Abstract: An image sensor includes a time-resolving sensor and a processor. The time-resolving sensor outputs a first signal and a second signal pair in response detecting one or more photons that have been reflected from an object. A first ratio of a magnitude of the first signal to a sum of the magnitude of the first signal and a magnitude of the second signal is proportional to a time of flight of the one or more detected photons. A second ratio of the magnitude of the second signal to the sum of the magnitude of the first signal and the magnitude of the second signal is proportional to the time of flight of the one or more detected photons. The processor determines a surface reflectance of the object where the light pulse has been reflected based on the first signal and the second signal pair and may generate a grayscale image.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a distance measuring device measures a distance to the measured object base on light scattered on the measured object is detected. The distance measuring device includes an optical detector and a measurer. The optical detector detects the scattered light. The measurer has a sampler to sample a signal corresponding to an output signal of the optical detector every time when the light is emitted at a plurality of sampling time points and a storage to accumulate sampling values and store an accumulation value at each sampling time point. The measurer measures the distance based on a plurality of accumulation values at the sampling time points.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for improving detection of multi-return light signals, and more particularly to the mitigation of optical crosstalk in a Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) system. The methods may include cycling a passive state, where the LIDAR system receives returns from other optical sources, and in an active state, where the LIDAR system receives returns from its laser firing and from the other optical sources. By comparing the returns from the passive state and active state, crosstalk from the other optical sources may be removed. Other methods may include (1) phase locking intra LIDAR systems to fire their laser in different directions from one another; and (2) when two inter LIDAR system are firing a laser beam at one another within a field of view threshold, each inter LIDAR system may ignore the signal return from the other inter LIDAR system.

Abstract: An advanced map DB 43 stored on a server device 4 includes pulse type information that is configuration information for detecting a landmark using a LIDAR 2. By sending request information D1 including own vehicle position information, the vehicle mounted device 1 receives response information D2 including pulse type information corresponding to a landmark around the own vehicle position and controls the LIDAR 2 on the basis of the received pulse type information.

Abstract: A light detector according to an embodiment includes a light receiver and a controller. The light receiver includes sensors and pixels. The sensors are arranged two-dimensionally on a substrate. The controller is configured to set a light-receiving region in which the sensors are selectively turned on in the light receiver. The controller sets first and second light-receiving regions. The first and second light-receiving regions include first and second pixel, respectively. The second light-receiving region is arranged away from an optical axis of laser light received by the light receiver. The controller, after turning on each of the first pixel and the second pixel, is further configured to turn off the second pixel in a state in which the first pixel is turned on.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe wavelength division multiplexed LiDAR systems, methods, and structures that advantageously provide a wide field of view without employing lasers having a large tuning range.

Abstract: The disclosure is a three-dimensional towered checkerboard for multi-sensor calibration, and a LiDAR and camera joint calibration method based on the checkerboard.

Abstract: Techniques of designing a sensing system for pseudo 3D mapping in robotic applications are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, an image system is designed to include at least two linear sensors, where these two linear sensors are positioned or disposed orthogonally. In one embodiment, the two linear sensors are a horizontal sensor and a vertical sensor. The horizontal sensor is used for the lidar application while the vertical sensor is provided to take videos, namely scanning the environment wherever the horizontal sensor misses. As a result, the videos can be analyzed to detect anything below or above a blind height in conjunction with the detected distance by the lidar.

Abstract: Techniques for determining an object contour are discussed. Depth data associated with an object may be received. The depth data, such as lidar data, can be projected onto a two-dimensional plane. A first convex hull may be determined based on the projected lidar data. The first convex hull may include a plurality of boundary edges. A longest boundary edge, having a first endpoint and a second endpoint, can be determined. An angle can be determined based on the first endpoint, the second endpoint, and an interior point in the interior of the first convex hull. The longest boundary edge may be replaced with a first segment based on the first endpoint and the interior point, and a second segment based on the interior point and the second endpoint. An updated convex hull can be determined based on the first segment and the second segment.

Abstract: A sensor pod system includes one or more sensor pods with a plurality of sensors configured to collect data from an environment. A sensor pod may have an effective field of view created by individual sensors with overlapping fields of view. The sensor pod system may include sensors of different types and modalities. Sensor pods of the sensor pod system may be modularly installed on a vehicle, for example, an autonomous vehicle and collect and provide data of the environment during operation of the vehicle.

Abstract: In an optical detection system, a coded transmission scheme can be used to provide scene illumination. For example, a transmitter can include transmit elements that can be controlled individually or in groups to provide specified modulated (e.g., on-off-keyed) waveforms corresponding to specified transmit code sequences. Light reflected or scattered by an object can be detected by an optical receiver, such as a single-pixel detector. Contributions to the received optical signal corresponding to the respective transmit code sequences can be separated using a correlation-based technique, even when such contributions overlap in time. Regions of a field-of-regard illuminated by ones or groups of the transmit elements can be selected or adjusted, such as to provide controllable spatial (e.g., angular) selectivity of which portions of the field-of-regard are illuminated by particular transmit signals.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system and method for encoding pulses of light for LiDAR scanning. The system includes a sequence generator, a light source, a modulator, a light detector, a correlator, and a microprocessor. The sequence generator generates a sequence code that the modulator encodes into a pulse of light from the light source. The encoded pulse of light illuminates a surface of an object, in which scattered light from the encoded light pulse is detected. The correlator correlates the scattered light with the sequence code that outputs a peak value associated with a time that the pulse of light is received. The microprocessor is configured to determine a time difference between transmission and reception of the pulse of light based on whether the amplitude of the peak exceeds the threshold value. The microprocessor calculates a distance to the surface of the object based on the time difference.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a time-resolving sensor and a processor. The time-resolving sensor outputs a first signal and a second signal pair in response detecting one or more photons that have been reflected from an object. A first ratio of a magnitude of the first signal to a sum of the magnitude of the first signal and a magnitude of the second signal is proportional to a time of flight of the one or more detected photons. A second ratio of the magnitude of the second signal to the sum of the magnitude of the first signal and the magnitude of the second signal is proportional to the time of flight of the one or more detected photons. The processor determines a surface reflectance of the object where the light pulse has been reflected based on the first signal and the second signal pair and may generate a grayscale image.

Abstract: A system and method for sensing an edge of a region includes at least one distance sensor configured to detect a plurality of distances of objects along a plurality of adjacent scan lines. A controller is in communication with the at least one distance sensor and is configured to determine a location of an edge of a region within the plurality of adjacent scan lines. The controller includes a comparator module configured to compare values corresponding to the detected plurality of distances, and an identification module configured to identify the location of the edge of the region according to the compared values. In one example, the values corresponding to the detected plurality of distances include couplets of standard deviations that are analyzed and selected to identify the location of the edge.

Abstract: An indirect time of flight range calculation apparatus comprises a light source, a photonic mixer that generates a plurality of output signals corresponding to a first plurality of phase values. A signal processor is also provided to calculate a first vector and a first angle from the first vector. The photonic mixer generates a second plurality of electrical output signals corresponding to a second plurality of phase values. Each phase value of the second plurality of phase values is respectively offset with respect to each phase value of the first plurality of phase values by a predetermined phase offset value. The signal processor processes the second plurality of electrical output signals in order to calculate a second vector, and de-rotates the second vector calculated and calculates a second angle from the de-rotated vector before offsetting the second angle against the first angle, thereby generating a corrected output angle.

Abstract: A LIDAR illuminator includes a plurality of laser sources, each comprising an electrical input that receives a modulation drive signal that causes each of the plurality of laser sources to generate an optical beam. A controller having a plurality of electrical outputs, where a respective one of the plurality of electrical outputs is connected to an electrical input of a respective one of the plurality of laser sources, generates a plurality of modulation drive signals that cause the plurality of laser sources to generate a plurality of optical beams that form a combined optical beam. A peak optical energy of the combined optical beam in a measurement aperture at a measurement distance is less than a desired value.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus is provided. The electronic apparatus according to the disclosure includes: a light emitter; a light receiver; a memory; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: acquire a first depth image based on first reflected light acquired during a first time period and store the first depth image in the memory, acquire a second depth image based on second reflected light acquired during a second time period following the first time period, and acquire distance information between the electronic apparatus and the object included in the second depth image by subtracting a first depth value of each pixel of the first depth image from a second depth value of each pixel of the second depth image, and correct the distance information by using a compensation value acquired based corresponding to time information on the second time period.

Abstract: An achromatic 3D STED measuring optical process and optical method, based on a conical diffraction effect or an effect of propagation of light in uniaxial crystals, including a cascade of at least two uniaxial or conical diffraction crystals creating, from a laser source, all of the light propagating along substantially the same optical path, from the output of an optical bank to the objective of a microscope. A spatial position of at least one luminous nano-emitter, structured object or a continuous distribution in a sample is determined. Reconstruction of the sample and its spatial and/or temporal and/or spectral properties is treated as an inverse Bayesian problem leading to the definition of an a posteriori distribution, and a posteriori relationship combining, by virtue of the Bayes law, the probabilistic formulation of a noise model, and possible priors on a distribution of light created in the sample by projection.

Abstract: A system and method for combining multiple functions of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes receiving a second optical beam generated by the laser source or a second laser source, wherein the second optical beam is associated with a second local oscillator (LO); splitting the second optical beam into a third split optical beam and a fourth split optical beam; transmitting, to the optical device, the third split optical beam and the fourth split optical beam; receiving, from the optical device, a third reflected beam that is associated with the third split optical beam and a fourth reflected beam that is associated with the fourth split optical beam; and pairing the third reflected beam with the second LO signal and the fourth reflected beam with the second LO signal.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (Lidar) system includes a light transmission component driven by a phase-keyed burst pattern generator operable to apply a phase-coded key for activating the light source in a series of on/off pulses for the transmitted TX light. The on/off sequence is chosen such that the pattern's auto-correlation function has a maximized peak to side lobe ratio. The on/off pulses of the received RX light reflected from the object or scene is converted to a bitstream that is cross-correlated with the phase-coded key. A peak detector finds the peak of the cross-correlation function and generate a time-of-flight signal indicative of the time between the transmission of the TX light and the peak of the cross-correlation function.