Compact economical lidar system
US7830442B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 29, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 9, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 19, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S7/4865
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A lidar pulse is time resolved in ways that avoid costly, fragile, bulky, high-voltage vacuum devices—and also costly, awkward optical remappers or pushbroom layouts—to provide preferably 3D volumetric imaging from a single pulse, or full-3D volumetric movies. Delay lines or programmed circuits generate time-resolution sweep signals, ideally digital. Preferably, discrete 2D photodiode and transimpedance-amplifier arrays replace a continuous 1D streak-tube cathode. For each pixel a memory-element array forms range bins. An intermediate optical buffer with low, well-controlled capacitance avoids corruption of input signal by these memories.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.