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US 7,623,779 B2Granted
Distance-measuring apparatus, distance-measuring method, and recording medium
AssigneeCasio Computer Co., Ltd.
InventorsHideaki Inoue, Toshiharu Arai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A phase difference sensor is arranged toward a target object such that the sensor can rotate at least 180° on its sensor optical axis. As the phase difference sensor rotates, the angle of a sensor viewing field is changed, and the distance to the target object is correctly computed using results measured before and after the change in the angle.
Claims16
A distance-measuring apparatus comprising:
- a phase-difference sensor which includes at least two photodetectors arranged in line, and which measures a distance to a target object using a phase difference system;
- a rotation unit which rotates the phase difference sensor on a sensor optical axis as a rotational axis, the sensor optical axis being a straight line which extends in a measurement direction from a center of the phase difference sensor and which is perpendicular to a line direction in which the photodetectors are arranged;
- and
- a computation unit which computes, as distance data, an average value of measurement results obtained by the phase difference sensor, the measurement results including at least a measurement result obtained when the phase difference sensor is in a first measurement position and a measurement result obtained when the phase difference sensor is in a second measurement position defined by rotating the phase difference sensor 180° from the first measurement position.
1 more element
A distance-measuring method comprising:
- performing a first measurement process of measuring a distance to a target object in a first measurement position using a phase difference sensor by a phase difference system, the phase difference sensor including at least two photodetectors arranged in line;
- rotating the phase difference sensor on a sensor optical axis as a rotational axis, the sensor optical axis being a straight line which extends in a measurement direction from a center of the phase difference sensor and which is perpendicular to a line direction in which the photodetectors are arranged;
- performing a second measurement process of measuring a distance to the target object in a second measurement position using the phase difference sensor, the second measurement position being defined by rotating the phase difference sensor 180° from the first measurement position;
- and
- computing, as distance data, an average value of at least a measurement result obtained in the first measurement process and a measurement result obtained in the second measurement process.
2 more elements
A computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for controlling a computer to perform functions comprising:
- performing a first measurement function of measuring a distance to a target object in a first measurement position using a phase difference sensor by a phase difference system, the phase difference sensor including at least two photodetectors arranged in line;
- rotating the phase difference sensor on a sensor optical axis as a rotational axis, the sensor optical axis being a straight line which extends in a measurement direction from a center of the phase difference sensor and which is perpendicular to a line direction in which the photodetectors are arranged;
- performing a second measurement process of measuring a distance to the target object in a second measurement position using the phase difference sensor, the second measurement position being defined by rotating the phase difference sensor 180° from the first measurement position;
- and
- computing, as distance data, an average value of at least a measurement result obtained in the first measurement process and a measurement result obtained in the second measurement process.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.