Patent ID: 7453553

Claim:
A method of imaging an object, comprising: mounting an array of detectors in an image plane; connecting each detector in the array of detectors to a timing circuit having one or more interpolators, wherein each interpolator includes one or more interpolator circuits, wherein each interpolator circuit charges a capacitor at a different rate than it discharges; transmitting an optical pulse toward an object so that a portion of the optical pulse is reflected from the object as a reflected pulse, wherein transmitting the optical pulse includes recording a first value, wherein the first value is representative of when the optical pulse was transmitted toward the object; detecting arrival of the reflected pulse at one or more detectors within the array of detectors, wherein detecting arrival of the reflected pulse includes: determining a reflected pulse characteristic representative of the reflected pulse's amplitude; and recording a second value, wherein the second value is representative of when the reflected pulse arrived at the detector; and measuring range to the object as a function of the first and second values and the reflected pulse characteristic.