Distance measurement system, distance measurement method, and program recording medium

A distance measurement method, comprising:

• emitting projected light for forming a pattern associated with a phase distribution displayed on a display part of a phase-modulation-type spatial light modulator element, toward at least two projection areas;
• capturing an area including a pattern to be formed by emitted projected light;
• verifying, for each of the projection areas, presence or absence of a target object within the projection area by analyzing captured imaging data;
• and
• measuring a distance to a detected target object.

A program recording medium recorded with a program that causes a computer to execute:

• processing of emitting projected light for forming a pattern associated with a phase distribution displayed on a display part of a phase-modulation-type spatial light modulator element, toward at least two projection areas;
• processing of capturing an area including a pattern to be formed by emitted projected light;
• processing of verifying, for each of the projection areas, presence or absence of a target object within the projection area by analyzing captured imaging data;
• and
• processing of measuring a distance to a detected target object.