Abstract: Light signals are converted into first electric signals by a first group of light-receiving elements, and the light signals are additionally converted into second electrical signals by a second group of light-receiving elements. The second group has a lower degree of sensitivity for converting the photons into an electric current than the first group. The first electric signals are used to ascertain the distance to an object by means of a time-correlated photon counting process depending on a starting time for the emission of the light signals. Furthermore, the second electric signals are used to determine the distance depending on the starting time but using a second signal processing different from the process used for the first electric signals.

Abstract: Method for the improved near and remote detection of a LIDAR receiving unit for motor vehicles, wherein the receiving unit has a plurality of sensor elements, wherein the sensor elements can be activated and deactivated, wherein at least a subset of the sensor elements are activated at a first point in time within a measurement cycle, wherein one or more sensor elements are activated and/or one or more sensor elements are deactivated at a second point in time within the measurement cycle, said second point in time occurring after the first point in time.

Abstract: A receiving arrangement for receiving light signals and a method for receiving light signals are proposed, wherein a light receiver is provided, which serves for receiving the light signals and converting them into electrical signals. Furthermore, an evaluation circuit is provided, which, depending on the electrical signals and a start signal for the emission of the light signals, determines a distance between the receiving arrangement and an object at which the light signals are reflected. A characterizing feature is that the light receiver has a first group of light-receiving elements, which has a higher sensitivity for receiving the light signals than at least one further group of light-receiving elements, wherein the first and the further groups are ready for reception at different times.

Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is proposed which comprises the emission of a plurality of measurement pulses, the reflection of emitted measurement pulses at at least one object and the receipt of reflected measurement pulses. A sequence of measurement pulses is emitted, wherein the sequence comprises temporal pulse spacings between temporally successive measurement pulses, and wherein each measurement pulse of the sequence has a temporal pulse width of T(Pulse). The pulse spacings form a first set, wherein the first set is defined by {T(delay)+i*T(Pulse): i is an element of the natural numbers between 0 and j}, wherein for all values of i it holds that: T(delay)+i*T(Pulse)<(2T(delay)+2T(Pulse)), wherein the first set only comprises one element for all values of i between 0 and j, respectively, and wherein T(delay) defines a pulse spacing base unit.

Abstract: LIDAR receiving unit in a focal plane array assembly, including a plurality of sensor elements arranged in macro cells and a plurality of readout elements, wherein at least two sensor elements are assigned to a macro cell, and each sensor element can be activated and deactivated individually or can be activated and deactivated in groups of sensor elements.

Abstract: An improved method for optical distance measurement is provided, in which only subsets of the transmitting elements of the transmission matrix are activated when using a transmission matrix to transmit measuring pulses and a reception matrix for receiving the latter.

Abstract: An improved method for optical distance measurement is provided, in which only subsets of the transmitting elements of the transmission matrix are activated when using a transmission matrix to transmit measuring pulses and a reception matrix for receiving the latter.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly or a method for ascertaining the distance to at least one object. The light signals are converted into first electric signals by a first group of light-receiving elements, and the light signals are additionally converted into second electrical signals by a second group of light-receiving elements. The first electric signals are used to ascertain the distance by means of a time-correlated photon counting process depending on a starting time for the emission of the light signals. Furthermore, the second electric signals are used to determine the distance by means of an additional signal processing which differs from the time-correlated photon counting process. The second group has a lower degree of sensitivity for converting the photons into an electric current than the first group.

Abstract: A receiving arrangement for receiving light signals and a method for receiving light signals are proposed, wherein a light receiver is provided, which serves for receiving the light signals and converting them into electrical signals. Furthermore, an evaluation circuit is provided, which, depending on the electrical signals and a start signal for the emission of the light signals, determines a distance between the receiving arrangement and an object at which the light signals are reflected. A characterizing feature is that the light receiver has a first group of light-receiving elements, which has a higher sensitivity for receiving the light signals than at least one further group of light-receiving elements, wherein the first and the further groups are ready for reception at different times.

Abstract: Method for the improved near and remote detection of a LIDAR receiving unit for motor vehicles, wherein the receiving unit has a plurality of sensor elements, wherein the sensor elements can be activated and deactivated, wherein at least a subset of the sensor elements are activated at a first point in time within a measurement cycle, wherein one or more sensor elements are activated and/or one or more sensor elements are deactivated at a second point in time within the measurement cycle, said second point in time occurring after the first point in time.

Abstract: LIDAR receiving unit in a focal plane array assembly, including a plurality of sensor elements arranged in macro cells and a plurality of readout elements, wherein at least two sensor elements are assigned to a macro cell, and each sensor element can be activated and deactivated individually or can be activated and deactivated in groups of sensor elements.

Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is proposed which comprises the emission of a plurality of measurement pulses, the reflection of emitted measurement pulses at at least one object and the receipt of reflected measurement pulses. A sequence of measurement pulses is emitted, wherein the sequence comprises temporal pulse spacings between temporally successive measurement pulses, and wherein each measurement pulse of the sequence has a temporal pulse width of T(Pulse). The pulse spacings form a first set, wherein the first set is defined by {T(delay)+i*T(Pulse): i is an element of the natural numbers between 0 and j}, wherein for all values of i it holds that: T(delay)+i*T(Pulse)<(2T(delay)+2T(Pulse)), wherein the first set only comprises one element for all values of i between 0 and j, respectively, and wherein T(delay) defines a pulse spacing base unit.

Abstract: In order to improve the failure proneness of methods or devices for optically measuring distances, it is proposed that the measurement pulses for measuring distances are sent out aperiodically.

Abstract: An improved method for optical distance measurement is provided, in which only subsets of the transmitting elements of the transmission matrix are activated when using a transmission matrix to transmit measuring pulses and a reception matrix for receiving the latter.

Abstract: In order to improve the failure proneness of methods or devices for optically measuring distances, it is proposed that the measurement pulses for measuring distances are sent out aperiodically.

Abstract: An optical object sensing device for a motor vehicle, having an emitter unit for emitting an emission light beam and having a receiver unit for receiving a reception light beam, and having an electronic evaluation device for detecting an object external to the vehicle in a vicinity of the motor vehicle as a function of the reception light beam. The emitter unit includes an emitter for generating the emission light beam, a controllable micromirror by which the emission light beam can be panned at least in a first panning direction, and an emission lens arranged behind the micromirror in the emission beam path, where at least along the first panning direction, the emission lens is configured as a concave-convex lens with a concavely curved surface, which faces towards the micromirror, and with a convexly curved surface.

Abstract: An optical object sensing device for a motor vehicle, having an emitter unit for emitting an emission light beam and having a receiver unit for receiving a reception light beam, and having an electronic evaluation device for detecting an object external to the vehicle in a vicinity of the motor vehicle as a function of the reception light beam. The emitter unit includes an emitter for generating the emission light beam, a controllable micromirror by which the emission light beam can be panned at least in a first panning direction, and an emission lens arranged behind the micromirror in the emission beam path, where at least along the first panning direction, the emission lens is configured as a concave-convex lens with a concavely curved surface, which faces towards the micromirror, and with a convexly curved surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for spatially resolved detection of objects has transmission and reception devices, in which transmission and reception regions overlap or intersect in a detection region which is disposed within a monitored zone. The monitored zone covers a detection angle in which the transmitted radiation is reflected by objects. An imaging arrangement is disposed in the propagation path of the transmitted radiation and/or of the reflected radiation and covers the total detection region at the transmission side and/or at the reception side at all times. Spatial resolution is used for influencing the propagation direction of the radiation and/or for the operation of the reception device, in a time varying manner, such that the spacing of the detection region relative to the imaging arrangement and/or the size of the detection region determined by the degree to which the transmission region and the reception region overlap or intersect changes.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the spatially resolved detection of objects located in a monitored zone, having a transmission device for the transmission of electromagnetic radiation into a transmission region, having a reception device for the reception of radiation reflected from a reception region, wherein the transmission region and the reception region overlap or intersect in a detection region which is disposed within the monitored zone, which covers a detection angle and in which the transmitted radiation is reflected by objects, having an imaging arrangement which is disposed in the propagation path of the transmitted radiation and/or of the reflected radiation and which covers the total detection region at the transmission side and/or at the reception side at all times; and having spatial resolution means for the influencing of the propagation direction of the radiation and/or for the operation of the reception device, in particular in a time varying manner, such that the position, in part

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for distance measurement by determining the pulse transit time, in which pulsed electromagnetic radiation is transmitted using at least one transmitter and signal pulses reflected at objects are detected using at least one receiver, wherein at least one received logic signal containing logic signals is generated from the received analog signal containing the signal pulses, in particular by means of a threshold circuit, and is evaluated with respect to the transit times of the logic signals, and wherein the received logic signal is read into a programmable logic circuit by means of a clocked data reading device and is mapped onto a time pattern in the logic circuit, in that instantaneous values of the received logic signal are stored in logic units of the logic circuit associated with the time windows for time windows of the time pattern corresponding to at least one clock pulse of the data reading device.