A computer-implemented method as well as a system for determining intensity values of pixels of distance data of the pixels generated by a simulation of a 3D scene, including an assignment of a first confidence value to each of the first initial values of the pixels and/or a second confidence value to each of the second intensity values of the pixels, and including a calculation of third, in particular corrected, intensity values of the pixels, using the confidence values assigned to each of the first intensity values and/or second intensity values. The invention also relates to a computer-implemented method for providing a trained machine learning algorithm as well as to a computer program.

A lidar system comprises a first lens, a second lens, and a switch. The first lens has a first field of view that receives incident light from the first field of view. The second lens has a second field of view that receives incident light from the second field of view, wherein the second field of view is encompassed by and narrower than the first field of view. The switch controls which of the first and second lenses are used for detecting returns from laser pulse shots based on where the laser pulse shots are targeted in a field of view that encompasses the first and second fields of view. The switch may comprise an optical switch or an electronic switch.

A lidar system comprises a first lens, a second lens, and a switch. The first lens has a first field of view that receives incident light from the first field of view. The second lens has a second field of view that receives incident light from the second field of view, wherein the second field of view is encompassed by and narrower than the first field of view. The switch controls which of the first and second lenses are used for detecting returns from laser pulse shots based on where the laser pulse shots are targeted in a field of view that encompasses the first and second fields of view. The switch may comprise an optical switch or an electronic switch.

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an automatic gain control (AGC) unit to reduce the dynamic range, reducing processing power and saving circuit area and cost. The system detects a return beam of a light signal transmitted to a target, having a first dynamic range in a time domain. An analog to digital converter (ADC) generates a digital signal based on the return beam. A processor can perform time domain processing on the digital signal, convert the digital signal from the time domain to a frequency domain, and perform frequency domain processing on the digital signal in the frequency domain. The AGC unit can measure a power of the return beam, and apply variable gain in the time domain to reduce a dynamic range of the return beam to a second dynamic range lower than the first dynamic range.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for performing data compression and data decompression on lidar range images.

An optical sensor system includes a set of epitaxial layers formed on a semiconductor substrate. The set of epitaxial layers defines a semiconductor laser having a first multiple quantum well (MQW) structure. Electromagnetic radiation is generated by the first MQW structure, emitted from the first MQW structure, and self-mixed with a portion of the emitted electromagnetic radiation that is returned to the first MQW structure. The set of epitaxial layers also defines a second MQW structure operable to generate a first photocurrent responsive to detecting a first emission of the semiconductor laser, and a third MQW structure operable to generate a second photocurrent responsive to detecting a second emission of the semiconductor laser. The optical sensor system also includes a circuit configured to generate a self-mixing interferometry (SMI) signal by combining the first photocurrent and the second photocurrent.

A LIDAR system includes a light source that outputs an outgoing LIDAR signal that includes multiple different channels. The LIDAR system also generate multiple composite light signals that each carries a signal couple and are each associated with a different one of the channels. A signal couple includes a reference signal and an associated comparative signal. The comparative signals each include light from the outgoing LIDAR signal that has been reflected by one or more objects located outside of the LIDAR system. The reference signals also include light from the outgoing LIDAR signal but also exclude light that has been reflected by any object located outside of the LIDAR system. There is a frequency differential between a frequency of the reference signal and a frequency of the associated comparative signal. The frequency differential includes a contribution from a frequency offset that is induced by electronics. The electronics induce the frequency offset such that the frequency offset is different for each signal couple.

A LIDAR system includes a light source that outputs an outgoing LIDAR signal that includes multiple different channels. The LIDAR system also generate multiple composite light signals that each carries a signal couple and are each associated with a different one of the channels. A signal couple includes a reference signal and an associated comparative signal. The comparative signals each include light from the outgoing LIDAR signal that has been reflected by one or more objects located outside of the LIDAR system. The reference signals also include light from the outgoing LIDAR signal but also exclude light that has been reflected by any object located outside of the LIDAR system. There is a frequency differential between a frequency of the reference signal and a frequency of the associated comparative signal. The frequency differential includes a contribution from a frequency offset that is induced by electronics. The electronics induce the frequency offset such that the frequency offset is different for each signal couple.

A LIDAR system which reduces or suppress the frequency shift induced by the movement of objects in a scene relative to the LIDAR, and which comprises a light source, an input aperture (101), a splitter (2) configured to split a reflected light into a reference channel (4) and a first imaging channel (3), a first imaging optical IQ receiver (5) configured to obtain a first interference signal, a reference optical IQ receiver (6) configured to obtain a reference interference signal, an imaging oscillator (111), configured to be temporarily coherent with the reflected light, at least a mixer (12), connected to the first imaging optical IQ (5) and to the reference optical IQ (6) and configured to obtain a first intermodulation product with a higher frequency and an intermodulation product of interest with its Doppler Shift scaled.

A LIDAR system which reduces or suppress the frequency shift induced by the movement of objects in a scene relative to the LIDAR, and which comprises a light source, an input aperture (101), a splitter (2) configured to split a reflected light into a reference channel (4) and a first imaging channel (3), a first imaging optical IQ receiver (5) configured to obtain a first interference signal, a reference optical IQ receiver (6) configured to obtain a reference interference signal, an imaging oscillator (111), configured to be temporarily coherent with the reflected light, at least a mixer (12), connected to the first imaging optical IQ (5) and to the reference optical IQ (6) and configured to obtain a first intermodulation product with a higher frequency and an intermodulation product of interest with its Doppler Shift scaled.