초록

A laser apparatus includes a laser capable of generating a laser signal; structure for conditioning the laser signal; and structure for varying the beamwidth of the laser signal as it is scanned into the field of view.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A laser apparatus, comprising: a laser capable of generating a long range laser signal on board in an airborne vehicle;means for conditioning the laser signal; andmeans for varying the beamwidth of the conditioned laser signal as it is scanned into a field of view. 2. The laser apparatus of claim

1. A laser apparatus, comprising: a laser capable of generating a long range laser signal on board in an airborne vehicle;means for conditioning the laser signal; andmeans for varying the beamwidth of the conditioned laser signal as it is scanned into a field of view. 2. The laser apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser comprises a continuous wave laser. 3. The laser apparatus of claim 2, wherein the continuous wave laser comprises an unswitched fiber laser, an unswitched diode laser, or an unswitched gas laser. 4. The laser apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conditioning means includes at least one of: an expansion lens for modifying the beam divergence of the laser signal;an acousto-optical modulator for frequency modulating the laser signal; anda beam splitter. 5. The laser apparatus of claim 4, wherein the conditioning means comprises the expansion lens and the expansion lens expands the beam divergence of the laser signal. 6. The laser apparatus of claim 4, wherein the conditioning means comprises the expansion lens and the expansion lens narrows the beam divergence of the laser signal. 7. The laser apparatus of claim 4, wherein the conditioning means comprises the acousto-optical modulator and the acousto-optical modulator frequency modulates the laser signal in azimuth. 8. The laser apparatus of claim 4, wherein the conditioning means comprises the acousto-optical modulator and the acousto-optical modulator frequency modulates the laser signal in elevation. 9. The laser apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beamwidth varying means includes means for translating the laser in the direction of propagation for the laser signal. 10. The laser apparatus of claim 9, wherein the translating means is further capable of reciprocating the laser in the direction of propagation for the laser signal. 11. The laser apparatus of claim 9, wherein the translating means includes: a sled to which the laser is affixed;a pair of rails paralleling the direction of propagation for the laser signal and to which the sled is mounted; anda drive capable of driving the sled along the rails. 12. The laser apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beamwidth varying means includes: a sled to which the laser is affixed;a pair of rails paralleling the direction of propagation for the laser signal and to which the sled is mounted; anda drive capable of driving the sled along the rails. 13. The laser apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for scanning the conditioned laser signal into the field of view. 14. The laser apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scanning means includes: means for sweeping the conditioned laser signal in azimuth; andmeans for sweeping the conditioned laser signal in elevation. 15. The laser apparatus of claim 14, wherein the azimuth sweeping means comprises means for electro-optically sweeping the conditioned laser signal in azimuth. 16. The laser apparatus of claim 15, wherein the electro-optical sweeping means comprises an electrically driven acousto-optical modulator. 17. The laser apparatus of claim 16, wherein the acousto-optical modulator also comprises a portion of the conditioning means. 18. The laser apparatus of claim 14, wherein the elevation sweeping means comprises a mechanical sweeping means. 19. The laser apparatus of claim 18, wherein the mechanical sweeping means includes an electrically driven mirror. 20. The laser apparatus of claim 14, wherein the elevation sweeping means comprises means for electro-optically sweeping the conditioned laser signal in elevation. 21. The laser apparatus of claim 20, wherein the electro-optical sweeping means comprises an electrically driven acousto-optical modulator. 22. The laser apparatus of claim 21, wherein the acousto-optical modulator also comprises a portion of the conditioning means. 23. The laser apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an electrically driven acousto-optical modulator capable of scanning the conditioned laser signal into the field of view in azimuth; andan electrically driven mirror capable of scanning the conditioned laser signal into the field of view in elevation. 24. The laser apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conditioning means includes means for frequency encoding the laser signal in azimuth. 25. The laser apparatus of claim 24, wherein the frequency encoding means includes an electrically driven acousto-optical modulator. 26. The laser apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conditioning means includes means for frequency encoding the laser signal in azimuth as it is scanned into the field of view. 27. A laser apparatus, comprising: a laser capable of generating a long range laser signal on board in an airborne vehicle;means for conditioning the laser signal; andmeans for scanning the conditioned laser signal into a field of view, including: means for electro-optically sweeping the conditioned laser signal in azimuth; andmeans for sweeping the conditioned laser signal in elevation. 28. The laser apparatus of claim 27, wherein the laser comprises a continuous wave laser. 29. The laser apparatus of claim 28, wherein the continuous wave laser comprises an unswitched fiber laser, an unswitched diode laser, or an unswitched gas laser. 30. The laser apparatus of claim 27, wherein the conditioning means includes at least one of: an expansion lens for expanding the diameter and decreasing the divergence of the laser signal;an acousto-optical modulator for frequency modulating the laser signal in azimuth; anda beam splitter for splitting the laser signal. 31. The laser apparatus of claim 27, wherein the conditioning means includes means for frequency encoding the conditioned signal. 32. The laser apparatus of claim 27, wherein the electro-optical sweeping means comprises an electrically driven acousto-optical modulator. 33. The laser apparatus of claim 32, wherein the acousto-optical modulator also comprises a portion of the conditioning means. 34. The laser apparatus of claim 27, wherein the elevation sweeping means comprises a mechanical sweeping means. 35. The laser apparatus of claim 34, wherein the elevation sweeping means includes an electrically driven mirror. 36. The laser apparatus of claim 27, wherein the elevation sweeping means comprises means for electro-optically sweeping the conditioned laser signal in elevation. 37. The laser apparatus of claim 36, wherein the electro-optical elevation sweeping means comprises an electrically driven acousto-optical modulator. 38. The laser apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for varying the beamwidth of the laser signal as it is scanned into the field of view. 39. The laser apparatus of claim 38, wherein the beamwidth varying means includes means for translating the laser in the direction of propagation for the laser signal. 40. The laser apparatus of claim 39, wherein the translating means is further capable of reciprocating the laser in the direction of propagation for the laser signal. 41. The laser apparatus of claim 39, wherein the translating means includes: a sled to which the laser is affixed;a pair of rails paralleling the direction of propagation for the laser signal and to which the sled is mounted; anda drive capable of driving the sled along the rails. 42. The laser apparatus of claim 38, wherein the beamwidth varying means includes: a sled to which the laser is affixed;a pair of rails paralleling the direction of propagation for the laser signal and to which the sled is mounted; anda drive capable of driving the sled along the rails. 43. A method, comprising: generating a long range laser signal on board an airborne vehicle;conditioning the laser signal; andvarying the beamwidth of the conditioned laser signal as it is scanned into a field of view. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein varying the beamwidth includes translating a laser in the direction of propagation for the laser signal. 45. The method of claim 43, further comprising scanning the conditioned laser signal into the field of view. 46. The method of claim 45, wherein the scanning the conditioned laser signal includes: sweeping the conditioned laser signal in azimuth; andsweeping the conditioned laser signal in elevation. 47. The method of claim 43, wherein the conditioning includes frequency encoding the laser signal in azimuth. 48. The method of claim 43, wherein the conditioning includes frequency encoding the laser signal in azimuth as it is scanned into the a field of view.