Method of and apparatus for detecting range using multiple range readings
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A ranging system for controlling photographic apparatus as a function of the range of different portions of a photographic scene, said system comprising:
- means for transmitting ranging energy along at least a path having different portions of a scene which are generally transverse to the direction of the ranging energy;
means for sensing the presence or absence of ranging energy reflected from said different scene portions along said path; and
,means responsive to said sensing means for facilitating determination of the range of said different scene portions.
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Abstract
A method of and system for ranging are disclosed. The method and system transmit ranging energy toward different portions of a scene and sense ranging energy reflected from the different scene portions. Included is a step or means responsive to the sensing for detecting the ranges of the different scene portions.
67 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A ranging system for controlling photographic apparatus as a function of the range of different portions of a photographic scene, said system comprising:
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means for transmitting ranging energy along at least a path having different portions of a scene which are generally transverse to the direction of the ranging energy; means for sensing the presence or absence of ranging energy reflected from said different scene portions along said path; and
,means responsive to said sensing means for facilitating determination of the range of said different scene portions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A ranging system for controlling photographic function of a photographic apparatus as a function of the range of different portions of a photographic scene, said system comprising:
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means for transmitting ranging energy across a path having different laterally adjacent portions of a scene therealong; means for sensing the presence or absence of ranging energy reflected from said different scene portions along said path; and
,means responsive to said sensing means for determining the range of said different scene portions and for controlling photographic functions of a photographic apparatus in accordance with said ranges.
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19. A ranging system comprising:
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means for scanning a narrow beam of energy across a scene for facilitating determination of the range from said system of scene portions lying along a scanning path; and
,means for receiving ranging energy reflected from such scene portions, said receiving means including an energy sensing position sensitive device extended in a direction parallel to the scanning path, and means for distributing such ranging energy along said device so that energy reflected from all scene portions substantially equidistant from said system are received at substantially the same location on said device while ranging energy from scene portions non-equidistant from said system are spatially distributed along said extended direction of said device, whereby the distance to any given scene portion which reflects energy is a function of the location of its reflected energy along the extended direction of said device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of obtaining ranging information comprising the steps of:
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transmitting ranging energy across a ranging path having different laterally adjacent portions of a scene to be ranged; sensing the presence or absence of reflected ranging energy from the different scene portions; and
,deriving the range of the different scene portions provided by the reflected ranging energy. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method of obtaining ranging information for controlling photographic functions of a photographic apparatus as a function of the range of different portions of a photographic scene comprising the steps of:
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transmitting ranging energy across a ranging path having different laterally adjacent portions of a scene to be ranged; sensing the reflected ranging energy from the different scene portions; and
,deriving range information of the different scene portions provided by the reflected ranging energy and controlling the photographic functions in accordance with said range information. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. The method of obtaining ranging information comprising the steps of:
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scanning a narrow beam of energy across a scene for determining the range from a ranging system of scene portions lying along the scanning path; receiving ranging energy reflected from such scene portions by an energy sensing position sensitive device extended in a direction generally parallel to said scanning path; and
,distributing the ranging energy along the extended direction of the device so that energy reflected from all scene portions substantially equidistant from the system are received at the same location on the device while ranging energy from scene portions non-equidistant from the system are spatially distributed along said extended direction of the device, whereby the distance to any given scene portions is solely a function of the location of its reflected energy on the device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification