Method and system for automatic real-time adaptive scanning with optical ranging systems

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising:

• a laser source configured to generate an optical signal;
• a modulator configured to modulate at least one of a frequency or a phase of the optical signal;
• one or more scanning optics configured to transmit the modulated optical signal;
• and
• a processing circuit configured to:
• operate the one or more scanning optics to obtain a plurality of first range measurements in a field of view of the one or more scanning optics using a first angular resolution;
• assign a second angular resolution to a particular range gate of a plurality of range gates using one or more first range measurements corresponding to the particular range gate of the plurality of range gates and a target spatial resolution for the particular range gate;
• dilate a minimum angle and a maximum angle assigned to the particular range gate of the plurality of range gates by decreasing the minimum angle and increasing the maximum angle;
• operate the one or more scanning optics, using the second angular resolution, the dilated minimum angle, and the dilated maximum angle assigned to the particular range gate of the plurality of range gates, to obtain a plurality of second range measurements;
• and
• control an autonomous vehicle using the plurality of second range measurements.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

• control a scanning laser ranging system, using a first angular resolution, to obtain a plurality of first range measurements in a field of view of the scanning laser ranging system;
• assign a second angular resolution to a particular range gate of a plurality of range gates using one or more first range measurements corresponding to the particular range gate of the plurality of range gates and a target spatial resolution for the particular range gate;
• dilate a minimum angle and a maximum angle assigned to the particular range gate of the plurality of range gates by decreasing the minimum angle and increasing the maximum angle;
• operate the scanning laser ranging system, using the second angular resolution, the dilated minimum angle, and the dilated maximum angle assigned to the particular range gate of the plurality of range gates, to obtain a plurality of second range measurements;
• and
• control an autonomous vehicle using the plurality of second range measurements.