A CMOS image sensor (102) comprises: a set of Nk pixels with a specific global shutter architecture, including, for each pixel Pix#k, k varying from 1 to N, a device (104) for synchronously blocking the exposure, common to the various memory nodes MN.sub.k,m, m varying from 1 to M; a subsystem for the non-destructive fast readout of the M memory nodes MN.sub.k,m, m varying from 1 to M, of each pixel Pix#k, making it possible to control a decision criterion for each pixel; a decision mechanism, based on the computing of a criterion, making it possible to control the device for synchronously blocking the exposure, located at the pixel level, which criterion is defined on the basis of the results obtained by the non-destructive fast read operations on the various memory nodes MN.sub.k,m, m varying from 1 to M; a conventional full-resolution image readout subsystem (62) with analog-to-digital conversion.
Figure for the abstract: FIG. 4

A light reception device comprises a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a photosensitive element configured to generate a signal in response to detection of a photon by the photosensitive element, wherein the plurality of pixels include a first pixel having a first sensitivity to detect a first photon incident on the first pixel and a second pixel having a second sensitivity to detect a second photon incident on the second pixel, wherein the second sensitivity is lower than the first sensitivity.

A system including one or more waveguides to receive a first returned reflection having a first lag angle and generate a first waveguide signal, receive a second returned reflection having a second lag angle different from the first lag angle, and generate a second waveguide signal. The system includes one or more photodetectors to generate a first output signal within a first frequency range, and generate, based on the second waveguide signal and a second LO signal, a second output signal within a second frequency range. The system includes an optical frequency shifter (OFS) to shift a frequency of the second LO signal to cause the second output signal to shift from within the second frequency range to within the first frequency range to generate a shifted signal. The system includes a processor to receive the shifted signal to produce one or more points in a point set.

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 frequency domain to reduce a dynamic range of the return beam to a second dynamic range lower than the first dynamic range.

A system including one or more waveguides to receive a first returned reflection having a first lag angle and generate a first waveguide signal, receive a second returned reflection having a second lag angle different from the first lag angle, and generate a second waveguide signal. The system includes one or more photodetectors to generate a first output signal within a first frequency range, and generate, based on the second waveguide signal and a second LO signal, a second output signal within a second frequency range. The system includes an optical frequency shifter (OFS) to shift a frequency of the second LO signal to cause the second output signal to shift from within the second frequency range to within the first frequency range to generate a shifted signal. The system includes a processor to receive the shifted signal to produce one or more points in a point set.

A method including emitting, by an emitting device of an optical ranging system at a first time, a first light pulse; increasing, after the first time, a sensitivity of a photodetector of the optical ranging system from a first sensitivity at a second time to a second sensitivity at a third time; decreasing, after the third time, the sensitivity of the photodetector of the optical ranging system from the second sensitivity to the first sensitivity at a fourth time, wherein the fourth time is after the photodetector receives a return light based on the first light pulse; and emitting, by the optical ranging system at a fifth time after the fourth time, a second light pulse.

A light reception device comprises a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a photosensitive element configured to generate a signal in response to detection of a photon by the photosensitive element, wherein the plurality of pixels include a first pixel having a first sensitivity to detect a first photon incident on the first pixel and a second pixel having a second sensitivity to detect a second photon incident on the second pixel, wherein the second sensitivity is lower than the first sensitivity.

A lidar system identifies anomalous optical pulses received by the lidar system. The lidar system includes a light source configured to output a plurality of transmitted pulses of light, each transmitted pulse of light having one or more representative characteristics, a scanner configured to direct the plurality of transmitted pulses of light to a plurality of locations within a field of regard, and a receiver configured to detect a plurality of received pulses of light from the field of regard. The lidar system is configured to identify an anomalous pulse amongst the plurality of received pulses of light based on its having at least one characteristic that does not correspond to the one or more representative characteristics of the plurality of transmitted pulses of light.

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus includes an optical circuit including an optical source to transmit an optical beam, a first optical component to generate a local oscillator from the optical beam, a first optical amplifier to amplify a return signal to generate an amplified return signal, wherein a power level of the local oscillator is comparable to a power of amplified spontaneous emission of the first optical amplifier, and an optical detector operatively coupled to the first optical amplifier, the optical detector configured to output an electrical signal based on the amplified return signal and the local oscillator.

A dynamic power positioning method and a dynamic power positioning system thereof are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: controlling a device to be measured to transmit a plurality of positioning signals with a plurality of transmission powers; making a plurality of known location devices to receive the plurality of positioning signals, and recording the intensities and the corresponding reception times of the plurality of positioning signals, and the coordinates of the plurality of known location devices to the database; finding out the known location device corresponding to a positioning signal having a higher signal intensity among the received plurality of positioning signals; obtaining a signal intensity-distance function and a signal intensity-distance standard deviation function from the database; and finding out the device location of the device to be measured according to the signal intensity-distance function and signal intensity-distance standard deviation function.