Fiber optic laser detection and ranging system
US7575190B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 4, 2005 |
| Grant date | Aug 18, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 10, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/42
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
One aspect of the invention relates to a laser ranging system. In this version of the invention, a guided missile is provided with laser that directs laser radiation in the general direction of a target that is subsequently reflected from the target back to the missile. A receiving lens is mounted on the missile that receives the reflected laser radiation. A ferrule containing optical fibers divided into a plurality of pixels that receive the reflected laser radiation from the receiving lens, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels is provided a different pointing angle by arranging the fibers within the pixel such that the centroid of the field of view of the fibers is different from the centroids of the field of views of the other fibers in the other pixels. A plurality of optical sensors coupled to the optical fibers, each optical sensor being dedicated to a separate pointing angle and adapted to generate an electrical signal whose amplitude is responsive to the amplitude of the reflected radiation for the pointing angle that the optical sensor is dedicated to.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.