RANGE MEASUREMENT METHOD Russian patent published in 2021 - IPC G01S3/08 

FIELD: laser technology.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to laser technology, namely to laser ranging. Method for measuring the range by emitting a probing laser pulse to the target, receiving the signal U(t) reflected by the target, differentiating it with the differentiation time constant τ≤t_le, where t_le is the duration of the leading edge of the signal U(t), and determining the delay Τ of the reflected pulse relative to the probing pulse at the moment of zero crossing by the differentiated signal U*(t), after which the measured range R is judged by the formula R = cT/2, where c is the speed of light, in parallel, the reflected signal is received by the second independent channel, forming a signal U₂(t)=k U(t), where k≤1/D₁, D₁ is the linear dynamic range of the first channel; simultaneously differentiate the signal U₂(t) in the same mode, forming the signal U₂*(t); constantly compare the signal U*(t) with the threshold level U_thr and, if the threshold U_thr is not exceeded by the signal U*(t), continue processing in the specified order, and if it is exceeded, the signal U(t) is blocked, and the delay Τ is determined at the moment zero crossing of the differentiated impulse U₂*(t). The threshold level U_thr is set as close as possible to the maximum signal amplitude U*(t).

EFFECT: ensuring the potential measurement accuracy in an extremely wide operating range of optical signals.

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