A laser distance measuring device and a method of use thereof are described. The laser distance measuring device can include an emitting unit (4), a reflecting mirror (3), an emitting lens (2), a receiving lens (1), and a receiving unit (8); the laser distance measuring device can further include: at least one spectroscope (7) provided between the receiving lens (1) and the receiving unit (8), which is arranged successively on the same optical propagation path; at least one spectrum receiving unit (9) arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the spectroscope (7). The technical solution has a wider measurement range and is adaptable to measured targets in different distances; a multiplicity of feedbacks and adjustments is not necessary, and the acquirement of the measurement data can be achieved in a short time, therefore the operating time is saved.

Interference mitigation for a LiDAR system includes identifying a presence or absence of interference from a non-co-located light source in a sample of incident light received by a detector in the LiDAR system. In the absence of interference, a nominal set of reference values is used for one or more spacio-temporal scanning profile trajectory parameters. Scanner components of the LiDAR system are controlled using the nominal set of reference values. In the presence of interference, the nominal set of reference values is augmented to modify the spacio-temporal scanning profile trajectory parameters. Scanner components of the LiDAR system are controlled using the augmented set of reference values to avoid detection of and interference by the non-co-located light source.

In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light, where each emitted pulse of light includes a spectral signature of multiple different spectral signatures. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light including light from one of the emitted pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The emitted pulse of light includes one of the spectral signatures. The receiver includes a detector configured to produce a photocurrent signal corresponding to the received pulse of light, a frequency-detection circuit configured to determine, based on the photocurrent signal, a spectral signature of the received pulse of light, and a pulse-detection circuit configured to determine, based on the photocurrent signal, a time-of-arrival of the received pulse of light.

Systems and methods for imaging in the short wave infrared (SWIR), photodetectors with low dark current and associated circuits for reducing dark currents and methods for generating image information based on data of a photodetector array. A SWIR imaging system may include a pulsed illumination source operative to emit radiation pulses in the SWIR band towards a target resulting in reflected radiation from the target; (b) an imaging receiver including a plurality of Ge PDs operative to detect the reflected SWIR radiation and a controller, operative to control activation of the receiver for an integration time during which the accumulated dark current noise does not exceed the time independent readout noise.

A distance measurement device includes a light emitting and receiving units, and a calculation unit that uses a time-of-flight to calculate an object distance. The calculation unit includes: a histogram generation unit; a composite peak portion estimation unit that estimates whether a composite peak portion is present in a histogram, the composite peak portion being a peak portion at which the received light intensity changes with respect to the time-of-flight with reference to a peak time-of-flight and which is obtained from a combination of distributions of intensity of light from objects, differences of distances to the objects from the device being within a predetermined range; a time-of-flight specification unit that specifies rise time and fall time; a base time-of-flight determination unit that determines a base time-of-flight based on the rise time or the fall time; and a distance calculation unit that uses the base time-of-flight to calculate the object distance.

A LIDAR system for use in a vehicle is provided. The LIDAR system may include at least one processor configured to control at least one light source for illuminating a field of view and scan a field of view by controlling movement of at least one deflector at which the at least one light source is directed. The at least one processor may also be configured to receive, from at least one sensor, reflections signals indicative of light reflected from an object in the field of view. The at least one processor may further be configured to detect at least one temporal distortion in the reflections signals, and determine from the at least one temporal distortion an angular orientation of at least a portion of the object.

A system and method for detecting a peak bin from among a plurality of bins in a window. In some embodiments, each of the bins has a lower limit and an upper limit and contains zero or more values. The method may include: identifying a first bin, from among a plurality of bins in a first subwindow of the window, the first bin containing n values, n being a positive integer, n being greater than or equal to the number of values in each of the other bins in the first subwindow; calculating a first height-to-area ratio, the first height-to-area ratio being equal to n divided by the number of values in the first subwindow; and comparing the first height-to-area ratio to a first threshold.

A LIDAR sensor includes a fiber laser configured to emit an electromagnetic pulse through a fiber cable, and a fiber cable splitter to split the fiber cable into a first fiber cable and a second fiber cable. The electromagnetic pulse is split into an output pulse that propagates through the first fiber cable and a calibration pulse that propagates through the second fiber cable. The LIDAR sensor includes a pulse receiving sensor configured to detect the calibration pulse and a second pulse corresponding to the output pulse being reflected by a surface external from the LiDAR sensor. A processor is included to receive information from the pulse receiving sensor indicating a position of the surface relative to the LiDAR sensor. The processor further measures an intensity of the calibration pulse and determines a reflectance of the surface based at least in part on the intensity of the calibration pulse.

A laser range finder (LRF) and an automated method for determining a return laser signal associated with a target thereof are disclosed. In one example embodiment, the LRF includes a laser beam emitter to emit a laser beam towards a target. Further, the LRF includes a receiver circuit to receive multiple return laser signals reflected from objects including the target and to determine an amplitude of each of the multiple return laser signals. Furthermore, the LRF includes a processor coupled to the receiver circuit to compare the amplitude of each of the multiple return laser signals with a range varying threshold that accounts for range and atmospheric losses and to determine one of the multiple return laser signals as being associated with the target based on the comparison.

A Lidar system is provided. The Lidar system comprise: a light source configured to emit a multi-pulse sequence to measure a distance between the Lidar system and a location in a three-dimensional environment, and the multi-pulse sequence comprises multiple pulses having a temporal profile; a photosensitive detector configured to detect light pulses from the three-dimensional environment; and one or more processors configured to: determine a coding scheme comprising the temporal profile, wherein the coding scheme is determined dynamically based on one or more real-time conditions including an environment condition, a condition of the Lidar system or a signal environment condition; and calculate the distance based on a time of flight of a sequence of detected light pulses, wherein the time of flight is determined by determining a match between the sequence of detected light pulses and the temporal profile.