A beam splitter arrangement for an optoelectronic sensor, an optoelectronic sensor having such a beam splitter arrangement, and a method of beam splitting in an optoelectronic sensor are provided, wherein the beam splitter arrangement has at least one input for coupling first transmitted light beams having first transmitted light pulses into the beam splitter arrangement. At least one beam splitter splits the first transmitted light beams into a plurality of second transmitted light beams having second transmitted light pulses. The beam splitter arrangement further has a plurality of outputs for decoupling the second transmitted light beams from the beam splitter arrangement, with the number of outputs being greater than the number of inputs. Optical compression paths that compress the second transmitted light pulses such that a second pulse length of the second transmitted light pulses is shorter than a first pulse length of the first transmitted light pulses are arranged downstream of at least one beam splitter.

A beam splitter arrangement for an optoelectronic sensor, an optoelectronic sensor having such a beam splitter arrangement, and a method of beam splitting in an optoelectronic sensor are provided, wherein the beam splitter arrangement has at least one input for coupling first transmitted light beams having first transmitted light pulses into the beam splitter arrangement. At least one beam splitter splits the first transmitted light beams into a plurality of second transmitted light beams having second transmitted light pulses. The beam splitter arrangement further has a plurality of outputs for decoupling the second transmitted light beams from the beam splitter arrangement, with the number of outputs being greater than the number of inputs. Optical compression paths that compress the second transmitted light pulses such that a second pulse length of the second transmitted light pulses is shorter than a first pulse length of the first transmitted light pulses are arranged downstream of at least one beam splitter.

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a light transmitting unit including a plurality of laser transmission channels for transmitting laser light for detecting an external object in an allocated transmission time slot; a light receiving unit including a plurality of laser reception channels for receiving the laser light reflected by the external object in a reception time slot allocated to correspond to the transmission time slot, N laser reception channels (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) being allocated to each of the reception time slots; and a signal amplification unit configured to sequentially amplify the laser light received by the light receiving unit according to the order of the reception time slots, and having N channels allocated in one-to-one correspondence with the N laser reception channels for each of the reception time slots.

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a light transmitting unit including a plurality of laser transmission channels for transmitting laser light for detecting an external object in an allocated transmission time slot; a light receiving unit including a plurality of laser reception channels for receiving the laser light reflected by the external object in a reception time slot allocated to correspond to the transmission time slot, N laser reception channels (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) being allocated to each of the reception time slots; and a signal amplification unit configured to sequentially amplify the laser light received by the light receiving unit according to the order of the reception time slots, and having N channels allocated in one-to-one correspondence with the N laser reception channels for each of the reception time slots.

A distance measurement system includes a distance measurement device and an external processing device. Here, the distance measurement device receives reflected light from a subject for a plurality of exposure periods in a frame in which irradiation light is emitted, switches a plurality of distance calculation expressions according to an amount of charge measured for each exposure period, and calculates a measured distance to the subject from the amount of charge measured for each exposure period. The external processing device acquires the measured distance from the distance measurement device and performs data processing. Then, the external processing device predicts a measured distance including a distance error caused by an influence of multipath. The external processing device generates a correction expression for correcting the measured distance. The external processing device corrects the measured distance acquired from the distance measurement device using the correction expression.

To determine spatial orientation of a vehicle, a set of illuminators is mechanically coupled to the vehicle so as to emit light toward a roadway. A set of sensors is mechanically coupled to the vehicle to receive the emitted light as reflected from the roadway. A timer determines times of flight between emission of the light by the set of illuminators and reception of the reflected light by the set of sensors. A processor determines the spatial orientation of the vehicle from a difference in the times of flight.

To determine spatial orientation of a vehicle, a set of illuminators is mechanically coupled to the vehicle so as to emit light toward a roadway. A set of sensors is mechanically coupled to the vehicle to receive the emitted light as reflected from the roadway. A timer determines times of flight between emission of the light by the set of illuminators and reception of the reflected light by the set of sensors. A processor determines the spatial orientation of the vehicle from a difference in the times of flight.

A time-of-flight light detection system includes: a plurality of circuits arranged sequentially along a signal path that comprises a plurality of signal channels, the plurality of circuits including a first circuit and a second circuit arranged downstream from the first circuit; a reference signal source configured to generate a plurality of reference signals, where each of the plurality of signal channels at the first circuit receives at least one of the plurality of reference signals; and an evaluation circuit coupled to the plurality of signal channels to receive a processed reference signal from the signal path, the evaluation circuit further configured to compare the processed reference signal to a first expected result to generate a first comparison result.

A time-of-flight light detection system includes: a plurality of circuits arranged sequentially along a signal path that comprises a plurality of signal channels, the plurality of circuits including a first circuit and a second circuit arranged downstream from the first circuit; a reference signal source configured to generate a plurality of reference signals, where each of the plurality of signal channels at the first circuit receives at least one of the plurality of reference signals; and an evaluation circuit coupled to the plurality of signal channels to receive a processed reference signal from the signal path, the evaluation circuit further configured to compare the processed reference signal to a first expected result to generate a first comparison result.

Example aspects are directed to operating a SPAD receiver such as may be used in a light detection and ranging (Lidar) system. In one example, the SPAD receiver has SPAD circuitry for multiple photon detections using a single-channel TDC (time-to-digital converter), and such photon detection is quenched after detection so as to establish an effective pre-defined OFF period. In response, the SPAD circuitry is recharged for a subsequent ON period during which the SPAD circuitry is unquenched (or armed) for further photon detection and processing.