Dynamic laser emission control in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems

A system for controlling an emission of laser beams using a plurality of scanning patterns by an optical sensing device, wherein the plurality of scanning patterns interleavingly cover a field of view of the optical sensing device, the system comprising:

• a controller, configured to:
• detect an object within a functional distance range from the optical sensing device based on a reflected first laser beam received by the optical sensing device, wherein the first laser beam is emitted towards a first scanning point in a first scanning pattern, wherein the first scanning pattern includes a plurality of scanning points in addition to the first scanning point;
• determine an aperture extending from the first scanning point in the first scanning pattern, wherein the aperture includes the plurality of scanning points of the first scanning pattern and a second scanning point in a second scanning pattern;
• determine a sub-aperture within the aperture, wherein the sub-aperture includes the second scanning point and has a length that is smaller than a length of the aperture in a lateral scanning direction and a width that is smaller than a width of the aperture in the vertical scanning direction;
• control the optical sensing device to emit a second laser beam towards the second scanning point in the second scanning pattern and skip the plurality of scanning points of the first scanning pattern between the first scanning point and the second scanning point in the aperture;
• detect whether the object is within the functional distance range from the optical sensing device based on a reflected second laser beam received by the optical sensing device;
• and
• control the optical sensing device to emit a third laser beam towards a third scanning point in the second scanning pattern in the sub-aperture when the controller detects that the object is not within the functional distance range from the optical sensing device based on the reflected second laser beam reflected by the optical sensing device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for controlling an emission of laser beams using a plurality of scanning patterns by an optical sensing device, wherein the plurality of scanning patterns interleavingly cover a field of view of the optical sensing device, the method comprising:

• detecting an object within a functional distance range from the optical sensing device based on a reflected first laser beam received by the optical sensing device, wherein the first laser beam is emitted towards a first scanning point in a first scanning pattern and the first scanning pattern includes a plurality of scanning points in addition to the first scanning point;
• determining an aperture extending from the first scanning point in the first scanning pattern, wherein the aperture includes the plurality of scanning points of the first scanning pattern and a second scanning point in a second scanning pattern;
• determining a sub-aperture within the aperture, wherein the sub-aperture includes the second scanning point and has a length that is smaller than a length of the aperture in a lateral scanning direction and a width that is smaller than a width of the aperture in the vertical scanning direction
• controlling the optical sensing device to emit a second laser beam towards the second scanning point in the second scanning pattern and skip the plurality of scanning points of the first scanning pattern between the first scanning point and the second scanning point in the aperture;
• detecting whether the object is within the functional distance range from the optical sensing device based on a reflected second laser beam received by the optical sensing device;
• and
• controlling the optical sensing device to emit a third laser beam towards a third scanning point in the second scanning pattern in the sub-aperture when the controller detects that the object is not within the functional distance range from the optical sensing device based on the reflected second laser beam reflected by the optical sensing device.