Patent ID: 7830527

Claim:
A system for remote sensing and mapping comprising: one or more processors; an illumination source controller coupled to the one or more processors; a multiplicity of pulsed illumination sources, each having a different seed frequency within a pre-selected band of frequencies, coupled to the illumination source controller and modulator; a signal combining element that couples outputs of all of the multiplicity to a single optical path; a receiver having a capability for detecting illumination transmitted by the multiplicity of illumination sources and providing signals based on detected illumination; and an image reconstruction engine coupled to the receiver and to the one or more processors, the image reconstruction engine processing signals from the receiver and employing characteristics of the signals to create a mapping corresponding to delay and reflectivity assessments based on the signals; each pulsed illumination source of the multiplicity comprising: a seed coupled to the illumination source controller and to a modulator, the seed and modulator accepting control and modulation signals therefrom; and at least two optical doublers each having an operating frequency distinct from the other and being coupled in series, an input of a first optical doubler of the at least two coupled to the single optical path and having a first output, the first optical doubler comprising a first optical doubling crystal tuned to a first seed frequency to provide a first doubled seed frequency and a first dichroic mirror which splits the first doubled seed frequency signal onto a unique output signal path and passes any other seed frequencies to an input to a second optical doubler of the at least two, the second optical doubler comprising a second optical doubling crystal tuned to a second seed frequency to provide a second doubled seed frequency and a second dichroic mirror which splits the second doubled seed frequency signal onto a unique output signal path and passes any other seed frequencies to inputs of any subsequent optical doublers.