Abstract: Methods and systems for the efficient determination of the direction of multiple signal sources in both near and far field using hierarchical combinations of sets of raw input signals to convert spatial input to angular output. Each increasing hierarchical combination increases angular resolution, improving image quality with low computational expenditure.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that may efficiently detect multi-return light signals. A light detection and ranging system, such as a LiDAR system, may fire a laser beam that may hit multiple objects with a different distance in one line, causing multi-return light signals to be received by the system. Multi-return detectors may be able to analyze the peak magnitude of a plurality of peaks in the return signals and determine a multitude of peaks, such as the first peak, the last peak and the maximum peak. One embodiment to detect the multi-return light signals may be a multi-return recursive matched filter detector. This detector comprises a matched filter, peak detector, centroid calculation and a zeroing out function. Other embodiments may be based on a maximum finder that algorithmically selects the highest magnitude peaks from samples of the return signal and buffers for regions of interests peaks.

Abstract: A method for detecting movements of a plurality of points (P) of a surface (21), comprising a measuring step during which an incident ultrasonic wave is emitted into the air towards the surface and an ultrasonic wave reflected into the air by the surface (21) is detected. During the measuring step, each measuring point is illuminated by the incident ultrasonic wave at a multiplicity of angles of incidence, and the reflected ultrasonic wave is detected by a network of receiving transducers (3) comprising a plurality of ultrasonic receiving transducers (3a). The movements of the surface are determined at a measuring point by determining a delay and/or a phase shift between two beam-forming signals for said measuring point.

Abstract: A marine electronics system is provided including a transducer assembly configured to receive active sonar returns during a first time period and receive passive sonar data during a second time period. The system also includes a marine electronics device including a user interface comprising a display, a processor, and a memory including computer program code configured to cause the marine electronics device to receive the passive sonar data from the transducer element, generate a noise level indicator based on the passive sonar data, and cause the noise level indicator to be displayed on the user interface. The noise level indicator includes an indication of an ambient noise level associated with the vessel.

Abstract: A laser controller having an electronic distance measuring instrument and a laser light transmitter creating a vertical laser plane is used with a remote controller and a movable target for point layout tasks. The electronic distance measurer and laser transmitter are mounted on the same vertical pivot axis. Once the system is set-up for a particular jobsite, the laser plane can be aimed at a specific point of interest on the jobsite floor, and a visible laser light line will then appear on the floor, from the laser controller, all the way to that point of interest. The distance measuring instrument is aimed along the same heading as the laser plane, and it gives the distance to the movable target, which is moved along the visible laser light line, until reaching the specified distance, and thereby find the point of interest.

Abstract: A photomultiplier pixel cell includes a photon detector coupled to detect an incident photon. A quenching circuit is coupled to quench an avalanche current in the photon detector. An enable circuit is coupled to the photon detector to enable and disable the photon detector in response to an enable signal. A buffer circuit is coupled to the photon detector to generate a digital output signal having a pulse width interval in response to the avalanche current triggered in the photon detector. A first one of a plurality of inputs of a digital-to-analog converter is coupled to the buffer circuit to receive a digital output signal. The digital-to-analog converter is coupled to generate an analog output signal having a magnitude that is responsive to a total number of digital output signals received concurrently within the pulse width interval at each one of the plurality of inputs of the digital-to-analog converter.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detector device assisted by majority current, comprising a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a plurality of control regions of the first conductivity type, at least one detection region of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type and a first source for generating a majority carrier current associated with an electrical field, characterized in that it further comprises control circuitry arranged for controlling the first source and controlling individually at least one of said first majority carrier currents.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating data using lidar, the method being carried out by a lidar communication system, the method including: activating a data communication mode of a lidar unit; preparing data for communication using lidar; after activating the data communication mode, emitting a plurality of light pulses using the lidar unit, wherein the plurality of light pulses are emitted in a manner so as to convey the prepared data to an external lidar communication device; and receiving an acknowledgment message, wherein the acknowledgment message indicates receipt of the prepared data at the external lidar communication device.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transmitter system includes a digital controller, bandpass pulse-width modulator (BP-PWM) unit, a digital to analog converter (DAC), and an ultrasound transducer. The controller generates pulse width and phase reference signals. The BP-PWM configured receives these signals generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) output characterized by a pulse width and a phase based on the pulse width and phase reference signals. The DAC) receives the PWM output from the BP-PWM unit and generates an output characterized by the pulse width and phase. The ultrasonic transducer receives the output from the DAC and generates an output sound pressure in response to the output from the DAC. An amplitude of the RMS sound pressure depends on the pulse width of the output from the DAC.

Abstract: An auxiliary positioning system includes a mobile platform and a plurality of reflective stickers. The reflective stickers are disposed in a navigation space. The mobile platform includes a map-establishing module, a positioning module, a laser scan and analysis module, a coordinate-processing module, a comparison module and a calibration module. The map-establishing module is utilized to generate a global map. The positioning module is utilized to locate a position coordinate. The laser scan and analysis module is utilized to scan the navigating space to generate a scan direction and distance vector. The coordinate-processing module is utilized to generate a position direction and distance vector. The comparison module is utilized to compare the scanning coordinate with the mapping coordinate. The calibration module is utilized to calibrate the position coordinate.

Abstract: A light ranging system can include a laser device and an imaging device having photosensors. The laser device illuminates a scene with laser pulse radiation that reflects off of objects in the scene. The reflections can vary greatly depending on the reflecting surface shape and reflectivity. The signal measured by photosensors can be filtered with a number of matched filter designed according to profiles of different reflected signals. A best matched filter can be identified, and hence information about the reflecting surface and accurate ranging information can be obtained. The laser pulse radiation can be emitted in coded pulses by allowing weights to different detection intervals. Other enhancements include staggering laser pulses and changing an operational status of photodetectors of a pixel sensor, as well as efficient signal processing using a sensor chip that includes processing circuits and photosensors.

Abstract: The beamforming system includes a plurality of beamformers operatively coupled to each other. Each beamformer includes a plurality of signal generation units and a plurality of respective delaying units. Each beamformer includes a plurality of multipliers assigned to each delaying unit. Each beamformer includes a plurality of summers configured to receive a respective group of conditioned signals from a respective group of the plurality of multipliers, combine the respective group of conditioned signals and generate a respective phased array output signal. Each of the summers is configured to receive at least another input other than the respective group of conditioned signals. The plurality of beamformers are interconnected such that each of the plurality of summers within each beamformer receives, as the at least another input, a respective phased array output signal from a summer of a different one of the plurality of beamformers. As associated method is also provided.

Abstract: A time-of-flight imaging system may output light with a modulation frequency in the gigahertz band, to illuminate a range target. This high-frequency illumination may enable extremely precise—e.g., micron-scale—depth measurements. The system may modulate reflected light from the range target, to create a beat tone that has a frequency in the hertz band. In some cases, the modulated light in the gigahertz band is created by a first modulator and the beat tone in the hertz band is created by a second modulator. In some cases, the modulated light in the gigahertz band is created by an upshift cascade of modulators and the beat tone in the hertz band is created by a downshift cascade of modulators. A photodetector may measure the low-frequency beat tone. From this beat tone, phase of the signal and depth of the range target may be extracted.

Abstract: Provided is a measurement device or the like that expands a dynamic range easily and promptly as appropriate even when three-dimensional data or the like on some parts of a measurement target object is not acquirable, so that the data can be acquired. A measurement device includes a light source unit that sequentially emits a plurality of beams of distance measurement light to an identical target object, based on predetermined fixed output information, a light reception unit that receives reflected light, from the target object, based on which the measurement device acquires measurement information, and an output value reducing unit and/or an input value reducing unit, the output value reducing unit reducing an output value of the light source unit, the input value reducing unit reducing an input value of the reflected light to the light reception unit.

Abstract: A lidar system includes a light source configured to emit light pulses and a receiver configured to detect light from some of the light pulses scattered by remote targets. The receiver includes an avalanche photodiode operating in the linear mode for detecting the light pulses. To prevent damage to the linear mode avalanche photodiode a quench circuit is coupled to the avalanche photodiode, where the quench circuit reduces a bias voltage applied to the avalanche photodiode, when an avalanche event occurs at the avalanche photodiode.

Abstract: A derivation unit derives irradiation position pixel coordinates for specifying the position of a pixel corresponding to an irradiation position of directional light on the real space with respect to a subject, on the basis of the corresponding distance acquired by an acquisition unit, with respect to each of a plurality of second captured images included in a moving image acquired by the acquisition unit, and an execution unit executes a predetermined process as a process to be executed in a position specifiable state with respect to each of the plurality of second captured images, in a case of a position specifiable state where the position of the pixel which is specified by the irradiation position pixel coordinates derived by the derivation unit is the position of a pixel which is specifiable at positions corresponding to each other in the respective first and second captured images.

Abstract: A LiDAR system comprising a laser source configured to output electromagnetic radiation based on an input signal and circuitry configured to supply the input signal to the laser source to control electromagnetic radiation output by the laser source, such that the laser source outputs a waveform including a plurality of output states. The laser source outputs electromagnetic radiation having a particular wavelength during the output states. Each of the plurality of output states is separated in time from neighboring output states of the plurality of output states by a time span. The particular wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation for a first output state of the plurality of output states is different from the particular wavelength of electromagnetic radiation for a second output state of the plurality of output states.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a measuring system for measuring a movable object, for example a lateral guide on the transport path of a casting strand in a metallurgical installation. The system has at least one light source (110) for emitting parallel light beams (130) and a receiving device (120) with a sensor field for receiving the light beams. An evaluation device is used to evaluate the light beams received by the sensor field. In order to be able to make the evaluation simpler and faster, the receiving device is designed to generate an image of the sensor field having the positions of the sensors of the sensor field, which are assigned to the light beams not influenced by the object, and having the positions of the sensors of the sensor field, which are assigned to the light beams which are emitted, but are influenced by the object. The distances between the individual sensors are likewise known on the basis of the known resolution of the sensor field.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure is an acoustic logging tool for determining a characteristic of a ground formation during a drilling operation. The acoustic logging tool includes a transmitter section that houses a transmitter that is configured to emit an acoustic signal and a receiver section spaced from the transmitter section along an axial direction. The receiver section includes a receiver that is configured to receive at least a portion of the acoustic signal. The acoustic logging tool also includes an isolator section positioned between the transmitter section and the receiver section along the axial direction.

Abstract: An electrical system may include a processing circuit and one or more electrical components that emit thermal heat energy. The processing circuit may be configured to identify signal degradation or failure of an in-band communication channel between the electrical system and a second electrical system, identify a data message to transmit to the additional electrical system via an out-of-band communication channel, and direct the one or more electrical components to adjust an electrical workload to modulate and transmit the data message on the out-of-band communication channel as a recoverable sequence of thermal pulses.