G01S17/26

Selection of pulse repetition intervals for sensing time of flight

Sensing apparatus includes a radiation source, which emits pulses of optical radiation toward multiple points in a target scene. A receiver receives the optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene and outputs signals that are indicative of respective times of flight of the pulses to and from the points in the target scene. Processing and control circuitry selects a first pulse repetition interval (PRI) and a second PRI, greater than the first PRI, from a permitted range of PRIs, drives the radiation source to emit a first sequence of the pulses at the first PRI and a second sequence of the pulses at a second PRI, and processes the signals output in response to both the first and second sequences of the pulses in order to compute respective depth coordinates of the points in the target scene.

Selection of pulse repetition intervals for sensing time of flight

Sensing apparatus includes a radiation source, which emits pulses of optical radiation toward multiple points in a target scene. A receiver receives the optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene and outputs signals that are indicative of respective times of flight of the pulses to and from the points in the target scene. Processing and control circuitry selects a first pulse repetition interval (PRI) and a second PRI, greater than the first PRI, from a permitted range of PRIs, drives the radiation source to emit a first sequence of the pulses at the first PRI and a second sequence of the pulses at a second PRI, and processes the signals output in response to both the first and second sequences of the pulses in order to compute respective depth coordinates of the points in the target scene.

TECHNIQUES FOR PROCESSING AMPLITUDE MODULATION (AM) AND FREQUENCY MODULATION (FM) IN SEPARATE PATHS FOR SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF RANGE AND VELOCITY IN AN FMCW LIDAR SYSTEM

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system has a modulator to modulate a light signal from an optical source with a low-power mode at a section of a sweep signal to generate a pulsed light signal transmitted towards a target. The LIDAR system has a photodetector to receive a return beam from the target with an amplitude modulated (AM) signal portion and a frequency modulated (FM) signal portion. The LIDAR system processes the return beam with in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) detection to extract the AM signal portion and the FM signal portion. The system determines a range value and a velocity value for the target based on the extracted AM signal portion and the extracted FM signal portion.

TECHNIQUES FOR PROCESSING AMPLITUDE MODULATION (AM) AND FREQUENCY MODULATION (FM) IN SEPARATE PATHS FOR SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF RANGE AND VELOCITY IN AN FMCW LIDAR SYSTEM

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system has a modulator to modulate a light signal from an optical source with a low-power mode at a section of a sweep signal to generate a pulsed light signal transmitted towards a target. The LIDAR system has a photodetector to receive a return beam from the target with an amplitude modulated (AM) signal portion and a frequency modulated (FM) signal portion. The LIDAR system processes the return beam with in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) detection to extract the AM signal portion and the FM signal portion. The system determines a range value and a velocity value for the target based on the extracted AM signal portion and the extracted FM signal portion.

SPATIALLY RESOLVED PERTURBATION DETECTION USING LINE MONITORING SYSTEM
20220357448 · 2022-11-10 · ·

A line monitoring system may include a laser source to launch a plurality of pulsed probe signals; an optical transmission system, comprising a plurality of loopbacks, to receive the plurality of pulsed probe signals, and direct the plurality of pulsed probe signals through the plurality of loopbacks. The system may include a receiver to receive a plurality of return signals, derived from the plurality of pulsed probe signals from the transmission system, and a perturbance detection system, coupled to the receiver, to measure a phase difference between a polarization of a pair of return signals of the plurality of return signals. The pair of return signals may be received from a pair of loopbacks of the plurality of loopbacks, from a first loopback and a second return signal from a second loopback. The perturbance detection system may determine a location of a perturbation, based upon the phase difference.

SPATIALLY RESOLVED PERTURBATION DETECTION USING LINE MONITORING SYSTEM
20220357448 · 2022-11-10 · ·

A line monitoring system may include a laser source to launch a plurality of pulsed probe signals; an optical transmission system, comprising a plurality of loopbacks, to receive the plurality of pulsed probe signals, and direct the plurality of pulsed probe signals through the plurality of loopbacks. The system may include a receiver to receive a plurality of return signals, derived from the plurality of pulsed probe signals from the transmission system, and a perturbance detection system, coupled to the receiver, to measure a phase difference between a polarization of a pair of return signals of the plurality of return signals. The pair of return signals may be received from a pair of loopbacks of the plurality of loopbacks, from a first loopback and a second return signal from a second loopback. The perturbance detection system may determine a location of a perturbation, based upon the phase difference.

High-Speed Time-of-Interference Light Detection and Ranging Apparatus
20220357437 · 2022-11-10 ·

A TOI LiDAR System generates an image of an object based on the distance of various point measurements to the object. The TOI LiDAR System detects the envelope of an electrical signal created from an interference light signal. The interference light signal is produced from the back-reflected light resulting from a sampling arm light emission to the object combined with a reference light emission. The reference light emission is created by splitting a pulse-modulated coherent light source's emission signal and passing the reference light emission through a reference arm. The optical interference signal is transferred to a balanced photodetector to convert to an electrical signal converted to digital data. The digital data is evaluated to determine the rising edges or falling edges of a digitized electrical interference signal to determine a time delay between the reference light emission and back-reflected light used to calculate the distance.

Electronic apparatus and distance measuring method

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a light source, a detector, an equalizer and a processing circuitry. The light source is configured to emit a pulse having a first output value and a first frequency response. The detector is configured to detect a reflected wave of the pulse and convert the reflected wave to a first electric signal. The reflected wave of the pulse is received after the pulse is reflected by an object. The equalizer is configured to equalize the first electric signal using tap coefficients to generate a second electric signal. The tap coefficients are based on at least either one of the first output value and the first frequency response. The processing circuitry is configured to estimate a distance to the object based on the second electric signal.

Electronic apparatus and distance measuring method

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a light source, a detector, an equalizer and a processing circuitry. The light source is configured to emit a pulse having a first output value and a first frequency response. The detector is configured to detect a reflected wave of the pulse and convert the reflected wave to a first electric signal. The reflected wave of the pulse is received after the pulse is reflected by an object. The equalizer is configured to equalize the first electric signal using tap coefficients to generate a second electric signal. The tap coefficients are based on at least either one of the first output value and the first frequency response. The processing circuitry is configured to estimate a distance to the object based on the second electric signal.

Multi-Lens Lidar Receiver with Multiple Readout Channels

A lidar system comprising (1) a first lens having a first field of view (FOV) that receives incident light from the first FOV, (2) a second lens having a second FOV that receives incident light from the second FOV, wherein the second field of view is encompassed by and narrower than the first FOV, and (3) photodetector circuitry that senses incident light passed by the first and second lenses. The photodetector circuitry can include multiple channels of readout circuitry for reading out (1) a first return signal in a first of the channels for detecting a return from a laser pulse shot that targets a location in the second FOV, wherein the first return signal is based on incident light passed by the first lens, and (2) a second return signal in a second of the channels for detecting the return, wherein the second return signal is based on incident light passed by the second lens.