Techniques for detecting and mitigating interference among multiple LiDAR sensors

A method of operating a LiDAR system, the method comprising:

• emitting, using an array of light sources, a train of light pulses directed toward a scene within a field of view of the LiDAR system;
• detecting, using an array of detectors, a return light pulse during a first time window, wherein the array of detectors is arranged to have a detection time window and an idle time window between pulses of the train of light pulses, and the first time window is during the detection time window;
• determining a time of flight for the return light pulse, thereby obtaining a first point of a point cloud;
• detecting, using the array of detectors and in a second time window, a second light pulse wherein the second time window is during the idle time window of the array of detectors, so that a LiDAR sensor of the LiDAR system can detect interfering laser pulses using a detector that would otherwise be idle at a given time;
• labeling a signal of the second light pulse as a suspicious signal due to interference based on the second light pulse being detected during the idle time window of the LiDAR sensor;
• determining timings of suspicious signals, using data from the array of detectors during idle time windows;
• and
• controlling the array of light sources to emit the train of light pulses so that the train of light pulses is temporally synchronized with the suspicious signals, thereby mitigating interference.