Electronic device and control method of electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10996320-B2
Application number	US-201816628605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	Jul 11, 2017
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

An appropriate light emission frequency is set in an electronic device that determines a phase difference between radiation light and reflected light. The electronic device includes a light emission unit, a determination unit, and a setting unit. The light emission unit radiates intermittent light in synchronization with a synchronization signal at a set frequency that is set. The light reception unit generates received light data by receiving reflected light of the intermittent light. The determination unit determines presence or absence of a predetermined object on the basis of the received light data. The setting unit sets, in the light emission unit, as the set frequency, a frequency that is higher, the smaller the distance to the predetermined object, in a case where presence of the predetermined object is determined.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a light emission circuitry configured to radiate intermittent light in synchronization with a synchronization signal at a set frequency that is set from a range of frequencies;
a light reception circuitry configured to generate received light data by receiving reflected light of the intermittent light; and
an electronic controller including a determination program and a setting program, the electronic controller configured to
execute the determination program to determine a presence or an absence of a predetermined object on a basis of the received light data; and
execute the setting program to set, in the light emission circuitry, as the set frequency, a frequency that is higher, the smaller a distance to the predetermined object, in a case where the presence of the predetermined object is determined,
wherein, in an initial state, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets a first frequency as the set frequency, and in a case where the presence of the predetermined object is determined, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets a second frequency that is higher, the smaller the distance to the predetermined object, as the set frequency,
wherein in a case of determining the presence of the predetermined object, the electronic controller, in executing the determination program, is configured to determine a presence or an absence of a specific part of the predetermined object, and
wherein in a case where the presence of the specific part is determined, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets a third frequency that is higher, the smaller a distance to the specific part, as the set frequency,

wherein the first frequency is a lowest frequency in the range of frequencies.

2. An electronic device comprising:
a light emission circuitry configured to radiate intermittent light in synchronization with a synchronization signal at a set frequency that is set;
a light reception circuitry configured to generate received light data by receiving reflected light of the intermittent light; and
an electronic controller including a determination program, a setting program, and a frequency control program, the electronic controller configured to
execute the determination program to determine a presence or an absence of a predetermined object on a basis of the received light data;
execute the setting program to set, in the light emission circuitry, as the set frequency, a frequency that is higher, the smaller a distance to the predetermined object, in a case where the presence of the predetermined object is determined,
wherein, in an initial state, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets a first frequency as the set frequency, and in a case where the presence of the predetermined object is determined, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets a second frequency that is higher, the smaller the distance to the predetermined object, as the set frequency; and
execute the frequency control program to alternately switch between the first frequency and the second frequency every specific period of time, in a case where the second frequency is set.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the light reception circuitry includes
a pixel array unit where a plurality of pixels is arrayed in a two-dimensional lattice, and
a driver configured to alternately perform, in a case where the presence of the predetermined object is determined, a first process of driving, over a first specific period of time, a first pixel, among the plurality of pixels, that receives the reflected light from other than the predetermined object and of causing image data including the received light data to be output as a first subframe, and a second process of driving, over the first specific period of time, a second pixel, among the plurality of pixels, that receives the reflected light from the predetermined object and of causing image data including the received light data to be output as a second subframe.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the electronic controller further includes a synthesis processing program, and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to execute the synthesis processing program to
synthesize the first subframe and the second subframe, and
generate distance data on a basis of data obtained by synthesis.

5. An electronic device comprising:
a light emission circuitry configured to radiate intermittent light in synchronization with a synchronization signal at a set frequency that is set;
a light reception circuitry configured to generate received light data by receiving reflected light of the intermittent light; and
an electronic controller including a determination program and a setting program, the electronic controller configured to
execute the determination program to determine a presence or an absence of a predetermined object on a basis of the received light data; and
execute the setting program to set, in the light emission circuitry, as the set frequency, a frequency that is higher, the smaller a distance to the predetermined object, in a case where the presence of the predetermined object is determined,
wherein the light reception circuitry includes a first light reception circuitry and a second light reception circuitry, and each of the first light reception circuitry and the second light reception circuitry is configured to receive the intermittent light in synchronization with a first synchronization signal at the set frequency, and
wherein in an initial state, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets, in the first light reception circuitry, a first frequency as the set frequency, and in a case where the presence of the predetermined object is determined, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets, in the second light reception circuitry, a second frequency that is higher, the smaller the distance to the predetermined object, as the set frequency.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a first optical device configured to
condense the intermittent light, and
guide the intermittent light to the first light reception circuitry; and

a second optical device configured to
condense the intermittent light, and
guide the intermittent light to the first light reception circuitry,

wherein the electronic controller further includes a zoom control program, and
wherein, in executing the zoom control program, the electronic controller is configured to control a zoom magnification of the first optical device on a basis of the distance to the predetermined object.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein
the light emission circuitry includes a first light emission circuitry and a second light emission circuitry, and each of the first light emission circuitry and the second light emission circuitry is configured to radiate the intermittent light in synchronization with a second synchronization signal at the set frequency, and
wherein, in the initial state, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets, in the first light emission circuitry, the first frequency as the set frequency, and in a case where the presence of the predetermined object is determined, the electronic controller, in executing the setting program, sets, in the second light emission circuitry, the second frequency that is higher, the smaller the distance to the predetermined object, as the set frequency.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance to the predetermined object that is determined is less than fifteen m

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Aoki Takeshi

Classifications

• G01S7/4815 Primary

  using multiple transmitters · CPC title

• G01S7/4914

  of detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S7/484

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S17/32

  using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated · CPC title