Distance measuring apparatus and shape measuring apparatus
First Claim
1. A distance measuring apparatus for measuring a distance from a reference plane to a laser lit position by beaming a laser beam from a laser oscillator to an article and sensing a reflected laser beam, characterized in that the apparatus comprises:
- a lens array including a plurality of lenses having identical lens characteristics and disposed at uniform intervals on a plane, the lens array having a hole formed within the plane for allowing passage of the laser beam projected from the laser oscillator;
a photodetector array including a plurality of photodetectors disposed on a plane and corresponding to each lens constituting the lens array, the photodetectors in the photodetector array being disposed at a distance of a focal length of the lens from the lenses in the lens array, the photodetector array having a hole formed within the plane for allowing passage of the laser beam projected from the laser oscillator;
the laser oscillator projecting the laser beam toward the article in such a manner that a direction of the laser beam becomes perpendicular to the photodetector array and the lens array and that the laser beam passes through each of the holes formed in the photodetector array and the lens array;
the lens array, the photodetector array, and the laser oscillator being disposed in front of the article so as to be separated from the article in that order; and
calculating means for calculating an effective area on the photodetector array on the basis of an output of each photodetector in the photodetector array, when the laser beam reflected from the article is sensed by the photodetector array via the lens array, and for calculating a distance from the lens array to the article on the basis of the effective area and an angle of view of the lenses constituting the lens array.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A small-sized precision distance measuring apparatus. When a laser beam 1b reflected from an article is received on a photodetector array (30) through a lens array (20), the effective area of the photodetector array (30) is calculated on the basis of the output from the photodetectors, and the distance from the lens array (20) to the article 11 is calculated from the calculated area and the angle of view of the lenses constituting the lens array (20). If pixels (33a, 33b, 33c) of an image on a sensor array, corresponding to the coordinates of elements in the space (12), are determined on the basis of the positional relationship between the lenses (41a, 41b, 41c) of a lens array and photodetectors (51a, 51b, 51c) of the sensor array, the comparison of image information on the pixels (33a, 33b, 33c) can be made to determine the coordinate positions representing the profile of the article 11 from the coordinate positions of the space (12), thereby determining the distance to the article (11) and its shape. The measuring apparatus is used on a moving body, a robot or the like.
42 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A distance measuring apparatus for measuring a distance from a reference plane to a laser lit position by beaming a laser beam from a laser oscillator to an article and sensing a reflected laser beam, characterized in that the apparatus comprises:
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a lens array including a plurality of lenses having identical lens characteristics and disposed at uniform intervals on a plane, the lens array having a hole formed within the plane for allowing passage of the laser beam projected from the laser oscillator; a photodetector array including a plurality of photodetectors disposed on a plane and corresponding to each lens constituting the lens array, the photodetectors in the photodetector array being disposed at a distance of a focal length of the lens from the lenses in the lens array, the photodetector array having a hole formed within the plane for allowing passage of the laser beam projected from the laser oscillator; the laser oscillator projecting the laser beam toward the article in such a manner that a direction of the laser beam becomes perpendicular to the photodetector array and the lens array and that the laser beam passes through each of the holes formed in the photodetector array and the lens array; the lens array, the photodetector array, and the laser oscillator being disposed in front of the article so as to be separated from the article in that order; and calculating means for calculating an effective area on the photodetector array on the basis of an output of each photodetector in the photodetector array, when the laser beam reflected from the article is sensed by the photodetector array via the lens array, and for calculating a distance from the lens array to the article on the basis of the effective area and an angle of view of the lenses constituting the lens array. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A distance measuring apparatus for measuring a distance from a reference plane to a laser lit position by beaming a laser beam from a laser oscillator to an article and sensing the reflected laser beam, characterized in that the apparatus comprises:
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a lens array including a plurality of lenses having identical lens characteristics and disposed at uniform intervals on a sphere; a photodetector array including photodetectors disposed on a sphere and corresponding to each lens constituting the lens array, the photodetectors in the photodetector array being disposed at a distance of a focal length of the lens from the corresponding lenses in the lens array; the lens array and the photodetector array being disposed in front of the article so as to be separated from the article in that order and so that an interior of the sphere of the lens array faces an exterior of the sphere of the photodetector array; and calculating means for calculating an effective area on the photodetector array on the basis of an output of each photodetector in the photodetector array, when the laser beam reflected is projected from the laser oscillator toward the article and the laser beam reflected from the article is detected by the photodetector array via the lens array, and for calculating a distance from the lens array to the article on the basis of this effective area and an angle of view of the lenses constituting the lens array. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A distance and shape measuring apparatus characterized in that the apparatus comprises:
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an imaging lens array including a plurality of lenses disposed on a plane; an imaging photodetector array including photodetectors disposed on a plane and having prescribed resolutions corresponding to each lens constituting the imaging lens array, the photodetectors in the photodetector array being disposed at a distance of a focal length of the lens from the corresponding lenses in the lens array; a reproducing lens array including a plurality of lenses disposed on a plane and having lens characteristics identical to lenses constituting the imaging lens array; a reproducing emitter array including emitters disposed on a plane and corresponding to each lens constituting the reproducing lens array and having the same size as the photodetectors constituting the imaging photodetector array, the emitters of the emitter array being disposed at a distance of a focal length of the lens from corresponding lenses in the reproducing lens array; a reproducing sensor array including a plurality of photodetectors disposed on a plane, for sensing light passing through the reproducing lens array; the imaging lens array, the imaging photodetector array, the reproducing emitter array, the reproducing lens array, and the reproducing sensor array being disposed in front of the article so as to be separated from the article in that order; transferring means for transferring an output of each photodetector in the imaging photodetector array to each corresponding emitter in the reproducing emitter array and causing emission by the emitters, when the light reflected by the article passes through the imaging lens array and is sensed with the imaging photodetector array; moving means for moving the reproducing sensor array in a direction of distance measurement for the article, when the light emitted by the reproducing emitter array passes through the reproducing lens array and is sensed with each photodetector of the reproducing sensor array; and calculating means for calculating a distribution of an intensity of light sensed with each photodetector of the reproducing sensor array for each position to which the reproducing sensor array is moved and for calculating a distance to the article from the imaging lens array and a shape of the article on the basis of the light intensity distribution for each position. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A distance and shape measuring apparatus characterized in that the apparatus comprises:
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an imaging lens array including a plurality of lenses disposed on a plane; an imaging sensor array including photodetectors disposed on a plane and having a prescribed resolution and corresponding to each of the lenses constituting the imaging lens array, the photodetectors of the photodetector array being disposed at a distance of a focal length of each lens from corresponding lenses of the imaging lens array; and calculating means for calculating pixels of an imaged image of the photodetectors corresponding to a coordinate position of each element in space on the basis of a positional relationship between the lenses in the imaging lens array and the photodetectors in the imaging photodetector array, for determining coordinate positions representing a profile of the article from among the coordinate positions in the space by comparing image information of the pixels found, and for finding a distance to and a shape of the article on the basis of the coordinate positions determined. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification