Hard target detection for optical systems
AssigneeRosemount Aerospace Inc.
InventorsMark Sherwood Miller, Mark Ray
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for detecting hard targets in a free-space laser system includes a laser, an optical detector, and electronics. The laser is configured to emit a laser beam along an optical path through transmitter optics into a field of view. The optical detector is positioned along a laser transmitter path and configured to receive retroreflections of the laser beam. The electronics are configured to determine if an output of the optical detector is indicative of presence of a hard target within the field of view, and control the laser to a safe state if the output is indicative of presence of the hard target.
Claims18
A hard target detection system of a free-space laser system, the hard target detection system comprising:
- a laser configured to emit a laser beam along an optical path through transmitter optics into a field of view;
- an optical detector positioned along a laser transmitter path and configured to receive retroreflections of the laser beam;
- electronics configured to determine if an output of the optical detector is indicative of presence of a hard target within the field of view, and control the laser to a safe state if the output is indicative of presence of the hard target;
- and
- receiver optics configured to direct backscatter of the laser beam to sensor detector elements, and wherein the optical detector is separate from the sensor detector elements.
A method of detecting hard targets in a free-space laser system, the method comprising:
- emitting a laser beam along an optical path to transmitter optics;
- directing, by the transmitter optics, the laser beam into a field of view along a laser transmitter path;
- receiving, by an optical detector positioned along the laser transmitter path, retroreflections of the laser beam;
- detecting a hard target within the field of view based on the retroreflections;
- controlling the laser to a safe state if the hard target is detected within the field of view;
- receiving, by receiver optics, backscatter of the laser beam;
- directing the received backscatter to sensor detector elements;
- and
- determining properties of a volume within the field of view based upon output of the sensor detector elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.