Optical distance measuring sensor and self-propelled cleaner

Abstract

An optical distance measuring sensor has a plurality of light-emitting elements (51-55), a light-emitting lens (1), a photodetector (4) having a light-receiving surface, a light emission driving part (31) to sequentially drive the light-emitting elements, and a distance signal outputting part (31). Light emitted from each light-emitting element passes through the light-emitting lens, then is reflected by an object (32) to be detected, and then gets incident on the light-receiving surface of the photodetector, which outputs a signal corresponding to a position of the incident light in the light-receiving surface. Upon receipt of the signal, the distance signal outputting part outputs a distance signal representing a distance to the object.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.