LASER SCANNING APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

The disclosed embodiments include an apparatus and method of using a laser to scan the ground or a target from an airborne or ground-based platform. In certain embodiments, the apparatus and method produces a 3-D elevation model of the terrain. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a pulsed laser, a receiver to detect and amplify the pulse after being reflected by objects on the ground (or the ground itself), and electronics which measures the time of flight of the optical pulse from which the slant range to the target is calculated. Technical advantages of the disclosed embodiments include avoiding blind zones to ensure that no laser shots are wasted. In certain embodiments for airborne applications, the apparatus may also be configured to maintain a constant swath width or constant spot spacing independent of aircraft altitude or ground terrain elevation.

主权项

1. A system adapted to measure topographic elevations, the system comprising:
a pulsed laser for generating a laser light pulse; a primary mirror adapted to oscillate back and forth in at least one axis so as to direct the laser light pulse to a target in a pattern and further adapted to receive reflections of the laser light pulse from the target and direct the reflections of the laser light pulse to a secondary mirror; the secondary mirror adapted to reposition the reflections of the laser light pulse onto a center of a detector, the detector configured to produce an electrical signal that is amplified by a receiver; a time interval meter configured to determine a time of flight based on a time that the laser light pulse is generated to when the reflections of the laser light pulse are received by the receiver; and control electronics configured to measure the topographic elevations using the time of flight.