An emitting device (26) for a scanning optical detection system of a vehicle for monitoring at least one monitoring region (14) for objects is described, having at least one light source (40a, 40b) for generating at least one optical emission signal (32a, 32b) and having at least one diffraction unit (50a, 50b), which has a diffractive effect on the at least one emission signal (32a, 32b), for controlling at least one beam direction (66a, 66b) of the at least one emission signal (32a, 32b). At least one diffraction unit (50a, 50b) which is settable to set the beam directions (66a, 66b) associated with the respective signal paths (41a, 41b), is arranged in at least two different signal paths (41a, 41b) of one emission signal or various emission signals (32a, 32b). At least one beam alignment unit (38) is arranged in the respective signal paths (41a, 41b) after the at least one diffraction unit (50a, 50b) to align the set beam directions (66a, 66b) in the at least one monitoring region (14) while maintaining at least one angle offset between the set beam directions (66a, 66b) generated before the at least one beam alignment unit (38) or to generate at least one angle offset between the set beam directions.

A distance measuring device includes a light emitting unit that outputs a measurement light, a first polarization state control unit that controls a polarization state of the measurement light output from the light emitting unit, a second polarization state control unit that controls the polarization state of the measurement light of which a polarization state is controlled by the first polarization state control unit, and an optical path switching element that selects an emission direction of the measurement light of which a polarization state is controlled by the second polarization state control unit, in which the second polarization state control unit controls the polarization state of the measurement light so that the measurement lights are emitted from the optical path switching element in a plurality of the emission directions, and the optical path switching element receives a reflected light obtained by reflecting the emitted measurement light by an object.

A Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) detector circuit includes a plurality of detector pixels, where each or a respective detector pixel of the detector pixels includes a plurality of detector elements. At least one control circuit is configured to provide one or more detector control signals that selectively activate one or more of the detector elements of the respective detector pixel to define a first active detection area including a first subset of the detector elements for a first image acquisition, and a second active detection area including a second subset of the detector elements for a second image acquisition. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.

A Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) detector circuit includes a plurality of detector pixels, where each or a respective detector pixel of the detector pixels includes a plurality of detector elements. At least one control circuit is configured to provide one or more detector control signals that selectively activate one or more of the detector elements of the respective detector pixel to define a first active detection area including a first subset of the detector elements for a first image acquisition, and a second active detection area including a second subset of the detector elements for a second image acquisition. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.

The present disclosure describes a single aperture laser range finder (SALRF). In an implementation, the single aperture laser range finder includes a beam extender including an aperture and an input aperture lens. A matching lens collimates light emitted from an emitter element associated with a single aperture optical circulator and received by the beam extender, respectively. A single aperture optical circulator has an emitter channel associated with the emitter element and a detector channel associated with a detector element. The emitter channel and the detector channel merge together at an input/output aperture. A light gating mechanism is configured to permit received light to enter the detector channel and to prevent the received light from entering the emitter channel. The SALRF has an electronics end cap.

A lidar device, comprising a laser generator and a lidar unit, is provided and operated with frequency modulation continuous wave. The laser generator comprises an amplifier unit; and a reflector unit connected with at least one end of the amplifier unit. The amplifier unit comprises at least one first luminous gain area and at least one second luminous gain area. The first luminous gain area is operated in a saturated region with a first current source applied. The second luminous gain area is operated in a linear region with a second current source applied. Thus, a laser is generated and outputted to the lidar unit. The laser generator is operated with the luminous gain areas of the amplifier unit pushed into the saturated region to suppress intensity modulation and fix power. Even if current changes, frequency drifts only with continuity and adjustability achieved and no mode hop happened.

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system including a tunable laser beam source that generates a modulated laser beam over a frequency modulation range; a spiral phase plate resonator (SPPR) device responsive to the modulated laser beam and providing a transmitted beam; and a mirror responsive to the transmitted beam and directing the transmitted beam at a certain angle therefrom depending on the frequency of the laser beam.

An aircraft ice detection system is configured to determine a condition of a cloud and includes a radar system, a lidar system, optics and a dichroic filter. The radar system is configured to project quasi-optical radiation to the cloud and receive reflected quasi-optical radiation from the cloud. The lidar system is configured to project optical radiation to the cloud and receive reflected optical radiation from the cloud. The optics are configured to direct the quasi-optical radiation and the optical radiation to the cloud and receive the reflected quasi-optical radiation and the reflected optical radiation from the cloud. The dichroic filter is configured to direct the quasi-optical radiation from the radar system to the optics, direct the optical radiation from the lidar system to the optics, direct the reflected quasi-optical radiation from the optics to the radar system and direct the reflected optical radiation from the optics to the lidar system.

An aircraft ice detection system is configured to determine a condition of a cloud and includes a radar transmitter, a radar receiver, optics and a splitter. The radar transmitter is configured to produce quasi-optical radiation. The optics are configured to direct the quasi-optical radiation from the radar transmitter to the cloud and receive reflected quasi-optical radiation from the cloud. The radar receiver is configured to receive the reflected quasi-optical radiation from the optics and the splitter is configured to direct the reflected quasi-optical radiation from the optics to the radar receiver.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are provided for estimating a location on an object in a three-dimensional scene. Multiple radiation patterns are produced by spatially modulating each of multiple first radiations with a distinct combination of one or more modulating structures, each first radiation having at least one of a distinct radiation path, a distinct source, a distinct source spectrum, or a distinct source polarization with respect to the other first radiations. The location on the object is illuminated with a portion of each of two or more of the radiation patterns, the location producing multiple object radiations, each object radiation produced in response to one of the multiple radiation patterns. Multiple measured values are produced by detecting the object radiations from the location on the object due to each pattern separately using one or more detector elements. The location on the object is estimated based on the multiple measured values.