Method and a system for multi-pixel ranging of a scene

A method for multi-pixel ranging of a scene, comprising the steps of:

• providing a single detector/receiver associated with a time-delay arrangement;
• producing a delayed time-arrival distribution of pulse echoes of at least part of a remote scene of a predetermined depth spanning between a closest point and a furthest point from said detector/receiver;
• receiving said distribution as produced on said ranging plane and conveying it, echo pulse by echo pulse through a plurality of time-ordered echo pulse conveying means to a single detector, while introducing an additional time delay between said conveying means, which is equal to, or greater than, the time delay between said closest and furthest points of the scene, whereby said echo pulses arrive at said single detector/receiver in a sequential order, and
• using an electronic logic to reconstruct said time-arrival distribution from said time-delayed echo pulses received by said detector/receiver.

A system for ranging of a scene, comprising:

• optical means to create a replicate of a remote scene range distribution on a defined ranging plane;
• time-ordered echo pulses conveying means receiving said echo pulses from said ranging plane, each of said conveying means constituting an optical path of different length, introducing time delays;
• a single detector/receiver for detecting the echo pulses time of arrival in a sequential order produced by said time delays, and
• an electronic logic fed by said single detector to reconstruct said scene by the ranged distribution of echo pulses.

A system for ranging of a scene, comprising:

• optical means for forming a replicate of a remote scene, having a predetermined depth spanning between a closest point and furthest point of said scene, on a defined ranging plane;
• time-ordered echo pulses conveying means receiving said echo pulses from said ranging plane, each of said conveying means constituting an optical path of different length, for introducing a time delay between two adjacent conveying means which is equal to, or greater than, the time delay between the closest and furthest point of said scene;
• a single detector/receiver for detecting the echo pulses time of arrival in a sequential order produced by said time delays, and
• an electronic logic fed by said single detector/receiver to reconstruct said scene by the ranged distribution of echo pulses.