Optical ranging camera
First Claim
1. Apparatus for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene, comprising:
- a modulated source of radiation, having a first modulation function, which directs modulated radiation toward a scene such that a portion of the radiation from the source is reflected from points in the scene and reaches the apparatus;
a detector, which detects radiation reflected from the scene, modulated by a second modulation function, and generates, responsive to said detected modulated radiation, signals responsive to a part of the portion of the reflected radiation, the part being dependent on the distance of a point in the scene, associated with a particular signal, from the apparatus;
a processor, which receives signals from the detector and forms an image, based on the signals, having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance of objects from the apparatus; and
a controller, which varies at least one of the first and second modulation functions, responsive to the intensity value distribution of the image formed by the processor.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene, comprising: a modulated source of radiation, having a first modulation function, which directs radiation toward a scene; a detector, which detects radiation reflected from the scene, modulated by a second modulation function, and generates, responsive to said detected modulated radiation, signals responsive to the distance to regions of the scene; a processor, which receives signals from the detector and forms an image, based on the signals, having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance of objects from the apparatus; and a controller, which varies at least one of the first and second modulation functions, responsive to the intensity value distribution of the image formed by the processor.
470 Citations
78 Claims
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1. Apparatus for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene, comprising:
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a modulated source of radiation, having a first modulation function, which directs modulated radiation toward a scene such that a portion of the radiation from the source is reflected from points in the scene and reaches the apparatus; a detector, which detects radiation reflected from the scene, modulated by a second modulation function, and generates, responsive to said detected modulated radiation, signals responsive to a part of the portion of the reflected radiation, the part being dependent on the distance of a point in the scene, associated with a particular signal, from the apparatus; a processor, which receives signals from the detector and forms an image, based on the signals, having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance of objects from the apparatus; and a controller, which varies at least one of the first and second modulation functions, responsive to the intensity value distribution of the image formed by the processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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14. Apparatus for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene, comprising:
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a modulated source of radiation, having a first modulation function, which directs radiation toward a scene; a detector, comprising a detector modulator, having a second modulation function, and a detector array, said array comprising a plurality of detector elements, wherein the detector detects radiation reflected from a plurality of parallel spatial segments within the scene and generates, responsive to said detected radiation, signals responsive to the distance to regions of the scene; and a processor, which forms an image including at least some of the plurality of spatial segments and having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance of objects from the apparatus, wherein each of the plurality of spatial segments has distance bounds, relative to the apparatus, which distance bounds are determined by the detector modulator, and wherein at least one of the plurality of spatial segments has distance bounds that are different from the bounds of at least one other spatial segment. - View Dependent Claims (15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. Apparatus for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene, comprising:
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a modulated source of radiation, which directs radiation toward a scene; telecentric optics, which receive and collimate radiation reflected from the scene; a modulator, which modulates the collimated radiation; a detector, which detects an image formed from the modulated collimated radiation; and a processor, which forms an image having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance of objects from the apparatus, responsive to the intensity distribution of the detected image, wherein the source and the detector are boresighted, and wherein the modulator that modulates the collimated radiation reflected from the scene does not modulate the radiation directed toward the scene by the source.
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43. Apparatus for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene, comprising:
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a modulated source of radiation, having a first modulation function, which directs radiation toward a scene; a first detector, which detects radiation reflected from the scene, modulated by a second modulation function, and generates, responsive to said detected modulated radiation, signals responsive to the distance to regions of the scene; a second detector, boresighted with the first detector, which detects radiation reflected from the scene, unmodulated by said second modulation function, and generates, responsive to said detected radiation, signals responsive to the intensity of light reflected from the regions of the scene; a processor, which receives signals from the first and second detectors and forms an image based on the signals, having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance of objects from the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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54. A method for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene, comprising:
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modulating radiation from a radiation source according to a first modulation function, and directing said radiation toward a scene; modulating radiation reflected from the scene according to a second modulation function; detecting said reflected radiation and generating signals responsive to the distance to regions of the scene, in response to the detected radiation; forming an image having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance to objects in the scene; and varying at least one of the first and second modulation functions, responsive to the intensity value distribution of the image. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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68. A method for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene, comprising:
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modulating radiation from a radiation source according to a first modulation function, and directing said radiation toward a scene; defining a plurality of parallel spatial segments within the scene, each said segment having distance bounds; detecting radiation reflected from each of the parallel spatial segments and generating signals responsive to the distance to regions of the scene, in response to the detected radiation; and forming an image having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance to objects in the scene, wherein defining the plurality of spatial segments comprises defining the distance bounds of each of the plurality of segments, and wherein the distance bounds of at least one of the plurality of spatial segments are different from the distance bounds of at least one other spatial segment. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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Specification