초록 ▼

A system is presented for the remote detection and imaging of objects at night. In accordance with the present invention, a laser is used to generate short pulses of infrared light with pulse widths on the order of nanoseconds. The laser light is expanded by optics and projected at the target scene.

A system is presented for the remote detection and imaging of objects at night. In accordance with the present invention, a laser is used to generate short pulses of infrared light with pulse widths on the order of nanoseconds. The laser light is expanded by optics and projected at the target scene. An intensified CCD (charge coupled device) camera is electronically shuttered after an appropriate time delay such that the image formed by the camera is composed of infrared light backscattered by the target from a range of r.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of detecting and imaging an object at night or where atmospheric propagation of visible light is severely hampered by fog, dust, smoke, haze or snow including the steps of: selectively generating pulses of non-visible light; projecting said pulses of non-visible light at an object at night

A method of detecting and imaging an object at night or where atmospheric propagation of visible light is severely hampered by fog, dust, smoke, haze or snow including the steps of: selectively generating pulses of non-visible light; projecting said pulses of non-visible light at an object at night or where atmospheric propagation of visible light is severely hampered by fog, dust, smoke, haze or snow; detecting said pulses of light reflected back from said object after a time delay corresponding to the round-trip propagation time of said light pulses to and from said object using at least one camera means; detecting the leading edge of light reflected back from said object using glint detection means; gating said at least one camera means on one pulse after said glint detection means detects the leading edge of the reflected light; and converting the detected pulses of non-visible light to a video image of said object.