Continuous index of refraction compensation method for measurements in a medium

1. A method of making range, angle, or imaging measurements in a medium, the method comprising the steps of:

making a range, angle, or imaging measurement in a medium;

measuring or calculating an index of refraction of the medium; and

correcting the range, angle, or imaging measurement for errors associated with use of an approximate index of refraction different from the measured or calculated index of refraction of the medium.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the range or imaging measurement is made by a method selected from the group consisting of: laser scanning, ladar, flash ladar, laser triangulation, photometric stereo, stereoscopic vision, structured light, photoclinometry, stereo-photoclinometry, holographic systems, AMCW phase detection, chirped AMCW, amplitude FMCW, true FMCW, pulse modulation codes, time of flight pulse detection, and any combination of these, and wherein the angle or imaging measurement is made by a device comprising elements selected from the group consisting of scanning systems, a multi-detector system or camera (2D or 3D) where each detector pixel equates to an angle, and any combination of these.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the range or angle measurement and index of refraction measurement are made at locations within 20 meters of one another within the medium.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the range, angle, or imaging measurement is an electromagnetic energy based measurement and wherein the measurement of the index of refraction of the medium is made at the wavelength of the electromagnetic energy measurement.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of measuring or calculating an index of refraction of the medium comprises the steps of:

passing a beam of electromagnetic, acoustic or laser energy from a first medium into the medium;

determining a parameter of the beam of energy associated with the beam passing from the first medium into the medium; and

relating the parameter of the beam of energy to the index of refraction of the second medium.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the parameter of the beam of energy is selected from the group consisting of: an angular deflection of the beam, a spatial deflection of the beam over a known distance, a speed of the beam, a phase of the beam, a time required for the beam to traverse a known distance, a total internal reflection (TIR) angle for transmission of the beam from the first medium into the medium, an intensity change of the beam after TIR and any combination of these.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining step includes measuring a deflection of the beam by measuring a first deflection of the beam when the medium is a reference medium and measuring a second deflection of the beam when the medium is the medium for which the index of refraction is to be measured.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining step includes measuring a time required for the beam to traverse a known distance by measuring a first time required for the beam to traverse a known distance in the medium when the medium is a reference medium and measuring a second time required for the beam to traverse a known distance in the medium when the medium is the medium for which the index of refraction is to be measured.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining step includes

measuring a total internal reflection (TIR) angle for transmission of the beam from the first medium into the medium by measuring a first total internal reflection angle for transmission of the beam from the first medium into the medium when the medium is a reference medium and measuring a second total internal reflection angle for transmission of the beam from the first medium into the medium when the medium is the medium for which the index of refraction is to be measured; and/or

measuring an intensity change of the beam upon TIR.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first medium is a window comprising a material selected from the group consisting of glass, plastic, crystal, polymer, acrylic, sapphire, and any combination of these.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first medium comprises a gas, air or dry nitrogen.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medium is the medium for which the index of refraction is to be measured and comprises water, fresh water, sea water, or biological tissue.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of measuring or calculating an index of refraction of the medium comprises the steps of:

measuring a physical parameter of the medium selected from the group consisting of: a temperature of the medium, a pressure of the medium, a pH of the medium, a salinity of the medium and any combination of these; and

relating the physical parameter of the medium to the index of refraction of the medium, wherein the index of refraction is determined from the physical parameter(s) of the medium using a mathematical model, analytic function, look up table or interpolation between points in a look up table.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the look-up table includes values of the index of refraction of the medium for a range of values of the physical parameter of the medium.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the analytic function is a function of wavelength or the look-up table includes values of the index of refraction of the medium for a range of wavelength values; wherein one or more values corresponds to a wavelength utilized by a primary measurement sensor, and wherein the medium comprises water, fresh water, brackish water, seawater or biological tissue.