Patent ID: 7800736

Claim:
A method for generating a three-dimensional image, comprising: aligning pixels in an electro-optical array with a lidar such that the pixels are positioned within a lidar shot formed by the lidar; acquiring a plurality of lidar shots, wherein each lidar shot is associated with a plurality of aligned pixels and is acquired by, the lidar transmitting a laser beam to form a lidar shot, the lidar receiving a reflected laser beam indicative of range data, and the electro-optical array receiving optical radiation indicative of electro-optical data, wherein the electro-optical data corresponds to aligned pixels within the lidar shot; arranging the plurality of lidar shots relative to one another using the aligned pixels associated with the plurality of lidar shots; forming a first point-cloud from the arranged plurality of lidar shots; merging the first point-cloud with a second point-cloud, the second point-cloud comprising a second plurality of lidar shots, each associated with a plurality of aligned pixels, and wherein the first point-cloud is merged with the second point-cloud using the aligned pixels associated with the lidar shots of the first point-cloud and the aligned pixels associated with the lidar shots of the second point-cloud.