Patent · US Expired

Modulated laser light detector with discrete fourier transform algorithm

US7323673B1 · kind B1 · utility

17Cited by
49References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 28, 2006
Grant dateJan 29, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 28, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J1/44
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A modulated laser light detector that converts laser light energy into electrical signals which exhibit a frequency that is substantially the same as the laser light modulation frequency, in which these signals allow the detector unit to determine a position where the laser light is impacting upon a photodiode array. A superheterodyne receiver circuit is used to provide high gain at an improved signal-to-noise ratio to improve the range at which the modulated laser light signal can be reliably detected. Various types of signal detection circuits are available. Various processing algorithms are disclosed, including a Discrete Fourier Transform with a simplified computational algorithm for use with a low-power processor device.

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