Light-integrating rangefinding device and method
US7554652B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 29, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jun 30, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 29, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/18
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A rangefinding device and a method for determining the range of an object from a rangefinding device are provided. A train of light pulses each having an emission time and a pulse duration is generated. The pulse duration is set to twice the round-trip time to a maximum range of the device. The light pulses are reflected back toward the device by the object and detected according to three time intervals, respectively determined by a background gate, a ranging gate and a pulse energy gate. The light energy received during each interval is integrated and the integrated light value corresponding to the ranging gate is normalized using the values from the other two intervals. The range of the object is determined from the normalized ranging measurement and calibration data.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.