US Patent 10281582 Adaptive lidar illumination techniques based on intermediate detection results

A LIDAR system is provided. The LIDAR system comprises at least one processor configured to: control at least one light source in a manner enabling light flux to vary over scans of a field of view using light from the at least one light source; control at least one light deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source; receive from at least one sensor, reflections signals indicative of light reflected from objects in the field of view; determine, based on the reflections signals of an initial light emission, whether an object is located in an immediate area of the LIDAR system and within a threshold distance from the at least one light deflector, and when no object is detected in the immediate area, control the at least one light source such that an additional light emission is projected toward the immediate area.