Abstract: An optical measurement system may include a light source and corresponding photosensor configured to emit and detect photons reflected from objects in a surrounding environment for optical measurements. An initial peak can be identified as resulting from reflections off a housing of the optical measurement system. This peak can be removed or used to calibrate measurement calculations of the system. Peaks resulting from reflections off surrounding objects can be processed using on-chip filters to identify potential peaks, and the unfiltered data can be passed to an off-chip processor for distance calculations and other measurements. A spatial filtering technique may be used to combine values from histograms for spatially adjacent pixels in a pixel array. This combination can be used to increase the confidence for distance measurements.

Abstract: An optical measurement system may include a plurality of light sources and a plurality of photosensors, where the photosensors are configured to receive photons from the light sources that are reflected off objects in the surrounding environment. Photons may be stored in memory blocks corresponding to the photosensors to form histograms of the receive photons. A select circuit may be used to share memory blocks between photosensors, such that a plurality of photosensors may write to a single memory block, or a single photosensor may write to a plurality of memory blocks. Sampling clock cycles for the photosensors may be adjusted relative to the clock cycles for the memory blocks based on the select circuit output.

Abstract: A LIDAR system having light emitters and light detectors can apply per-shot jitter to create variation in the interval between successive emitter pulses. Operation of the detectors can be synchronized with operation of the emitters so that a consistent time of flight measurement corresponds to a consistent distance. Application of per-shot jitter can reduce the effect of crosstalk from other sources of pulsed light and can also reduce range aliasing effects.

Abstract: A lidar-based apparatus and method are used for the solid state steering of laser beams using Photonic Integrated Circuits. Integrated optic design and fabrication micro- and nanotechnologies are used for the production of chip-scale optical splitters that distribute an optical signal from a laser essentially uniformly to an array of pixels, said pixels comprising tunable optical delay lines and optical antennas. Said antennas achieve out-of-plane coupling of light. As the delay lines of said antenna-containing pixels in said array are tuned, each antenna emits light of a specific phase to form a desired far-field radiation pattern through interference of these emissions. Said array serves the function of solid state optical phased array.

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: An optical system for collecting distance information within a field is provided. The optical system may include lenses for collecting photons from a field and may include lenses for distributing photons to a field. The optical system may include lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, optical filters that reject normally incident light outside of the operating wavelength, and pixels that detect incident photons. The optical system may further include illumination sources that output photons at an operating wavelength.

Abstract: An optical system for collecting distance information within a field is provided. The optical system may include lenses for collecting photons from a field and may include lenses for distributing photons to a field. The optical system may include lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, optical filters that reject normally incident light outside of the operating wavelength, and pixels that detect incident photons. The optical system may further include illumination sources that output photons at an operating wavelength.

Abstract: Embodiments describe a solid state electronic scanning LIDAR system that includes a scanning focal plane transmitting element and a scanning focal plane receiving element whose operations are synchronized so that the firing sequence of an emitter array in the transmitting element corresponds to a capturing sequence of a photosensor array in the receiving element. During operation, the emitter array can sequentially fire one or more light emitters into a scene and the reflected light can be received by a corresponding set of one or more photosensors through an aperture layer positioned in front of the photosensors. Each light emitter can correspond with an aperture in the aperture layer, and each aperture can correspond to a photosensor in the receiving element such that each light emitter corresponds with a specific photosensor in the receiving element.

Abstract: An optical system for collecting distance information within a field is provided. The optical system may include lenses for collecting photons from a field and may include lenses for distributing photons to a field. The optical system may include lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, optical filters that reject normally incident light outside of the operating wavelength, and pixels that detect incident photons. The optical system may further include illumination sources that output photons at an operating wavelength.

Abstract: Embodiments describe optical imagers that include one or more micro-optic components. Some imagers can be passive imagers that include a light detection system for receiving ambient light from a field. Some imagers can be active imagers that include a light emission system in addition to the light detection system. The light emission system can be configured to emit light into the field such that emitted light is reflected off surfaces of an object in the field and received by the light detection system. In some embodiments, the light detection system and/or the light emission system includes micro-optic components for improving operational performance.

Abstract: An optical system for collecting distance information within a field is provided. The optical system may include lenses for collecting photons from a field and may include lenses for distributing photons to a field. The optical system may include lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, optical filters that reject normally incident light outside of the operating wavelength, and pixels that detect incident photons. The optical system may further include illumination sources that output photons at an operating wavelength.

Abstract: A stereoscopic imager system, comprising: a sensor array comprising a first plurality of photosensors and a second plurality of photosensors spaced apart from the first plurality of photosensors by a gap, the first plurality of photosensors and the second plurality of photosensors being configured to detect ambient light in a scene; a moving component coupled to the sensor array and operable to move the sensor array between a first position and a second position within a full rotational image capturing cycle; and a system controller coupled to the sensor array and the moving component.

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: A LIDAR system can automatically determine, based on analysis of data collected from the sensor channels during operation, whether fog is present. If fog is present, the LIDAR system can operate in a fog mode, and if fog is not present, the LIDAR system can operate in a “clear-air” mode. The two modes can differ from each other with respect to the emitter signals and/or the signal processing applied to the sensor data.

Abstract: Embodiments describe optical imagers that include one or more micro-optic components. Some imagers can be passive imagers that include a light detection system for receiving ambient light from a field. Some imagers can be active imagers that include a light emission system in addition to the light detection system. The light emission system can be configured to emit light into the field such that emitted light is reflected off surfaces of an object in the field and received by the light detection system. In some embodiments, the light detection system and/or the light emission system includes micro-optic components for improving operational performance.

Abstract: Embodiments describe a solid state electronic scanning LIDAR system that includes a scanning focal plane transmitting element and a scanning focal plane receiving element whose operations are synchronized so that the firing sequence of an emitter array in the transmitting element corresponds to a capturing sequence of a photosensor array in the receiving element. During operation, the emitter array can sequentially fire one or more light emitters into a scene and the reflected light can be received by a corresponding set of one or more photosensors through an aperture layer positioned in front of the photosensors. Each light emitter can correspond with an aperture in the aperture layer, and each aperture can correspond to a photosensor in the receiving element such that each light emitter corresponds with a specific photosensor in the receiving element.

Abstract: An optical system for collecting distance information within a field is provided. The optical system may include lenses for collecting photons from a field and may include lenses for distributing photons to a field. The optical system may include lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, optical filters that reject normally incident light outside of the operating wavelength, and pixels that detect incident photons. The optical system may further include illumination sources that output photons at an operating wavelength.

Abstract: Embodiments describe optical imagers that include one or more micro-optic components. Some imagers can be passive imagers that include a light detection system for receiving ambient light from a field. Some imagers can be active imagers that include a light emission system in addition to the light detection system. The light emission system can be configured to emit light into the field such that emitted light is reflected off surfaces of an object in the field and received by the light detection system. In some embodiments, the light detection system and/or the light emission system includes micro-optic components for improving operational performance.

Abstract: A light ranging system including a shaft; a first circuit board assembly that includes a stator assembly comprising a plurality of stator elements arranged about the shaft on a surface of the first circuit board assembly; a second circuit board assembly rotationally coupled to the shaft, wherein the second circuit board assembly includes a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor elements arranged about the shaft on a surface of the second circuit board assembly such that the plurality of rotor elements are aligned with and spaced apart from the plurality of stator elements; a stator driver circuit disposed on either the second or the first circuit board assemblies and configured to provide a drive signal to the plurality of stator elements, thereby imparting an electromagnetic force on the plurality of rotor elements to drive a rotation of the second circuit board assembly about the shaft; and a light ranging device mechanically coupled to the second circuit board assembly such that the light ranging d

Abstract: A light ranging system including a shaft; a first circuit board assembly that includes a stator assembly comprising a plurality of stator elements arranged about the shaft on a surface of the first circuit board assembly; a second circuit board assembly rotationally coupled to the shaft, wherein the second circuit board assembly includes a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor elements arranged about the shaft on a surface of the second circuit board assembly such that the plurality of rotor elements are aligned with and spaced apart from the plurality of stator elements; a stator driver circuit disposed on either the second or the first circuit board assemblies and configured to provide a drive signal to the plurality of stator elements, thereby imparting an electromagnetic force on the plurality of rotor elements to drive a rotation of the second circuit board assembly about the shaft; and a light ranging device mechanically coupled to the second circuit board assembly such that the light ranging d