{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11947009","patent":{"patent_number":"US-11947009","title":"Range imaging apparatus and method","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2019-04-04T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["G01S","G01S","G01S","G01S","G01S","G01S","G01S","G01S","G01S"],"num_claims":20,"abstract":"A semiconductor laser source of a transmitter (102) in a range imaging apparatus (100) generates an optical pulse at repeated moments, and outputs spatially separate optical beams towards a target zone (114), such that the semiconductor laser source outputs each of the spatially separate of the optical beams at different moments from each other. A detector (105) of a receiver (104) comprises single-photon sub-detector units, at least two groups of the single-photon sub-detector units have separate field of views towards the target zone (114), and the at least two groups of sub-detector units are associated with different optical beams of the spatially separated optical beams on the basis of the separate field-of-views. A timing unit (106) determines a value corresponding to a time-of-flight of the optical pulse output at each of the repeated moments on the basis of a signal from a group of the sub-detector units associated with an optical beams output at said moment. In an embodiment, the semiconductor laser source comprises a plurality of sub-source units each of which may output a unique optical beam. In an embodiment, the timing unit (106) comprises a selector and a number of time-to-digital converters (108). The receiver selector connects a number of the sub-detector units, which detect the optical pulse (110) and the number of which corresponds to the number of output beams, with the number of the time-to-digital converters (108). In an embodiment, the apparatus (100) comprises an electric power source (192) which supplies a constant electric power to the semiconductor laser source at each of the repeated moments in order to increase brightness of the optical beams. Elongated optical beams may be produced by a laser diode bar (several emitting stripes) and a cylinder lens system or a holographic diffuser. Partially overlapping optical beams may provide illuminated rectangles of the optical beams on the target (112)."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Range imaging apparatus and method","description":"A semiconductor laser source of a transmitter (102) in a range imaging apparatus (100) generates an optical pulse at repeated moments, and outputs spatially separate optical beams towards a target zon","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11947009","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11947009","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Range imaging apparatus and method\" (US-11947009). https://patentable.app/patents/US-11947009","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11947009","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-11947009","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-05-31T06:31:10.865Z"}