US 11,933,899 B2
Remote measurement of shallow depths in semi-transparent media
Jeffrey P. Thayer, Boulder, CO (US); Geoffrey Crowley, Lafayette, CO (US); Andrew W. Gisler, Boulder, CO (US); Steven Mitchell, Annapolis, MD (US); and Matthew Hayman, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to The Regents of the University of Colorado, Denver, CO (US); and LiteWave Technologies, Inc., Louisville, CO (US)
Filed by The Regents of the University of Colorado, Denver, CO (US); and LiteWave Technologies, Inc., Louisville, CO (US)
Filed on Jan. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/582,966.
Application 17/582,966 is a continuation of application No. 15/949,921, filed on Apr. 10, 2018, granted, now 11,231,502.
Application 15/949,921 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/461,196, filed on Mar. 16, 2017, granted, now 11,313,678.
Application 15/461,196 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/092,015, filed on Apr. 6, 2016, granted, now 10,684,362, issued on Jun. 6, 2020.
Application 15/092,015 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/129,925, granted, now 9,476,980, issued on Oct. 25, 2016, previously published as PCT/US2012/045038, filed on Jun. 29, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/483,704, filed on Apr. 10, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/143,502, filed on Apr. 6, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/503,314, filed on Jun. 30, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2022/0171064 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01C 7/02 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01S 7/4863 (2020.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 7/487 (2006.01); G01S 7/499 (2006.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); G01S 17/42 (2006.01); G01S 17/93 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 17/89 (2013.01) [G01C 7/02 (2013.01); G01S 7/4817 (2013.01); G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G01S 7/4863 (2013.01); G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 7/487 (2013.01); G01S 7/499 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G01S 17/42 (2013.01); G01S 17/93 (2013.01); Y02A 90/30 (2018.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of mapping a surface topography, comprising:
generating a pulse of polarized light;
scattering at least some portion of the pulse of polarized light onto a first surface and a second surface;
receiving the scattered light from the first surface and the second surface as a received pulse, wherein the received pulse has one or more portions that overlap in an ambiguous intrapulse overlap portion;
separating the ambiguous intrapulse overlap portion into a first component associated with the first surface and a second component associated with the second surface, the first component and the second component having a relative difference in polarization between each other, wherein the separation removes the ambiguous intrapulse overlap portion;
determining an amount of time elapsed between the first component and the second component; and
calculating a relative distance between the first surface and the second surface based on the amount of time elapsed, thereby achieving a sub-pulse width resolution.