Distance measuring device and a camera provided with the distance measuring device

• US 20010008423A1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Published: 07/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 6,963,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/345
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions

Abstract

In the distance measuring device, even if there are unmeasurable distance measuring regions, suitable estimate is set as the distance data of the unmeasurable region in accordance with distance data of the measurable distance measuring regions and the space on the object of the unmeasurable distance measuring region. In this way accurate recognition is possible, for example, when an object is divided by an unmeasurable region, or objects are continuous.

Claims

1. A distance measuring device comprising:

a distance measuring sensor for measuring a plurality of regions of an object region and outputting measurement data;

a detector for detecting an unmeasurable region within the plurality of measurement regions based on the measurement data output from said distance measuring sensor;

a calculator for calculating a spacing on the object corresponding to the unmeasurable region detected by said detector; and

a creator for creating distance data of the unmeasurable region based on the distance data of the measurable region among the plurality of distance measuring regions and the spacing calculated by said calculator.

2. A distance measuring device according to

claim 1

, wherein said detector detects the unmeasurable region by determining a reliability of the distance data output from the distance measuring sensor.

3. A distance measuring device according to

claim 1

, said creator creates the distance data of the unmeasurable region based on the distance data of the measurable regions adjacent to the unmeasurable region.

4. A distance measuring device according to

claim 3

, said creator creates the distance data of the unmeasurable region based on a distance difference of the measurable regions adjacent to both sides of the unmeasurable region.

5. A distance measuring device according to

claim 4

, said creator determines whether or not the distance data of the unmeasurable region is created by comparing the distance difference of the measurable regions to a specific value.

6. A distance measuring device according to

claim 1

, said creator determines whether or not the distance data of the unmeasurable region is created by comparing the spacing of the unmeasurable region calculated by said calculator to a specific value.

7. A distance measuring device according to

claim 1

, further comprises a luminance calculator for calculating a luminance of the distance measuring regions, and wherein said creator determines whether or not the distance data of the unmeasurable region is created in accordance with the difference in the luminance of the unmeasurable region and the luminance of the measurable regions.

8. A distance measuring device according to

claim 1

, further comprises a region selector for selecting the distance measuring regions including at least three or more measuring points from among a plurality of measuring points, and wherein said detector for detecting an unmeasurable region within the selected measuring regions.

9. A camera provided with a distance measuring device comprising:

a distance measuring sensor for measuring a plurality of regions of an object region and outputting measurement data;

a detector for detecting an unmeasurable region within the plurality of measurement regions based on the measurement data output from said distance measuring sensor;

a calculator for calculating a spacing on the object corresponding to the unmeasurable region detected by said detector;

a creator for creating distance data of the unmeasurable region based on the distance data of the measurable region among the plurality of distance measuring regions and the spacing calculated by said calculator;

a finder for viewing the object region;

a display for displaying a range corresponding to each distance measuring region within the view of the finder; and

a controller for recognizing a photographic object corresponding to the distance data of the measurable region and the created distance data of the unmeasurable region and for controlling display on said display in accordance with the recognition result.

10. A camera provided with a distance measuring device comprising:

a distance measuring sensor for measuring a plurality of regions of an object region and outputting measurement data;

a detector for detecting an unmeasurable region within the plurality of measurement regions based on the measurement data output from said distance measuring sensor;

a calculator for calculating a spacing on the object corresponding to the unmeasurable region detected by said detector;

a creator for creating distance data of the unmeasurable region based on the distance data of the measurable region among the plurality of distance measuring regions and the spacing calculated by said calculator;

a focus adjuster for adjusting the focus of a photographic lens; and

a controller for recognizing a photographic object corresponding to the distance data of the measurable region and the created distance data of the unmeasurable region and for controlling said focus adjuster in accordance with the recognition result.