Mutual Interferences of a True-Random LiDAR With Other LiDAR Signals

We investigate characteristics and impacts of the mutual interference to a LiDAR using an analog true-random signal, for autonomous vehicle applications. Various LiDAR signals with a continuous-wave, a pulse light from a directly modulated laser, and a frequency-modulated continuous-wave light, were generated as the mutual interference signals. The signal patterns of the interference signal formats at the receiver of the victim LiDAR were characterized by measurement results. There exist two major impacts of the mutual interference, causing a false alarm that induces ghost targets and/or images in 3-D scanning LiDARs, and reducing the SNR that degrades detection probability of an echo signal. For quantitative analysis, we estimate the cross-correlation related to the two influences. From the results, it is confirmed that the proposed LiDAR using the random signal has the mutual interference immunity regardless of the signal formats of the interference.