Techniques for tunable beam focus compensation for multiple beam LIDAR systems

A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of tunable lenses, each tunable lens disposed adjacent a respective one of a plurality of first lenses such that the respective one of the plurality of first lenses is between the tunable lens and a beam collimator;
• transmitting, by a plurality of optical sources, a plurality of optical beam, each of the plurality of optical beams to pass through one of the plurality of tunable lenses and one of the plurality of first lenses towards the beam collimator and transmitted towards a target;
• controlling at least one of the plurality of tunable lenses to adjust a focal length of the tunable lens to compensate for a variation in focus positions of the plurality of first lenses;
• and
• adjusting, by a controller of the LIDAR system, the one or more of the plurality of tunable lenses based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) determined from a return beam from the target corresponding to one of the plurality of optical beams.

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

• a tunable lens;
• a first lens adjacent to the tunable lens;
• an optical source to generate an optical beam to pass through the tunable lens and the first lens towards a target of the LIDAR system;
• an optical receiver to receive a return beam from the target corresponding to the optical beam;
• signal processing circuitry to determine at least one of a range or velocity of the target based on the return beam;
• and
• a controller to selectively apply an electrical signal to the tunable lens to adjust a focal length of the tunable lens, wherein the controller is further to adjust the tunable lens based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that is determined from the return beam.