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LADAR SENSOR FOR LANDING, DOCKING AND APPROACH

  • US 20120261516A1
  • Filed: 04/16/2012
  • Published: 10/18/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A ladar sensor, with an adaptive controller with at least one control output, which adapts the optoelectronic conversion gain of a detector array of light detecting pixels, said ladar sensor further comprising;

  • a detector array bias voltage control circuit which varies the bias voltage supplied to said detector array in response to said at least one control output of said adaptive controller,a pulsed laser transmitter with an optical axis and pulsed laser light output and transmitting optics for illuminating a scene in the field of view with a pattern of light intensity,a system controller for initiating the pulsing of said pulsed laser transmitter.receive optics boresighted along said optical axis for collecting and conditioning an optical signal consisting of pulsed laser light reflected from said scene in the field of view,a detector array comprised of a plurality of light detecting pixels, said detector array disposed to intercept said collected and conditioned optical signal from said receive optics, and each of said light detecting pixels in said detector array intercepting a pixellated portion of aforesaid optical signal consisting of pulsed laser light reflected from said scene in the field of view, and each light detecting pixel with an electrical output producing an electrical output signal with an associated optoelectronic conversion gain,a plurality of unit cell electrical circuits disposed on a readout integrated circuit, and each unit cell electrical circuit with an input connected to one of said electrical outputs of said plurality of light detecting pixels, and each unit cell electrical circuit with an output,a plurality of unit cell timing circuits, each of the said plurality of unit cell timing circuits connected to an output of a said unit cell electrical circuit, and each of said unit cell timing circuits having an output, and each unit cell timing circuit initiated by a master start signal indicating the start of a laser light pulse emanating from said pulsed laser transmitter,a unit cell timing circuit termination signal which stops the counting of at least one of the said unit cell timing circuits,and, a readout circuit for reading out the outputs of said unit cell electrical circuits and unit cell timing circuits.

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