Patent ID: 7684019

Claim:
A frequency shifted laser radiation source for distance measurements, comprising: a frequency shifted feedback laser resonator having a pumped gain medium therein with a gain greater than unity so as to emit laser light having a plurality of frequency components changing with time in a chirping manner; a means for splitting said emitted laser light having said plurality of frequency components changing with time in a chirping manner into an object beam for irradiating an object and a reference beam; the emitted laser radiation being usable for determinations of distances of objects when using an object detection sensor which receives laser light radiation coming back from an object illuminated with the object beam light and being at a distance to be determined and which object detection sensor also receives said reference beam via a reference path not including the object in such a manner that the laser light radiation coming back from the object and the reference beam interfere with one another, said interference producing a signal by the beating of the plurality of frequency components that change with time in a chirping manner and which are comprised in laser light radiation coming back from said object illuminated with the object beam beating with the plurality of frequency components that change with time in a chirping manner and which are further comprised in the reference beam received at the sensor via said reference path not including the object said beat signal having a signal intensity allowing for the determination of the distance of the object in response to the intensity of the signal; wherein the frequency shifted feedback laser radiation source further comprises a means for injection of narrow banded, non-pumping, modulated seed laser light into the frequency shifted feedback resonator, said means for injection modulating the seed laser light such that said intensity of said beat signal is increased.