Disclosed are a light receiving module and a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) including the same. The light receiving module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a receiving lens configured to receive external light, a reflective mirror configured to selectively reflect some of the light received by the receiving lens, and a detector configured to detect the light reflected by the reflective mirror, wherein the reflective mirror includes a mirror body having a first surface on a side on which the light received by the receiving lens is incident and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface, a reflective layer provided on the first surface to reflect light in a designed wavelength region selected according to a predetermined criterion among the light received by the receiving lens, and to transmit light in a noise wavelength region other than the designed wavelength region, and a transmissive layer provided on the second surface so that the light in the noise wavelength region that has passed through the mirror body is transmitted.

A method may include determining an alignment time based on a zero-crossing point corresponding to a LiDAR sensor and a horizontal field of view corresponding to an image-capturing sensor. The method may include determining a delay timing for initiating image capturing by the image-capturing sensor in which the delay timing is based on at least one of: the alignment time, a packet capture timing corresponding to the LiDAR sensor, and an average frame exposure duration corresponding to the image-capturing sensor. The method may include initiating data capture by the LiDAR sensor, and after the initiating of data capture by the LiDAR sensor and after the delay timing has elapsed, initiating data capture by the image-capturing sensor.

A computer unit for a LiDAR device, which has a laser source configured to emit a laser signal into a transmit path, and a LiDAR sensor arranged in a receive path and configured to detect a laser signal reflected into the receive path. The computer unit is configured to process a multiplicity of laser signal data points of the reflected laser signal. The computer unit is configured to filter halation out of the laser signal data points of the reflected laser signal.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a receiver in an optical sensing system for receiving a light beam. The receiver includes a first polarizer configured to pass the light beam of a first polarization. The receiver further includes an electro-optical layer coated with patterned transparent electrodes. An electric field is applied to a selected area of the electro-optical layer through the patterned transparent electrodes, and the electro-optical layer changes a portion of the light beam from the first polarization to a second polarization. The receiver also includes a second polarizer configured to selectively pass the portion of the light beam of the second polarization. The receiver additionally includes a detector configured to receive the portion of the light beam output from the second polarizer.

A light source may illuminate a scene that is obscured by fog. Light may reflect back to a time-resolved light sensor. For instance, the light sensor may comprise avalanche photodiodes that are not single-photon sensitive. The light sensor may perform a raster scan. The imaging system may determine reflectance and depth of the fog-obscured target. The imaging system may perform a probabilistic algorithm that exploits the fact that times of arrival of photons reflected from fog have a Gamma distribution that is different than the Gaussian distribution of times of arrival of photons reflected from the target. The imaging system may adjust frame rate locally depending on local density of fog, as indicated by a local Gamma distribution determined in a prior step. The imaging system may perform one or more of spatial regularization, temporal regularization, and deblurring.

Particulate matter, such as dust, steam, smoke, rain, etc. may cause one or more sensor types to generate false positive detections. In particular, various depth measurements may be impeded by particulate matter. Identifying a false return and/or removing a false detection based at least in part on a sensor output may comprise determining a similarity of a portion of a return signal to an emitted light pulse or an expected return signal, determining a variance of the signal portion over time, determining a difference between a power spectrum of the return relative to an expected power spectrum, and/or determining that a duration associated with the signal portion meets or exceeds a threshold duration.

A LIDAR system is adapted for performing anemometrical measurements relating to a focusing zone of a laser beam which is emitted by the system. The system includes a temporal control device for the laser beam, which is adapted for putting this laser beam in successive laser pulse form, so that each laser pulse has an individual length which is greater than or equal to twice the Rayleigh length divided by the propagation speed of the laser pulses in the atmosphere, and less than 20 μs. Advantageously, the individual length of each laser pulse is between 0.2 and 5 times the coherence time of the atmosphere which is effective in the focusing zone. Such a LIDAR system provides values for a spectral CNR ratio which are better than those of systems from the state-of-the-art, at equivalent spatial resolution.

There is provided a distance measurement device that can appropriately detect a distance to an object regardless of the distance. The distance measurement device includes a laser light source, a photodetector, and a controller. The controller performs a long-distance routine that detects timing for receiving light when an object is at a long distance, and a short-distance routine that detects the timing for receiving light when the object is at a short distance, based on a detection signal output from the photodetector during one distance measurement operation. The controller then selects one of a detection result of the timing for receiving light by the long-distance routine and a detection result of the timing for receiving light by the short-distance routine, and calculates the distance to the object irradiated with projection light based on the selected detection result.

A time of flight based depth detection system is disclosed that includes a projector configured to sequentially emit multiple complementary illumination patterns. A sensor of the depth detection system is configured to capture the light from the illumination patterns reflecting off objects within the sensor's field of view. The data captured by the sensor can be used to filter out erroneous readings caused by light reflecting off multiple surfaces prior to returning to the sensor.

A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus includes a detector having a first pixel and a second pixel configured to output respective detection signals responsive to light incident thereon, and receiver optics configured to collect the light over a field of view and direct first and second portions of the light to the first and second pixels, respectively. The first pixel includes one or more time of flight (ToF) sensors, and the second pixel includes one or more image sensors. At least one of the receiver optics or arrangement of the first and second pixels in the detector is configured to correlate the first and second pixels such that depth information indicated by the respective detection signals output from the first pixel is correlated with image information indicated by the respective detection signals output from the second pixel. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.