Method for measuring the propagation time of light

US8643827B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Mechaless Systems GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Gerd Reime · Finnentrop, DE
• Peter Langer · Munich, DE
• Bernd Mayer · Graz, AT

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 19, 2007
• Grant date: Feb 4, 2014
• Expiry date: Jul 1, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S17/89
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for measuring the transmit time of light, in particular for cameras. A first light signal is clocked by a first clock controller, input into a light system and reflected back to a receiver photodiode, which determines a reception signal as a result of the first light signal. A further light signal clocked by a further clock controller inputs the photodiode at an angle to the first light signal and is mixed at the photodiode with the first light signal to form a common reception signal, which is filtered with a filter whose frequency response corresponds to the frequency of the clock difference to form a filter signal, the first and further clock signals are also mixed in a mixer to form a mixed signal and the phase shift between the mixed signal and the filter signal is used to determine the transit time of light.