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Laser radar for a vehicle lateral guidance system

  • US 5,202,742 A
  • Filed: 10/03/1990
  • Issued: 04/13/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. In a vehicle guidance system for guiding a vehicle traveling on a non-fixed path comprising an apparatus for continuously generating a beam of electromagnetic radiation for scanning a stationary reflecting surface and an apparatus for receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation from said stationary reflecting surface, a method for detecting the shape of the vehicle path by measuring distance and incident angle between the vehicle and the stationary reflecting surface comprising the steps of:

  • continuously generating at said vehicle a beam of electromagnetic radiation of predetermined dimensions;

    modulating at least one pulse on said beam to produce a pulse modulated beam;

    transmitting said pulse modulated beam from said vehicle towards at least one stationary reflecting surface;

    receiving a reflected pulse modulated bean from said at least one stationary reflection surface;

    focusing said reflected pulse modulated beam onto a detector array;

    measuring the position of reflected pulse modulated beam on said detector array;

    measuring a propagation delay between said pulse modulated beam and said reflected pulse modulated beam;

    calculating the distance between said vehicle and said at least one stationary reflecting surface as a proportion of said measured propagation delay; and

    calculating the incident angle between said vehicle and said at least one stationary reflecting surface as a proportion of the position of said reflected pulse modulated beam on said detector array,wherein the shape of the vehicle path is detected from the distance and angle between said vehicle and said at least one stationary reflecting surface and said vehicle is guided to follow said detected path.

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