# US 10,480,930 B2 · Optical displacement measuring instrument, adjustment method and measuring method of optical displacement measuring instrument

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- Number: US 10,480,930 B2
- Document ID: US10480930B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/902,405
- Filed: 2018-02-22
- Published: 2018-09-13
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-10
- Assignees: Mitutoyo Corporation
- Applicants: Mitutoyo Corporation
- Inventors: Kentaro Tamura; Masaoki Yamagata
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480930B2

## CPC

- G01B 11/02: for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B11/08 takes precedence)
- G01B 11/026: {by measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B11/0608 takes precedence)}
- G01C 3/00: Measuring distances in line of sight; Optical rangefinders (tapes, chains or wheels for measuring length G01B3/00; active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, G01S17/48)
- G01B 11/24: for measuring contours or curvatures
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

Provided is an optical displacement meter capable of enlarging an output signal region with respect to a region in which a light-receiving amount needs to be measured, a method for adjusting an optical displacement meter, and an optical displacement measuring method. The optical displacement meter includes a light-receiving element in which a maximum value of an output signal is set with respect to a boundary value, which is a maximum value of a region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured. The entire region of the output signal of the light-receiving element can be assigned to the valid region, in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured with an optical displacement meter, and the optical displacement meter can have an enlarged output signal region with respect to the region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical displacement meter comprising:
a light-emitting element for irradiating a measurement subject with a measurement light;
a light-receiving element for receiving a reflected light reflected by the measurement subject; and
a control device for controlling the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element and for processing an output signal of the light-receiving element to measure a displacement of the measurement subject,
wherein the control device sets a maximum value of the output signal of the light-receiving element with respect to a maximum value of a region in which a light-receiving amount needs to be measured.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical displacement meter according to claim 1, wherein the light-receiving element comprises an amplifier configured to amplify the output signal such that the maximum value of the output signal is set with respect to the maximum value of the region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical displacement meter according to claim 1, wherein the control device sets the output signal to be maximized in a case where the light-receiving amount is the maximum within the region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optical displacement meter according to claim 1, wherein the control device sets the output signal by using a logarithmic curve or a quadratic curve in which the output signal is maximized in a case where the light-receiving amount is the maximum within the region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured.

### Claim 5

A method for adjusting an optical displacement meter comprising:
setting a maximum value of a region in which a light-receiving amount needs to be measured as a light-receiving element of the optical displacement meter; and
adjusting the light-receiving element so that an output signal is maximized in a case where the light-receiving element receives the maximum value of the region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method for adjusting an optical displacement meter according to claim 5, wherein the adjusting the light-receiving element comprises amplifying the output signal such that the output signal is maximized in a case where the light-receiving element receives the maximum value of the region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method for adjusting an optical displacement meter according to claim 5, wherein the adjusting the light-receiving element comprises setting the output signal to be maximized in a case where the light-receiving amount is the maximum within the region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method for adjusting an optical displacement meter according to claim 5, wherein the adjusting the light-receiving element comprises setting the output signal by using a logarithmic curve or a quadratic curve in which the output signal is maximized in a case where the light-receiving amount is the maximum within the region in which the light-receiving amount needs to be measured.