Polarization Sensitive LiDAR System

A system for differentiating a ghost from a real object in sensor data, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory containing programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to:
• receive data collected by a light detector unit,
• analyze, in the data, characteristics of beams of reflected light received by the light detector unit, wherein:
• the beams reflected light correspond to beams of emitted light directed toward an object;
• the beams of reflected light exhibit varying intensities;
• and
• the beams of emitted light exhibited varying polarizations,
• identify a reflection position that is associated with the reflected light,
• use characteristic differences between a polarization pattern of the beams of emitted light and an intensity pattern of the beams of reflected light to assess whether the reflection position is a position of the object or a position of a ghost, and
• in response to the polarization pattern of the beams of emitted light substantially corresponding to the intensity pattern of the beams of reflected light, determine that the reflection position is a position of a ghost.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing programming instructions that, when executed by a processor associated with a sensor system, cause the processor to:

• analyze characteristics of beams of reflected light received by the sensor system;
• identify a reflection position that is associated with the reflected light;
• generate characteristic differences between a polarization pattern of beams of emitted light emitted by the sensor system and an intensity pattern of the beams of reflected light;
• and
• determine that the reflection position is a position of a ghost in response to the polarization pattern of the beams of emitted light substantially corresponding to the intensity pattern of the beams of reflected light.