Distance measuring apparatus and distance measuring method

A distance measuring method that measures a distance to a measurement target from a plurality of directions, comprising:

• launching, from first and second sensor units having identical two-dimensional scan type configurations, a first laser beam emitted from a first laser light source of the first sensor unit and a second laser beam emitted from a second laser light source of the second sensor unit, and receiving, by a first multi-segment light receiving element of the first sensor unit and a second multi-segment light receiving element of the second sensor unit, reflected light from the measurement target by the first and second multi-segment light receiving elements, respectively;
• specifying, by a processor, at least one light receiving part of the first multi-segment light receiving element of the first sensor unit, that receives the second laser beam launched from the second sensor unit in a state in which the measurement target is non-detectable by the first sensor unit;
• adjusting, by the processor, a phase in a vertical scan direction of the second laser beam launched from the second sensor unit with respect to a phase in the vertical scan direction of the first laser beam launched from the first sensor unit, until the at least one light receiving part of the first multi-segment light receiving element of the first sensor unit no longer receives the second laser beam launched from the second sensor unit;
• and
• integrating, by the processor, range images from the first and second sensor units after the phase in the vertical scan direction of the second laser beam launched from the second sensor unit is adjusted.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer to perform a process comprising:

• launching, from first and second sensor units having identical two-dimensional scan type configurations, a first laser beam emitted from a first laser light source of the first sensor unit and a second laser beam emitted from a second laser light source of the second sensor unit, and receiving, by a first multi-segment light receiving element of the first sensor unit and a second multi-segment light receiving element of the second sensor unit, reflected light from the measurement target by the first and second multi-segment light receiving elements, respectively;
• specifying at least one light receiving part of the first multi-segment light receiving element of the first sensor unit, that receives the second laser beam launched from the second sensor unit in a state in which the measurement target is non-detectable by the first sensor unit;
• adjusting a phase in a vertical scan direction of the second laser beam launched from the second sensor unit with respect to a phase in the vertical scan direction of the first laser beam launched from the first sensor unit, until the at least one light receiving part of the first multi-segment light receiving element of the first sensor unit no longer receives the second laser beam launched from the second sensor unit;
• and
• integrating range images from the first and second sensor units after the phase in the vertical scan direction of the second laser beam launched from the second sensor unit is adjusted.