Patent ID: 6714283
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A sensor for measuring a range to a target object by triangulation using a TDI device, comprising:a light source generating a light beam for projection towards the target object and for reflection thereon positioned along a short axis of said TDI device; a plurality of photodetector arrays disposed contiguously in a linear sequence and defining the TDI device, said TDI device being positioned to detect the reflection of the light beam on the target object across a plurality of said photodetector arrays, said TDI device being operable over an acquisition cycle composed of a number of integration periods, each photodetector array accumulating electronic charges representative of light incident thereon during each integration period, each of said photodetector arrays transferring all electronic charges therein to a next photodetector array along said linear sequence after each integration period, said TDI device having an output for transmitting all electronic charges from a last photodetector array along said linear sequence after each integration period; restricting means for restricting an exposition of the TDI device to the reflection of the light beam on the target object to a single integration period of the acquisition cycle; and processing means for receiving the electronic charges from the output of the TDI device after each integration period of the acquisition cycle and processing the electronic charges of the acquisition cycle to obtain therefrom the range to the target object.