Patent · US Expired

Spectrally dispersive imaging lidar system

US5257085A · kind A · utility

68Cited by
12References
59Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 24, 1991
Grant dateOct 26, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 24, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/655
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An imaging UV/visible fluorosensing and Raman lidar system comprises an optical sensor for simultaneously measuring temporally, spatially and spectrally resolved laser backscatter from on the land, on or beneath the surface of bodies of water and in the atmosphere. The present invention utilizes "active" interrogation or "passive" interrogation for remotely and non destructively probing the spectrally-dependent optical properties of a scene. In the "active" mode, the optical sensor of this invention comprises a transmitter (preferably a tunable solid state laser) which emits pulses of coherent light through a variable or adjustable field-of-view telescope whereupon the light pulses are then propagated towards a scene (e.g., land, sea or atmosphere). Thereafter, laser backscatter is collected by a second variable field-of-view telescope and directed to an imaging system and spectrally dispersive optical subsystem.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.