Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer readable medium are provided for creating a quantitative, three-dimensional representation of a surface of a human subject. Data representing a physical appearance of a human subject is gathered using inverse synthetic aperture radar. A source signal is directed toward the human subject as the target rotates through a range of motion and a return signal is collected. The returned signal is transformed into a quantitative representation of the surface data. The quantitative representation can be added to an archive or can be checked against an archive to determine if the human target is indexed in the archive.

Abstract: The direct path of a radio signal from the transmitter to the receiver is frequently interfered with by reflections of the transmitted signal from stationary and moving objects. These reflections are known as multipath noise. The multipath canceler of this invention takes as input the direct path signal plus multipath noise. The canceler, after canceling the multipath noise, outputs a purified version of the direct path signal nearly devoid of multipath noise. The output of the canceler is fed back to a bank of delayers and frequency shifters. The outputs of this bank of delayers and frequency shifters are multiplied by a set of adjustable coefficients. These coefficients are adjusted to form very accurate replicas of the multipath reflections caused by each reflector. Which replicas are subtracted from the input which is the original direct path signal plus the multipath noise.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for an electro-optical distance measurement in which a laser beam of a laser diode (1) is directed as an intensity modulated train of emitted light pulses onto an object, the reflected measurement pulse train (10) is detected by a light detector (6), which generates, in response to the detection of a measurement pulse train, a first photo-current component, a smaller portion of the intensity modulated pulse train is branched out as a reference pulse train and, after passing a known reference path, is also detected by the light detector (6), which generates in response to this detection a second photo current component, and the light detector converts the measurement pulses, together with a mixer pulse train generated by a local oscillator, into a comparatively low-frequency IF-region that determines, after a corresponding conversion, the measured distance.

Abstract: The range binoculars include first and second observing optical systems, a laser beam-emitter for emitting a laser beam, a measuring optical system for collimating the laser beam and sending the collimated laser beam to a target. A laser beam-receiving device receives the laser beam reflected by the target, while a distance-determining device determines the distance between the observation place and the target from the flight time of the laser beam taken from the laser beam-emitter to the laser beam-receiver. A measurement-displaying device displays the measurements obtained by the distance-determining device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sensing air outside a moving aircraft are presented. In one embodiment, a system includes a laser for generating laser energy. The system also includes one or more transceivers for projecting the laser energy as laser radiation to the air. Subsequently, each transceiver receives laser energy as it is backscattered from the air. A computer processes signals from the transceivers to distinguish molecular scattered laser radiation from aerosol scattered laser radiation and determines one or more air parameters based on the scattered laser radiation. Such air parameters may include air speed, air pressure, air temperature and aircraft orientation angle, such as yaw, angle of attack and sideslip.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for distance measurement to a remote surface using high frequency modulated transmitted and reflected laser beams and phase-shift calculations. To improve phase-shift resolution, the reflected bean is further modulated, before detection, at a high frequency similar yet different from that of the transmitted beam so as create a resulting detector signal having at least a lower frequency signal which is easily detected by a response limited detector. The lower frequency signal retains the phase-shift information and thus enables determination of the phase-shift information with stable, inexpensive low-frequency optical detectors. Three-dimensional mapping can performed wherein one or more apparatus employ a plurality of detectors or a scanner producing a plurality of sequential reflected beams, each of which results in a plurality of phase-shift information for an area on the surface.

Abstract: The optical distance detecting or measuring device comprises a light source with an emitting optic for projecting a light beam according to the axis of the emitting optic onto a target to be measured and a first detector defining the receiving axis contained in the same reference plane as the emitting axis. The device comprises at least a second detector that is aligned with the first detector on an axis contained in a plane that is inclined at an angle ? with respect to the reference plane, said angle being comprised between 10° and 170°. Alternatively, two emitters may be arranged in an inclined plane and one receiver in the reference plane. This arrangement allows a significant improvement of the performance of such a device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for determining a position of a moving transponder adapted to receive a substantially stationary magnetic field signal and to transmit a further signal. The system comprises a signal generating arrangement adapted to generate said stationary magnetic field signal for said transponder, said transponder being adapted to determine a plurality of signal strengths of said received magnetic field signal; at least one signal receiving arrangement, adapted to receive said further signal of said transponder, said transponder being adapted to insert at least one message portion in said further signal indicative of at least one of said plurality of signal received signal strengths and processing means adapted to determine said position in accordance with a plurality of said received signal strengths determined by said moving transponder. This further signal can e.g.

Abstract: A surveying instrument, comprising a distance measuring unit for measuring a distance to a collimating point, an angle measuring unit for measuring a vertical angle and a horizontal angle of the collimating point, an image pick-up means for acquiring an image in a collimating direction, a driving unit for directing the image pick-up means in a direction of a predetermined object to be measured as selected based on an entire image data acquired by the image pick-up means, and a control arithmetic unit for recording by associating an image of an object to be measured with survey data to the object, wherein the image is picked-up in the direction directed by the driving unit and the survey data is measured by the distance measuring unit and the angle measuring unit.

Abstract: Method for carrying out the non-contact measurement of geometries such as surfaces of objects, with a coordinate measuring machine with a laser beam that is projected onto a measuring point of the object via an optical system, and in which the light that is reflected or scattered by the measuring point is detected by a detector. The optical system includes a zoom lens, whose lens groups each are each motor-adjusted separately from each other in positions for working distance and/or resolution and/or measuring range.

Abstract: A method for generating a range image sequence from a scannerless range imaging system of the type comprising an illuminator for illuminating a scene with modulated illumination; an image modulating component for receiving and modulating the modulated illumination reflected from the scene; an image capture element for capturing images output by the image modulating component, including an image bundle of at least three phase offset images each incorporating a phase delay corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the illuminator, wherein each phase offset image of an image bundle also incorporates a phase offset distinct for each image. According to the method, a sequence of three or more phase offset images are acquired that correspond to the modulated illumination reflected from the scene, whereby the sequence contains overlapping subsequences of successive phase offset images, each subsequence forming an image bundle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser anemometer making it possible to determine the relative velocity between the anemometer and an ambient medium. The architecture of the anemometer includes a laser source, emission and reception optics for focusing a laser beam onto a measurement zone containing particles in suspension in the ambient medium and for receiving the radiation back-scattered by the particles. It also includes an optical mixer for mixing the received radiation and reference radiation representing the radiation emitted by the source, and a detector at the output of the mixer. The relative velocity between the anemometer and the ambient medium is determined by computation on the basis of the Doppler effect generated by the radiation and detected by the detector. The laser source is located remotely from a common support which carries the optical emission and reception system as well as the mixer. It is connected to this common support by at least one optical fiber.

Abstract: A high range resolution ladar includes a chirp generator for producing a chirp signal waveform that is used by a laser diode to propagate a divergent laser light waveform. The reflected light signals from the target are directed to a self mixing detector that is coupled to the chirp generator where the responsivity of the detector varies in accordance with the chirp waveform for converting reflected light signals from the target to electrical signals and for mixing the converted electrical signal with the chirp waveform to produce an output electrical signal whose frequency is proportional to the range to the target. The self-mixing detector includes at least one detector having a semiconductor substrate and first and second electrodes deposited on the substrate and spaced from each other, wherein the first set of electrodes is connected to the chirp generator and the second set of electrodes is connected to a memory for storing a plurality of frames of image data.

Abstract: An optical range finder for determining the distance of an object may comprise an optical source of electromagnetic radiation. A focusing optical member focuses the electromagnetic radiation upon a micro-mirror array. A processor controls the micro-mirror array to direct the focused electromagnetic radiation in a defined direction or a defined radiation pattern. A transmission optical member focuses the defined radiation pattern toward an object. A reception optical member receives electromagnetic radiation reflected from the object. A detector detects the receipt of the reflected electromagnetic radiation. A timer determines an elapsed time between transmission of the electromagnetic radiation to the object and receipt of the electromagnetic radiation from the object. A data processor converts elapsed time into a distance between the object and a reference point.

Abstract: This invention features an improved technique for search and track surveillance. In this invention, distinct and random (in both space and time) signal beams are simultaneous transmitted from an array of transmitter source elements in a manner to cover all sectors about a source location. In addition, countermeasures against a system according to the invention are difficult because the signal waveforms for each beam are distinct and random, making prediction of any signal waveform for any beam very unlikely. An array of receiver sensor elements is provided to receive signals that are scattered from remote objects and may or may not be co-located with and share the elements of the source array element. The scattered signals are received and processed to yield the direction and range of the remote objects.

Abstract: A method for processing pulsed-Doppler radar signals to detect a target includes transmitting radar signals from a radar system according to a predetermined frequency technique including signals having frequency diversity, receiving signals within a frequency band, including a target return signal having a frequency indicative of the velocity of the target, and transforming the target return signal using a Fourier Transform having a variable frequency scale.

Abstract: A laser alignment system is provided. The system includes a plurality of lasers which are sequentially operative for producing first and second laser beams that are parallel to one another. The system further includes a target assembly. The target assembly includes lenses and mirrors disposed such that the first laser beam impinges directly on the target to provide displacement data. The second laser beam is focused and reflected so that the focal point of the reflected second beam impinges on the target. In a similar manner, a third parallel beam may be provided and may be focused to impinge on the target. Additionally, the plural laser beams may be substituted for by a single laser plane. The second and/or third beams provide alignment data, while the first beam provides displacement data.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring and predicting information on the position of approaching aircraft are disclosed. The system features a processor, an interrogating antenna, a receiving antenna, and a data link. The processor schedules interrogations and suppression pulses. Both of the antennas and the data link are in signal communication with the processor. The interrogating antenna transmits interrogations to a plurality of approaching aircraft. At least some of the interrogations include suppression pulses. The receiving antenna comprises at least three fixed, broad azimuth, array elements. The receiving antenna receives replies from each of the plurality of approaching aircraft and communicates the replies to the processor. The processor determines a state for each of the plurality of approaching aircraft based on the replies. The data link communicates information on the state of each of the plurality of approaching aircraft from the processor.

Abstract: An in-vehicle pulse radar device includes: an oscillator that generates an electromagnetic wave; a transmission amplifier that transmits the electromagnetic wave generated by the oscillator toward a target substance; an antenna that receives the reception electromagnetic wave reflected by the target substance to output data; reception amplifiers; a reception antenna; an A/D converter; and a signal processing device that pre-sums data which is sampled on the basis of the data from the A/D converter for each of distance gates, subjects the pre-summed data which is a result of the pre-summing process to an FFT process, and obtains a distance between a subject vehicle and the target substance and a relative speed therebetween in accordance with the spectrum frequency and the amplitude information which are a result of the FFT process.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus, method, and system for determining a time of arrival (TOA) and time differences of arrival (TDOA) of a transmitted signal {S} receivable at different locations of known spatial coordinates. The system comprises a first transmitter 10 with a respective antenna feed point positioned at an a priori unknown location P and emitting a first signal {S}. The system includes furthermore a set of transceivers or transponder units 20, 30 comprising first receivers 22, 32 for receiving first signals {S} by means of respective antennas with feed points located at known locations Ln. Such system also comprises second transmitters 26, 36 emitting respective derived second signals {{tilde over (S)}n} after known and scheduled respective time intervals &dgr;n as measurable between the feed points of said respective first receiving antennas located at known locations Ln and respective second transmitting antenna located at locations L′n.