Abstract: Method for the improved near and remote detection of a LIDAR receiving unit for motor vehicles, wherein the receiving unit has a plurality of sensor elements, wherein the sensor elements can be activated and deactivated, wherein at least a subset of the sensor elements are activated at a first point in time within a measurement cycle, wherein one or more sensor elements are activated and/or one or more sensor elements are deactivated at a second point in time within the measurement cycle, said second point in time occurring after the first point in time.

Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement involves transmitting measuring pulses by means of a transmission matrix having a plurality of transmission elements, reflecting transmitted measuring pulses to at least one object, and receiving reflected measuring pulses by a reception matrix. The reception matrix includes a plurality of reception elements each having a plurality of reception sub-elements. The method involves monitoring reception rates of reception sub-elements of the reception matrix for determining a misalignment between the transmission matrix and reception matrix, wherein the transmission matrix and reception matrix define a visual field, and wherein the method is used for the navigation of a vehicle. Monitoring takes place while a vehicle is traveling, wherein the method does not involve the conscious introduction of measuring objects into the visual field for determining a misalignment.

Abstract: A receiving arrangement for receiving light signals and a method for receiving light signals are proposed, wherein a light receiver is provided, which serves for receiving the light signals and converting them into electrical signals. Furthermore, an evaluation circuit is provided, which, depending on the electrical signals and a start signal for the emission of the light signals, determines a distance between the receiving arrangement and an object at which the light signals are reflected. A characterizing feature is that the light receiver has a first group of light-receiving elements, which has a higher sensitivity for receiving the light signals than at least one further group of light-receiving elements, wherein the first and the further groups are ready for reception at different times.

Abstract: A receiver assembly for receiving light pulses, a lidar module containing such a receiver assembly, and a method for receiving light pulses are proposed. There is at least one photosensitive receiver (SPAD) therein, which converts the light pulses into an electric signal. An evaluation circuit is connected to the receiver, which determines a distance between the receiver assembly and at least one object that reflects the light pulses from the electric signal, by means of a time-correlated photon counting with at least one histogram, via a time of flight of the light pulse. The evaluation circuit is configured to reduce the resolution of the distance determination starting at no further than a predetermined distance.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating backscatter histogram data for determining a diffuse backscatter during an optical runtime measurement, comprising: At least one histogram accumulation unit, which has several signal inputs, so as to receive time-correlated histogram data; and wherein the histogram accumulation unit is set up to generate backscatter histogram data based upon the time-correlated histogram data received at the signal inputs.

Abstract: A method for analyzing backscatter histogram data in an optical pulse runtime method, including the steps of receiving backscatter histogram data; and analyzing the received backscatter histogram data.

Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is provided, which comprises emitting a plurality of measurement pulses, reflecting emitted measurement pulses on at least one object within a measurement range with a length and receiving reflected measurement pulses. N subsets of measurement pulses are emitted, wherein each subset comprises a constant pulse interval. The constant pulse interval of different subsets is different, wherein the least common multiple of the constant pulse intervals of the N subsets corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.

Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is proposed which comprises the emission of a plurality of measurement pulses, the reflection of emitted measurement pulses at at least one object and the receipt of reflected measurement pulses. A sequence of measurement pulses is emitted, wherein the sequence comprises temporal pulse spacings between temporally successive measurement pulses, and wherein each measurement pulse of the sequence has a temporal pulse width of T(Pulse). The pulse spacings form a first set, wherein the first set is defined by {T(delay)+i*T(Pulse): i is an element of the natural numbers between 0 and j}, wherein for all values of i it holds that: T(delay)+i*T(Pulse)<(2T(delay)+2T(Pulse)), wherein the first set only comprises one element for all values of i between 0 and j, respectively, and wherein T(delay) defines a pulse spacing base unit.

Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is provided, comprising emitting measurement pulses and receiving reflected measurement pulses. One transmission element is associated with the each receiving element. The method comprises the definition of a first group of receiving elements, wherein the transmission elements each emit at least one measurement pulse for distance measurement. Emitted measurement pulses are reflected on an object within a measurement range and the receiving elements of the first group receive the reflected measurement pulses.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for optical distance measurement which includes the steps of emitting measurement pulses by a transmission unit and receiving measurement pulses reflected by an object by a receiver unit to identify objects within a field of view of the receiver unit. A background signal is received by receiver elements and the intensity of the background signal is determined for each receiver element, wherein the determined intensities of the background signal are compared in order to identify objects not identified by the measurement within the field of view of the receiver unit. At least one region of minimal intensity of the background signal is established within an intensity image of the field of view of the receiver unit. The region of minimal intensity is assigned a masking in the field of view, the masking originating from an object not identified by the measurement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lidar receiving unit in a focal plane array arrangement, having: a multiplicity of sensor elements for receiving light pulses of a lidar emitting unit; and a plurality of routing channels for transporting signals of the sensor elements to an edge region (R) of the lidar receiving unit, wherein in each case a plurality of sensor elements are arranged in a macro cell, which is allocated to an emission element of the lidar emitting unit; in each case a plurality of macro cells form a macro cell cluster and in each case a plurality of macro cell clusters are arranged in a plurality of rows (Z1, Z2, Z3); and the routing channels cross the plurality of rows in each case between adjacent macro cell clusters of a row and are configured for transporting the signals in a direction orthogonal to the rows. The present invention furthermore relates to a lidar measuring device for detecting an object in an environment of a vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reading device for determining a signal propagation time of a light pulse between a lidar transmission unit and a lidar receiving unit of a lidar measuring device in a focal plane array arrangement, comprising: an input interface for receiving detections from multiple sensor elements of the lidar receiving unit, said sensor elements being arranged in a macrocell paired with a transmission element of the lidar transmission unit; a weighting unit for determining a respective individual weighting parameter for each of the plurality of sensor elements, said weighting parameter being based on a signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor element; a summation unit for generating a histogram with an allocation of the detections to the detection times of the detections, said summation unit being configured to weight the detections on the basis of the individual weighting parameters; a propagation time unit for determining the signal propagation time on the basis of the generated histogram;

Abstract: LIDAR receiving unit in a focal plane array assembly, including a plurality of sensor elements arranged in macro cells and a plurality of readout elements, wherein at least two sensor elements are assigned to a macro cell, and each sensor element can be activated and deactivated individually or can be activated and deactivated in groups of sensor elements.

Abstract: A cooling device for an object detection sensor, having a sensor-side heat transmission element, a sensor-distant heat absorption element, wherein the sensor-side heat transmission element and the sensor-distant heat absorption element are arranged opposite to one another, wherein a heat transmission surface of the sensor-distant heat transmission element and a heat absorption surface of the sensor-distant heat absorption element are designed to be spaced apart from one another by an intermediate space. Furthermore, an object detection sensor including such a cooling device is described.

Abstract: An improved method for optical distance measurement is provided, in which only subsets of the transmitting elements of the transmission matrix are activated when using a transmission matrix to transmit measuring pulses and a reception matrix for receiving the latter.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for operating a light source for the optical time-of-flight measurement. The light source operating device includes a light source, which is configured to emit light pulses according to a pulse signal sequence and a monitoring circuit for monitoring a light output emitted by the light source based on a current signal and/or voltage signal of the light source.

Abstract: A method is provided for distance measurement that comprises performing measurements, wherein a measurement comprises sending out at least one measuring pulse and, if reflected on an object, receiving the reflected measuring pulse. Measurements are performed accounting for previous information about objects and/or open spaces within a maximum measuring range in order to varyingly measure subranges of the maximum measuring range. The method comprises defining subranges, classifying the subranges by relevance and varyingly measuring subranges, wherein relevant subranges are measured more intensively, so that more measuring pulses per spatial unit are sent out in relevant subranges. The method has a time budget, wherein the method comprises a one-time definition and/or dynamic adjustment of how the time budget is distributed among varyingly relevant subranges, wherein a first portion of the time budget is used for focus measurements, and a second portion of the time budget is used for basic measurements.

Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement involves transmitting measuring pulses by means of a transmission matrix having a plurality of transmission elements, reflecting transmitted measuring pulses to at least one object, and receiving reflected measuring pulses by a reception matrix. The reception matrix includes a plurality of reception elements each having a plurality of reception sub-elements. The method involves monitoring reception rates of reception sub-elements of the reception matrix for determining a misalignment between the transmission matrix and reception matrix, wherein the transmission matrix and reception matrix define a visual field, and wherein the method is used for the navigation of a vehicle. Monitoring takes place while a vehicle is traveling, wherein the method does not involve the conscious introduction of measuring objects into the visual field for determining a misalignment.

Abstract: A method for optical distance measurements is suggested which comprises carrying out Radar measurements, building a grid map comprising a plurality of elements based on the Radar measurements, extracting information about the dynamic state of each element and assigning the information to the respective element. The method further comprises carrying out Lidar measurements resulting in a Lidar point cloud and associating the Lidar point cloud with the grid map.

Abstract: LIDAR measurement system with a LIDAR transmitting unit and a LIDAR receiving unit, which is configured in a focal-plane-array arrangement, wherein the LIDAR receiving unit has a plurality of sensor elements and wherein the LIDAR transmitting unit has a plurality of emitter elements, wherein a plurality of sensor elements form a macrocell, wherein the macrocell is associated with a single emitter element, wherein the distance between two adjacent emitter elements is unequal to an integer multiple of the distance between two adjacent sensor elements.