Selective illumination in LIDAR based on detection results

A method for detecting objects using a LIDAR system, the method comprising:

• controlling at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux to vary over a scan of a field of view using light from the at least one light source;
• controlling at least one light deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source in order to scan the field of view;
• using first detected reflections associated with a scan of a first portion of the field of view to determine an existence of a first object in the first portion at a first distance;
• determining an absence of objects in a second portion of the field of view at the first distance;
• following the detection of the first reflections and the determination of the absence of objects in the second portion, altering a light source parameter such that more light is projected toward the second portion of the field of view than is projected toward the first portion of the field of view;
• and
• using second detected reflections in the second portion of the field of view determine an existence of a second object at a second distance greater than the first distance.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for detecting objects using a LIDAR system, the method comprising:

• controlling at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux to vary over a scan of a field of view using light from the at least one light source;
• controlling at least one light deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source in order to scan the field of view;
• using first detected reflections associated with a scan of a first portion of the field of view to determine an existence of a first object in the first portion at a first distance;
• determining an absence of objects in a second portion of the field of view at the first distance;
• following the detection of the first reflections and the determination of the absence of objects in the second portion, altering a light source parameter such that more light is projected toward the second portion of the field of view than is projected toward the first portion of the field of view;
• and
• using second detected reflections in the second portion of the field of view determine an existence of a second object at a second distance greater than the first distance.