Distance measurement device and distance measurement system

A system including two or more distance measurement devices having distance measurement ranges that are adjacent to each other or partially overlap each other, wherein

• each of the two or more distance measurement devices includes
• a light emission device configured to change an irradiation range of light,
• a light reception device which detects reflected light generated from the light emitted from the light emission device when reflected at a target object and outputs a detection signal, and
• a processing circuit having a function to communicate with another distance measurement device in the system and which determines the position of the target object by calculating the distance to the target object based on the detection signal, and
• the processing circuit
• generates, based on the determined position of the target object, first setting data for defining an irradiation range of light to be emitted from the other distance measurement device and transmits the first setting data to the other distance measurement device, and
• controls light emission from the light emission device in accordance with second setting data for defining an irradiation range of light to be emitted from the light emission device, when having received the second setting data from the other distance measurement device.

A method executed by a computer of a distance measurement device in a system including two or more distance measurement devices having distance measurement ranges that are adjacent to each other or partially overlap each other, the method comprising:

• causing a light emission device to emit light, the light emission device being configured to change an irradiation range of the light;
• causing a light reception device to detect reflected light generated from the light emitted from the light emission device when reflected at a target object and to output a detection signal;
• determining the position of the target object by calculating the distance to the target object based on the detection signal;
• generating, based on the determined position of the target object, first setting data for defining an irradiation range of light to be emitted from another distance measurement device in the system, and transmitting the first setting data to the other distance measurement device;
• and
• controlling light emission from the light emission device in accordance with second setting data for defining an irradiation range of light to be emitted from the light emission device, when having received the second setting data from the other distance measurement device.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program executed by a computer of a distance measurement device in a system including two or more distance measurement devices having distance measurement ranges that are adjacent to each other or partially overlap each other, the computer program causing the computer to execute:

• causing a light emission device to emit light, the light emission device being configured to change an irradiation range of the light;
• causing a light reception device to detect reflected light generated from the light emitted from the light emission device when reflected at a target object and to output a detection signal;
• determining the position of the target object by calculating the distance to the target object based on the detection signal;
• generating, based on the determined position of the target object, first setting data for defining an irradiation range of light to be emitted from another distance measurement device in the system, and transmitting the first setting data to the other distance measurement device;
• and
• controlling light emission from the light emission device in accordance with second setting data for defining an irradiation range of light to be emitted from the light emission device, when having received the second setting data from the other distance measurement device.