Measurement apparatus, distance measurement apparatus, and measurement method

A distance measurement apparatus comprising:

• a light reception section including a light reception element group including plural light reception elements included in a target region;
• a control section that controls a first light reception element group and a second light reception element group included in the light reception element group, so as to read out the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group during periods different from each other;
• a time measurement section that measures, on a basis of a signal read out from at least one of the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group, a period of time from a light emission timing at which a light source emits light to a light reception timing at which each of the light reception elements, from which the signal is read out, among the plural light reception elements receives the light, to acquire measurement values;
• a generation section that generates a histogram of the measurement values acquired by the time measurement section;
• and
• a calculation section that performs calculation of a distance to a measurement target on a basis of the histogram, wherein
• a sum set of the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group includes all of the plural light reception elements,
• at least part of the first light reception element group is not included in the second light reception element group, and
• the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group do not include same light reception elements, and
• the plural light reception elements are arrayed in a two-dimensional grid pattern to form the light reception element group, and wherein
• the control section
• sequentially reads out plural first scanning ranges each including plural lines that are included in the first light reception element group and are arranged successively in a column direction of an array of the two-dimensional grid pattern,
• after the reading out of the plural first scanning ranges, sequentially reads out plural second scanning ranges each including plural lines that are included in the second light reception element group and are arranged successively in the column direction, and
• sets a distance between the plural first scanning ranges, a number of lines included in each of the plural first scanning ranges, a distance between the plural second scanning ranges, and the number of lines included in each of the plural second scanning ranges independently of each other.

A measurement method comprising:

• controlling a first light reception element group and a second light reception element group included in a light reception element group including plural light reception elements that are provided in a light reception section and are included in a target region, so as to read out the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group during periods different from each other;
• performing signal processing on a basis of a signal read out from at least one of the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group, wherein
• a sum set of the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group includes all of the plural light reception elements,
• at least part of the first light reception element group is not included in the second light reception element group,
• the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group do not include same light reception elements, and
• the plural light reception elements are arrayed in a two-dimensional grid pattern to form the light reception element group;
• sequentially reading out plural first scanning ranges each including plural lines that are included in the first light reception element group and are arranged successively in a column direction of the array of the two-dimensional grid pattern;
• and
• after the reading out of the plural first scanning ranges, sequentially reading out plural second scanning ranges each including plural lines that are included in the second light reception element group and are arranged successively in the column direction;
• and
• setting a distance between the plural first scanning ranges, a number of lines included in each of the plural first scanning ranges, a distance between the plural second scanning ranges, and the number of lines included in each of the plural second scanning ranges independently of each other.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for measurement, the program being executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

• controlling a first light reception element group and a second light reception element group included in a light reception element group including plural light reception elements that are provided in a light reception section and are included in a target region, so as to read out the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group during periods different from each other;
• performing signal processing on a basis of a signal read out from at least one of the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group, wherein
• a sum set of the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group includes all of the plural light reception elements,
• at least part of the first light reception element group is not included in the second light reception element group,
• the first light reception element group and the second light reception element group do not include same light reception elements, and
• the plural light reception elements are arrayed in a two-dimensional grid pattern to form the light reception element group;
• sequentially reading out plural first scanning ranges each including plural lines that are included in the first light reception element group and are arranged successively in a column direction of the array of the two-dimensional grid pattern;
• after the reading out of the plural first scanning ranges, sequentially reading out plural second scanning ranges each including plural lines that are included in the second light reception element group and are arranged successively in the column direction;
• and
• setting a distance between the plural first scanning ranges, a number of lines included in each of the plural first scanning ranges, a distance between the plural second scanning ranges, and the number of lines included in each of the plural second scanning ranges independently of each other.