Abstract:
A distance measurement instrument (400) and a method of operating a distance measurement instrument are disclosed. According to some embodiments, a transmit light signal is transmitted by a transmitter unit (406) along a transmit path (408) at an emission time and a return light signal is received by a receiver unit (407) at a receive time along a receive path (440). The return light signal is converted to a return electrical signal. At least one of the transmit path and the receive path is deflected by a deflection module (415) at a deflection angle relative to an optical axis (430) of the instrument. A time-dependent attenuation function is selected based on information relative to the deflection angle and attenuation is applied by an attenuator (480, 490) to at least one of the return light signal and the return electrical signal according to the selected time-dependent function. A measured distance may be determined by a processor unit (470) based on at least the emission time and the receive time.
Abstract:
The invention can be used in the production of optical instruments, in particular optical locating devices. The device comprises a pulsed light source (1) with transmission optics; a control unit (2); an optical image receiver (3) with a receiving objective and including a electro-optical converter (5) which can be blanked out and a television camera (7); and an additional optical image receiver (4) comprising an image intensifier (6) and a television camera (8). A special system for forming a television image makes it possible to obtain at the output TV1 a specific plan image of the objects observed containing information on the distance of each individual object. Also proposed are a method of equalising the brightness of objects at different distances, and a method of obtaining a normal TV image at the output TV2.
Abstract:
The invention discloses the laser transponder system for disrupting speed and/or distance measuring LIDARs. The system consists of at least two laser transponders 101, 102, a microcontroller 103 and a user interface 104. The microcontroller 103 is connected to both laser transponders 101, 102, and to the user interface 104. Microcontroller 103 is analysing input from laser transponders 101, 102, and is determining their output. In case an advanced speed measuring LIDAR signal is detected the microcontroller 103 configures first laser transponder 101 as a transmitting only unit 101B and second laser transponder 102 as a receiving only unit 102B. Transmissions emanating from the transmitting only unit 101B are not received by the receiving only unit 102B. Disrupting signal periods are selected by the microcontroller 103 algorithm from its pre-stored database according to a detected LIDAR signal. Novelties of the invention are that the disrupting signal is transmitted simultaneously with synchronizing a disruption timer for the next period of a disrupting signal and that multiple disruption signal periods are timed in parallel on a given synchronization event. That way all speed measuring pulses of a LIDAR signal are disrupted even in the case of an advanced speed measuring LIDAR with a random pulse repetition rate. An additional novelty of the invention is that the laser transponders 101, 102, have a laser receiver with an adjustable gain controlled by the microcontroller 103, and that the microcontroller 103 algorithm discovers a maximum level of receiving only transponder 102B receiver sensitivity on which there is no echo triggering on transmissions emanating from the transmitting only transponder 101B.
Abstract:
An optical rangefinder based on time-of-flight measurement, radiates pulsed light toward an object (70), and receives reflected light from the object, the receiver operating in a photon counting mode, so as to generate a pulse for a detected photon. There is a variable probability of a photon detection on the receiver, and a controller (370, 380, 390; 365, 470, 475, 380, 390; 570, 580, 590, 390) controls the photon detection probability of the receiver, based on a light level. By controlling the detection probability according to a light level, the receiver can have an increased dynamic range, and without the expense of using optical components. This can apply even while detecting very weak signals since the receiver can still be in a photon counting mode while the detection probability is controlled. The light level can be indicated by an output of the receiver itself, or by another detector external to the receiver.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a range determination apparatus, in particular to a laser range finding apparatus. Presently available range finders usually provide a read out of the range to a single target and are unable to distinguish between multiple targets. Either the largest signal or the signal of the target closest to the range finder will generally be the one displayed. The present invention provides a display of range to multiple targets and also a display of the relative strength of each of the multiple target signal returns. This enables an operator to distinguish between targets in his field of view and locate the desired target and the range thereto. The display is preferably histogrammatic.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are presented for distance measurement using laser pulses in which at least one of an attenuation function and an offset of the attenuation function relative to the send pulse is variable to accommodate differing measurement needs. In some embodiments, at least one of an attenuation function and an offset of the attenuation function is fixed relative to the send pulse for some number of measurement cycles and information derived from the result is used to modify either or both of the attenuation function and offset of the attenuation function relative to the send pulse for subsequent measurement.
Abstract:
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to a hand-held or "gun/firearm mounted" electromagnetic transceiver acting as a pulsed RADAR (i.e., "Radio Detection and Ranging") or LIDAR (i.e., "Light Detection and Ranging") device that can detect the presence of one or many passive retro-reflectors attached to or worn by people or objects that are close or distant in a preferred angle of detection. In a preferred embodiment this device could be mounted on a gun and would alert the user if a retro-reflector is detected in the direction of fire. Additional sensors can be used to change the effective field of detection, to save energy or to provide multiple parallel sensors for these and other reasons.