Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing system, a range estimation system for the optical sensing system, and a method for the optical sensing system. The exemplary optical sensing system includes a transmitter configured to emit a plurality of laser pulses towards an object. The optical sensing system further includes a range estimation system configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system. The range estimation system includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to convert a plurality of laser pulses returned from an object to a digital signal. The ADC has a predetermined sampling period. The exemplary system further includes a processor. The processor is configured to calculate an intensity ratio between two data points selected from the digital signal. The processor is further configured to determine an arrival time of the first returned laser pulse based on the intensity ratio and a time difference between respective sample times of the two data points. The processor is also configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system based on the arrival time of the first returned laser pulse.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing system, a range estimation system for the optical sensing system, and a method for the optical sensing system. The exemplary optical sensing system includes a transmitter configured to emit a plurality of laser pulses towards an object. The optical sensing system further includes a range estimation system configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system. The range estimation system includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to convert a plurality of laser pulses returned from an object to a digital signal. The ADC has a predetermined sampling period. The exemplary system further includes a processor. The processor is configured to calculate an intensity ratio between two data points selected from the digital signal. The processor is further configured to determine an arrival time of the first returned laser pulse based on the intensity ratio and a time difference between respective sample times of the two data points. The processor is also configured to estimate a range between the object and the optical sensing system based on the arrival time of the first returned laser pulse.

A filter for a micropulse differential absorption LIDAR is provided. The filter comprises an etalon including a free spectral range substantially the same as a difference between a first laser wavelength and a second laser wavelength, the etalon further including a finesse providing substantial background noise suppression and substantially constant transmission of the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength over a predetermined range of wavelengths, and a first filter having a first filter bandpass selected to include the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength.

A filter for a micropulse differential absorption LIDAR is provided. The filter comprises an etalon including a free spectral range substantially the same as a difference between a first laser wavelength and a second laser wavelength, the etalon further including a finesse providing substantial background noise suppression and substantially constant transmission of the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength over a predetermined range of wavelengths, and a first filter having a first filter bandpass selected to include the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength.

A distance detection device generates a distance image indicating a distance to an object positioned within a distance range targeted for measurement using a TOF system. The distance detection device includes a light source that illuminates the object with light, a light sensor that generates a detection signal by receiving a reflection light which is the illumination light reflected from the object, a controller that controls an exposure timing of the light sensor with respect to an illumination timing of the light from the light source in each of measurement ranges of a plurality of measurement ranges obtained by dividing the distance range, and a processor. The processor generates distance information by calculating distances to objects within the measurement ranges based on the detection signal in each of the measurement ranges, and generates the distance image indicating the distance to the object within the distance range targeted for measurement using the generated plural distance information items.

Active-gated imaging system and method for imaging environment with at least one high-intensity source. A light source emits light pulses toward the environment, and an image sensor with a pixelated sensor array receives reflected pulses from a selected depth of field and generates a main image. The image sensor exposure mechanism includes a pixelated transfer gate synchronized with the emitted pulses. An image processor identifies oversaturated image portions of the main image resulting from a respective high-intensity source, and interprets the oversaturated image portions using supplementary image information acquired by image sensor. The supplementary information may be obtained from: a low-illumination secondary image having substantially fewer gating cycles than the main image; by accumulating reflected pulses from the high-intensity source after the reflected pulses undergo internal reflections between optical elements of the camera; or a low-illumination secondary image acquired by residual photon accumulation during a non-exposure state of image sensor.

A three-dimensional imaging system includes an image intensification subsystem and an illumination subsystem that are both capable of operating with sinusoidal or pulsed waveforms in accordance with phase-measuring or flash modes of operation, respectfully, of the three-dimensional imaging system.

A three-dimensional imaging system includes an image intensification subsystem and an illumination subsystem that are both capable of operating with sinusoidal or pulsed waveforms in accordance with phase-measuring or flash modes of operation, respectfully, of the three-dimensional imaging system.

A lidar system comprises a photodetector circuit and a signal processing circuit. The photodetector circuit comprises an array of pixels for sensing incident light. The signal processing circuit processes a signal representative of the sensed incident light to detect a reflection of a laser pulse from a target within a field of view. The signal processing circuit can comprise a plurality of matched filters that are tuned to different reflected pulse shapes for detecting pulse reflections within the incident light, and wherein the signal processing circuit applies the signal to the matched filters to determine an obliquity for the target based how the matched filters respond to the applied signal.

A lidar system comprises a photodetector circuit and a signal processing circuit. The photodetector circuit comprises an array of pixels for sensing incident light. The signal processing circuit processes a signal representative of the sensed incident light to detect a reflection of a laser pulse from a target within a field of view. The signal processing circuit can comprise a plurality of matched filters that are tuned to different reflected pulse shapes for detecting pulse reflections within the incident light, and wherein the signal processing circuit applies the signal to the matched filters to determine an obliquity for the target based how the matched filters respond to the applied signal.