Distance-measuring imaging device

A distance-measuring imaging device which emits pulsed light, receives reflected light from a target object, and measures a distance to the target object, the distance-measuring imaging device comprising:

• a drive controller which outputs (i) an emission control signal having one or more emission control pulses each of which instructs emission of light and (ii) one or more exposure control signals each having one or more exposure control pulses each of which instructs exposure;
• a light source which emits the pulsed light to coincide with an output timing of each of the one or more emission control pulses;
• an imager which executes exposure to receive reflected light resulting from the pulsed light emitted being reflected by the target object, to coincide with an output timing of each of the one or more exposure control pulses, and outputs a corresponding one of the one or more exposure signals each indicating an amount of signal charge generated through exposure;
• and
• a calculator which receives the exposure signal as an input, performs distance calculation, and outputs a distance image,
• wherein the drive controller generates an exposure control signal which has a first exposure control pulse, a second exposure control pulse, and a third exposure control pulse which are included in the one or more exposure control pulses, each of the first exposure control pulse, the second exposure control pulse, and the third exposure control pulse being based on the output timing of a corresponding emission control pulse as a reference and included in the one or more emission control pulses,
• a time difference between a point of time at which output of the third exposure control pulse is started and a point of time at which output of one of the one or more emission control pulses is started is greater than a time difference between a point of time at which output of the second exposure control pulse is started and a point of time at which output of one of the one or more emission control pulses is started,
• a time difference between a point of time at which output of the second exposure control pulse is started and a point of time at which output of one of the one or more emission control pulses is started is greater than a time difference between a point of time at which output of the first exposure control pulse is started and a point of time at which output of one of the one or more emission control pukes is started, and
• the imager outputs a first exposure signal indicating an amount of signal charge generated through exposure by the first exposure control puke, a second exposure signal indicating an amount of signal charge generated through exposure by the second exposure control puke, and a third exposure signal indicating an amount of signal charge generated through exposure by the third exposure control pulse.