The technology disclosed herein includes a system having a light source configured to generate a laser signal, an optical signal splitter circuit configured to split the laser signal into a first laser signal for transmission to a plurality of targets and a second laser signal, an optical signal scanner configured to transmit the first laser signal to the plurality of targets, two or more optical delay lines configured to receive the second laser signal, wherein each of the two or more optical delay lines adds a predetermined time delay to the second laser signal to generate a delayed second laser signal, and a detector configured to receive a reflected laser signal from the plurality of targets, wherein the reflected laser signal includes a reflection of the first laser signal from the plurality of targets, and the delayed second laser signal.

The technology disclosed herein includes a system having a light source configured to generate a laser signal, an optical signal splitter circuit configured to split the laser signal into a first laser signal for transmission to a plurality of targets and a second laser signal, an optical signal scanner configured to transmit the first laser signal to the plurality of targets, two or more optical delay lines configured to receive the second laser signal, wherein each of the two or more optical delay lines adds a predetermined time delay to the second laser signal to generate a delayed second laser signal, and a detector configured to receive a reflected laser signal from the plurality of targets, wherein the reflected laser signal includes a reflection of the first laser signal from the plurality of targets, and the delayed second laser signal.

A lidar system for scanning a field of regard is described having first and second light beams and first and second detectors. The light beams pass through a lateral beam shifting device prior to being directed to a beam scanner. The lateral beam shifting device reduces the overall size of the emitted and returned light beams thus reducing the size of scanner components. Lateral beam shifting devices may be a single rhomboid prism, a pair of rhomboid prisms, a pair of mirrors, or a single mirror or prism.

A driver circuit may include an array of optical emitters arranged in one or more rows and one or more columns. The array of optical emitters includes an optical emitter associated with a row and a column. The driver circuit may include a capacitive element connected to the row, a voltage booster element connected to the capacitive element, where the voltage booster element includes an inductive element, and a first switch having an open state and a closed state. The first switch in the closed state is to cause charging of the inductive element, and in the open state is to cause discharging of the inductive element to charge the capacitive element. The driver circuit may include a second switch having an open state and a closed state. The second switch in the closed state is to cause discharging of the capacitive element through the row and the column.

A driver circuit may include an array of optical emitters arranged in one or more rows and one or more columns. The array of optical emitters includes an optical emitter associated with a row and a column. The driver circuit may include a capacitive element connected to the row, a voltage booster element connected to the capacitive element, where the voltage booster element includes an inductive element, and a first switch having an open state and a closed state. The first switch in the closed state is to cause charging of the inductive element, and in the open state is to cause discharging of the inductive element to charge the capacitive element. The driver circuit may include a second switch having an open state and a closed state. The second switch in the closed state is to cause discharging of the capacitive element through the row and the column.

In a solid-state imaging element that measures a distance, a circuit scale is reduced. The solid-state imaging element includes a pulse signal generation section and an up-down counter. The pulse signal generation section is provided with an avalanche photodiode that converts incident light including reflected light of irradiation light radiated during a predetermined light-on period into a photocurrent and multiplies the photocurrent and a quench circuit that generates a pulse signal on the basis of the multiplied photocurrent. The up-down counter performs one of up counting and down counting each time the pulse signal is generated during the light-on period, and performs another of the up counting and the down counting each time the pulse signal is generated during a light-off period that does not correspond to the light-on period.

In a solid-state imaging element that measures a distance, a circuit scale is reduced. The solid-state imaging element includes a pulse signal generation section and an up-down counter. The pulse signal generation section is provided with an avalanche photodiode that converts incident light including reflected light of irradiation light radiated during a predetermined light-on period into a photocurrent and multiplies the photocurrent and a quench circuit that generates a pulse signal on the basis of the multiplied photocurrent. The up-down counter performs one of up counting and down counting each time the pulse signal is generated during the light-on period, and performs another of the up counting and the down counting each time the pulse signal is generated during a light-off period that does not correspond to the light-on period.

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.

Provided is a night vision output device comprising: an optical pulse output unit for outputting pulsed light at specific periods; a photographing unit having an image sensor for forming a plurality of images by using pulsed light reflected by an external object; a display unit for outputting a final image formed by synthesizing the plurality of images; and a control unit for calculating distance information of an object displayed in each pixel by using data of a brightness ratio for a distance and a brightness ratio for each pixel of the final image, wherein, in one frame, the control unit controls the image sensor such that the image sensor is activated while having different delay times on the basis of an output termination time of the pulsed light.

Provided is a night vision output device comprising: an optical pulse output unit for outputting pulsed light at specific periods; a photographing unit having an image sensor for forming a plurality of images by using pulsed light reflected by an external object; a display unit for outputting a final image formed by synthesizing the plurality of images; and a control unit for calculating distance information of an object displayed in each pixel by using data of a brightness ratio for a distance and a brightness ratio for each pixel of the final image, wherein, in one frame, the control unit controls the image sensor such that the image sensor is activated while having different delay times on the basis of an output termination time of the pulsed light.