Photon-counting, non-imaging, direct-detect LADAR
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A light wave rangefinder comprising:
- a light transmitting optical system for directing a laser pulse at a target,a light receiving optical system for receiving reflected light from the target, including a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) array, and a non-imaging optical device,the non-imaging optical device positioned between the received reflected light and the APD array, and configured to uniformly distribute the received reflected light across the APD array, andthe APD array uniformly illuminated by the received reflected laser pulse, producing a plurality of Geiger-mode avalanche events, anda processor for determining range to the target based on the plurality of the Geiger-mode avalanche events.
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Abstract
A light wave rangefinder includes a light transmitting optical system for directing a laser pulse at a target, and a light receiving optical system for receiving reflected light from the target, including a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) array and a non-imaging optical device. The non-imaging optical device is positioned between the received reflected light and the APD array, and is configured to uniformly distribute the received reflected light across the APD array. The APD array is uniformly illuminated by a single received reflected laser pulse, producing a plurality of Geiger-mode avalanche events.
84 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A light wave rangefinder comprising:
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a light transmitting optical system for directing a laser pulse at a target, a light receiving optical system for receiving reflected light from the target, including a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) array, and a non-imaging optical device, the non-imaging optical device positioned between the received reflected light and the APD array, and configured to uniformly distribute the received reflected light across the APD array, and the APD array uniformly illuminated by the received reflected laser pulse, producing a plurality of Geiger-mode avalanche events, and a processor for determining range to the target based on the plurality of the Geiger-mode avalanche events. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A light wave rangefinder comprising:
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transmitting means for directing a laser pulse at a target, receiving means for receiving reflected light from the target, non-imaging means for uniformly illuminating light provided from the receiving means, detecting means for detecting the uniformly illuminated light provided from the non-imaging means, counting means for counting multiple detections occurring in the detecting means during a timing window, and processing means for determining range to the target based on the multiple detections occurring during the timing window. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of determining range to a target comprising the steps of:
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a) transmitting a laser pulse toward a target; b) receiving reflected light from the target; c) uniformly illuminating reflected light received in step (b) using a non-imaging optical device; d) detecting the uniformly illuminated light of step (c) using a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) array; e) counting avalanche events produced by a plurality of detectors in the APD array; and f) determining range to the target based on counting avalanche events in step (e). - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification