OPTICAL DISTANCE MEASUREMENT APPARATUS
First Claim
1. An optical distance measurement apparatus that measures a distance using a round-trip time of light to an object, the apparatus comprising:
- an irradiator configured to irradiate light waves to a region where the object is to be detected;
a plurality of SPADs each configured to respond to incidence of a photon including a reflected wave of the light waves;
a plurality of signal output units corresponding one-to-one to the plurality of SPADs, the signal output units being each configured to output a pulse signal every time when corresponding one of the SPADs responds;
a response number detector configured to detect a response number based on the pulse signal, the response number representing the number of the responding SPADs;
a timing identifier configured to identify, based on a state of variation in the response number along a time series, a temporary timing that satisfies conditions where the state of variation is set in advance and identify a detection timing in accordance with the temporary timing, the detection timing representing a timing when the optical distance measurement apparatus detects light; and
a timing corrector configured to acquire a correction time representing a time difference between the temporary timing and a true timing corresponding to the distance to the object and set a timing corrected from the temporary timing by the correction time as the detection timing.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical distance measurement apparatus according to an aspect of the disclosure includes an irradiator, a plurality of SPADs, a plurality of signal output units, a response number detector, a timing identifier, and a timing corrector. The response number detector detects a response number representing the number of responding one of the SPADs based on a pulse signal. The timing identifier identifies a temporary timing based on a state of variation in the response number along a time series and identifies a detection timing representing a timing when the optical distance measurement apparatus detects light in accordance with the temporary timing. The timing corrector acquires a correction time representing a time difference between the temporary timing and a true timing corresponding to a distance to an object and sets a timing corrected from the temporary timing by the correction time as the detection timing.
2 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. An optical distance measurement apparatus that measures a distance using a round-trip time of light to an object, the apparatus comprising:
-
an irradiator configured to irradiate light waves to a region where the object is to be detected; a plurality of SPADs each configured to respond to incidence of a photon including a reflected wave of the light waves; a plurality of signal output units corresponding one-to-one to the plurality of SPADs, the signal output units being each configured to output a pulse signal every time when corresponding one of the SPADs responds; a response number detector configured to detect a response number based on the pulse signal, the response number representing the number of the responding SPADs; a timing identifier configured to identify, based on a state of variation in the response number along a time series, a temporary timing that satisfies conditions where the state of variation is set in advance and identify a detection timing in accordance with the temporary timing, the detection timing representing a timing when the optical distance measurement apparatus detects light; and a timing corrector configured to acquire a correction time representing a time difference between the temporary timing and a true timing corresponding to the distance to the object and set a timing corrected from the temporary timing by the correction time as the detection timing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
Specification
-
- Resources
-
Current AssigneeDENSO Corporation
-
Original AssigneeDENSO Corporation
-
InventorsUENO, Akifumi, HATA, Takehiro, KASHIWADA, Shinji
-
Granted Patent
-
Time in Patent OfficeDays
-
Field of Search
-
US Class Current
-
CPC Class CodesG01S 17/08 for measuring distance only...G01S 17/14 wherein a voltage or curren...G01S 17/89 for mapping or imagingG01S 7/4861 Circuits for detection, sam...G01S 7/4865 Time delay measurement, e.g...G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or cal...H01L 31/02027 for devices working in aval...
