Patent ID: 6396577
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: F41H,G01S

Abstract:
A system for detecting an object moving through a space in the atmosphere, comprising:a support; a plurality of laser transmitters mounted on the support, each of the laser transmitters being adapted to transmit a coherent beam of light along an axis, the plurality of laser transmitters being oriented such that the axes of the beams of light emitted from the laser transmitters radiate outwardly from the support to generate a grid of beams of light in the atmosphere; a plurality of laser receivers; and processing means for processing information from the laser transmitters and laser receivers; wherein the plurality of laser transmitters are grouped into at least two sets, each of said sets comprising at least two laser transmitters, each laser transmitter of each of the sets transmitting a coherent beam of light along a path oriented substantially parallel to paths of other coherent beams of light transmitted by other laser transmitters of the set; and wherein the paths of the coherent beams of light produced by the laser transmitters of a first one of the sets is oriented at a first angle with respect to a normal axis, and wherein the paths of the coherent beams of light produced by the laser transmitters of a second one of the sets is oriented at a second angle with respect to the normal axis, the first and second angles being different.