Abstract: A light wave rangefinder includes a light transmitting optical system for directing a laser pulse at a target, and a light receiving optical system for receiving reflected light from the target, including a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) array and a non-imaging optical device. The non-imaging optical device is positioned between the received reflected light and the APD array, and is configured to uniformly distribute the received reflected light across the APD array. The APD array is uniformly illuminated by a single received reflected laser pulse, producing a plurality of Geiger-mode avalanche events.

Abstract: In an imaging system providing an image of a target of interest, a method of reducing interference from a laser beam includes the steps of: (a) receiving optical energy from the target of interest and the laser beam; (b) forming an interferogram of spectral energy, at each spatial position of an image, based on the optical energy received in step (a); (c) detecting the interferogram of spectral energy, at each of the spatial positions, to provide a corresponding spectral band of intensity values; (d) selecting an intensity level in the spectral band, detected in step (c), that is greater than a predetermined value, and reducing the selected intensity level; and (e) forming an image of the target of interest, after reducing the selected intensity level of step (d).

Abstract: An apparatus and method of dynamically optimizing an acquisition range of a radar system, including modulating a CW radar signal with a PN code that has an adjustable code frequency of modulation and an adjustable chip length. The method includes transmitting the modulated radar signal and receiving a return radar signal, based on the transmitted radar signal. The method continuously measures a SNR of the received return radar signal, and adaptively tunes the adjustable code frequency of modulation, and adaptively tunes the adjustable chip length, based on the continuously measured SNR. In this manner, the acquisition range of the radar system is optimized.