Abstract: A coherent lidar system includes a light source to output a continuous wave, and a modulator to modulate a frequency of the continuous wave and provide a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) signal. The system also includes an aperture lens to obtain a receive beam resulting from a reflection of an output signal obtained from the FMCW signal, and an optical amplifier in a path of the receive beam to output an amplified receive beam. A method of fabricating the system includes arranging a light source to output a continuous wave, and disposing elements to modulate the continuous wave and provide the FMCW signal. The method also includes arranging an aperture to obtain a receive beam resulting from a reflection of an output signal obtained from the FMCW signal, and disposing an optical amplifier in a path of the receive beam to output an amplified receive beam.

Abstract: A coherent lidar system, a method of operating the coherent lidar system and a vehicle including the coherent lidar system involve a beam steering device to direct output light from the system within a field of view. A first series of positions of the beam steering device defines a first scan pattern within the field of view and a second series of positions of the beam steering device defines a second scan pattern within the field of view. The coherent lidar system includes a controller to provide transition positions to the beam steering device to transition the beam steering device from the first scan pattern to the second scan pattern. The transition positions follow a basis spline (B-spline) function.

Abstract: In accordance with an irradiation position of pulsed light, a selecting unit outputs a first transfer signal to a first transfer electrodes and outputs a second transfer signal to a second transfer electrodes, to allow signal charges to flow into first and second signal charge-collecting regions of a pixel corresponding to the irradiation position, and outputs a third transfer signal to a third transfer electrodes to allow unnecessary charges to flow into an unnecessary charge-discharging regions of a pixel other than the pixel corresponding to the irradiation position. An arithmetic unit reads out signals corresponding to respective quantities of signal charges collected in the first and second signal charge-collecting regions of the pixel selected by the selecting unit, and calculates a distance to an object based on a ratio between a quantity of signal charges collected in the first signal charge-collecting regions and a quantity of signal charges collected in the second signal charge-collecting regions.

Abstract: A signal processing system includes a time domain processing component to receive samples of a range-dependent time domain baseband signal in a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, to separate the samples of the baseband signal into frequency subbands in the time domain based on subband typing criteria, and to select subband processing parameters for the frequency subbands in the time domain and the frequency domain based on the subband typing criteria. Subband processors selectively process the frequency subbands in the time domain and the frequency domain based on the processing parameters.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for improving the probability of detection and the probability of false alarm of a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. A receiver of the LiDAR system is configured to obtain a noise signal vector for an operation condition and determine the coefficients of a matched filter based on the noise signal vector. The matched filter is used to filter a returned signal vector corresponding to returned light detected by the receiver. The receiver detects an object in the field of view of the LiDAR system based on identifying, in the returned signal vector filtered by the matched filter, a pulse having a peak higher than a threshold value. In some embodiments, the receiver is configured to determine the threshold value based on the noise signal vector, energy of the transmitted signal, and a desired false alarm rate.

Abstract: A lidar system operating in a vehicle comprising a first eye configured to scan a first field of regard and a second eye configured to scan a second field of regard. Each of the first eye and the second eye includes a respective optical element configured to output a beam of light, a respective scan mirror configured to scan the beam of light along a vertical dimension of the respective field of regard, and a respective receiver configured to detect scattered light from the beam of light. The field of regard of the lidar system includes the first field of regard and the second field of regard, combined along a horizontal dimension of the first field of regard and the second field of regard.

Abstract: A dynamic tracking system comprises a three-dimensional camera based on time-of-flight technology, which comprises a receiver sensitive to the light emissions comprised in a certain range of wavelengths, a first emitter of light signals, a micro-computer interfacing and computing three-dimensional information coming from the receiver and controlling the emitter, and an internal or external secondary computer incorporating data analysis, database services, controls and external interfacing to vehicle and local or global data communication services.

Abstract: A method, device and system for generating a transformation function, mapping position detections of objects in a scene, detected with a positioning device, to a graphical representation of the scene. The teachings enable the detected positions by the positioning device to be mapped to the graphical representation of the monitored scene without the need of previous references to geographical coordinate systems for the positioning device and the graphical representation of the scene. Virtually any type of image may hence be used as a graphical representation of the scene, even hand-drawn sketches.

Abstract: A lidar sensor, especially for motor vehicles, having a light source, a movable deflection mirror for producing a scanning beam that sweeps across a monitored space by deflecting a light beam emitted by the light source, and having an optical receiver for detecting light reflected by an object hit by the scanning beam in the monitored space. The light source and the deflection mirror are adapted for using the deflected light beam to scan an array of micro-optical elements, each of which, in response to being impinged upon by this light beam, widens it into a divergent beam; and, configured at a distance from the array of micro-optical elements, is a light-concentrating element that transforms the divergent beam into a beam which forms the scanning beam and whose beam diameter is larger than that of the deflected beam.

Abstract: To reduce power consumption in an apparatus for measuring a distance on the basis of a phase difference between light beams. A distance measuring apparatus includes: a phase difference detecting section; and a distance measuring section. In the distance measuring apparatus, the phase difference detecting section detects a phase difference between light beams from a pair of external light sources. In addition, in the distance measuring apparatus, the distance measuring section acquires any one of a distance from one of the pair of external light sources and an interval between the pair of external light sources as known data and measures a distance from another of the pair of external light sources on a basis of the known data and the phase difference.

Abstract: A hybrid LIDAR system 100 includes a flash-based LIDAR detector array. A broad laser emitter is operatively connected to the LIDAR detector array for flash-based LIDAR sensing. A first beam steering mechanism is operatively connected with the broad laser emitter for scanning a scene with a broad beam from the broad laser emitter. A second beam steering mechanism is operatively connected with the LIDAR detector array for directing returns of the broad beam from the scene to the LIDAR detector array.

Abstract: An optical delay between a first fiber and a second fiber is temperature compensated by combining fibers with different thermal path length changes. In some examples, fibers with different buffer coatings exhibit different path length changes per unit length and temperature. Combining such fibers in a fiber array provides a path length difference that is substantially independent of temperature.

Abstract: An objective sensor, a dirt determination method thereof, and an object detection device according to the present invention, individually transmit transmission waves in a plurality of mutually different directions and receive the respective reflected wave thereof, through a protective member, so as to measure, with the plurality of directions as a plurality of measurement points, a transmission and reception time and the intensity of the reflected wave for each of the plurality of measurement points.

Abstract: A lidar system includes one or more light sources configured to emit light pulses, a scanner configured to direct the emitted light pulses as beams along one or more scan directions to illuminate, for each orientation of the scanner with each of the plurality of beams, a respective light-source field of view corresponding to a respective pixel, and a receiver configured to detect the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets. The receiver includes a first, second, and third detectors to detect light pulses associated with respective beams. Each detector has a separate detector field of view within which the detector receives scattered light. A spatial separation between the first detector and the second detector is greater than a spatial separation between the second detector and the third detector.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a light detection and range (LIDAR) device includes a light source to emit a light beam to scan a range of orientations associated with a target scanning zone. The LIDAR device further includes a first microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror configured to receive and redirect the light beam towards to the target scanning zone. The first MEMs mirror is configured to tilt vertically and horizontally to redirect the light beam in a plurality of angles. The LIDAR device further includes a light detector to receive the light beam reflected from one or more objects located within the target scanning zone. The first MEMS mirror tilts multiple directions with respect to the light source to allow the light source to emit the light beam and the light detector to receive the reflected light beam to obtain multiple angular resolutions of the one or more objects.

Abstract: A lidar system comprises a light source configured to emit pulses of light, a scanner configured to direct the pulses of light along a scan direction, where each of the pulses of light illuminates a respective field of view of the light source, and a receiver configured to detect the pulses of light scattered by remote targets. The receiver includes a low-gain detector associated with a low gain and a high-gain detector associated with a high gain. The low-gain detector is positioned so that a first scattered pulse of light that returns from a first target, located closer to the receiver than a second target, is detected primarily by the low-gain detector, and a second scattered pulse of light that returns from the second target is detected primarily by the high-gain detector.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a first optical source to generate a first optical beam and a second optical source to generate a second optical beam. The first optical beam and the second optical beam are separated by a first spacing. The system further includes an optical system to receive the first optical beam and the second optical beam and reduce the first spacing between the first optical beam and the second optical beam to a second spacing and an output lens to transmit the first and second optical beams to scanner optics.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to provide an architecture of a laser imager having high spatial resolution, compatible with an application installed on board a vehicle, in particular on board an aircraft. For this purpose, the invention proposes the generation of a piece of wide-field laser ranging information by a suitable remote optical system. An example of a piece of equipment (1) according to the invention installed on board an aircraft moving in an environment that is likely to contain obstacles (4), in particular an aircraft on the ground, includes a laser range finder (11) coupled to an optical fibre (F1) emitting laser pulses (I), which is itself coupled to an optical system providing an interface with the environment (12) via an optical cross-connect (13) coupled to a covered optical fibre bundle, in the form of laser illuminations (Fi).

Abstract: A light ranging system including a housing; a shaft defining an axis of rotation; a first circuit board assembly disposed within and coupled to the housing in a fixed relationship such that the first circuit board assembly is aligned along a first plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the first circuit board assembly including a plurality of first circuit elements disposed on a first circuit board; a second circuit board assembly spaced apart from the first circuit board assembly within the housing in a second plane parallel to the first plane and rotationally coupled to the shaft such that the second circuit board assembly rotates about the axis of rotation, the second circuit board assembly including a plurality of second circuit elements disposed on a second circuit board and aligned with and configured to function in wireless cooperation with at least one of the first plurality of circuit elements; and a light ranging device electrically connected to and coupled to rotate with the second circuit bo

Abstract: A lidar system includes a light source configured to emit a beam of light including a sequence of pulses, a scanner configured to scan, using the sequence of pulses, a field of regard of the lidar system along a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension in accordance with a first scan pattern; a receiver configured to detect light from at least some of the pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to generate an array of pixels, based on the sequence of pulses of the beam of light. The lidar system is further configured to modify the first scan pattern in view of a result of processing the generated array of pixels to generate a second scan pattern, and scan the field of regard using the sequence of pulses along the horizontal dimension and the vertical dimension in accordance with the second scan pattern.