Patent ID: 8692983

Claim:
A measuring system, such system comprising: an apparatus comprised of a radiation transmitter/receiver configured to receive a transmit signal from a processor, promulgate radiation in response to the receiving of the transmit signal, detect a reflected signal, and provide a detection signal to the processor in response to the detecting of the reflected signal; a beam-forming optical element configured to receive the promulgated radiation from the radiation transmitter/receiver, form a beam of radiation, where the beam of radiation, upon being formed, travels to a beam steering device along an undiverted path, receive the reflected signal from the beam steering device, and direct the reflected signal to the radiation transmitter/receiver; the beam steering device comprised of a deviation optical element and at least one actuator, where the deviation optical element is configured to receive the beam of radiation from the beam-forming optical element, divert the beam of radiation away from the undiverted path and onto a diverted path, such that the diverted beam of radiation travels into the atmosphere along the diverted path, receive the reflected signal retracing the diverted path, and divert the reflected signal away from the diverted path, such that the reflected signal is subjected to the beam-forming optical element while retracing the undiverted path, and each actuator is configured to drive the deviation optical element in response at least one drive signal; and the processor configured to provide at least one drive signal to each actuator of the beam steering device, where one drive signal is provided if the actuator is continuously driven, or a plurality of drive signals is provided repeatedly if the actuator is not continuously driven, provide a transmit signal to the radiation transmitter/receiver, where the providing of the transmit signal is synchronized with each predetermined position of a plurality of predetermined positions of the beam steering device, and receive a detection signal from the radiation transmitter/receiver, whereby a value representative of a measurement is determined.