Patent ID: 7920272

Claim:
A laser radar system comprising: a first coherent laser radar section including: a first laser source that generates a first laser beam, an interferometer that splits the first laser beam into a first target beam and a first local oscillator beam, and generates a first combined target beam from a first reflected portion of the first target beam and the first local oscillator beam; a second coherent laser radar section including: a second laser source that generates a second laser beam, an interferometer that splits the second laser beam into a second target beam, incident on the target at the same location as the first target beam, and a second local oscillator beam, and generates a second combined target beam from a second reflected portion of the second target beam and the second local oscillator beam; and a processor that determines a range and a range rate of the target unambiguously from the first combined target beam and the second combined target beam, wherein the first laser source or the second laser source further comprises: one or more optical elements that form a optical cavity through which electromagnetic radiation is circulated, and a frequency shifting device that applies a frequency shift to the electromagnetic radiation circulating through the optical cavity.