Patent ID: 8130367

Claim:
A 3-D sensor that detects reflected light pulses that are returned through a vacuum or light conducting medium from one or more portions of an object and which provides electrical signals indicative of the range of one or more portions of the object, said sensor comprising a focal plane array comprising pixel elements for providing, said electrical signals, said pixel elements of the focal plane array comprising unit cell electronics and light detectors, said detectors creating primary electrical signals corresponding to the light received at said pixel element, said unit cell electronics adapted to preprocess the primary electrical signals and to output electrical signals, a processor of said electrical signals from said sensor into 3-D range data corresponding to each pixel, and drive and output electronics providing control signals to said focal plane array and providing the 3-D range data to a 3-D data processor or to a storage device for storing the 3-D range data, wherein each of said unit cells is comprised of input amplifiers of the primary electrical signals transferred from the corresponding detector samplers of the said electrical signals at one or a plurality of time intervals one or more storage means for storing said samples, a trigger circuit to stop a clock, electronics to record the time at which the said electrical signals are stored or the clock is stopped or both the electrical signals and the time at which the clock is stopped.