US 12,422,527 B2
Tracking laser range finder system and method
Malcolm Humphrey, Hicksville, NY (US); and Itai Vishnia, Setauket, NY (US)
Assigned to PLX, Inc., Deer Park, NY (US)
Filed by PLX, Inc., Deer Park, NY (US)
Filed on Apr. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/225,281.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/131,252, filed on Dec. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0206122 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/4863 (2020.01); G01S 17/42 (2006.01); G01S 17/66 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4817 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4863 (2013.01); G01S 17/42 (2013.01); G01S 17/66 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tracker laser rangefinder for detecting, targeting, locating or tracking an object in real time in a field of view, comprising:
a laser source arranged to generate and emit a laser at a first time in response to a laser trigger signal;
a fast-scan mirror arranged to deflect and steer the laser to the object in a scan plane;
a sensor arranged to receive a reflection of the laser from the object at a second time and output a return laser detection signal; and
a controller arranged to receive the return laser detection signal and determine a first angle, a second angle and a range to the object,
wherein the first angle and the second angle are based on a position of the fast-scan mirror,
wherein the range of the object is calculated based on a period of time comprising the first time as a start time and the second time as a stop time, and
wherein the controller is further arranged to generate amplitude and phase information from combining a reference signal and the return laser detection signal to maintain a lock between the fast-scan mirror and the object,
wherein the controller comprises a lock-in amplifier that generates the amplitude and phase information from combining the reference signal and the return laser detection signal, and wherein the reference signal is based on sampling an output of a monitor photoreceptor or of the laser trigger signal.