Patent ID: 7342651

Claim:
A method of operating a doublet pulse optical radar system, comprising: generating pairs of doublet optical pulse radar signals of electromagnetic energy, each of said pairs of doublet optical pulse radar signals including a reference pulse and a doublet pulse spaced apart in time relative to the reference pulse; and varying the spacing between the reference pulse and the respective doublet pulse for a plurality of pairs of doublet optical pulse radar signals in substantially equal time segments over a predetermined time period so as to reduce translational velocity error of a detected target and thereby improve a target detection characteristic of the radar system following reception of return pairs of doublet pulse signals; transmitting and receiving the plurality of pairs of doublet optical pulse radar signals to and from a target; and detecting and processing return signals of the transmitted pairs of doublet optical pulse radar signals so as to provide an indication not only of range and velocity but also motion, including translation and rotation of the target.