Method for determining the distance and reflectivity of an object surface

Abstract

A method for determining a distance (d) and a reflectivity of an object surface (14) using a laser source (10) that emits light (12) at a certain power and using a detector (16) that detects a level of irradiance of light (18) reflected by or scattered back from the object surface (14) and that outputs a time-dependent voltage signal on the basis thereof comprises: setting (100, 110, 220, 230, 240) the laser source (10) so that the latter emits light (12) at a specified first value of power in at least one pulse, setting (100, 110) the detector (16) so that the latter emits outputs a first voltage signal with a specified second value for a gain factor on the basis of a level of irradiance of the detected reflected or back-scattered light (18), determining (120, 260) a first value for the distance of the object surface (14) from a measured light time-of-flight (ToF) assigned to the first voltage signal, adapting (130, 150 220) the first value of the power of the laser source (10) and/or the second value of the gain factor of the detector (16) on the basis of the determined first value for the distance (d), emitting (110, 240) light (12) again using the laser source (10) and detecting the reflected or back-scattered light (18) by the detector (16) and outputting a corresponding second voltage signal using the adapted first and/or second value, determining (120, 260) a second value for the distance (d) of the object surface from a measured light time-of-flight (ToF) assigned to the second voltage signal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.