A LIDAR system includes a laser source, a first scanner, and a second scanner. The first scanner receives a first beam from the laser source and applies a first angle modulation to the first beam to output a second beam at a first angle. The second scanner receives the second beam and applies a second angle modulation to the second beam to output a third beam at a second angle.

A LIDAR system, preferably including one or more: optical emitters, optical detectors, beam directors, and/or processing modules. A method of LIDAR system operation, preferably including: determining a signal, outputting the signal, receiving a return signal, and/or analyzing the return signal.

Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address shortcomings of the existing technology by enabling motion pattern-assisted object classification of objects in an environment of an autonomous vehicle (AV) by obtaining, from a sensing system of the AV, a plurality of return points, each return point comprising one or more velocity values and one or more coordinates of a reflecting region that reflects a signal emitted by the sensing system, identifying an association of the plurality of return points with an object in an environment of the AV, identifying, in view of the one or more velocity values of at least some of the plurality of return points, a type of the object or a type of a motion of the object, and causing a driving path of the AV to be determined in view of the identified type of the object.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a LiDAR assembly. The LiDAR assembly includes a central LiDAR device configured to detect an object at or beyond a first predetermined distance from the LiDAR system and an even number of multiple auxiliary LiDAR devices configured to detect an object at or within a second predetermined distance from the LiDAR system. The LiDAR assembly also includes a mounting apparatus configured to mount the central and auxiliary LiDAR devices. Each of the central and auxiliary LiDAR devices is mounted to the mounting apparatus via a mounting surface. A first mounting surface between the central LiDAR device and the mounting apparatus has an angle with a second mounting surface between one of the auxiliary LiDAR devices and the mounting apparatus.

A system and method for vehicle odometry using coherent range Doppler optical sensors. The system and method includes operating a Doppler light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system to collect raw point cloud data that indicates for a point a plurality of dimensions, wherein a dimension of the plurality of dimensions includes an inclination angle, an azimuthal angle, a range, or a relative speed between the point and the LIDAR system; determining a corrected velocity vector for the Doppler LIDAR system based on the raw point cloud data; and producing revised point cloud data that is corrected for the velocity of the Doppler LIDAR system.

An optical beam steering device may include a tunable laser diode configured to emit laser beams and an antenna that includes a grating structure and is configured to convert the laser beams to a linear light source based on the grating structure. The tunable laser diode may emit a first laser beam having a first wavelength, and emit a second laser beam having a second wavelength, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength. The antenna may receive the first laser beam and, in response, output a first linear light source having a first emission angle with a surface of the antenna. The antenna may further receive the second laser beam and, in response, output a second linear light source having a second emission angle with the surface of the antenna, the second emission angle different from the first angle.

Systems and methods for a Time of Flight (ToF) camera system configured to be operable in a proximity mode. In the proximity mode, the proximity of an object may be estimated by relatively delaying or offsetting the charge accumulation timing of multiple different columns of pixels of the ToF imaging sensor. The relative charge accumulated in those pixel columns is dependent on the proximity of the object and the relative time delays in charge accumulation of each column. Therefore, by reading out the charge accumulated in multiple different pixel columns and knowing the relative accumulation delay of those pixel columns, the proximity of an object may be determined. This enables the operation of the ToF camera system to be switched between relatively high power, full ToF depth imaging, and relatively low power proximity mode of operation, thereby rendering a single system as being capable of performing two different functions.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing system, a range estimation system for the optical sensing system, and a method for the optical sensing system. The exemplary optical sensing system includes a transmitter configured to emit a laser pulse towards an object. The optical sensing system further includes a range estimation system configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system. The range estimation system includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to generate a plurality of pulse samples based on the laser pulse returned from the object. The returned laser pulse has a substantially triangular waveform including a rising edge and a falling edge. The range estimation system further includes a processor. The processor is configured to generate synthesized pulse samples on the substantially triangular waveform based on the pulse samples. The processor is further configured to determine an arrival time of the returned laser pulse based on the ADC generated pulse samples and the synthesized pulse samples. The processor is also configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system based on the arrival time of the returned laser pulse.

Examples described herein provide a method that includes receiving, from a camera, a first image captured at a first location of an environment. The method further includes receiving, by a three-dimensional (3D) coordinate measurement device, first 3D coordinate data captured at the first location of the environment. The method further includes receiving, from the camera, a second image captured at a second location of the environment. The method further includes detecting, by a processing system, first features of the first image and second features of the second image. The method further includes determining, by the processing system, whether a correspondence exists between the first image and the second image. The method further includes, responsive to determining that the correspondence exists between the first image and the second image, causing the 3D coordinate measurement device to capture, at the second location, second 3D coordinate data.

An autonomous vehicle having a lidar sensor system is described. A computing system is configured to determine that the lidar sensor system is to update a code that is included in light signals emitted by the lidar sensor system. The computing system transmits a command signal to the lidar sensor system, wherein the command signal causes the lidar sensor system to transition from emitting light signals with a first code therein to emitting light signals with a second code therein, wherein the first code is different from the second code.