Patent Document ID: 5457639
Application ID: 07774663
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. An apparatus for detecting and imaging from an airborne platform an object at least partially enveloped by water, the water having a surface and a bottom, comprising: pulsed light source generating means for selectively generating pulses of light from the airborne platform; projecting means for projecting said pulses of light toward the water and at an object enveloped by the water; bottom detector means for measuring the distance between the surface and the bottom of the water defining total water depth; camera means for detecting said pulses of light reflected back from said object, said camera means being gated open after a selected time delay corresponding to the roundtrip propagation time of said light pulses to and from said object; compensating means for automatically compensating for variations in total water depth and platform altitude, said compensating means comprising computer means for calculating said selected time delay based on input data which includes the total water depth from said bottom detector means, said computer means inputting said selected time delay to said delay generator means; and convening means for convening said detected pulses of light to a video image of said object.