Apparatus for and method of measuring distances to objects present in a plurality of directions
First Claim
1. A method for measuring the distances to objects present in a plurality of directions, comprising the steps of:
- setting a plurality of measuring regions for each of first and second photodetectors and predetermining a plurality of pairs of regions, each pair having a measuring region from said first photodetector and a measuring region from said second photodetector, each pair being associated with a different direction from one another;
receiving light from the objects by means of said first photodetector through a first optical system;
receiving light from the objects by means of said second light receiving surface through a second optical system, said first and second optical systems being disposed in a predetermined relationship to each other;
taking a correlation between the illumination distributions in said paired regions of said first and second photodetectors; and
calculating each of the distances to the objects present in different directions corresponding to said plurality of pairs of regions, on the basis of the result of said correlation-taking step for each said pair of regions to measure the distances to the objects.
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Abstract
This specification discloses a distance measuring apparatus and method in which two-dimensionally arranged light-receiving elements are used as illumination distribution measuring means, the correlation between the illumination distributions of the images of an object on the set of certain portions of the respective measuring means is taken to thereby calculate the distance to the object present in a certain direction corresponding to the set, and the calculations are effected with respect to a plurality of sets portions of the respective measuring means to thereby calculate the distances to objects present in a plurality of directions.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for measuring the distances to objects present in a plurality of directions, comprising the steps of:
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setting a plurality of measuring regions for each of first and second photodetectors and predetermining a plurality of pairs of regions, each pair having a measuring region from said first photodetector and a measuring region from said second photodetector, each pair being associated with a different direction from one another; receiving light from the objects by means of said first photodetector through a first optical system; receiving light from the objects by means of said second light receiving surface through a second optical system, said first and second optical systems being disposed in a predetermined relationship to each other; taking a correlation between the illumination distributions in said paired regions of said first and second photodetectors; and calculating each of the distances to the objects present in different directions corresponding to said plurality of pairs of regions, on the basis of the result of said correlation-taking step for each said pair of regions to measure the distances to the objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of measuring the distances to objects present in different directions, comprising the steps of:
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setting a plurality of measuring regions for each of first and second photodetectors and predetermining a plurality of pairs of regions, each pair having a measuring region from said first photodetector and a measuring region from said second photodetector, each pair being associated with a different direction from one another; receiving light from the objects by means of said first photodetector through a first optical system; receiving light from the objects by means of said second photodetector through a second optical system, said first and second optical systems being disposed in a predetermined relationship to each other; and comparing output signals from each said pair of regions to measure the distance to the object present in the direction associated with each said pair of regions. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification