Patent ID: 8659749
Filing Date: 2014-02-25
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. An absolute distance meter that determines a distance to a target, comprising: a light source that emits a light beam; a fiber switching network having at least one optical switch that switches between at least two routes in response to a switch control signal, a first one of the routes enabling a measure mode in which the light beam is emitted from the fiber switching network through an end of an optical fiber towards the target and is reflected back through the end of the optical fiber as a measure light beam and back into the fiber switching network, a second one of the routes enabling a reference mode in which the light beam comprises a reference light beam within the fiber switching network; a single channel detector that detects the measure and reference light beams in a temporally spaced multiplexed manner and provides an electrical signal which corresponds to the detected measure and reference light beams; a single channel signal processor that processes the electrical signal and provides a conditioned electrical signal in response thereto; electronics that controls timing of the switch control signal; and a data processor that processes the conditioned electrical signal to determine the distance to the target.