US 12,081,725 B2
System and method of three-dimensional imaging
Paul S. Banks, San Marcos, CA (US)
Assigned to nLIGHT, Inc., Camas, WA (US)
Filed by nLIGHT, Inc., Camas, WA (US)
Filed on Feb. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/174,178.
Application 18/174,178 is a division of application No. 17/130,507, filed on Dec. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,627,300.
Application 17/130,507 is a continuation of application No. 16/286,369, filed on Feb. 26, 2019, granted, now 10,897,610, issued on Jan. 19, 2021.
Application 16/286,369 is a continuation of application No. 14/685,326, filed on Apr. 13, 2015, granted, now 10,218,962, issued on Feb. 26, 2019.
Application 14/685,326 is a continuation of application No. 13/925,303, filed on Jun. 24, 2013, granted, now 9,007,439, issued on Apr. 14, 2015.
Application 13/925,303 is a continuation of application No. 12/626,492, filed on Nov. 25, 2009, granted, now 8,471,895, issued on Jun. 25, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/166,413, filed on Apr. 3, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/121,096, filed on Dec. 9, 2008.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/117,788, filed on Nov. 25, 2008.
Prior Publication US 2024/0031549 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. H04N 13/00 (2018.01); G01S 5/14 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01S 7/486 (2020.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); H04N 13/204 (2018.01); H04N 13/207 (2018.01); H04N 13/254 (2018.01); H04N 13/296 (2018.01)
CPC H04N 13/254 (2018.05) [G01S 7/4816 (2013.01); G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G01S 7/486 (2013.01); G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); H04N 13/204 (2018.05); H04N 13/207 (2018.05); H04N 13/296 (2018.05)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for three-dimensional imaging, including the provisioning of high dynamic range, the method comprising:
emitting a light pulse with a predetermined divergence sufficient to irradiate a scene;
receiving a portion of the light pulse reflected or scattered by the scene;
modulating, as a function of time, an intensity of the received portion of the light pulse;
recording a first image corresponding to the modulated received portion of the light pulse, and recording a second image corresponding to the modulated received portion of the light pulse, in which the first image and second image were recorded using one or more focal plane arrays (FPAs), each comprising a filter; and
generating a three-dimensional image based at least on the first image and second image, in which the one or more FPAs each comprise one or more of a plurality of pixels, and in which the method further comprises selecting information from one or more of the pixels to construct the first image, the second image, or combinations thereof, in which the information is selected based at least on a stored map of the filter.