Absolute distance meter with optical switch
First Claim
1. An absolute distance meter that determines a distance to a target, comprising:
- a light source that emits a light beam;
a fiber switching network having at least one optical switch that switches between at least two routes in response to a switch control signal, a first one of the routes enabling a measure mode in which the light beam is emitted from the fiber switching network through an end of an optical fiber towards the target and is reflected back through the end of the optical fiber as a measure light beam and back into the fiber switching network, a second one of the routes enabling a reference mode in which the light beam comprises a reference light beam within the fiber switching network;
a single channel detector that detects the measure and reference light beams in a temporally spaced multiplexed manner and provides an electrical signal which corresponds to the detected measure and reference light beams;
a single channel signal processor that processes the electrical signal and provides a conditioned electrical signal in response thereto;
electronics that controls timing of the switch control signal; and
a data processor that processes the conditioned electrical signal to determine the distance to the target.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An absolute distance meter (ADM) that determines a distance to a target includes a light source that emits an emitted light beam. The ADM also includes a fiber switching network having at least one optical switch that switches between at least two positions in response to a switch control signal, a first one of the positions enabling a measure mode in which the emitted light beam is emitted from the fiber switching network towards the target and is reflected back as a measure light beam into the fiber switching network, a second one of the positions enabling a reference mode in which the light beam comprises a reference light beam within the fiber switching network. The ADM further includes a single channel detector that detects the measure and reference light beams in a temporally spaced multiplexed manner and provides an electrical signal which corresponds to the detected measure and reflected light beams. Also, the ADM includes a single channel signal processor that processes the electrical signal and provides a conditioned electrical signal in response thereto, and a data processor that processes the conditioned electrical signal to determine the distance to the target.
165 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An absolute distance meter that determines a distance to a target, comprising:
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a light source that emits a light beam; a fiber switching network having at least one optical switch that switches between at least two routes in response to a switch control signal, a first one of the routes enabling a measure mode in which the light beam is emitted from the fiber switching network through an end of an optical fiber towards the target and is reflected back through the end of the optical fiber as a measure light beam and back into the fiber switching network, a second one of the routes enabling a reference mode in which the light beam comprises a reference light beam within the fiber switching network; a single channel detector that detects the measure and reference light beams in a temporally spaced multiplexed manner and provides an electrical signal which corresponds to the detected measure and reference light beams; a single channel signal processor that processes the electrical signal and provides a conditioned electrical signal in response thereto; electronics that controls timing of the switch control signal; and a data processor that processes the conditioned electrical signal to determine the distance to the target. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An absolute distance meter that determines a distance to a target, comprising:
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a laser that emits a laser beam; a fiber switching network having an optical switch that switches between two routes in response to a switch control signal, a first route being a measure mode route in which the laser beam is emitted from the fiber switching network through an end of an optical fiber towards the target and is reflected back through the end of the optical fiber as a measure light beam into the fiber switching network, a second route being a reference mode route in which the light beam comprises a reference light beam within the fiber switching network; a single channel detector that detects the measure and reference light beams in a multiplexed manner and provides an electrical signal which corresponds to the detected measure and reference light beams; electronics that controls timing of the switch control signal; and a processor that processes the electrical signal to determine the distance to the target. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification