Patent ID: 9182492
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for measuring at least one of the intensity and range characteristics of at least one object, comprising: a signal source operable to emit at least a first and second modulation signal at one or more frequencies; an illuminator operable to illuminate the at least one object by the first modulation signal, wherein the first modulation signal is backscattered from the at least one object to create a first backscattered signal; a sensor comprising at least one pixel, wherein the sensor is operable to create a sampled correlated signal by sampling the correlation of the first backscattered signal with the second modulation signal within the at least one pixel; and a processor operable to determine the at least one of the range and intensity characteristics of two or more component returns within one of the at least one pixel by comparing sampled correlated signals using one or more first measurements, wherein the one or more first measurements result from a system configuration having one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of: (a) first and second modulation signals comprising two or more different modulation frequencies, (b) first and second modulation signals comprising one or more different modulation frequencies and an offset of a correlation waveform, and (c) first and second modulation signals comprising one or more different modulation frequencies and one selected from the group consisting of a zeroth spatial frequency of the signal returns versus range and an approximation of the zeroth spatial frequency of the signal returns versus range.