Patent ID: 9268012
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: G01S,H01S

Claim Text:
1. A scanning apparatus comprising: a lightfield optical source including, an imaging lens disposed at a pre-determined distance from the array of microlens, such that the array of microlens is located between the plurality of VCSELs and the imaging lens to focus radiation emitted by the plurality of VCSELs at an imaging plane located distal from the plurality of VCSELs; and an electronic instrument including, a programmable current driver, a data storage device, and a processor, wherein the current driver operates said more than one VC SEL array in a desired timed sequence to generate a set of scanning beams of variable size to illuminate one or more object in a desired timed sequence, wherein the current driver is configured to drive the plurality of VCSELs using pulses of drive current such that the set of scanning beams are generated as pulses of radiation; and said scanning apparatus further including a radiation detection apparatus including a plurality of photodetectors having a rise and a fall time substantially matched with a rise and a fall time of the pulses of radiation, such that distance of the one or more object is determined by measuring a respective time of flight between the scanning pulses illuminating the one or more object, and corresponding reflected radiation pulses received from the one or more object, said respective time of flight is measured synchronized with the pulses of drive current to determine the distance of the one or more object, and by further measuring intensity and pulse shape of the corresponding reflected radiation pulses received at the radiation detection apparatus to determine an intensity profile of the one or more object so as to compute an image of the one or more object.