Low cost range estimation techniques for saturation in lidar

A LiDAR receiver comprising:

• an optical receiver configured to receive a reflected LiDAR pulse;
• and
• circuitry coupled to the optical receiver and configured to use a predetermined threshold intensity value to:
• determine a time of a leading edge of the reflected pulse at a time when an intensity of the reflected LiDAR pulse crosses the predetermined threshold intensity value a first time;
• determine a time of a trailing edge of the reflected pulse at a time when an intensity of the reflected LiDAR pulse crosses the threshold intensity value a second time;
• and
• determine an estimated time of a peak intensity of the reflected LiDAR pulse using the time of the leading edge and the time of the trailing edge.

A method of determining a distance to an object, the method comprising:

• emitting an optical signal from an optical source toward the object, wherein the emitted optical signal comprises a peak intensity occurring at a first time, wherein the emitted optical signal is reflected from the object, whereby a reflected optical signal is generated;
• receiving the reflected optical signal at an optical detector;
• generating an electronic signal encoding the received reflected optical signal, wherein the electronic signal encodes a leading edge occurring at a second time and a trailing edge occurring at a third time;
• calculating an estimated time of a peak intensity of the electronic signal at a fourth time based at least in part on the second time and the third time;
• and
• determining the distance to the object based at least in part on a difference between the first time and the fourth time.