| CPC G01S 17/06 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4808 (2013.01); G01S 7/4811 (2013.01); G01S 17/58 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system, comprising:
one or more light splitters and multiple light combiners; and
the LIDAR system having multiple optical pathways through which light signals can travel, the optical pathways including multiple delay pathways that each extends from a first one of the one or more splitters to a different one of the light combiners; and
the optical pathways including expedited pathways that each extends from the first one of the one or more splitters to a different one of the light combiners,
the expedited pathways separating from the delay pathways at the first one of the one or more splitters,
the expedited pathways and the delay pathways do not extend outside of the LIDAR system,
each of the light combiners having one of the delay pathways and one of the expedited pathways extending to the light combiner,
the delay pathways and the expedited pathways being configured such that the delay pathway to each one of the light combiners is longer than the expedited pathway to the same light combiner, and
each of the delay pathways having a common portion and a separated portion, the common portion of the delay pathways being shared by each of the delay pathways and the separated portions of each delay pathway being separate from the other delay pathways.
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