Semiconductor laser-based area scanner

A method for detecting the presence of an object in a monitored area using an object detection system and selectively causing a response when an object is detected, comprising the steps of:

• emitting at least two laser signals into a monitored area using a vertical cavity surface emitting laser structure;
• receiving laser signals reflected and not blocked by said environment and at least one object target using at least one photodetector;
• determining the presence or absence of at least one object in said environment using a microprocessor, wherein an object is present when at least one of said laser signals is blocked by at least one object;
• using said microprocessor for determining characteristics of said at least one object by comparing laser signals received by said photodetector and associated with said at least one object with known object characteristics stored in a memory;
• and
• using said microprocessor for selectively causing a controller response following said determination of object characteristics by said microprocessor.

A method for scanning a monitored area and detecting the presence of predefined targets comprising the steps of:

• providing a laser-based object detection system including a laser source for emitting at least two laser signals into an environment, at least one photodetector for receiving laser signals reflected off of targets in said test environment, and a microprocessor having access to data stored in memory and representing characteristics of known targets stored in the memory in the form of data associated with unique signature of reflected laser signals;
• monitoring an environment, said environment having characteristics known by said laser-based object detection system to be associated with an object-free environment by emitting at least two laser signals into said environment wherein at least one of said at least two laser signals is blocked by at least one object, said at least one object interfering with said at least one laser signal;
• detecting the presence of said at least one object in said environment by receiving said at least one laser signal being blocked by said at least one object through said at least one photodetector;
• and
• determining with said microprocessor the identification of said at least one object in said environment by comparing said characteristics of known targets with said at least one signal received from said environment by said at least one photodetector.