Patent ID: 11933899
Assignee: LITEWAVE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  Y | IPC G

Claim 15:
16. A method of mapping a surface topography, comprising:
generating a pulse of polarized light;
scattering at least some portion of the pulse of polarized light onto a water surface and a bottom surface;
receiving the scattered light from the water surface and the bottom surface as a received pulse, wherein the received pulse has an ambiguous intrapulse overlap portion;
isolating a water surface return and isolating a bottom surface return from the received pulse based on polarization scattering properties of the water surface and polarization scattering properties of the bottom surface;
analyzing the water surface return in a first detector to determine a first component;
analyzing the bottom surface return in a second detector that is different from the first detector to determine a second component;
determining an amount of time elapsed between the first component and the second component; and
calculating a relative distance between the water surface and the bottom surface based on the amount of time elapsed, thereby achieving a sub-pulse width resolution.