Daylight visible laser rangefinders and multi-spectral laser rangefinders that emit one or more continuous wave lasers for the purposes of generating a distance measurement are disclosed, along with methods, systems, and devices including laser rangefinders in utility locating and mapping systems and underwater systems.

A method may include obtaining sensor data from one or more LiDAR units and determining a point-cloud corresponding to the sensor data obtained from each respective LiDAR unit. The method may include aggregating the point-clouds as an aggregated point-cloud. A number of data points included in the aggregated point-cloud may be decreased by filtering out one or more of the data points according to one or more heuristic rules to generate a reduced point-cloud. The method may include determining an operational granularity level for the reduced point-cloud. An array of existence-based objects may be generated based on the reduced point-cloud and the operational granularity level.

The disclosure relates to a demodulator including a pinned photodiode, at least one storage node, at least one transfer gate connected between the storage node and the pinned photodiode. The pinned photodiode includes a p-doped epitaxial semiconductor layer, a n-doped semiconductor region formed within the epitaxial semiconductor layer and creating therewith a lower junction and at least one lateral junction substantially perpendicular to the lower junction, a p+ pinning layer formed on top of said semiconductor region. The demodulator further includes a generating unit configured to generate minority and majority carriers at said lateral junction and to form a lateral photodiode.

A distance measuring apparatus includes an optical system abnormality detection section for detecting abnormalities of an optical system of the distance measuring apparatus by comparing a relationship between a measured distance value d and a light intensity Ls with a reference value K.sub.ρ, K.sub.ρ1, K.sub.Ls0d0, or K.sub.Ab0.

A distance measuring apparatus includes an optical system abnormality detection section for detecting abnormalities of an optical system of the distance measuring apparatus by comparing a relationship between a measured distance value d and a light intensity Ls with a reference value K.sub.ρ, K.sub.ρ1, K.sub.Ls0d0, or K.sub.Ab0.

A time-of-flight ranging system disclosed herein includes a receiver asserting a photon received signal in response to detection of light that has reflected off a target and returned to the time-of-flight ranging system. A first latch circuit has first and second data inputs receiving a first pair of differential timing references, the first latch circuit latching data values at its first and second data inputs to first and second data outputs based upon assertion of the photon received signal. A first counter counts latching events of the first latch circuit during which the first data output is asserted, and a second counter counts latching events of the first latch circuit during which the second data output is asserted. Processing circuitry determines distance to the target based upon counted latching events output from the first and second counters.

A time-of-flight ranging system disclosed herein includes a receiver asserting a photon received signal in response to detection of light that has reflected off a target and returned to the time-of-flight ranging system. A first latch circuit has first and second data inputs receiving a first pair of differential timing references, the first latch circuit latching data values at its first and second data inputs to first and second data outputs based upon assertion of the photon received signal. A first counter counts latching events of the first latch circuit during which the first data output is asserted, and a second counter counts latching events of the first latch circuit during which the second data output is asserted. Processing circuitry determines distance to the target based upon counted latching events output from the first and second counters.

The present technology relates to a distance measurement sensor, a signal processing method, and a distance measurement module that make it possible to detect that an object to be measured is a specular reflector. The distance measurement sensor includes a signal processing unit that calculates a distance to an object and a degree of confidence, from a signal obtained by a light receiving unit that receives reflected light that is returned light obtained by reflecting irradiation light emitted from a predetermined light emitting source by the object, and outputs a determination flag determining whether the object that is an object to be measured is a specular reflector having a high reflectance. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a distance measurement module that measures a distance to a subject, and the like.

The present technology relates to a distance measurement sensor, a signal processing method, and a distance measurement module that make it possible to detect that an object to be measured is a specular reflector. The distance measurement sensor includes a signal processing unit that calculates a distance to an object and a degree of confidence, from a signal obtained by a light receiving unit that receives reflected light that is returned light obtained by reflecting irradiation light emitted from a predetermined light emitting source by the object, and outputs a determination flag determining whether the object that is an object to be measured is a specular reflector having a high reflectance. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a distance measurement module that measures a distance to a subject, and the like.

A light detection and ranging system is provided having an interlaced angular dispersion by providing a photonic integrated circuit having a plurality of light paths having a non-uniform next-neighbor distance and emitting light of different wavelengths through the light paths.