Abstract: A first light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical source to transmit one or more optical beams towards a first field of view, an optical receiver to receive one or more return beams corresponding to the first field of view and generate a first point cloud referencing a first field of view of the first lidar system, a processing device, and a memory to store the first point cloud and store instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processing device, cause the first LIDAR system to receive a second point cloud referencing a second field of view of a second LIDAR system, determine a relative positioning between the first field of view and the second field of view, and modify the first point cloud based on the second point cloud and the relative positioning between the first field of view and the second field of view.

Abstract: A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system is provided that includes performing a scene measurement using a LiDAR sensor capable of measuring Doppler per point. The method also includes estimating a velocity of the LiDAR sensor with respect to static points within the scene based on the scene measurement. The method may also include compensating for the velocity of the LiDAR sensor and compensating for a Doppler velocity of the LiDAR sensor.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system that includes optical sources configured to emit a first frequency modulated optical beam and a second frequency modulated optical beam. The system also includes an optical amplifier to receive the optical beams and generate output optical beams. The system also includes an optical arrangement to emit the output optical beams and collect light returned from the target in return beams. The system also includes an optical element to generate a first beat frequency from the first return beam and a second beat frequency from the second return beam. The system also includes a signal processing system to determine the range and velocity of the target from the beat frequencies. The system also includes circuitry to control an amplitude of the first optical beam input to the optical amplifier to amplitude modulate the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technique that includes transmitting an optical beam comprising an up-chirp and a down-chirp. The field of view (FOV) of the LIDAR may include a plurality of regions arranged in a two-dimensional grid. The technique also includes receiving a return optical beam based on the optical beam, computing a point based on the return optical beam, and adding the point to a point cloud, wherein the point comprises a range and a velocity. The technique also includes receiving a parameter describing operating conditions of the LIDAR system. The technique also includes determining an estimated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) drop associated with the parameter and determining an estimated detection range of the LIDAR system based on the estimated SNR drop. The parameter and the estimated detection range are associated with one of the plurality of regions of the FOV.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system includes a component to produce a single spatial mode optical beam, and a first beam splitting component to split the single spatial mode optical beam into a plurality of single spatial mode optical beams.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus including free space optics to combine a target signal and a local oscillator signal to generate a combined signal. The LIDAR system also includes a set of multi-mode (MM) waveguides and a demultiplexer including a dispersive element. The demultiplexer configured to disperse, via the dispersive element, each respective wavelength of the combined signal at a corresponding angle, and reflect each respective wavelength of the combined signal to a corresponding MM waveguide of the set of MM waveguides.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a detection threshold in a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes determining a first confidence threshold with respect to a confidence metric to detect a first target within a range of frequencies corresponding to a field of view of the LIDAR system. The method also includes determining a subset of frequencies within the range of frequencies to detect a second target, and adjusting the first confidence threshold to a second confidence threshold at the subset of frequencies to detect the second target.

Abstract: A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided that includes emitting a first laser beam at a first wavelength and a second laser beam at a second wavelength at a scanner, wherein a difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength is less than a threshold wavelength. The method includes obtaining a first return signal and a second return signal based on the first laser beam and the second laser beam respectively reflecting off of a target. The method includes performing at least one Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) based on the first return signal and the second return signal to obtain at least one FFT spectrum. The method includes determining a range of a target based on the at least one FFT spectrum.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system includes a beam combining component to combine a first optical beam including a first polarization and a second optical beam including a second polarization into a single spatial mode optical beam, and a first beam splitting component to split the single spatial mode optical beam into a plurality of single spatial mode optical beams.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system with a sensing system that emits a plurality of outgoing optical beams is disclosed. The sensing system includes a plurality of optical sources to emit a plurality of optical signals, which are combined to form combined optical signals. The sensing system also includes a transmit/receive (TX/RX) subsystem to receive the combined optical signals and distribute each combined optical signal between a plurality of TX/RX units as separate input signals. Each TX/RX unit is configured to emit a respective one of the separate input signals to generate one of the plurality of outgoing optical beams, receive light returned from a target as a return optical beam, and generate a beat frequencies from the return optical beam. The sensing system also includes a signal processing system to determine a target range and velocity from the beat frequencies generated by each of the TX/RX units.

Abstract: A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided that includes generating a set of optical beams, wherein at least one property is varied across the optical beams, transmitting the optical beams toward a target, and receiving a return signal from each of the optical beams reflected from the target. The method further includes generating detection signals based on each of the return signals, determining, for each of the detection signals, a characteristic of the target to produce a set of data points for the target, and determining an updated characteristic of the target based on the set of data points for the target.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technique that includes generating a baseband signal based on an optical beam and processing the baseband signal to identify beat frequencies corresponding with the plurality of up-chirps and down-chirps. The technique also includes identifying, in the baseband signal, a single-frequency detection comprising a detected beat frequency that lacks a complimentary beat frequency. The technique also includes computing an estimated range and an estimated velocity of a point based on the single-frequency detection and adding the point to a point cloud.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system determines a likelihood metric for a spectrum of frequencies of a frequency domain waveform. The LIDAR system modifies the likelihood metric for the spectrum of frequencies based on a parameter associated with the frequency domain waveform and a weight to generate a modified likelihood metric for the spectrum of frequencies. The LIDAR system selects a peak frequency from the spectrum of frequencies corresponding to a frequency with a highest value for the modified likelihood metric. The LIDAR system determines a property of a target based on the selected peak frequency.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a detection threshold in a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes determining a first confidence threshold with respect to a confidence metric for detecting a first target within a range of frequencies corresponding to a field of view of the LIDAR system, determining a subset of frequencies within the range of frequencies for detecting a second target, wherein a frequency peak associated with the second target has a confidence metric value lower than the first confidence threshold, and adjusting the first confidence threshold to a second confidence threshold at the subset of frequencies for detecting the second target.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system performs a method including generating a frequency domain waveform based on a baseband electrical signal in a time domain, wherein the frequency domain waveform includes a spectrum of frequencies and determining a likelihood metric for the spectrum of frequencies of the frequency domain waveform. The method further includes in response to one or more parameters associated with the frequency domain waveform satisfying a condition, modifying the likelihood metric for the spectrum of frequencies based on the one or more parameters associated with the frequency domain waveform to generate a modified likelihood metric for the spectrum of frequencies, selecting a peak frequency from the frequency domain waveform corresponding to a frequency with the highest value for the modified likelihood metric, and determining one or more properties of a target based at least in part on the selected peak frequency.

Abstract: A method includes identifying, by a processing device, a first frequency in a frequency domain waveform that exceeds a threshold value for a first likelihood metric. The method includes selecting, by the processing device, a peak frequency from the frequency domain waveform corresponding to a frequency with a highest value for a second likelihood metric based on the first frequency. The method includes determining a property of a target based at least in part on the selected peak frequency.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes optical sources to emit a continuous-wave (CW) optical beam and a frequency-modulated CW (FMCW) optical beam, an optical component to split a target return signal into a CW return signal and a FMCW return signal, and at least one optical detector to detect a first beat frequency from a combination of a CW local oscillator (LO) signal and the CW return signal, and a second beat frequency from a combination of a FMCW LO signal and the FMCW return signal, wherein the first beat frequency is associated with a velocity of a target and the second beat frequency is associated with a range of the target.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, includes a memory, and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, to identify an obstruction of the LIDAR system based on a comparison of a frequency of an energy peak generated from a return signal to a threshold frequency and mitigate the obstruction.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system performs a method including generating a frequency domain waveform based on a baseband signal in a time domain, determining a first likelihood metric for frequencies in the frequency domain waveform, and identifying one or more frequencies in the frequency domain waveform that exceed a threshold value for the first likelihood metric. The method further includes determining a second likelihood metric for the frequencies in the frequency domain waveform, selecting a peak frequency from the frequency domain waveform corresponding to the frequency with the highest value for the second likelihood metric based on the one or more frequencies in the frequency domain waveform that exceed the threshold value for the first likelihood metric, and determining one or more properties of a target based at least in part on the selected peak frequency and the corresponding values of the first and second likelihood metrics.

Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an optical source to emit an optical beam toward a target, a partially reflective surface to generate a local oscillator (LO) signal from the optical beam, and an optical lens disposed in front of a photodetector (PD), wherein the LO signal is incident at a decenter of the optical lens to shift the LO signal at the photodetector with respect to a return signal received from the target.