Patent ID: 7215413

Claim:
A system for determining a distance to a target, comprising: a laser source adapted to provide a first laser output and a second laser output; a controller operatively coupled to the laser source and adapted to frequency-modulate the first and second laser outputs; an optical assembly adapted to receive and combine at least part of the first and second laser outputs into a combined laser output, the optical assembly including: a plurality of reference channels adapted to receive a portion of the combined laser output and to provide a plurality of reference interference signals; and a signal channel having a focusing telescope adapted to focus and transmit at least part of the combined laser output onto the target, and to receive a scattered signal from target, and to provide a return interference signal; a signal processing portion adapted to receive the plurality of reference interference signals and the return interference signal and to determine the distance to the target based on the plurality of reference interferences signals and the return interference signal.