An apparatus is disclosed for generating a three-dimensional (3-D) image
of a scene illuminated by a pulsed light source (e.g. a laser or
light-emitting diode). The apparatus, referred to as a phase-sensitive
3-D imaging camera utilizes a two-dimensional (2-D) array of
photodetectors to receive light that is reflected or scattered from the
scene and processes an electrical output signal from each photodetector
in the 2-D array in parallel using multiple modulators, each having
inputs of the photodetector output signal and a reference signal, with
the reference signal provided to each modulator having a different phase
delay. The output from each modulator is provided to a computational unit
which can be used to generate intensity and range information for use in
generating a 3-D image of the scene. The 3-D camera is capable of
generating a 3-D image using a single pulse of light, or alternately can
be used to generate subsequent 3-D images with each additional pulse of
light.