Fiber optic laser detection and ranging system
US6163372A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 9, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 19, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 9, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/89
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
One aspect of the invention relates to a laser ranging system. In one embodiment, the invention includes: a laser adapted to transmit a beam of laser radiation to a target area; a plurality of apertures for receiving reflected laser radiation from the target area, wherein each aperture is coupled to a start tank circuit by a start optical fiber, and wherein the start optical fibers are substantially the same length for each aperture in the plurality; an oscillator; a receive phase comparator circuit that determines the phase difference between the output signals from the start tank circuit and the oscillator; a transmitter tank circuit that generates an output signal responsive to the transmission of the laser radiation; a transmit phase comparator circuit that determines the phase difference between the output signals from the transmitter tank circuit and the oscillator; a pulse counter circuit that counts the number of pulses generated by the oscillator between transmission of the laser beam and the receipt of the signal from the start tank circuit; and a distance measuring circuit that calculates the distance from laser ranging system to the target based upon the number of pulse…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.