Patent ID: 8908159
Filing Date: 2014-12-09
Classification: G01C,G01S

Abstract:
1. A multiple-field-of-view scannerless optical rangefinder operating in pulsed Time-Of-Flight operation for use in high ambient background light, the rangefinder comprising: an optical emitter for emitting a train of light pulses, said train of light pulses having a broad field-of-illumination (FOI), said optical emitter having a LED light source and driver electronics; a multi-channel optical receiver (MCOR) for detecting optical return signals, said MCOR including an array of PIN photodiodes, each detection channel of said multi-channel optical receiver having a photodetector with a photosensitive surface, an instantaneous field of view of each said detection channel having a horizontal and a vertical extent determined by dimensions of each respective said photosensitive surface and being adapted to output a channel return signal waveform, an overall field-of-view (FOV) of said multi-channel optical receiver encompassing each said instantaneous field of view, said field-of-illumination encompassing said overall field-of-view, said multi-channel optical receiver having analog front-end electronics for conditioning said channel return signal waveforms, said MCOR outputting conditioned channel return signal waveforms; an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for receiving and converting said conditioned channel return signal waveforms from said MCOR into digital format; a control and processing unit (CPU) operatively connected to said optical emitter, said MCOR and said ADC, a data interface for receiving processed channel return signal waveforms from said CPU and preparing output data; wherein a peak present in any of said optical return signal waveforms is a signature of an object located within said instantaneous field of view.