Flash LADAR collision avoidance system

A ladar sensor system with a field of view and auxiliary lamp, with a lateral illuminating pattern, housed within a common envelope and mounted to a vehicle, said envelope with at least one transparent face adapted to transmit visible wavelengths of light and infrared laser light, said ladar sensor system comprising:

• a pulsed laser light output and diffusing optic for illuminating a scene in the field of view of said ladar sensor system;
• a two dimensional array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal point of a light collecting and focusing lens, each of said light sensitive detectors having an output adapted to produce an electrical pulse from a reflected portion of the pulsed laser light output;
• an electrical circuit connected to an output of each light sensitive detector , said electrical circuit adapted to amplify and detect said electrical pulse, said electrical circuit having a detected pulse output;
• and
• a timing circuit connected to each detected pulse output;
• said timing circuit further connected to a reference signal indicating the start time of said pulsed laser light output, said timing circuit producing an elapsed time signal indicating the time delay between the start time of the pulsed laser light output and an electrical pulse produced by said detected pulse output from said electrical circuit,
• said auxiliary lamp further including:
• at least one visible light source with a visible light output beam;
• and
• at least one visible light transmitting optical element for conditioning said visible light output beam to create said auxiliary lamp lateral illuminating pattern.

A ladar sensor system with a field of view and auxiliary lamp with rearward illuminating pattern housed within a common envelope and mounted to a vehicle, said envelope with at least one transparent face adapted to transmit visible wavelengths of light and infrared laser light, said ladar sensor system comprising:

• a pulsed laser light output and diffusing optic for illuminating a scene in the field of view of said ladar sensor system;
• a two dimensional array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal point of a light collecting and focusing lens, each of said light sensitive detectors having an output adapted to produce an electrical pulse from a reflected portion of the pulsed laser light output;
• an electrical circuit connected to an output of each light sensitive detector, said electrical circuit adapted to amplify and detect said electrical pulse, said electrical circuit having a detected pulse output;
• and
• a timing circuit connected to each detected pulse output;
• said timing circuit further connected to a reference signal indicating the start time of said pulsed laser light output, said timing circuit producing an elapsed time signal indicating the time delay between the start time of the said pulsed laser light output and an electrical pulse indicated by said detected pulse output from said electrical circuit,
• said auxiliary lamp further including:
• at least one visible light source with a visible light output beam;
• and
• at least one visible light transmitting optical element adapted to condition said visible light output beam to create said auxiliary lamp rearward illuminating pattern.

A collision avoidance system comprising:

• a plurality of ladar sensor modules mounted on a vehicle;
• and
• a central ladar system controller;
• each of said ladar sensor modules connected to said ladar system controller via bidirectional connections;
• and
• each of said bidirectional connections including a cable assembly routed through the vehicle, said cable assembly further including:
• a connector at a first end for connecting to the central ladar system controller;
• a plurality of electrically conductive signal wires;
• and
• a connector at a second end for connecting to a vehicle mounted ladar sensor module.