The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and vehicles that facilitate a light detection and ranging (LIDAR or lidar) system that may take advantage of “dead angles” where the lidar system is oriented toward support structure or another “uninteresting” feature. In such scenarios, light pulses may be redirected toward more-interesting features in the environment. An example system includes a lidar system configured to emit light pulses into an environment of the system so as to provide information indicative of objects within a default field of view. The system also includes a reflective surface optically coupled to the lidar system. The reflective surface is configured to reflect at least a portion of the emitted light pulses so as to provide an extended field of view. The lidar system is further configured to provide information indicative of objects within the extended field of view.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a micromachined mirror assembly. The micromachined mirror assembly includes a micro mirror configured to tilt around an axis and a first and a second torsion beam each having a first and a second end. The second end of the first torsion beam and the second end of the second torsion beam are mechanically coupled to the micro mirror along the axis. The micromachined mirror assembly also includes a first DC voltage applied to the first end of the first torsion beam and a second DC voltage, different from the first DC voltage, is applied to the first end of the second torsion beam.

An oscillator control system that includes an oscillator structure; a phase error detector configured to generate a phase error signal based on a delayed event time signal and delayed reference signal; an analog signal path coupled between the oscillator structure and the phase error detector, the analog signal path configured to receive an event time signal and produce the delayed event time signal; a control circuit configured to generate a reference signal; a programmable delay circuit configured to receive the reference signal and induce a programmable delay on the reference signal thereby generating the delayed reference signal; and an analog delay measurement circuit configured to inject a test signal into the analog signal path, receive a delayed test signal from the analog signal path, measure an analog delay of the delayed test signal, and generate a configuration signal configured to adjust the programmable delay according to the measured analog delay.

Diffraction-based imaging systems are described. Aspects of the technology relate to imaging systems having one or more sensors inclined at angles with respect to a sample plane. In some cases, multiple sensors may be used that are, or are not, inclined at angles. The imaging systems may have no optical lenses and are capable of reconstructing microscopic images of large sample areas from diffraction patterns recorded by the one or more sensors. Some embodiments may reduce mechanical complexity of a diffraction-based imaging system. A diffractive imaging system comprises a light source, a sample support configured to hold a sample along a first plane, and a first sensor comprising a plurality of pixels disposed in a second plane that is tilted at an inclined angle relative to the first plane. The first sensor is arranged to record diffraction images of the light source from the sample.

An electromagnetic radiation system for directing an electromagnetic radiation beam (11) at a target (28) having a first arrangement (12) in which the radiation beam (11) is directed along a marking beam path that is within a marking range of the electromagnetic radiation system and a second arrangement (12, 15) in which the radiation beam (27) is directed along a different beam path (27) that is not within the marking range of the electromagnetic radiation system, wherein a positional relationship between the marking beam path (11) and the different beam path (27) satisfies a predetermined condition at the target (28) when the electromagnetic radiation system is at a predetermined distance (29) from the target (28).

An electro-optical system may include a light source configured to emit a beam of radiation, and a pivotable scanning mirror configured to project the beam of radiation toward a field of view. The electro-optical system may also include a first electrode associated with the scanning mirror, and a plurality of second electrodes spaced apart from the first electrode. The electro-optical system may further include a processor programmed to determine a capacitance value for each of the second electrodes relative to the first electrode. Each of the determined capacitance values may have an accuracy in a range of ± 1/100 to ± 1/1000 of a difference between a highest capacitance value and a lowest capacitance value between the first electrode and a respective one of the second electrodes. The processor may also be programmed to determine an orientation of the scanning mirror based on one or more of the determined capacitance values.

A mirror unit includes a mirror device includes a support portion and a movable mirror portion configured to be movable with respect to the support portion, and a package including a light incident opening and accommodating and holding the mirror device such that light incident from the light incident opening is able to be incident on the movable mirror portion. The package is provided with a ventilation port communicating an inside and an outside of the package.

A mirror unit includes a light scanning device and a package. The package has a main body portion provided with a light incident opening that opens on one side in a predetermined direction, a protrusion provided on a top surface of the main body portion, and a flat plate-shaped window member disposed on the top surface on an inward side of the protrusion and covering the light incident opening. An end surface of the protrusion on the one side is positioned more to the one side than the window member. A thickness of the protrusion is smaller than a height of the protrusion from the top surface. When viewed in any direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, a length of a part covered by the protrusion in the window member is longer than a length of a part exposed from the protrusion in the window member.

A driving controller derives a first shift time that is a shift time used for correcting a generation timing of a first reference signal representing that an angle of a mirror portion around a first axis is equal to a first reference angle, and is a shift time of a point in time when the angle of the mirror portion around the first axis is equal to the first reference angle with respect to a point in time when an output signal of a first angle detection sensor represents that the angle of the mirror portion around the first axis is equal to the first reference angle, based on an output signal of a photodetector.

Techniques are described herein for dynamically adjusting a resonant frequency of a resonance circuit to optimize power transfer to a mirror device such as a MEMS mirror. A variable capacitance circuit can be operated responsive to a bias control signal. A capacitance control circuit can vary the bias control signal to the resonance circuit responsive to a sense signal. The sense circuit is configured to generate the sense signal responsive to an output of the mirror device. By monitoring a signal level from the output of the mirror device 130, and adjusting the bias control signal of the resonance circuit, the exact resonance frequency of the resonance circuit can be adjusted until a peak signal level is observed, thus improving the efficiency of the energy transferred from the driver circuit 110 to the mirror device 130, and counteracting the impact of parasitic capacitances on the resonance.