US12345505 - Single aperture laser range finder

The patent describes a single aperture laser range finder (SALRF) that utilizes a beam expander and a single aperture optical circulator to enhance light transmission and reception. It features a light gating mechanism that allows received light to enter the detector channel while preventing it from entering the emitter channel, ensuring efficient operation.

Claim 1

1. A single aperture laser range finder, comprising: a beam expander comprising: a first aperture; an input aperture lens configured to expand beams of light transmitted from the single aperture laser range finder, and reduce beams of light received by the single aperture laser range finder; and a matching lens that collimates light leaving the beam expander; a single aperture optical circulator comprising: a non-fiber emitter channel associated with an emitter element and a non-fiber detector channel associated with a first detector element, wherein the non-fiber emitter channel and the non-fiber detector channel merge together at an input/output aperture; a non-reciprocating optical element configured to permit, as received light, light received from the matching lens to enter the non-fiber detector channel but to prevent the received light from entering the non-fiber emitter channel; and an additional non-reciprocating optical element following the input/output aperture in order to direct the light emitted from the emitter element and to direct the received light into the input/output aperture. a beam expander comprising: a first aperture; an input aperture lens configured to expand beams of light transmitted from the single aperture laser range finder, and reduce beams of light received by the single aperture laser range finder; and a matching lens that collimates light leaving the beam expander; a first aperture; an input aperture lens configured to expand beams of light transmitted from the single aperture laser range finder, and reduce beams of light received by the single aperture laser range finder; and a matching lens that collimates light leaving the beam expander; a single aperture optical circulator comprising: a non-fiber emitter channel associated with an emitter element and a non-fiber detector channel associated with a first detector element, wherein the non-fiber emitter channel and the non-fiber detector channel merge together at an input/output aperture; a non-reciprocating optical element configured to permit, as received light, light received from the matching lens to enter the non-fiber detector channel but to prevent the received light from entering the non-fiber emitter channel; and an additional non-reciprocating optical element following the input/output aperture in order to direct the light emitted from the emitter element and to direct the received light into the input/output aperture. a non-fiber emitter channel associated with an emitter element and a non-fiber detector channel associated with a first detector element, wherein the non-fiber emitter channel and the non-fiber detector channel merge together at an input/output aperture; a non-reciprocating optical element configured to permit, as received light, light received from the matching lens to enter the non-fiber detector channel but to prevent the received light from entering the non-fiber emitter channel; and an additional non-reciprocating optical element following the input/output aperture in order to direct the light emitted from the emitter element and to direct the received light into the input/output aperture.

Google Patents

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USPTO PDF

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