set of Doppler velocity information; comparing a fourth set of Doppler velocity information and the second predicted set of Doppler velocity information to compute Doppler velocity errors; and producing a transform that aligns the one or more points of the first point set with the one or more points of the second point set.

Abstract: A system and method including, determining an alignment between one or more points of a first point set and one or more points of a second point set; provided the alignment does not satisfy a point set alignment threshold, wherein the point set alignment threshold represents a geometric alignment error threshold between the first and second point sets: predicting a first set of Doppler velocity information for the first point set to produce a first predicted set of Doppler velocity information for the first point set; comparing a second set of Doppler velocity information and the first predicted set of Doppler velocity information to compute one or more Doppler velocity errors; and producing a transform that aligns the one or more points of the first point set with the one or more points of the second point set to produce a globally consistent registered point set.

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 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 created. The first and second functions are convolved to produce a third function. Provided an index of a convolution peak value is the same as a first peak index, it is determined not to refine the first signal or the second signal. Provided the index of the convolution peak value is not the same as the first peak index, at least one of the first signal or the second signal is refined.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging system includes a first optical source and a second optical source configured to emit respectively a first optical beam and a second optical beam that have opposite polarizations. The system also includes a first tap and a second tap configured to split respectively the first optical beam and the second optical beam into a first high-power path optical beam and a first low-power path optical beam, and a second high-power path optical beam and a second low-power path optical beam. The system also includes a first polarization beam splitter configured to combine the first high-power path optical beam and the second high-power path optical beam into a single spatial mode optical beam.

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.

Abstract: A signal processing system includes a time domain processing module to receive samples of a range-dependent time domain baseband signal in a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LIDAR system, and to generate and select time domain subband signals based on time domain subband selection criteria, a time domain to frequency domain converter coupled with the time domain processing module, to generate range-dependent frequency outputs from the selected time domain subbands, and a frequency domain processing module coupled with the time domain to frequency domain converter, to generate and select frequency domain subbands based on frequency domain subband collection criteria, and to detect energy peaks corresponding to target ranges in the field of view of the LIDAR system.

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 system is provided that includes first and second optical beams that are nondegenerate and are chirped antiphase. Taps split the first and second optical beams into first and second high-power and low-power path optical beams. An optical frequency multiplexer combines the first and second high-power path optical beams into a single spatial mode optical beam, which lensing optics launches towards a target, and collects light incident upon the target into a return path. An optical frequency demultiplexer splits the return optical beam into first and second spatial mode optical beams, and mixers mix the first spatial mode optical beam and the first low-power path optical beam, and the second spatial mode optical beam and the second low-power path optical beam, to produce optical beams having first and second beat frequencies, which optical detectors detect and from which range and velocity of the target are determinable.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided that includes an optical a scanning mirror to steer a laser beam emitted from the tip of an optical fiber to scan a scene, and collect light incident upon any objects in the scene that is returned to the fiber tip. The LIDAR system further includes a re-imaging lens located between the optical fiber and scanning mirror, and an optic located between the scanning mirror and the scene. The re-imaging lens focuses the laser beam emitted from the optical fiber on or close to the first scanning mirror's center of rotation and thereby re-image the fiber tip at or close to the center of rotation, from which the laser beam is reflected as a divergent laser beam. And the optic is configured to collimate or focus the divergent laser beam from the first scanning mirror that is launched toward the scene.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes optical sources to emit optical beams with synchronized chirp rates and chirp durations. The optical beams provide a comb of coherent optical beams with a fixed frequency separation between frequency adjacent optical beams. A first set of first optical components amplifies and combines the optical beams into a combined optical beam. A second set of optical components transmits the combined optical beam toward a target environment and receives a target return signal. A third set of optical components downconverts the target return signal to downconverted target return signals corresponding to the optical beams, and coherently combines the downconverted target return signals.

Abstract: An interferometer comprises a plurality of waveguide branches, where each waveguide branch of the plurality of waveguide branches is disposed to shift a phase of a corresponding portion of the optical beam. Each waveguide branch comprises a bus waveguide and a photonic resonator coupled to the bus waveguide, where the photonic resonator is disposed proximate to the bus waveguide, and where the photonic resonator is disposed to couple and circle the corresponding portion of the optical beam, at the photonic resonator, one or more times to shift the phase of the corresponding portion of the optical beam.

Abstract: Each POI of a set of POIs of a first point cloud is filtered. At a first filter, a first set of neighborhood points of a POI is selected; a first metric for the first set of neighborhood points is computed; and based on the first metric, whether to accept, modify, reject or transmit the POI to a second filter is determined. Provided the POI is accepted or modified, the POI is transmitted to a second point cloud; provided the POI is rejected, the POI is prevented from reaching the second point cloud; provided the POI is not accepted, modified, or rejected, the POI is transmitted to a second filter. At the second filter, provided the POI is accepted or modified, the POI is transmitted to the second point cloud. At least one of range and velocity information is extracted based on the second point cloud.

Abstract: A method to compensate for phase impairments in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes transmitting a first optical beam towards a target, receiving a second optical beam from the target to produce a received optical beam; and generating a digitally-sampled target signal using a local oscillator (LO) beam, a first photo-detector and the received optical beam. The method also includes generating a digitally-sampled reference signal using a reference beam transmitted through a fiber delay device and a second photo-detector, and estimating one or more phase impairments in the LiDAR system using the digitally-sampled reference signal to produce one or more estimated phase impairments. The method also includes performing a first correction on a first phase impairment introduced into the digitally-sampled target signal by the LO beam; performing a second correction on a second phase impairment introduced into the digitally-sampled target signal by the received optical beam.

Abstract: A method of compensating for phase impairments in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes transmitting a first optical beam towards a target; and receiving a second optical beam from the target to produce a return signal. The method also includes generating a digitally-sampled target signal using a local oscillator (LO) beam, a first photo-detector, and the return signal; and compensating for ego-velocity and target velocity in the digitally-sampled target signal based on an estimated ego-velocity and estimated target velocity. The method also includes performing a phase impairment correction on the digitally-sampled target signal.

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 leaked 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. The local oscillator signal co-propagates with a like-polarized target return signal and mixes with the target return signal to generate target information.

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 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: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a first optical source to generate a first optical beam, a first collimating lens to collimate the first optical beam, a first prism wedge of a first prism wedge pair to redirect the first optical beam, and a first focusing lens to focus the first optical beam on a front surface of a second prism wedge of the first prism wedge pair, the second prism wedge to direct the first optical beam toward an output lens.