A waveguide assembly, an integrated chip, and a LiDAR are provided. The waveguide assembly includes a plurality of single-mode waveguides arranged with intervals. The effective refractive index of at least one single-mode waveguide is not equal to that of another adjacent single-mode waveguide.

A computer-implemented method and a navigation system are described for guiding a visually impaired user to avoid obstructions and impediments while walking. The user may wear a plurality of subassemblies of the system. The tilt and rotation of the user's head may be monitored using one of the subassemblies worn on the user's head. Based at least in part on the tilt and rotation of the user's head, vertical and horizontal firing angles used by a distance measuring unit in each of the subassemblies may be calculated to transmit and receive laser signals to perform measurements. The user is then provided with navigation instructions and alarms based on whether an obstruction or an impediment is detected that is closer than a predetermined distance to the user while the user is walking based on the measurements.

Systems and methods are provided for analyzing vehicle signal lights in order to operate an autonomous vehicle. A method includes receiving an image from a camera regarding a vehicle proximate to the autonomous vehicle. Data from a lidar sensor regarding the proximate vehicle is used to determine object information for identifying a subsection within the camera image. The identified subsection corresponds to an area of the proximate vehicle containing one or more vehicle signals. One or more vehicle signal lights of the proximate vehicle is located by using the identified camera image subsection as an area of focus.

A steerable laser transmitter and situational awareness sensor uses a liquid crystal waveguide (LCWG) to steer a spot-beam onto a conical mirror, which in turn redirects the spot-beam to scan a FOV. The spot-beam passes through one or more annular sections of non-linearly material (NLM) formed along the axis and around the conical mirror. Each NLM section converts the wavelength of the spot-beam to a different wavelength while preserving the steering of the spot-beam. The LCWG may shape or move the spot-beam along the axis of the conic mirror to sequentially, time or time and spatially multiplex the spot-beam between the original and different wavelengths. This provides multispectral capability from a single laser source. The transmitter also supports steering the spot-beam at a wavelength at which the LCWG cannot steer directly.

A ring amplifier amplifies one or more spot-beams that scan a circular pattern in a two-dimensional FOV to extend the range of range steerable laser transmitter or an active situational sensor. Mechanical, solid-state or optical phase array techniques may be used to scan the spot-beam(s) in the circular pattern. Mirrors are preferably positioned to redirect the spot-beams to enter and exit the ring amplifier through sidewalls to amplify the spot-beam and return it along a path to scan the circular pattern. For efficiency, the pumps and thermal control may be synchronized to the circular scan pattern to only pump and cool the section of gain medium in which the spot-beam is currently scanned and the next section of gain medium in the circular scan pattern.

A device includes a time-of-flight ranging sensor configured to transmit optical pulse signals and to receive return optical pulse signals. The time-of-flight ranging sensor processes the return optical pulse signals to sense distances to a plurality of objects and to generate a confidence value indicating whether one of the plurality of objects has a highly reflective surface. The time-of-flight sensor generates a range estimation signal including a plurality of sensed distances and the confidence value. The image capture device includes autofocusing circuitry coupled to the time-of-flight sensor to receive the range estimation signal and configured to control focusing based upon the sensed distances responsive to the confidence value indicating none of the plurality of objects has a highly reflective surface. The autofocusing circuitry controls focusing independent of the sensed distances responsive to the confidence value indicating one of the objects has a highly reflective surface.

An image detecting device includes a color image sensor configured to sense visible light and to output color image data based on the sensed visible light; a first infrared lighting source configured to provide first infrared rays to a subject; a second infrared lighting source configured to provide second infrared rays to the subject; a mono image sensor configured to sense a first infrared light or a second infrared light reflected from the subject and output infrared image data; and an image signal processor configured to, measure an illuminance value based on the color image data, measure a distance value of the subject based on a portion of the infrared image data corresponding to the first infrared light, and obtain an identification image of the subject based on the illuminance value, the distance value, and a portion of the infrared image data corresponding to the second infrared light.

Depths of one or more objects in a scene may be measured with enhanced accuracy through the use of a light-field camera and a depth sensor. The light-field camera may capture a light-field image of the scene. The depth sensor may capture depth sensor data of the scene. Light-field depth data may be extracted from the light-field image and used, in combination with the sensor depth data, to generate a depth map indicative of distance between the light-field camera and one or more objects in the scene. The depth sensor may be an active depth sensor that transmits electromagnetic energy toward the scene; the electromagnetic energy may be reflected off of the scene and detected by the active depth sensor. The active depth sensor may have a 360° field of view; accordingly, one or more mirrors may be used to direct the electromagnetic energy between the active depth sensor and the scene.

Provided is an object detecting method and apparatus using a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and a radar sensor, the method may include collecting LIDAR data and radar data associated with a search region in which objects are to be found using the LIDAR sensor and radar sensor, extracting each of objects present within the search region based on the collected LIDAR data and radar data, generating shadow regions of objects extracted through the LIDAR sensor and setting an ROI of LIDAR sensor based on the extracted objects, setting an ROI of radar sensor based on a reflectivity depending on a range and a movement speed of moving object among the objects extracted through the radar sensor, comparing the ROI of the LIDAR sensor to the ROI of the radar sensor, and verifying whether the moving object is present based on a result of the comparing.

A sensing system for a vehicle includes a first sensor at a forward portion of a side of the vehicle such that a principal axis of the first sensor's zone of sensing is rearward and sideward and at an angle relative to the body, and a second sensor at a rearward portion of the side of the vehicle such that a principal axis of the second sensor's zone of sensing is forward and sideward and at an angle relative to the body. Data sensed by the sensors when each sensor senses with at least two zones of sensing are communicated to a control, which determines the presence of one or more objects exterior the vehicle and within the zones of sensing of at least one of the sensors.