Patent ID: 8605260

Claim:
A range finder including a device for transmitting a laser beam and a device for receiving laser echoes backscattered by a target, comprising: a frontal optical system focusing the laser echoes on a detection zone divided up into a plurality of elementary detection zones, at least one of which is associated with a photodiode coupled to a transimpedance circuit with a large bandwidth coupled to measure a range of the target, referred to as an individual temporal detector, and a means for transporting an elementary detection zone to the individual temporal detector, wherein the same elementary detection zone is furthermore associated with a very low noise integrating photodiode, referred to as an individual spatial detector configured to locate a most effective part of the target, and the device for receiving includes, connected to the means for transporting, a means for switching a flow of photons received by the elementary detection zone to the temporal detector and/or to the spatial detector, wherein a level of the laser echoes detected by the individual temporal detector is higher than a level of the laser echoes detected by the individual spatial detector.