Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor is described herein. The LiDAR sensor can comprise a fiber optic ending, a laser assembly, and one or more processors. The fiber optic ending can comprise a fiber optic cable terminated by a reflector. The laser assembly can emit a chirp signal to detect an object in an environment. A portion of the chirp signal can be diverted to the fiber optic ending. The one or more processors construct a profile of the chirp signal based on the diverted portion of the chirp signal. The one or more processors determine a best fit curve based on the profile of the chirp signal and one or more parameters associated with the best fit curve. A frequency offset between an emitted chirp signal and a returned chirp signal can be computed based on the best fit curve and the one or more parameters. Based on the frequency offset, the one or more processors can determine a range of the object.

Abstract: A range sensing apparatus includes a modulator that applies a frequency chirp to a light source, causing a nonlinear variation in a frequency of an outgoing beam towards a target. A detector receives both a portion of the outgoing beam and a reflection of the outgoing beam from the target. A processor, which linearizes the frequency chirp, extracts characteristic signals with and without linearization of the chirps to identify a range and velocity of the target.

Abstract: Location systems and methods for locating paint and other markings on a surface are disclosed. A paint marking stick may include a magnetic field sonde that is actuated in conjunction with dispensing of paint or other markers, where the sonde generates a magnetic field signal in conjunction with dispensing of paint or placement of a marker. A corresponding utility locator may receive the sonde magnetic field dipole signal and determine and store positional information and type information associated with the paint or other marker.

Abstract: A modular LIDAR system comprising a seed laser configured to output a beam, a modular modulator coupled to receive the beam output the seed laser and modulate the beam to create a modulated beam, a modular amplifier coupled to receive the modulated beam from the modular modulator and generate an amplified beam, and a modular transceiver chip coupled to the modular modulator and the modular amplifier, the transceiver chip configured to emit the beam perpendicularly from a first surface of the transceiver chip through an optical window; and receive a reflected beam from a target through the optical window.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light receiving element for detecting light reflected and transmitted from a subject; a voltage part for providing a first bias voltage or a second bias voltage to the light receiving element; and a controller for controlling the voltage part so that the second bias voltage provided from the voltage part is synchronized with a light output of a light emitting part to be provided to the light receiving element.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system including a plurality of light emitters, wherein the plurality of light emitters are configured to emit a plurality of beams, and the plurality of light emitters are configured to form a beam polarization pattern of the plurality of beams to be emitted toward an object external to the LiDAR system, a receiver that is configured to receive light reflected from the object, and an analyzer that comprises a processor and programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to determine characteristic differences between the beam polarization pattern of the beams emitted toward the object and an intensity pattern of the light reflected from the object, determine a reflection position that is associated with the light reflected from the object, and use the determined characteristic differences to determine whether the reflection position is a position of the object or a position of a ghost.

Abstract: A distance measurement device includes an imaging unit, a measurement unit that measures a distance to a subject by emitting directional light which is light having directivity to the subject and receiving reflection light of the directional light, and a deriving unit that acquires a correspondence relation between an in-provisional-image irradiation position, which corresponds to an irradiation position of the directional light onto the subject, within a provisional image acquired by provisionally imaging the subject by the imaging unit whenever each of a plurality of distances is provisionally measured by the measurement unit and a distance which is provisionally measured by the measurement unit by using the directional light corresponding to the in-provisional-image irradiation position, and derives an in-actual-image irradiation position, within an actual image acquired by performing actual imaging by the imaging unit, based on the acquired correspondence relation.

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. A set of neighborhood points of a POI is selected. A metric for the set of neighborhood points is computed based on a property of the set of neighborhood points and the POI, wherein the property comprises a velocity. Based on the metric, whether to accept the POI, modify the POI, reject the POI, or transmit the POI to a second filter, to extract at least one of range or velocity information related to the target is determined. Provided the POI is not accepted, modified, or rejected, the POI is transmitted to the second filter to determine whether to accept, modify, or reject the POI to extract the at least one of range or velocity information related to the target.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for a vehicle, includes a first scanner that receives a beam transmitted along an optical axis and projects the beam, a second scanner that is positioned along the optical axis, one or more motors that are coupled to the first scanner and the second scanner, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to generate, based on one or more components of a particular waveform, a signal indicating data including a relative phase between the first scanner and the second scanner, and transmit the generated signal to the one or more motors, the signal causing the one or more motors to rotate the first scanner and the second scanner.

Abstract: A method of compensation in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. The method includes applying a first frequency shift to a target signal to compensate for doppler shift in the target signal and performing a phase impairment correction on the target signal to produce a corrected target signal. The method further includes undoing the first frequency shift on the corrected target signal.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a communication circuit, a light source for emitting light of set frequencies, an image sensor for acquiring reflected light of the emitted light, a memory for storing offset values for respective reference frequencies of the set frequencies, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a distance measurement input, identify whether the communication circuit is activated, determine that, in response to identification that the communication circuit is activated, a first frequency distinguished from a frequency used by the activated communication circuit is a frequency of the emitted light among the configured frequencies, acquire information on a distance between the electronic device and an external object, based on the reflected light of the emitted light of the first frequency, and acquire corrected distance information by applying an offset of the first frequency to the acquired distance information.

Abstract: A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) with a variable optical confinement factor I? along the length of the device is disclosed. At the input end of the SOA, the optical confinement is high as an optical core is adjacent an optical gain layer, resulting in a high-gain region that rapidly increases the optical signal power. In the central portion of the SOA, the optical confinement is continuously reduced as the optical core is tapered away from the optical gain layer, thereby lowering the gain, but increasing the output saturation power. Near the output end of the SOA, the optical confinement factor is held constant, providing a length of additional gain, thereby further increasing the output power. The SOA may optionally include a spot-size converter region to focus the output optical signal.

Abstract: An electronic device comprising circuitry configured to generate a coded modulation signal (54; 60) for modulating illumination light (16; 55) transmitted by a time of flight camera (3).

Abstract: An object of the present technology is to provide a light receiving device by which an optical displacement having occurred in a light receiving section during manufacturing and assembling, etc. can be corrected. The light receiving device (10) of the present technology includes a light receiving section (2) including a pixel array (16), and a control section (3) that defines multiple pixels included in the pixel array (16) as an active pixel (Pa) and a non-active pixel (Pb) and causes a signal outputted from a pixel defined as the active pixel (Pa) to be outputted from the light receiving section (2).

Abstract: A laser device includes front and back DBRs and an interferometer. The front DBR is coupled to a front DBR electrode. The front DBR forms a first tunable multi-peak lasing filter. The back DBR is coupled to a back DBR electrode. The back DBR forms a second tunable multi-peak lasing filter. The interferometer part is coupled between the front DBR and the back DBR. The interferometer part includes first and second waveguide combiners and first and second interferometer waveguides coupled therebetween. The first waveguide combiner couples the interferometer part to the back DBR. The second waveguide combiner couples the interferometer part to the front DBR. The first interferometer waveguide is coupled to an interferometer electrode. The interferometer forms a third tunable multi-peak lasing filter.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors, such as may include vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes and resonance cavity photodetectors (RCPDs). Structures for the VCSEL diodes and RCPDs are disclosed. In some embodiments, a VCSEL diode and an RCPD are laterally adjacent and formed from a common set of semiconductor layers epitaxially formed on a common substrate. In some embodiments, a first and a second VCSEL diode are laterally adjacent and formed from a common set of semiconductor layers epitaxially formed on a common substrate, and an RCPD is formed on the second VCSEL diode. In some embodiments, a VCSEL diode may include two quantum well layers, with a tunnel junction layer between them. In some embodiments, an RCPD may be vertically integrated with a VCSEL diode.

Abstract: Computerized methods for determining a volume of an agricultural product in a container include using an image scanning system to determine a first and second point cloud of distance points. The distance points are classified as corresponding to one of the product or the container. The distance points classified as corresponding to the product are used to determine a volume change of the product. A topography of the product can also be isolated from the distance points classified as corresponding to the product, and the topography can be provided at an interview of a computing device.

Abstract: An optical device includes: a first mirror having a first reflecting surface extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a second mirror having a second reflecting surface; an optical waveguide layer that is located between the first and second mirrors and propagates light in the first direction; and an optical element that is disposed on the first mirror and emits incident light in a direction different from an incident direction. The optical element emits (1) incident light entering from the optical waveguide layer through the first mirror in a direction whose first direction component is smaller than that of an incident direction of the incident light by refraction and/or diffraction or (2) incident light entering from the outside in a direction whose first direction component is larger than that of an incident direction by refraction and/or diffraction.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, systems and methods that enable lidar devices capable of detecting and processing multiple optical modes present in a beam reflected from a target object. Different received optical modes can be spatially separated and electronic signals can be generated that are representative of a coherence information contained in various optical modes. Multiple generated electronic signals can be amplified, phase-shifted, mixed, etc., to identify signals, individually or in a combination, that can be used for identification of a range and velocity of the target object with the highest accuracy.

Abstract: A LIDAR system includes a static monolithic LIDAR transceiver, a collimating optic, and a first rotatable wedge prism. The static monolithic LIDAR transceiver is configured to transmit a laser beam and receive reflected laser light from a first target object. The collimating optic is configured to narrow the transmitted laser beam to produce a collimated laser beam. The first rotatable wedge prism is configured to steer the collimated laser beam in a direction of the first target object based on the first rotatable wedge prism being in a first position.