Patent · US Active

Apparatus and method for measuring the distance and/or intensity characteristics of objects

US9182492B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
7References
20Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateJul 29, 2011
Grant dateNov 10, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 30, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S17/34
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring intensity and/or range characteristics of an object(s), comprising: a signal source to emit modulation signals at a frequency(s); an illuminator to illuminate the object(s) by a first modulation signal; a sensor comprising a pixel(s), wherein the sensor creates a sampled correlated signal by sampling the correlation of a backscattered signal with a second modulation signal within the pixel; and a processor to determine range/intensity characteristics of component returns within the pixel(s) by comparing sampled correlated signals using measurements(s), wherein the measurement(s) comprise first and second modulation signals having a characteristic(s) selected from: (a) two or more different modulation frequencies, (b) a different modulation frequency(s) and an offset of the correlation waveform, and (c) another different modulation frequency(s) and one selected from: the zeroth spatial frequency of the signal returns versus range and an approximation of the zeroth spatial frequency of the signal returns versus range.

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