Patent ID: 8358404

Claim:
A flash ladar for obtaining 3-D range data to determine distance to an object, and to define the surface of an object comprising: a light source providing at least one light pulse, a beam shaper directing the light pulse into a light transmitting medium between the object and said pulsed light source and illuminating at least one section of the surface of the object, a ladar sensor which detects light pulse signals reflected from the at least one section of the object and returned through the medium and that provides electrical signals indicative of the range of the at least one section of the object, said ladar sensor comprising; light collecting optics that collect light pulse signals reflected from the object and direct the collected light pulse signals onto a focal plane array of optical detectors, the focal plane array of optical detectors having a regular geometric arrangement, each detector capable of converting an incident light pulse signal into an electrical pulse signal, and, a readout circuit with a corresponding regular geometric arrangement, said readout circuit comprising; an array of unit cell electrical circuits, each unit cell electrical circuit electrically connected to a terminal of a companion optical detector of said focal plane array, and each unit cell electrical circuit further comprising: an input electrical amplifier, and each unit cell electrical circuit further having an electrical output providing a time of flight measurement for a light pulse signal incident upon said companion optical detector, and said readout circuit further providing: at least one multiplexer comprising: a plurality of inputs, each of said plurality of multiplexer inputs connected to an output of one of said unit cell electrical circuits, and an output providing a time of flight measurement for a selected unit cell electrical circuit, and, drive electronics supplying power and providing control signals to said focal plane array of optical detectors and said readout circuit, and output electronics for providing the 3-D range data to a peripheral device.