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Laser radar

  • US 5,715,044 A
  • Filed: 02/22/1989
  • Issued: 02/03/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A laser radar for scanning a target aperture having a predetermined array of locations comprising:

  • a laser means having a power source and a resonator cavity containing a lasing medium, said laser means providing a SINGLE FREQUENCY LIGHT SOURCE (FO);

    means for dividing said SINGLE FREQUENCY LIGHT SOURCE into FIRST and SECOND REFERENCE FREQUENCY BEAMS;

    control means for providing APERTURE DIRECTION SIGNALS and a FIRST and SECOND FREQUENCY CONTROL SIGNAL;

    frequency shifting means responsive to said FIRST and SECOND FREQUENCY CONTROL SIGNAL for frequency shifting said FIRST REFERENCE FREQUENCY BEAM and said SECOND REFERENCE FREQUENCY BEAM to form a respective FIRST FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM and a respective SECOND FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM;

    scanner means responsive to said APERTURE DIRECTION SIGNALS for combining and directing said FIRST FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM and said SECOND FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM to each predetermined target aperture location and for receiving a combined REFLECTED FIRST FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM SIGNAL and a REFLECTED SECOND FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM SIGNAL from said target;

    detector means for combining and detecting a sample of said SECOND REFERENCE FREQUENCY BEAM in combination with said REFLECTED FIRST FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM SIGNAL and said REFLECTED SECOND FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM SIGNAL to provide a RANGE CARRIER SIGNAL;

    monitor means for combining and detecting a sample of said FIRST FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM and said SECOND FREQUENCY SHIFTED BEAM to form a DEMODULATION REFERENCE SIGNAL;

    phase demodulation means referenced to said DEMODULATION REFERENCE SIGNAL and responsive to said RANGE CARRIER SIGNAL for demodulating said RANGE CARRIER SIGNAL to provide a RELATIVE RANGE SIGNAL; and

    signal processor and display means responsive to said RELATIVE RANGE SIGNAL and to the APERTURE DIRECTION SIGNALS for quantizing and storing the digital value of the amplitude of the corresponding relative phase delay between the RELATIVE RANGE SIGNAL and said DEMODULATION REFERENCE SIGNAL for each respective location in said target aperture.

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