Method and device for activating a SPAD-based LIDAR sensor and surroundings detection system

A device configured to activate a SPAD-based LIDAR sensor, including:

• a transmitting unit;
• a SPAD-based receiving unit;
• and
• an evaluation unit;
• wherein the transmitting unit is configured to generate a predefined transmission pulse pattern and to emit it into surroundings of the LIDAR sensor, the transmission pulse pattern being made up of a plurality of consecutive light pulses;
• wherein the receiving unit is configured to detect photons arriving in the LIDAR sensor within a predefined detection time period after the emission of a respective light pulse of the consecutive light pulses;
• wherein the evaluation unit is configured to:
• generate histograms which represent a frequency of detected photons with respect to respective reception points in time, each histogram referring to the respective detection time period, and to a respective macropixel of the receiving unit of the LIDAR sensor;
• ascertain a histogram evaluation window, based on which those of the histograms corresponding to the transmission pulse pattern are selected from a chronological sequence of histograms which, during an allocation of the selected histograms to a total histogram, meet predefined criteria for the total histogram;
• and
• provide the total histogram for generating a 3D point cloud representing the surroundings of the LIDAR sensor;
• and
• wherein the transmission pulse pattern:
• has a variation of at least one parameter defining the light pulses, and
• is essentially completely emitted within the same solid angle of the surroundings of the LIDAR sensor which is to be scanned by the LIDAR sensor.

A surroundings detection system, comprising:

• a device configured to activate a SPAD-based LIDAR sensor, including:
• a transmitting unit;
• a SPAD-based receiving unit;
• and
• an evaluation unit;
• wherein the transmitting unit is configured to generate a predefined transmission pulse pattern and to emit it into surroundings of the LIDAR sensor, the transmission pulse pattern being made up of a plurality of consecutive light pulses;
• wherein the receiving unit is configured to detect photons arriving in the LIDAR sensor within a predefined detection time period after the emission of a respective light pulse of the consecutive light pulses;
• wherein the evaluation unit is configured to:
• generate histograms which represent a frequency of detected photons with respect to respective reception points in time, each histogram referring to the respective detection time period, and to a respective macropixel of the receiving unit of the LIDAR sensor;
• ascertain a histogram evaluation window, based on which those of the histograms corresponding to the transmission pulse pattern are selected from a chronological sequence of histograms which, during an allocation of the selected histograms to a total histogram, meet predefined criteria for the total histogram;
• and
• provide the total histogram for generating a 3D point cloud representing the surroundings of the LIDAR sensor;
• and
• wherein the transmission pulse pattern:
• has a variation of at least one parameter defining the light pulses, and
• is essentially completely emitted within the same solid angle of the surroundings of the LIDAR sensor which is to be scanned by the LIDAR sensor;
• and
• a processing unit configured to:
• receive information representing total histograms from the device, and
• ascertain a 3D point cloud representing surroundings based on the total histograms.