Range imaging apparatus and range imaging method

A range imaging method, comprising:

• emitting a light pulse to a subject from a light source unit of a range imaging apparatus;
• and
• calculating a distance to the subject by using a range computing unit of the range imaging apparatus,
• wherein the range imaging apparatus includes the light source configured to emit the light pulse to the subject, a light receiving unit comprising a plurality of pixel circuits and a pixel driver circuit, and the range computing unit comprising circuitry configured to calculate the distance to the subject based on an amount of charge, the pixel circuits in the light receiving unit are formed in a two-dimensional matrix and have a photoelectric conversion device configured to generate charge corresponding to incident light and a plurality of charge storages configured to store the charge such that the charge storages are N charge storages where the N≥3, the pixel driver circuit in the light receiving unit is configured to distribute and store the charge into the charge storages at a storage timing synchronized with emission of the light pulse, the circuitry of the range computing unit is configured to calculate the distance to the subject based on the amount of charge stored in each of the charge storages, the light pulse is structured light comprising a plurality of light dots, and the circuitry of the range computing unit is configured to calculate the distance to the subject by using a value obtained by subtracting a second amount of charge based on an amount of charge stored in a second one of the charge storages in a second pixel circuit of the pixel circuits from a first amount of charge stored in a first one of the charge storages in a first pixel circuit of the pixel circuits such that the first pixel circuit receives directly reflected light and the second pixel circuit is formed near the first pixel circuit and does not receive the directly reflected light.