Processing techniques for lidar receiver using spatial light modulators

A method, comprising:

• receiving light reflected from a field of view at a spatial light modulator that includes a two-dimensional array of picture elements;
• determining a portion of the two-dimensional array that corresponds to a region of interest, in response to a transmit scan beam illuminating a part of the field of view;
• dividing the portion of the two-dimensional array into subportions;
• and
• for each subportion separately from the other subportions, directing light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the subportion to at least one photodiode, and directing light that impacts the two-dimensional array outside the subportion away from the at least one photodiode, so the light directed to the at least one photodiode over a period of time is eventually inclusive of light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the portion in response to the transmit scan beam reflected from the part of the field of view.

A method, comprising:

• receiving reflected light from a field of view on a spatial light modulator;
• determining a first portion of the spatial light modulator that corresponds to a first region of interest, in response to a first transmit scan beam illuminating the field of view;
• determining a second portion of the spatial light modulator that corresponds to a second region of interest, in response to a second transmit scan beam illuminating the field of view;
• directing light from the first portion and the second portion to at least one photodiode;
• and
• directing light outside the first portion and outside the second portion away from the at least one photodiode.

A system, comprising:

• a LIDAR transmitter configured to scan a field of view with a laser beam using a transmit pattern;
• and
• a LIDAR receiver configured to scan the field of view in a pattern corresponding to the transmit pattern, the LIDAR receiver including a spatial light modulator configured to:
• direct received light reflected from a region of interest in the field of view to a photodiode;
• and direct received light reflected from outside the region of interest away from the photodiode.