US Patent 11650316 Fast frequency modulation lidar system through sub-sweep sampling

A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) core is provided that transmits optical beams, and detects return optical beams. The transmitted optical beams are antiphase chirps that sweep a frequency band, and the sweep of the antiphase chirps includes multiple sub-sweeps over respective sub-bands of the frequency band. The system routes the transmitted optical beams that are launched towards a target, and receives light incident upon the target into the return optical beams. The system simultaneously measures and thereby produces multiple simultaneous measurements of first and second beat frequencies per sweep of the antiphase chirps, from the transmitted and returned optical beams, and includes a simultaneous measurement of the first and second beat frequencies per sub-sweep of the multiple sub-sweeps. And the system determines a range and velocity of the target from the multiple simultaneous measurements of the first and second beat frequencies per sweep of the antiphase chirps.