Device and Method for Scanning Range Measurement

1 . A device for scanning measurement of a range to an object, comprising:

a light source configured to generate light having a varying frequency;

a light splitter configured to split the light generated by the light source into a plurality of light portions;

a plurality of processing units, wherein each processing unit comprises:

a switchable semiconductor optical amplifier connected to the light splitter and configured to amplify one of the light portions;

N free-space couplers where N is an integer that is 2 or greater, wherein each free-space coupler is configured to emit the light portion that is amplified by the switchable semiconductor optical amplifier; and

a 1×N switching matrix comprising a plurality of optical switches and connecting the switchable semiconductor optical amplifier to the N free-space couplers;

a control unit configured to control the switchable semiconductor optical amplifier and the switching matrix of each processing unit such that, at a given time, only the switchable semiconductor optical amplifier of one processing unit is in an “on” state so that only one of the free-space couplers of said one processing unit emits the light portion, wherein, if a switchable semiconductor optical amplifier of a processing unit is in an “off” state, at least one of the optical switches in the switching matrix of another processing unit is operated;

a collimating optical system having a front focal plane in which the free-space couplers are arranged;

a detector configured to detect a superposition of reflected light that was emitted by the free-space couplers and reflected at the object, and reference light that was not reflected at the object; and

a calculation unit configured to determine the range to the object based on the superposition detected by the detector.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the N free-space couplers of each processing unit are configured to receive the reflected light, and wherein each processing unit further comprises at least one detector that is connected to the N free-space couplers.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein each processing unit comprises a merging matrix that connects the N free-space couplers to the at least one detector.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the merging matrix comprises a plurality of further optical switches.

5 . The device of claim 2 , wherein each processing unit comprises a plurality of light separators that guides more than half of the reflected light coupled into one of the free-space couplers towards the detector.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the switchable semiconductor optical amplifiers and the switching matrices of the processing units in an alternating manner such that after a free-space coupler of one processing unit has emitted a light portion, a free-space coupler of another processing unit emits the next light portion.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the switchable semiconductor optical amplifiers such that, at a given time, one half of the switchable semiconductor optical amplifiers are in the “on” state, while the other half are in the “off” state.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each processing unit comprises a further light splitter configured to split off a sub-portion from one of the light portions before the latter enters the switching matrix, and wherein the sub-portion forms the reference light.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein each processing unit comprises at least two detectors and at least one reference light switch configured to distribute the reference light to the at least two detectors.

10 . A method for performing a scanning measurement of a range to an object, comprising the following steps:

generating light having a varying frequency;

splitting the light into a plurality of light portions;

processing each light portion in a different processing unit, wherein the processing comprises:

amplifying the respective light portion in a switchable semiconductor optical amplifier;

selecting a free-space coupler from a plurality of N free-space couplers;

controlling optical switches of a 1×N switching matrix such that the amplified light portion is guided towards the selected free-space coupler; and

emitting the amplified light portion by the selected free-space coupler into free-space;

collimating the amplified light portion emitted by the selected free-space coupler using a collimating optical system;

detecting a superposition of reflected light that was emitted by the selected free-space coupler and reflected at the object, and reference light that was not reflected at the object; and

calculating the range to the object based on the detected superposition;

wherein

the switchable semiconductor optical amplifier and the switching matrix of each processing unit is controlled such that at a given time only the switchable semiconductor optical amplifier of one processing unit is in an “on” state so that only the selected free-space coupler of said one processing unit emits the amplified light portion, wherein, if a switchable semiconductor optical amplifiers of a processing unit is in an “off” state, at least one of the optical switches in the switching matrix of another processing unit is operated.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the switchable semiconductor optical amplifiers and the switching matrices of the processing units are controlled in an alternating manner such that after a free-space coupler of one processing unit has emitted a light portion, a free-space coupler of another processing unit emits the next light portion.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the N free-space couplers of each processing unit receive the reflected light, and wherein at least one detector in each processing unit detects the reflected light.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the reflected light propagates through a merging matrix from the selected free-space coupler to the at least one detector.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein more than half of the reflected light is separated by light separators from an optical waveguide after entering the selected free-space coupler.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein in each processing unit a sub-portion from the respective light portion is split off before the respective light portion enters the switching matrix, and wherein the sub-portion forms the reference light.