Multi-pulse, multi-return, modal range processing for clutter rejection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for determining the range of an object of interest, said system comprising:
- beam generating means for generating a plurality of successive beam pulses and for directing the beam pulses toward the object of interest;
beam detecting means for detecting a plurality of return beams reflected from objects illuminated by the beam pulses including the object of interest, said beam detecting means generating analog return signals indicative of the return beams; and
processing means for processing the analog return signals, said processing means including a count table defining a first series of range bins in which each range bin represents a range of distances from the system, wherein for each of the beam pulses the processing means adds a count to each range bin for which the analog return signal satisfies particular conditions within that bin and wherein the processing means selects a range bin with the most counts to be the range of the object of interest.
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Abstract
A laser rangefinding system (12) that utilizes multiple pulse, multiple return, modal range processing for clutter rejection. A laser source (16) emits a series of laser beam pulses (42), and each reflected return from objects (46) in a scene for each of the pulses is recorded. Each return signal above a predetermined threshold is added as a count to a count table within a selected bin representing the range of the return signal. After all of the analog return signals are recorded, the range bin with the most counts is selected as the range of a target.
55 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system for determining the range of an object of interest, said system comprising:
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beam generating means for generating a plurality of successive beam pulses and for directing the beam pulses toward the object of interest; beam detecting means for detecting a plurality of return beams reflected from objects illuminated by the beam pulses including the object of interest, said beam detecting means generating analog return signals indicative of the return beams; and processing means for processing the analog return signals, said processing means including a count table defining a first series of range bins in which each range bin represents a range of distances from the system, wherein for each of the beam pulses the processing means adds a count to each range bin for which the analog return signal satisfies particular conditions within that bin and wherein the processing means selects a range bin with the most counts to be the range of the object of interest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A laser rangefinder for determining the range of a target of interest, said rangefinder comprising:
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a laser beam source, said laser beam source operable to generate a plurality of successive laser beam pulses and to direct the laser beam pulses toward the object of interest; a photodetector, said photodetector responsive to return signals reflected from objects illuminated by the laser beam pulses including the object of interest, said photodetector operable to generate analog return signals indicative of the intensity of the return signals; and a processor, said processor being responsive to the analog return signals, said processor including a count table defining a first series of range bins in which each range bin represents a range of distances from the rangefinder, said processor accumulating counts over all of the laser beam pulses in each range bin in response to each analog return signal that represents a range defined by that bin that also satisfies particular conditions, wherein after the plurality of successive laser pulses, the processor selects the range of the range bin with the most counts to be the range of the target of interest. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of determining the range of an object of interest, said method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a plurality of successive beam pulses toward the object of interest; detecting a plurality of return signals reflected from objects illuminated by the beam pulses including the object of interest; generating analog return signals indicative of the return beams; providing a count table defining a first series of range bins in which each range bin represents a range of distances from the system; for all of the beam pulses, adding a count to each range bin for each analog return signal representing a range within that bin that satisfies particular conditions; and selecting the range bin with the most counts to be the range of the object of interest. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification