Distance measuring system

• US 7,764,358 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yuan, Kun-I
• Primary Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, ISAM A
• Application Number:
  US12/330,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 356/3.01, 356/3.14, 356 401- 406
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/14 with binocular observation at a single point, e.g. stereoscopic type G01C3/20 takes precedence

Abstract

A distance measuring system includes a light source, an image capture apparatus, a light absorption member and a signal processing circuit. The image capture apparatus includes a first lens module, a second lens module and an image sensor. The lens modules respectively have a focus. The image sensor detects light from the light source at two optical spots of the two lens modules, respectively. The light absorption member is disposed generally between the two lens modules for absorbing light reflected from the lens modules and thereby reducing optical interference. The signal processing circuit is configured for calculating the ratios of the two distances to the focal lengths of the respective focuses. A perpendicular distance between the light source and a line passing through the centers of the first and second lens modules is obtained.

Claims

1. A distance measuring system comprising:

a light source configured to emit light;

an image capture apparatus including a first lens module, a second lens module, and an image sensor, the first lens module and the second lens module being separated from each other a distance, the first lens module and the second lens module disposed between the light source and the image sensor, each of the first lens module and the second lens module defining a center axis, the first lens module having a first focus, the second lens module having a second focus, the image capture apparatus capable of detecting two light beams emitted from the light source and transmitting through the first lens module and the second lens module at two optical spots of the first lens module and the second lens module, respectively, the image capture apparatus also capable of measuring two distances between the two optical spots and nearest points of the center axes of the two lens modules, respectively, and measuring two angles defined between the two light beams and a line that passes through both a center of the first lens module and a center of the second lens module, respectively;

a light absorption member disposed generally between the first lens module and the second lens module for absorbing light reflected from the lens modules and thereby reducing optical interference; and

a signal processing circuit configured for calculating ratios of the two distances to two focal lengths represented by the two focuses, respectively, obtaining a value of each of the angles accordingly, and calculating a perpendicular distance from the light source to the line that passes through the first and second lens modules based on the angles and a length of the sensitive center portion of the image sensor between the two optical spots.

2. The distance measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is one of a halogen light source, a fluorescent light source, and a light-emitting diode.

3. The distance measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image sensor is one of a charge-coupled device and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor.

4. The distance measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the perpendicular distance is calculated using the formula:

$X=\frac{L\times <br><br>\tan <br><br><br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1\times <br><br>\tan <br><br><br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2}{\tan <br><br><br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1+\tan <br><br><br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2}$

where X is the perpendicular distance, L is the distance between a center axis of the first lens module and a center axis of the second lens module, and θ

1 and θ

2 are the two angles defined between the two light beams and the line that passes through both the center of the first lens module and the center of the second lens module.

5. The distance measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light absorption member is a light absorption board.

6. The distance measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light absorption member spans a region from the line that passes through the centers of both the first and second lens modules and a middle of the image sensor.