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US 2004/0105088 A1Published application
Electro-optical determination of target parameters
OwnerReza Miremadiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electro-optical measurement of distance and motion parameters of a target is obtained with high resolution by employing matched comparators for obtaining differences in arrival times of transmit and receive pulses, and by compensating for time delays introduced by system components.
Claims8
A system for electro-optically determining distance to a target, comprising:
- a) a light emitting diode (LED);
- b) means for pulsing the LED with electrical transmit pulses having a predetermined amplitude to direct outgoing light transmissions to the target for reflection therefrom;
- c) a photodiode having a field of view in which the target is situated, and operative for detecting incoming light reflections reflected from the target and for generating electrical receive pulses of variable amplitude;
- d) means for conditioning the receive pulses to have an amplitude matching the predetermined amplitude of the transmit pulses to generate conditioned received pulses;
- e) a first comparator having a first input to which the transmit pulses are conducted, a second input to which a reference voltage is connected, and a first comparator output;
- f) a second comparator having a first input to which the conditioned receive pulses are conducted, a second input to which the reference voltage is connected, and a second comparator output;
- g) a logic circuit connected to the outputs of the comparators for determining a difference in arrival times of the transmit pulses and the conditioned receive pulses at the first inputs of the comparators;
- and
- h) a processor for determining a distance to the target as a function of the difference in said arrival times.
6 more elements
A system for electro-optically determining motion parameters of a moving target, comprising:
- a) a stationary starting platform for supporting the target prior to target movement;
- b) an assembly including a light emitting diode pulsed by electrical transmit signals and operative for directing outgoing light to the target for reflection therefrom, and a photodiode having a field of view and operative for detecting incoming light reflected from the target and for generating electrical receive pulses, the assembly defining a reference plane located in and extending along the field of view, the platform being spaced at a known, predetermined spacing from the reference plane;
- c) means for determining a difference in arrival times of the transmit and receive pulses, and for determining a distance to the target at the reference plane as a function of the difference in the arrival times;
- and
- d) means for ascertaining a direction of the target relative to the reference plane as a function of said spacing and said distance.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.