Disclosed herein is a method of optical pulse emission including three phases. During a first phase, a capacitor is charged from a supply voltage node. During a second phase, a voltage stored on the capacitor is boosted, and then the capacitor is at least partially discharged through a light emitting device. During a third phase, the capacitor is further discharged by bypassing the light emitting device. The third phase may begin prior to an end of the second phase.

A distance image generating device includes a light emitter that emits light pulses; a light receiver that includes light receiving elements and receives reflected light; a distance calculator that generates a distance image based on an amount of the reflected light; and a light amount adjuster that determines an emission count in accordance with which the light emitter is to emit the light pulses and an exposure count in accordance with which the light receiver is to receive the reflected light based on the distance image and causes the light emitter to emit the light pulses in accordance with the determined emission count and the light receiver to receive the reflected light in accordance with the determined exposure count. The distance calculator calculates the distance based on an amount of the reflected light received at the exposure count by the light receiver.

A distance image generating device includes a light emitter that emits light pulses; a light receiver that includes light receiving elements and receives reflected light; a distance calculator that generates a distance image based on an amount of the reflected light; and a light amount adjuster that determines an emission count in accordance with which the light emitter is to emit the light pulses and an exposure count in accordance with which the light receiver is to receive the reflected light based on the distance image and causes the light emitter to emit the light pulses in accordance with the determined emission count and the light receiver to receive the reflected light in accordance with the determined exposure count. The distance calculator calculates the distance based on an amount of the reflected light received at the exposure count by the light receiver.

A transmitting unit of a LIDAR device includes at least two radiation sources for generating and emitting punctiform or linear electromagnetic beams into a scanning range, at least one of the radiation sources including an operating temperature settable as a function of an emission angle of the electromagnetic beams generated by the at least one radiation source. The different operating temperatures can generate beams having angle-dependent emission wavelengths, which can result in an improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio of a LIDAR device.

A transmitting unit of a LIDAR device includes at least two radiation sources for generating and emitting punctiform or linear electromagnetic beams into a scanning range, at least one of the radiation sources including an operating temperature settable as a function of an emission angle of the electromagnetic beams generated by the at least one radiation source. The different operating temperatures can generate beams having angle-dependent emission wavelengths, which can result in an improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio of a LIDAR device.

A laser safety system adapted to prevent inadvertent illumination of people and assets. The laser safety system configured to emit a laser beam with a laser and determine a path of a target object relative to the laser safety system. The laser safety system configured to cause the laser beam to illuminate the target object while the target object moves along the path.

A horticultural luminaire includes a first and second horticultural light sources to provide growth lighting to a plant at a first and second wavelengths. A control unit provides first lighting control signals to the first horticultural light source to modulate the first growth lighting and provides second lighting control signals to the second horticultural light source to modulate the second growth lighting. A LiDAR sensor is connected to the lighting control unit to receive the first and second control signals, and having optics to detect reflected first and second growth lighting to determine the distance from plant to sensor and a biometric property of the plant from the received first and second control signals and detected first and second reflected second growth lighting. In some implementations the LiDAR sensor and first and second horticultural light sources are integrated into the horticultural luminaire.

A horticultural luminaire includes a first and second horticultural light sources to provide growth lighting to a plant at a first and second wavelengths. A control unit provides first lighting control signals to the first horticultural light source to modulate the first growth lighting and provides second lighting control signals to the second horticultural light source to modulate the second growth lighting. A LiDAR sensor is connected to the lighting control unit to receive the first and second control signals, and having optics to detect reflected first and second growth lighting to determine the distance from plant to sensor and a biometric property of the plant from the received first and second control signals and detected first and second reflected second growth lighting. In some implementations the LiDAR sensor and first and second horticultural light sources are integrated into the horticultural luminaire.

A Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) sensor is provided. The LIDAR sensor includes an optical transmitter configured to, when operated in a first operation mode, illuminate first sub-regions of a field of view for one-dimensionally scanning the environment in the field of view. When operated in a second operation mode, the optical transmitter is configured to illuminate second sub-regions of the field of view for scanning the environment in a portion of the field of view. A second illumination intensity used for illuminating the second sub-regions is higher than a first illumination intensity used for illuminating the first sub-regions. The LIDAR sensor further includes an optical receiver configured to receive reflections from the first sub-regions and the second sub-regions.

A Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) sensor is provided. The LIDAR sensor includes an optical transmitter configured to, when operated in a first operation mode, illuminate first sub-regions of a field of view for one-dimensionally scanning the environment in the field of view. When operated in a second operation mode, the optical transmitter is configured to illuminate second sub-regions of the field of view for scanning the environment in a portion of the field of view. A second illumination intensity used for illuminating the second sub-regions is higher than a first illumination intensity used for illuminating the first sub-regions. The LIDAR sensor further includes an optical receiver configured to receive reflections from the first sub-regions and the second sub-regions.