US Patent 11953604 LIDAR device and method for calculating distance to object

A LIDAR device for measuring a distance to an object in a scanning zone includes a light source, a light receiver, a rotatable mirror, a motor, an angle sensor, and a controller. The rotatable mirror is configured to reflect the light beam emitted from the light source toward the scanning zone. The motor is configured to rotate the mirror back and forth between a first position and a second position. The angle sensor is configured to detect a rotation angle of the mirror and to output a detection signal indicative of the rotation angle of the mirror at a plurality of predetermined angle intervals during each rotation cycle between the first position and the second position of the mirror. The controller is configured to output a control signal to the light source to emit a light beam upon receiving the detection signal from the angle sensor.