A vehicle, Lidar system and method of detecting an object is disclosed. The Lidar system includes a photonic chip having a laser, an on-chip frequency shifter, a combiner and a first set of photodetectors. The laser generates a transmitted light beam and an associated local oscillator beam within the photonic chip. The on-chip frequency shifter shifts a frequency of the local oscillator beam. The combiner combines a reflected light beam with the frequency-shifted local oscillator beam, wherein the reflected light beam is a reflection of the transmitted light beam from the object to generate a first electronic signal at the first set of photodetectors. A processor obtains a first measurement of a parameter of the object from the first electronic signal. The vehicle includes a navigation system for navigating the vehicle with respect to the object using at least the first measurement of the parameter.

A sensor, including at least one transducer for emitting signals and for receiving reflected echo signals, the transducer being set up to output an analog measuring signal, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog measuring signal into a digital measuring signal, an evaluation unit for evaluating the digital measuring signal, and a communication unit for transmitting a measuring result of the evaluation via a digital communication interface. The communication unit is equipped to receive a request for diagnostic data via the digital communication interface, and is also equipped to switch the sensor to diagnostic operation and to transmit requested diagnostic data via the digital communication interface. The communication unit is set up to communicate with at least two different data rates via the digital communication interface, a higher data rate being used for transmitting the diagnostic data than for transmitting the measuring result during normal operation of the sensor.

A method and apparatus is provided to calibrate a LiDAR using a reflect array calibration target having a spatially varying spectral reflectance profile. A frequency modulated continuous wave LiDAR emits a beam that spans a range of wavelengths, and, therefore, spatially varying spectral features in the reflectance profile can be used as indicia of where the LiDAR beam hits the calibration target. For example, the center has one absorption wavelength and the periphery has another, such that alignment is achieved by changing the alignment direction to maximize the spectral feature at the one absorption wavelength while minimizing the spectral feature at the other absorption wavelength. Alternatively, at least one spectral feature can have a center wavelength that changes as a function of space. Thus, the LiDAR is aligned by changing the beam direction to shift the center wavelength to a value corresponding to the target center.

In a general aspect, a motion detection system detects gestures (e.g., human gestures) and initiates actions in response to the detected gestures. In some aspects, channel information is obtained based on wireless signals transmitted through a space by one or more wireless communication devices. A gesture recognition engine analyzes the channel information to detect a gesture (e.g., a predetermined gesture sequence) in the space. An action to be initiated in response to the detected gesture is identified. An instruction to perform the action is sent to a network-connected device associated with the space.

A shared radar and communications system. The system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter modules signals based on a first spreading code defined at least in part by a first plurality of information bits. The first plurality of information bits encodes selected information. The transmitter transmits the modulated signals. The receiver receives a first signal and a second signal. The first signal includes the transmitted signals transmitted by the transmitter and reflected from objects in an environment. The receiver processes the first signal to detect objects in the environment. The second signal is transmitted from another system. The second signal carries a second plurality of information bits. The receiver processes the second signal to determine the second plurality of information bits. The second plurality of information bits are encoded with information selected by the other system.

Disclosed is a time-of-flight sensing apparatus and method. In one embodiment, a system for time-of-flight (TOF) sensing, comprising: a detector array comprising a plurality of single-photon avalanche detectors (SPADs); and a control circuit comprising at least two digital control arrays coupled to the detector array, a counter array coupled to the at least two digital control arrays, and a logical control unit coupled to the counter array and the at least two digital control arrays, wherein the detector array is configured to receive at least one reflected light pulse from a target, wherein a first digital control array, the counter array, and the logical control unit of the control circuit are configured to receive at least one avalanche pulses from each of the plurality of SPADs to determine a first distance between the detector array and the target in a first TOF mode, and wherein a second digital control array, the counter array, and the logical control unit of the control circuit are configured to receive the at least one avalanche pulse from the each of the plurality of SPADs to determine a second distance between the detector array and the target in a second TOF mode.

A method for operating a radar system (210) in a vehicle (201), the method including establishing a wireless communication link (245) to a radio base station (250) in a wireless communication network (260), requesting a time-frequency resource (420, 430) for communicating with a network node (270) via the radio base station (250), receiving a transmission grant from the radio base station (250) for communicating with the network node (270) using the time-frequency resource (420, 430), transmitting a communications signal (245) in the time-frequency resource, and transmitting a radar signal (235) in the time-frequency resource.

A display device for an industrial sensor is provided, including an electronic display configured to display encoded information, the encoded information being information for retrieving device-related information about the sensor. An industrial sensor system, and a method for retrieving device-related information about a sensor of an industrial sensor, are also provided.

A display device for an industrial sensor is provided, including an electronic display configured to display encoded information, the encoded information being information for retrieving device-related information about the sensor. An industrial sensor system, and a method for retrieving device-related information about a sensor of an industrial sensor, are also provided.

Methods and systems for performing multiple pulse LIDAR measurements are presented herein. In one aspect, each LIDAR measurement beam illuminates a location in a three dimensional environment with a sequence of multiple pulses of illumination light. Light reflected from the location is detected by a photosensitive detector of the LIDAR system during a measurement window having a duration that is greater than or equal to the time of flight of light from the LIDAR system out to the programmed range of the LIDAR system, and back. The pulses in a measurement pulse sequence can vary in magnitude and duration. Furthermore, the delay between pulses and the number of pulses in each measurement pulse sequence can also be varied. In some embodiments, the multi-pulse illumination beam is encoded and the return measurement pulse sequence is decoded to distinguish the measurement pulse sequence from exogenous signals.