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US 5,850,282 AGranted
Distance measuring device
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorAkira Egawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Light projected by a light projecting portion and reflected by an object is received by two sensor arrays (105, 106). Difference signals between signals respectively added by ring CCDs (113b, 114b) in correspondence with the ON and OFF states of the light projecting portion are calculated, and the distance to the object to be measured is calculated on the basis of the relative values of the positions of the difference signals on the sensor arrays (105, 106). The two sensor arrays (105, 106) form the base length, and the light projecting portion (104) is disposed at a position offset from the base length.
Claims26
A distance measuring device comprising:
- light projecting means for projecting light onto an object to be measured;
- first and second sensor arrays, each comprising an array of a plurality of sensors, said first and second sensor arrays receiving light beams reflected by the object to be measured via first and second optical paths, and photoelectrically converting the light beams;
- signal transfer means, having at least a portion coupled in a ring shape, for transferring signals from the sensors of said first and second sensor arrays;
- and
- control means for obtaining two difference signals of signals from said first and second sensor arrays in correspondence with ON and OFF periods of said light projecting means, and calculating a distance to the object to be measured on the basis of a relationship between said two difference signals.
2 more elements
A distance measuring device comprising:
- light projecting means for projecting a light spot onto an object to be measured, a distance to which is to be measured;
- first and second sensor arrays, each comprising an array of a plurality of sensors, said first and second sensor arrays receiving light reflected by the object to be measured and photoelectrically converting the received light;
- charge transfer means, having a ring portion, at least a portion of which is coupled in a ring shape, for sequentially accumulating charges;
- skim means for removing a predetermined amount of charges from the charges transferred by said charge transfer means;
- and
- control means for selectively performing first processing in which signal charges from the sensors of said first and second sensor arrays in ON and OFF states of said light projecting means are circulated through the ring portion while operating said skim means, difference signals of signals from said first and second sensor arrays in correspondence with the ON and OFF states of the projected light spot are calculated, and a distance to the object to be measured is obtained on the basis of relative values of positions of the difference signals on said first and second sensor arrays, and
- second processing in which signal charges from the sensors of said first and second sensor arrays in an OFF state of said light projecting means are circulated through the ring portion without operating said skim means, and a distance to the object to be measured is obtained on the basis of relative Values of positions of signals from said first and second sensor arrays on said first and second sensor arrays.
4 more elements
A distance measuring device comprising:
- light projecting means for projecting a light spot onto an object to be measured, a distance to which is to be measured;
- first and second sensor arrays, each comprising an array of a plurality of sensors, said first and second sensor arrays receiving light reflected by the object to be measured and photoelectrically converting the received light;
- charge transfer means, having a ring portion, at least a portion of which is coupled in a ring shape, for sequentially accumulating charges;
- skim means for removing a predetermined amount of charges from the charges transferred by said charge transfer means;
- and
- control means for selectively performing first processing in which signal charges from the sensors of said first and second sensor arrays in ON and OFF states of said light projecting means are circulated through the ring portion while operating said skim means, difference signals of signals from said first and second sensor arrays in correspondence with the ON and OFF states of the projected light spot are calculated, and a distance to the object to be measured is obtained on the basis of relative values of positions of the difference signals on said first and second sensor arrays, and
- second processing in which when a contrast of signals from said first and second sensor arrays in an OFF state of said light projecting means is lower than a predetermined value, the ring portion performs charge accumulation by circulating signal charges from the sensors of said first and second sensor arrays through the ring portion while operating said skim means until the contrast becomes higher than the predetermined value, and a distance to the object to be measured is obtained on the basis of relative values of positions of signals from said first and second sensor arrays on said first and second sensor arrays.
4 more elements
A distance measuring device comprising:
- first and second sensor arrays, each comprising an array of a plurality of sensors, said first and second sensor arrays receiving light reflected by an object to be measured and photoelectrically converting the received light;
- charge transfer means, having a ring portion, at least a portion of which is coupled in a ring shape, for sequentially accumulating charges;
- skim means for removing a predetermined amount of charges from the charges transferred by said charge transfer means;
- and
- control means for, when a contrast of signals from said first and second sensor arrays is lower than a predetermined value, performing charge accumulation using the ring portion by circulating signal charges from the sensors of said first and second sensor arrays through the ring portion while operating said skim means until the contrast becomes higher than the predetermined value, and obtaining a distance to the object to be measured on the basis of relative values of positions of signals from said first and second sensor arrays on said first and second sensor arrays.
2 more elements
A distance measuring device for measuring a distance to an object, comprising:
- light projecting means for projecting light onto an object;
- light-receiving means for receiving light reflected by the object at two different light-receiving portions, and converting the light received by said light-receiving portions into respective image signals;
- signal transfer means for circulating the image signals converted by said light-receiving means in a ring pattern and outputting the circulated signals, wherein the image signals from said light-receiving means are added to signals circulated by said signal transfer means in synchronism with a round of the image signals circulated through said signal transfer means;
- and
- distance measuring means for acquiring two difference signals, each of which corresponds to said two light-receiving portions, where each of said two difference signals is a difference between an image signal corresponding to light received by said light-receiving means when said light projecting means projects light and an image signal corresponding to light received by said light-receiving means when said light projecting means does not project light, and where distance information is obtained to the object on the basis of an offset amount between said two difference signals,
- wherein said distance measuring means acquires the two difference signals from image signals outputted by said signal transfer means.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.