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US 8,941,042 B2Granted
Multi-beam laser beam control and imaging system and method
OwnerRichard A. Hutchininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-beam laser beam control and imaging system includes a laser transmitter configured to emit light in a plurality of beamlets towards a target. At least one of the beamlets illuminates the whole target or a substantial portion of the target when imaging the target. A sensor is configured to receive light from the beamlets. A processor is communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to compute a relative phase of a wavefront of at least one beamlet based on output from the sensor. The processor also reconstructs a wavefront which is used to formulate two or three dimensional images of the target. A controller is communicably coupled to the processor and to the laser transmitter. The controller is configured to adjust a phase of at least one of the beamlets.
Claims36
A multi-beam laser control and imaging system comprising:
- a laser transmitter configured to emit laser light in a plurality of beamlets, each beamlet being emitted through a separate transmit aperture of the laser transmitter towards a target, wherein at least two of the beamlets are hitspot beamlets forming a high intensity hitspot on the target, and one or more of the remaining beamlets are illuminating beamlets, each illuminating beamlet being coherent with all other beamlets and illuminating a region around the hitspot on the target;
- a sensor configured to receive a laser light return, the laser light return resulting from at least one of the beamlets incident on the target;
- a processor configured to compute a relative phase of a wavefront of the laser light return based on output from the sensor;
- and
- a controller communicably coupled to the processor and to the laser transmitter and configured to adjust a phase of at least one of the beam lets in response to the relative phase computed by the processor.
2 more elements
A multi-beam laser control and imaging system comprising:
- a laser transmitter configured to emit laser light in a plurality of beamlets, each beamlet being emitted through a separate transmit aperture of the laser transmitter towards a target, wherein at least two of the beamlets are hitspot beamlets forming a high intensity hitspot on the target, and one or more of the remaining beamlets are illuminating beamlets, each illuminating beamlet being coherent with all other beamlets and illuminating a region around the hitspot on the target;
- a sensor configured to receive a laser light return, the laser light return resulting from at least one of the beamlets incident on the target;
- and
- a processor communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to compute one of an image of the target or a superimposed image of the target with the hitspot on the target.
1 more element
A multi-beam laser control and imaging system comprising:
- a laser transmitter configured to emit laser light in a plurality of beamlets, each beamlet being emitted through a separate transmit aperture towards a target, wherein a phase and direction of at least two of the beamlets are configured to form a high intensity hitspot on the target;
- a laser illuminator configured to emit at least one illuminating laser beam, coherent with the laser transmitter beamlets, the illuminating laser beam configured to illuminate at least a region of the target surrounding the hitspot on the target;
- a sensor configured to receive a laser light return, the laser light return resulting front at least one of the beamlets incident on the target;
- a processor configured to compute a relative phase of a wavefront from the laser light return based on output from the sensor;
- and
- a controller communicably coupled to the processor and to the laser transmitter and configured to adjust a phase of at least one of the beamlets in response to the relative phase computed by the processor.
3 more elements
A laser control and imaging system comprising:
- a laser transmitter configured to emit a hitspot laser beam to form a high intensity hitspot on a remote target;
- a laser illuminator configured to emit illuminating laser beam coherent with the hitspot laser beam, the at least one illuminating laser beam being configured to illuminate at least region of the target surrounding the hitspot on the target;
- a sensor configured to receive a laser light return, the laser light return resulting from at least one of the hitspot laser beam and the illuminating laser beam incident on the target;
- and
- a processor communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to compute one of an image of the target or a superimposed image of the target with the hitspot on the target,
- wherein the illuminating laser beam comprises at least three illuminating beamlets configured to illuminate substantially the same area on the target, the illuminating beamlets being coherent with one another.
3 more elements
A laser control and imaging system comprising:
- a laser transmitter configured to emit a hitspot laser beam forming a high intensity hitspot on a remote target;
- a laser illuminator configured to emit an illuminating laser beam coherent with the hitspot laser beam, the at least one illuminating laser beam being configured to illuminate at least a region of the target surrounding the hitspot on the target;
- a sensor configured to receive a laser light return, the laser light return resulting from at least one of the hitspot laser beam and the illuminating laser beam incident on the target;
- a processor configured to compute a relative phase of a wavefront from the laser light return based on output from the sensor;
- and
- a controller communicably coupled to the processor and to the laser transmitter and configured to steer at least one of the laser illuminator beam or the laser transmitter beam,
- wherein the illuminating laser beam comprises at least three illuminating beamlets configured to illuminate substantially the same area on the target, the illuminating beamlets being coherent with one another.
4 more elements
A laser control and imaging:
- system comprising:
- a laser transmitter configured to emit a hitspot laser beam forming a high intensity hitspot on a remote target;
- a laser illuminator configured to emit an illuminating laser beam coherent with the hitspot laser beam, the at least one illuminating laser beam being configured to illuminate at least a region of the target surrounding the hitspot on the target;
- a sensor configured to receive a laser light return, the laser light return resulting from at least one of the hitspot laser beam and the illuminating laser beam incident on the target;
- a processor configured to compute a relative phase of a wavefront from the laser light return based on output from the sensor;
- and
- a controller communicably coupled to the processor and to the laser transmitter and configured to adjust the wavefront of the hitspot laser beam in response to the relative phase computed by the processor.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.