Systems, Methods, and Apparatus for Doppler LIDAR

• Main Authors: IONOV PAVEL IGOREVICH, BECK STEVEN M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.07.2013
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION,OR SHOCK; METEOROLOGY; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TESTING

Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for Doppler light detection and ranging (LIDAR). According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for measuring atmospheric wind speed. The method includes tuning, in sequence, light output of a laser to a first wavelength and a second wavelength, wherein the first wavelength and the second wavelength are symmetric about a maximum transmission wavelength peak associated with a Fabry-Perot etalon; directing the light output to one or more portions of the atmosphere; receiving backscattered light from the one or more portions of the atmosphere; directing the received backscatter light through the Fabry-Perot etalon; detecting a transmission signal corresponding to light transmitted through the Fabry-Perot etalon; and determining, by at least the transmission signal, atmospheric wind speed at one or more portions of the atmosphere.