Patent ID: 6516286
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A method for measuring the distance to at least one target comprising:sending, by a transmitter, at least one optical pulse toward the target; picking up, by a receiver, reflections of the at least one pulse as input signals; converting the reflections of the at least one pulse into a received signal (e); storing the reflections of the at least one pulse determining at least one reception time by comparing the received signal (e) with comparison functions, which are copies, shifted by various time intervals, of a previously determined and stored reference function (r), and approximating the at least one reception time from the time intervals which correspond to the most similar comparison functions; determining a transit time from the reception time of the input signal; and calculating the distance from said reception time, wherein said reference function (r) is previously determined by sending at least one optical reference pulse toward a reference target and scanning a received reference signal corresponding to the at least one reference pulse to determine reference values of the reference function (r), and thereafter, the reference function (r) is stored.