The present disclosure relates to a collaborative phase-shift laser ranging device based on differential modulation and demodulation of coarse and precise measuring wavelength and a ranging method thereof. A collaboration terminal is disposed at a target to be measured of a phase-shift laser ranging system, which can improve the intensity of measurement light and then irradiate the same back to a measuring terminal, thereby resolving the problem of low ranging accuracy caused by the attenuation of light intensity during long-distance ranging. The collaboration terminal detects coarseness gauge signals and modulates a laser source by means of differential modulation; the collaboration terminal detects precision gauge signals by means of difference frequency demodulation, and then the intensity of measurement light is improved by mixing and restoring the precision gauge signals and modulating the collaboration-terminal laser source.

A frequency modulation continuous wave (FMCW)-based system configured to convert measurements of a linearly modulated wave from a time-domain into a frequency-domain to produce a non-linear frequency signal, where the non-linear frequency signal comprises a known linear component representing the desired linear modulation and an unknown non-linear component representing the non-linearity of the modulation. The FMCW-based system is further configured to determine coefficients of a basis function approximating a difference between the non-linear frequency signal and the linear frequency component in the frequency domain. The FMCW-based system is further configured to detect one or multiple spectrum peaks in the distorted beat signal with the distortion compensated according to the basis function with the determined coefficients to determine one or multiple distances to the one or multiple objects in the scene.

A frequency modulation continuous wave (FMCW)-based system configured to convert measurements of a linearly modulated wave from a time-domain into a frequency-domain to produce a non-linear frequency signal, where the non-linear frequency signal comprises a known linear component representing the desired linear modulation and an unknown non-linear component representing the non-linearity of the modulation. The FMCW-based system is further configured to determine coefficients of a basis function approximating a difference between the non-linear frequency signal and the linear frequency component in the frequency domain. The FMCW-based system is further configured to detect one or multiple spectrum peaks in the distorted beat signal with the distortion compensated according to the basis function with the determined coefficients to determine one or multiple distances to the one or multiple objects in the scene.

A vehicle, Lidar system and method of detecting an object is disclosed. The Lidar system includes a photonic chip having a laser, an on-chip frequency shifter, a combiner and a first set of photodetectors. The laser generates a transmitted light beam and an associated local oscillator beam within the photonic chip. The on-chip frequency shifter shifts a frequency of the local oscillator beam. The combiner combines a reflected light beam with the frequency-shifted local oscillator beam, wherein the reflected light beam is a reflection of the transmitted light beam from the object to generate a first electronic signal at the first set of photodetectors. A processor obtains a first measurement of a parameter of the object from the first electronic signal. The vehicle includes a navigation system for navigating the vehicle with respect to the object using at least the first measurement of the parameter.

An optoelectronic sensor for determining the distance of an object in a monitoring area has a light transmitter for transmitting transmitted light, a light receiver for generating a received signal from remitted light remitted by the object, and a control and evaluation unit configured to modulate the transmitted light with at least a first frequency and a second frequency, to determine a phase offset between transmitted light and remitted light for the first frequency and the second frequency, and to determine a light time of flight. The control and evaluation unit is configured to determine a first amplitude and a second amplitude for the first frequency and the second frequency from the received signal and to detect whether the transmitted light impinges on an edge in the monitoring area on the basis of an evaluation of the first amplitude and the second amplitude.

An optoelectronic sensor for determining the distance of an object in a monitoring area has a light transmitter for transmitting transmitted light, a light receiver for generating a received signal from remitted light remitted by the object, and a control and evaluation unit configured to modulate the transmitted light with at least a first frequency and a second frequency, to determine a phase offset between transmitted light and remitted light for the first frequency and the second frequency, and to determine a light time of flight. The control and evaluation unit is configured to determine a first amplitude and a second amplitude for the first frequency and the second frequency from the received signal and to detect whether the transmitted light impinges on an edge in the monitoring area on the basis of an evaluation of the first amplitude and the second amplitude.

In N-phase correlations vector synthesis time-of-flight (ToF) ranging employing N correlators, the correlation time at each signal cycle is reduced to mitigate pixel saturation by sun light or strong reflected light as well as to minimize the influence of external noise. Typically, the correlation time, during which the received signal is correlated with the transmitting signal, is set to be one full cycle in each transmitting signal period. In this invention, reducing the correlation time to $\frac{1}{N},\frac{1}{2N},\mathrm{or}\frac{1}{kN}$
of a full cycle period in each transmitting signal period is disclosed, where k is a real number greater than 1, but k is not 2. Depending on the intensity of the ambient light, the correlation time is flexibly and optimally selected. Multiple fractional correlations produced by a reduced correlation time are integrated over multiple signal periods to obtain more reliable signals of the correlation vectors.

In N-phase correlations vector synthesis time-of-flight (ToF) ranging employing N correlators, the correlation time at each signal cycle is reduced to mitigate pixel saturation by sun light or strong reflected light as well as to minimize the influence of external noise. Typically, the correlation time, during which the received signal is correlated with the transmitting signal, is set to be one full cycle in each transmitting signal period. In this invention, reducing the correlation time to $\frac{1}{N},\frac{1}{2N},\mathrm{or}\frac{1}{kN}$
of a full cycle period in each transmitting signal period is disclosed, where k is a real number greater than 1, but k is not 2. Depending on the intensity of the ambient light, the correlation time is flexibly and optimally selected. Multiple fractional correlations produced by a reduced correlation time are integrated over multiple signal periods to obtain more reliable signals of the correlation vectors.

An electro-optical distance meter comprises a light source for emitting a distance measuring light, a distance measuring optical system for leading a distance measuring light to a photodetector, an internal reference optical system for leading a part of the distance measuring light as an internal reference light to the photodetector, and an arithmetic processing unit for performing a distance measurement based on light receiving results of the distance measuring light and the internal reference light, wherein the internal reference optical system comprises a condenser lens, a scattering plate for scattering the internal reference light and for forming a secondary light source, and an optical fiber for leading the internal reference light to the photodetector and the internal reference optical system is constituted in such a manner that a light component of the internal reference light emitted from an arbitrary point within a whole surface of the secondary light source enters the optical fiber.

The disclosure relates to a demodulator including a pinned photodiode; at least one storage node; at least one transfer gate connected between the storage node and the pinned photodiode. The pinned photodiode includes a p-doped epitaxial semiconductor layer; a n-doped semiconductor region formed within the epitaxial semiconductor layer; a p+ pinning layer formed on top of said semiconductor region. The pinning layer is split into at least two separate regions spaced apart by electrical insulating element, each region being arranged for being biased independently by a respective biasing signal for creating a gradient of potential within the semiconductor region.