A LIDAR 1 includes: a scanner 55 that emits outgoing light Lo while changing the outgoing direction thereof; a reflection member 8 that is arranged in a first outgoing direction and reflects the outgoing light Lo; an absorption member 7 that is arranged in a second outgoing direction and absorbs the outgoing light Lo; an APD 41 that receives return light Lr; and a DSP16. The DSP 16 generates replica u representing a component reflected by the absorption member 7 on the basis of output signals of the APD 41 obtained at each time when the outgoing light Lo is emitted in the first outgoing direction and in the second outgoing direction.

A distance measurement image pickup apparatus has two measurement periods. In a first distance measurement period, short pulsed light (1T) is irradiated, and exposure is performed in a plurality of exposure periods (A, B, and C) in which exposure timings are shifted. In each exposure period, an exposure gate is opened a plurality of times to perform repetitive exposure, and a first non-exposure period is provided from when a last exposure gate is closed until subsequent pulsed light is irradiated. In a second distance measurement period, long pulsed light (4T) is irradiated, and exposure is performed in a plurality of exposure periods (A, B, and C) in which exposure timings are shifted. In each exposure period, exposure is performed by opening the exposure gate only once, and a second non-exposure period is provided from when a last exposure gate is closed until subsequent pulsed light is irradiated.

A depth map generation apparatus includes: a sensor array including a plurality of sensors configured to detect a received light arrival time; a control circuit array; and a processor configured to divide an acquisition time of at least one of the plurality of sensors into a first time window and a second time window; based on a detection result of the at least one sensor in the first time window and the second time window, generate first sub-frame information; based on the first sub-frame information, determine in which one of the first time window and the second time window an object is detected; generate second sub-frame information from the one of the first time window and the second time window in which the object is detected; and provide the first sub-frame information and the second sub-frame information for generation of an image frame.

An object detection system includes a light emitter, an optical sensor, a controller, and a signal processor. The controller controls the light emitter and the optical sensor to cause range segment signals to be outputted from the optical sensor for corresponding range segments. The signal processor includes: a target object information generator that includes a plurality of generators (a first generator through a fifth generator) capable of operating in parallel and generates items of target object information indicating features of target objects for the range segments; and storage that stores the items of target object information. The target object information generator compares a past one of the items of target object information stored in the storage with a feature of a current one of the target objects detected by the optical sensor to generate a corresponding one of the items of target object information.

A ranging device includes: a pulse generator; a controller that controls the pulse generator according to n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 4) types of packet generation codes indicating whether or not to expose or emit light in each of unit segments corresponding to distance segments into which a ranging range is divided; a light source; a solid-state image capturer; and a distance calculator that calculates the distance based on n types of signal values per unit segment obtained from the solid-state image capturer.

Examples of a three-dimensional (3D) optical sensing system for a vehicle include a modular architecture. Light can be transmitted to an optical signal processing module, which can include a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that can create one or more signals with tailored amplitude, phase, and spectral characteristics. The plurality of optical signals processed by the optical signal processing module can be sent to beam steering units distributed around the vehicle. The steering units can direct a plurality of optical beams towards targets. The return optical signal can be detected by a receiver PIC including an array of sensors and using a direct intensity detection technique or a coherent detection technique. The return optical signal can be converted into an electrical signal by the array of sensors, which can then be processed by the electronic signal processing unit, and information about the location and speed of the targets can be quantified.

A depth camera assembly (DCA) includes a direct time of flight system for determining depth information for a local area. The DCA includes an illumination source, a camera, and a controller. The illumination source projects light (e.g., pulse of light) into the local area. The camera detects reflections of the projected light from objects in the local area. Using an internal gating selection procedure, the controller selects a gate window that is likely to be associated with reflection of a pulse of light from an object. The selected gate may be used for depth determination. The internal gating selection procedures may be achieved through external target location and selection or through internal self-selection.

In an embodiments, a method for operating a time-of-flight (ToF) ranging array includes: illuminating a field-of-view (FoV) of the ToF ranging array with radiation pulses; receiving reflected radiation pulses with a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) in a region of interest (ROI) of the ToF ranging array, the plurality of SPADs arranged in a plurality of SPAD clusters; determining an ambient count of ambient light events generated by SPADs of a first SPAD cluster of the plurality of SPAD clusters; and gating an output of the first SPAD cluster based on the ambient count.

In an embodiments, a method for operating a time-of-flight (ToF) ranging array includes: illuminating a field-of-view (FoV) of the ToF ranging array with radiation pulses; receiving reflected radiation pulses with a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) in a region of interest (ROI) of the ToF ranging array, the plurality of SPADs arranged in a plurality of SPAD clusters; determining an ambient count of ambient light events generated by SPADs of a first SPAD cluster of the plurality of SPAD clusters; and gating an output of the first SPAD cluster based on the ambient count.

The present technology relates to a distance measuring sensor, a distance measuring system, and electronic equipment adapted to change light emission conditions at high speed.

The distance measuring sensor includes a pixel array section configured to have pixels arrayed two-dimensionally, each of the pixels receiving reflected light from an object under irradiation light from a lighting apparatus and outputting a detection signal corresponding to an amount of the received light, and a control section configured to control a light emission condition for the lighting apparatus according to an operation of each of the pixels in the pixel array section. This technology can be applied, for example, to a distance measuring system for measuring the distance to a subject being imaged.