System for the optical detection of a distant object using a rotating mirror

1. A system for the optical detection of a distant object, the system comprising

a light beam generating device which generates a parallel light beam;

a scanning unit which generates a scan pattern by deflecting the parallel light beam over a defined angular range; and

a detector unit which detects light reflected by the distant object,

wherein the scanning unit includes a rotating polygonal mirror with several reflecting partial mirror surfaces, the light beam generating device generates a parallel light beam in two different beam positions which, in response to a rotating position indicating signal indicating the rotating position of the polygonal mirror, can be switched over from one partial mirror surface to an adjacent partial mirror surface.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the two different beam positions are mutually offset in parallel.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the light beam generating device includes two light sources which generate the parallel light beam in the two different beam positions.

4. A system for the optical detection of a distant object, the system comprising

a light beam generating device which generates a parallel light beam;

a scanning unit which generates a scan pattern by deflecting the parallel light beam over a defined angular range; and

a detector unit which detects light reflected by the distant object,

wherein the scanning unit includes a rotating polygonal mirror with several reflecting partial mirror surfaces, the light beam generating device generates a parallel light beam in two different beam positions which, in response to a rotating position indicating signal indicating the rotating position of the polygonal mirror, can be switched over from one partial mirror surface to an adjacent partial mirror surface,

wherein the light beam generating device includes a light source, and a beam position switching unit is between the light source and the scanning unit, the beam switching unit switches over the beam position of the parallel light beam from one partial mirror surface to an adjacent partial mirror surface in response to the rotating position indicating signal indicating the rotating position of the polygonal mirror.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the beam position switching unit has, successively arranged in the beam path, a polarizer which generates polarized light of a defined polarization condition from the light emitted by the light source, a Pockels cell which switches over the polarization condition of the light emitted by the polarizer between a first polarization condition and a second polarization condition, and a first polarization beam splitter which scatters the light having the first polarization condition in a first beam position in which the parallel light beam impinges on the one partial mirror surface, and which scatters the light having the second polarization condition in a second beam position, in which the parallel light beam impinges on the adjacent partial mirror surface.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the polarizer includes a second polarization beam splitter with a λ/2-plate connected on the output side, which generates the polarized light of the one defined polarization condition.

7. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the first polarization beam splitter in each case contains includes a λ/4-plate in the beam path of the light having the first polarization condition and in the beam path of the light having the second polarization condition which generates the parallel light beam with circularly polarized light.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning unit includes the rotating polygonal mirror which deflects the parallel light beam in a first direction and includes a swivelling mirror in the beam path which deflects the parallel light beam in a second direction.

9. A system for the optical detection of a distant object, the system comprising

a light beam generating device which generates a parallel light beam;

a scanning unit which generates a scan pattern by deflecting the parallel light beam over a defined angular range; and

a detector unit which detects light reflected by the distant object,

wherein the scanning unit includes a rotating polygonal mirror with several reflecting partial mirror surfaces, the light beam generating device generates a parallel light beam in two different beam positions which, in response to a rotating position indicating signal indicating the rotating position of the polygonal mirror, can be switched over from one partial mirror surface to an adjacent partial mirror surface,

wherein the scanning unit includes the rotating polygonal mirror which deflects the parallel light beam in a first direction and includes a swivelling mirror in the beam path which deflects the parallel light beam in a second direction, and

wherein the polygonal mirror deflects the parallel light beam in the horizontal direction, and the swivelling mirror deflects the parallel light beam in the vertical direction.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the detector unit includes a detector and a lens system which images the light reflected by the distant object on the detector.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the detector is a site-resolving detector.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the detector is a one-dimensional detector.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the detector has a spherical or cylindrical image surface.

14. A system for the optical detection of a distant object, the system comprising

a light beam generating device which generates a parallel light beam;

a scanning unit which generates a scan pattern by deflecting the parallel light beam over a defined angular range; and

a detector unit which detects light reflected by the distant object,

wherein the scanning unit includes a rotating polygonal mirror with several reflecting partial mirror surfaces, the light beam generating device generates a parallel light beam in two different beam positions which, in response to a rotating position indicating signal indicating the rotating position of the polygonal mirror, can be switched over from one partial mirror surface to an adjacent partial mirror surface,

wherein the detector unit includes a detector and a lens system which images the light reflected by the distant object on the detector,

wherein the detector is a site-resolving detector,

wherein the detector is a one-dimensional detector, and

wherein a swivelling mirror which adapts the direction of the light received by the detector unit to the direction of the light emitted by the scanning unit is in the beam path of the light reflected by the distant object in front of the detection unit.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the swivelling mirror which adapts the direction of the light received by the detector unit to the direction of the light emitted by the scanning unit is the same swivelling mirror which is provided for deflects the parallel light beam in the second direction.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the lens system of the detector unit is a double Gauss type lens system.

17. A method for monitoring the air space situated in the flight direction in front of an aircraft for poorly recognizable obstacles, the method comprising the acts of:

generating, by a light beam generating device, a parallel light beam in a first beam position;

generating, by a scanning unit that includes a rotating polygonal mirror with several reflecting partial mirror surfaces, a scan pattern by deflecting the parallel light beam over a defined angular range

generating, by the light beam generating device in response to a rotating position indicating signal indicating the rotating position of the polygonal mirror, a parallel light beam in a second beam position that switches over from one partial mirror surface of the first beam position to an adjacent partial mirror surface; and

detecting, by a detector unit, light reflected by the distant object.