Abstract: An apparatus and method are used for three-dimensional sensing with a time-of-flight lidar sensor having a single emitter sensing in one dimension, at least one photodetector, and a mechanical means of scanning in two dimensions said emitter and at least one photodetector. The external case of the lidar is preferably static, and only internal components involve mechanical motion. In a preferred embodiment of said lidar when operated in the infrared, said external static case has a window that is visually opaque and essentially transparent to infrared radiation.

Abstract: A lidar-based system and method are used for the solid state beamforming and steering of laser beams using optical phased array (OPA) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and the detection of laser beams using photodetectors. Transmitter and receiver electronics, power management electronics, control electronics, data conversion electronics and processing electronics are also included in the system and used in the method. Laser pulses beamformed by the OPA PIC reflect from objects in the field of view (FOV) of said OPA, and are detected by a detector or a set of detectors. A lidar system includes at least one lidar, and any subset and any number of complementary sensors, data processing/communication/storage modules, and a balance of system for supplying power, protecting, connecting, and mounting the components of said system.

Abstract: A three-dimensional mapping system comprising a moderate number (typically 2 to 4) of moderate-beam-count (typically 8-beam to 16-beam) lidar sensors is proposed to achieve low cost systems with wide fields of view. Secondary advantages include compact sensors and a small minimum range (possible by optimal placement of each of a plurality of sensors).

Abstract: A lidar-based apparatus and method are used for multi-signal detection, weak signal detection and signal disambiguation through waveform approximation utilizing a multi-channel time-to-digital converter (TDC) electronic circuit, with each TDC having an individually adjustable voltage threshold. This advanced TDC-based pulse width time-of-flight (ToF) approach achieves the low cost associated with the TDC-based pulse width ToF approach while solving the signal quality issues associated with the standard single-threshold TDC-based approach.