A sensor system includes an optical aperture, a light source configured to generate a light pulse along a first optical path, a reflective surface configured to reflect the light pulse from the first optical path to a second optical path for passing through the optical aperture, a beam steering device positioned in the optical aperture and configured to steer the light pulse along different directions to one or more objects in an angle of view of the sensor system, a detector configured to receive a reflected light pulse and convert the reflected light pulse into an electrical signal, the reflected light pulse being reflected back from the one or more objects and passed through the beam steer device, and a spatial filtering device positioned between the beam steering device and the detector to block undesirable light in both the light pulse and the reflected light pulse.

A self-calibrating driver circuit (100, 300, 400, 500, 700) for a laser diode is disclosed. The circuit comprises a configurable current source (105, 305, 405, 505), a current mirror (115, 315, 415) configured to mirror a current from the configurable current source to a first transistor (120, 320, 420, 520, 720) and to a second transistor (125, 325, 425, 725), and a control circuit (140, 340, 440). The control circuit is configured to monitor a current through the first transistor at a first time, and to configure the current source based on the current through the first transistor to provide a desired current to the second transistor for driving the laser diode at a subsequent second time. A radiation-emitting device comprising one or more of the self-calibrating driver circuits and at least one radiation-emitting element is also disclosed.

A control device for controlling a temperature of a laser device includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generator, a temperature acquisition circuit, a voltage comparator, and a logic circuit. The a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generator configured to generate a PWM signal; a temperature acquisition circuit configured to acquire a temperature of the laser device and convert the temperature into a measurement voltage; a voltage comparator configured to compare the acquired measurement voltage associated with the temperature of the laser device with a temperature threshold voltage and output a comparison result signal; and a logic circuit configured to generate a drive signal based on the PWM signal and the comparison result signal to drive the laser device.

An optical scanning device includes a laser light emitter in which an excess of a current over a bias current is increased or decreased in proportion to an analog signal input thereto, a laser driver to drive the laser light emitter, an optical scanner to scan a surface of an object with laser light emitted from the laser light emitter, an offset value determiner to determine an offset value of the analog signal input to the laser light emitter based on a target light quantity of the laser light emitter, and a laser driver controller to control a quantity of light emitted from the laser light emitter by inputting a signal on the basis of a signal of the determined offset value to the laser driver.

A laser module comprises a plurality of laser submodules with a respective plurality of lasers. Each laser submodule has a driver IC. Each driver IC controls several lasers. The driver ICs of the laser module can use the received signals of photodetectors to homogenize and readjust the real emission amplitude of the laser pulses for all lasers of the laser module and regulate the emission point in time of the respective real laser pulses to a synchronization signal. The driver IC can detect a failure of a laser by the photodetector belonging to it and output an error signal. The lasers directly coupled with the photodetectors in a compact design.

Time-of-flight (ToF) systems which use pulsed laser diodes, are required to measure distances with high level of precision and control. The present disclosure provides a method and a corresponding system for controlling a temporal response of a laser diode, in particular pulsed laser diodes. In particular, the present disclosure provides a method and a related system for driving a laser diode so as to obtain predominantly a peak pulse response while minimising or completely avoiding the post-peak response in a temporal response of the laser diode.

Systems and methods described herein are directed to optical light sources, such as an external cavity laser (ECL) with an active phase shifter. The system may include control circuity for controlling one or more parameters associated with the active phase shifter. The phase shifter may be a p-i-n phase shifter. The control circuitry may cause variation in a refractive index associated with the phase shifter, thereby varying a lasing frequency of the ECL. The ECL may be configured to operate as a light source for a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system based on generating frequency modulated light signals. In some embodiments, the ECL may generate an output LIDAR signal with alternating segments of increasing and decreasing chirp frequencies. The ECL may exhibit increased stability and improved chirp linearities with less dependence on ambient temperature fluctuations.

A laser driving apparatus includes a driver, a tracking circuit, a comparator and a control circuit. The driver includes a laser driving circuit, and the tracking circuit includes a reference current source and a replica circuit. The laser driving circuit generates a driving current to drive a laser. The reference current source generates a reference current as a reference for the laser driving apparatus. The replica circuit corresponds to at least a portion of the laser driving circuit, generates a sensing current according to the reference current and track the driving current. The comparator compares voltages respectively on the laser driving circuit and the replica circuit to generate a comparison signal. The control circuit adjusts the sensing current or the driving current according to the comparison signal. The laser driving apparatus can include multiple channels with multiple drivers.

A light-emitting device includes: a wiring substrate; a base member that is mounted on the wiring substrate; a light source that is mounted on the base member; a drive unit that is mounted on the wiring substrate and drives the light source; a wiring pattern that is on the wiring substrate, is connected to the light source and extends from a back surface side of the base member toward the drive unit; and a circuit element that is provided in a region on the base member between the light source and the drive unit, the region overlapping the wiring pattern in a plan view.

A light-emission device includes: a first light emitting element chip; a second light emitting element chip having a light output higher than a light output of the first light emitting element chip, the second light emitting element chip being configured to be driven independently from the first light emitting element chip and arranged side by side with the first light emitting element chip; and a light diffusion member including a first region provided on an emission path of the first light emitting element chip and a second region provided on an emission path of the second light emitting element chip, and having a diffusion angle at the second region larger than a diffusion angle at the first region.