Hybrid LIDAR with Optically Enhanced Scanned Laser

A laser radar (LIDAR) system for an autonomous vehicle, said LIDAR system comprising:

• a laser configured to emit a beam of light at a wavelength;
• an optical transmission system configured to shape the beam of light emitted by said laser, and to scan said beam along a plurality of transmission light paths toward a target;
• an optical reception system configured to collect said laser light reflected from the target along a plurality of reception light paths;
• an electronic control system configured to synchronize said scan of said beam with a respective time-of-arrival measurement;
• wherein said optical reception system comprises:
• a one-dimensional sensor array, each said sensor of said one-dimensional sensor array being sensitive to said wavelength of light emitted by said laser, and configured to detect and image said laser light reflected from the target;
• wherein each said sensor of said one-dimensional sensor comprises:
• an array of sub-pixels, each said sub-pixel of said array of sub-pixels configured to receive said laser light reflected from the target;
• wherein each said sensor of said one-dimensional sensor comprises:
• one readout channel per sensor, each said readout channel comprising:
• timing circuitry configured to determine the time-of-flight of said beam from said emission from said laser to said reception of said laser light reflected from the target;
• a field effect transistor (FET);
• wherein each of said sub-pixels within each said sensor is connected to said readout channel through said FET;
• wherein two of said subpixels of each said sensor being adjacent, and being determined to receive laser light reflected from the target, are configured to each output a signal;
• wherein a sum of each signal output by the two adjacent sub-pixels is received by said electronic control system from said readout channel of said sensor;
• and
• wherein said electronic control system is thereby configured to perform a time-of-arrival measurement and determine a range of the target.