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System and method for measuring the phase of a modulated optical signal

  • US 9,213,085 B2
  • Filed: 02/15/2013
  • Issued: 12/15/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for determining a range information from a transceiver to an object by measuring a phase of a modulated optical signal, comprising:

  • a transmitter transmitting the optical signal modulated with a modulation frequency fm and generating optical pulses of temporal half-width of τ

    p towards the object;

    a receiver receiving a reflected portion of the modulated optical signal, the receiver contains a single photon sensitive optical receiver with an optical detection efficiency that is modulated at a gate frequency fG with a gate creating a temporal optical detection efficiency half-width of τ

    G, the frequency fG=M·

    fm where M=I2/I1 and I1 and I2 are relatively prime integers greater than one; and

    whereas I2/fG is nearly equal to or larger than the dead time of the optical receiver; and

    a processor to determine the range information of the object.

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