A system for processing optical signals comprising a reference optical signal transmission structure configured to receive an optical signal at a first input and to provide the optical signal at a first output to a photodetector. A delay optical signal transmission structure configured to receive the optical signal at a second input and to provide a delayed optical signal at a second output to the photodetector. A signal processor configured to receive a first electric signal corresponding to the optical signal and a second electric signal corresponding to the delayed optical signal and to generate an output as a function of the first electric signal and the second electric signal.

According to some embodiments, a motion tracker device can include a substrate and a plurality of light-direction detectors mounted on the substrate. Each light-direction detector may be configured to: detect, at two optically isolated points, the intensity of a light from a light source; generate a current signal representing the photodiode differential and proportional to the intensity of the light; and transmit the current signal to a computing device. Each of the plurality of light-direction detectors can be mounted on the substrate at an angle selected such that the computing device can use the transmitted signal to determine the motion of a motion tracker with six degrees of freedom.

According to some embodiments, a motion tracker device can include a substrate and a plurality of light-direction detectors mounted on the substrate. Each light-direction detector may be configured to: detect, at two optically isolated points, the intensity of a light from a light source; generate a current signal representing the photodiode differential and proportional to the intensity of the light; and transmit the current signal to a computing device. Each of the plurality of light-direction detectors can be mounted on the substrate at an angle selected such that the computing device can use the transmitted signal to determine the motion of a motion tracker with six degrees of freedom.

Multiple mode star tracker methods and systems in which attitude information and image information is generated are provided. The multiple mode star tracker includes a detector having a plurality of pixels arranged in a focal plane array. The detector is operated to obtain multiple image frames from within a field of view containing a plurality of stars. For each of the image frames, the attitude of the detector and in turn the attitude of each pixel is determined. Based on the attitude quaternion of the individual pixels within a plurality of frames, image data from the plurality of frames is co-added or stacked to form a composite image. The co-addition of multiple frames of image data enables or facilitates the detection of dim objects by the multiple mode star tracker. Moreover, embodiments of the present disclosure enable the attitude quaternion for individual pixels within individual frames to be determined using the multiple mode star tracker function of the instrument, and without requiring attitude information provided by a separate device, such as a gyroscope.

Multiple mode star tracker methods and systems in which attitude information and image information is generated are provided. The multiple mode star tracker includes a detector having a plurality of pixels arranged in a focal plane array. The detector is operated to obtain multiple image frames from within a field of view containing a plurality of stars. For each of the image frames, the attitude of the detector and in turn the attitude of each pixel is determined. Based on the attitude quaternion of the individual pixels within a plurality of frames, image data from the plurality of frames is co-added or stacked to form a composite image. The co-addition of multiple frames of image data enables or facilitates the detection of dim objects by the multiple mode star tracker. Moreover, embodiments of the present disclosure enable the attitude quaternion for individual pixels within individual frames to be determined using the multiple mode star tracker function of the instrument, and without requiring attitude information provided by a separate device, such as a gyroscope.

An out-of-field rejection filter (OFRF) can be used in optical systems to reject stray light. Such optical systems can include cameras, projectors, star trackers, and virtual reality or augmented reality displays. The OFRF can include a converter to convert randomly polarized light to p-polarized light and an angular selectivity layer to select in-field p-polarized light and reject out-of-field p-polarized light. The converter and the angular selectivity layer are configured so as to filter out-of-field light while passing in-field light within a light bandwidth. The angular selectivity layer can be a multilayer film of interleaved materials having alternating permittivity and magnetic permeability properties.

Example methods and systems for calibrating sensors using road map data are provided. An autonomous vehicle may use various vehicle sensors to assist in navigation. Within examples, the autonomous vehicle may calibrate vehicle sensors through performing a comparison or analysis between information about the environment received by sensors with similar information provided by map data (e.g., a road map). The autonomous vehicle may compare object locations as provided by the sensors and as shown by map data. Based on the comparison, the autonomous vehicle may adjust various sensors to accurately reflect the information as provided by the road map. In some instances, the autonomous vehicle may adjust the position, height, orientation, direction-of-focus, scaling, or other parameters of a sensor based on the information provided by a road map.

A sensor and a 3-D position detection system are disclosed. In an embodiment a sensor includes at least one sensor chip configured to detect radiation, at least one carrier on which the sensor chip is mounted and a cast body that is transmissive for the radiation and that completely covers the sensor chip, wherein a centroid shift of the sensor chip amounts to at most 0.04 mrad at an angle of incidence of up to at least 60, wherein the cast body comprises a light inlet side that faces away from the sensor chip, and the light inlet side comprises side walls bounding it on all sides, wherein the side walls are smooth, planar and transmissive for the radiation, wherein a free field-of-view on the light inlet side has an aperture angle of at least 140, and wherein the cast body protrudes in a direction away from the sensor chip beyond a bond wire.

According to some embodiments, a motion tracker device can include a substrate and a plurality of light-direction detectors mounted on the substrate. Each light-direction detector may be configured to: detect, at two optically isolated points, the intensity of a light from a light source; generate a current signal representing the photodiode differential and proportional to the intensity of the light; and transmit the current signal to a computing device. Each of the plurality of light-direction detectors can be mounted on the substrate at an angle selected such that the computing device can use the transmitted signal to determine the motion of a motion tracker with six degrees of freedom.

According to some embodiments, a motion tracker device can include a substrate and a plurality of light-direction detectors mounted on the substrate. Each light-direction detector may be configured to: detect, at two optically isolated points, the intensity of a light from a light source; generate a current signal representing the photodiode differential and proportional to the intensity of the light; and transmit the current signal to a computing device. Each of the plurality of light-direction detectors can be mounted on the substrate at an angle selected such that the computing device can use the transmitted signal to determine the motion of a motion tracker with six degrees of freedom.