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US 11,378,687 B2Granted
Distance measurement apparatus and distance measurement method
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsTakahiro Koyama, Toyoharu Oohata, Tomoki Ono
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A distance measurement apparatus including at least one measurement unit, in which the measurement unit includes: a voltage level converter that applies an arbitrary bias to a voltage obtained on the basis of an output from a light receiver to offset a level of the voltage; an amplifier that amplifies a voltage output from the voltage level converter; and a measurement section that measures a timing at which an output from the amplifier reaches a predetermined threshold.
Claims10
A distance measurement apparatus, comprising:
- a first measurement unit that includes:
- a plurality of determination units, wherein each of the plurality of determination units is configured to receive a voltage that is associated with an output from a first light receiver, wherein
- each of the plurality of determination units is associated with a respective first threshold voltage, and
- each of the plurality of determination units is configured to compare the voltage with the respective first threshold voltage;
- a voltage level converter configured to apply an arbitrary bias to the voltage to offset a level of the voltage, wherein a bias amount of the applied arbitrary bias is based on the comparison;
- a first amplifier configured to amplify the offset voltage;
- and
- a first measurement section configured to measure a first timing at which the amplified voltage reaches a second threshold voltage.
5 more elements
A distance measurement method, comprising:
- in a distance measurement apparatus that includes a plurality of determination units, a voltage level converter, an amplifier, and a measurement section:
- receiving, by each of the plurality of determination units, a voltage that is associated with an output from a light receiver, wherein each of the plurality of determination units is associated with a respective first threshold voltage;
- comparing, by each of the plurality of determination units, the voltage with the respective first threshold voltage;
- applying, by the voltage level converter, an arbitrary bias to the voltage to offset a level of the voltage, wherein a bias amount of the applied arbitrary bias is based on the comparison;
- amplifying, by the amplifier, the offset voltage;
- and
- measuring, by the measurement section, a timing at which the amplified voltage reaches a second threshold voltage.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.