Distance image measuring device, and distance image measuring method

A distance image measuring device comprising:

• a light source configured to generate pulsed light;
• a light source controller configured to control the light source so as to repeatedly generate the pulsed light within a periodic frame period;
• a pixel circuit unit including a photoelectric conversion region that converts light into charges, first to M-th (M is an integer equal to or greater than 2) charge readout regions provided close to the photoelectric conversion region and spaced apart from each other, and first to M-th control electrodes respectively provided corresponding to the photoelectric conversion region and the first to the M-th charge readout regions and provided for applying first to M-th control pulses for charge transfer between the photoelectric conversion region and the first to the M-th charge readout regions;
• a charge transfer controller configured to repeatedly apply the first to the M-th control pulses to the first to the M-th control electrodes within the frame period while being delayed from generation timings of the pulsed light by the light source controller;
• and
• a signal readout circuit configured to read out detection signals corresponding to first to M-th charge amounts which are amounts of charges accumulated in the first to the M-th charge readout regions of the pixel circuit unit, from the first to the M-th charge readout regions,
• wherein the signal readout circuit reads out the detection signals from a group of charge readout regions obtained by dividing the first to the M-th charge readout regions into N (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2) at different readout timings for each group of the charge readout regions divided into N within the frame period, and
• the detection signals are read out so that a length of a subframe period sandwiched between the readout timings of the respective groups of the charge readout regions within the one frame period is different among the groups of the charge readout regions, and the subframe period of the group of the charge readout regions for which a time window corresponding to a long distance is set becomes longer than the subframe period of the group of the charge readout regions for which a time window corresponding to a short distance is set.