Distance detector, distance detection method, and computer-readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12085671-B2
Application number	US-202117160590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2021
Priority date	Jan 31, 2020
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A distance detector 10 includes a light projecting unit 100 which projects light toward a target body, a light receiving unit 200 which receives a reflected light from the target body, a time detection unit 310 which detects a light receiving time from the projecting of measuring light by the light projecting unit 100 to the receiving of the reflected light by the light receiving unit 200, a calculation unit 320 which calculates the distance to the target body based on a detection result of the light receiving time by the time detection unit 310, and an evaluation unit 340 which evaluates the reliability of a calculation result of the distance to the target body by the calculation unit 320 based on a deviation of the distance corresponding to the calculation result from a reference value regarding the distance to the target body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A distance detector, comprising:
a light projecting unit configured to project light toward a target body;
a light receiving unit configured to receive a reflected light from the target body;
a time detection unit configured to detect a light receiving time from the projecting of the light by the light projecting unit to the receiving of the reflected light by the light receiving unit, the time detection unit further including a setting unit configured to set a false detection range in which the light receiving time may be falsely detected;
a calculation unit configured to calculate a distance to the target body based on a detection result of the light receiving time by the time detection unit; and
an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a reliability of a calculation result of the distance to the target body by the calculation unit based on (i) a deviation of a distance corresponding to the calculation result from a reference value regarding the distance to the target body and (ii) the false detection range.

2. The distance detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a case where a plurality of calculation results of the distance to the target body are obtained by the calculation unit, the evaluation unit evaluates a reliability of each of the plurality of calculation results based on a deviation of a distance corresponding to each calculation result from the reference value regarding the distance to the target body, and selects a calculation result having a high reliability from among the plurality of calculation results based on an evaluation result.

3. The distance detector according to claim 2 ,
wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the reliability to be higher as the deviation from the reference value is smaller.

4. The distance detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light projecting unit projects light toward the target body multiple times, and
wherein the time detection unit periodically counts an occurrence of an event in which an intensity of a light receiving signal obtained by receiving the reflected light by the light receiving unit exceeds a threshold, from each projecting of the light by the light projecting unit at every time of projecting the light by the light projecting unit, integrates the count for the multiple times of projecting light, and detects the light receiving time based on an integration result.

5. The distance detector according to claim 4 ,
wherein, in a case where a peak of the count included in the integration result has a finite width, the time detection unit detects the light receiving time from a center position of the peak.

6. The distance detector according to claim 4 ,
wherein, in a case where a peak of the count included in the integration result has a finite width, the time detection unit detects the light receiving time from a maximum position of the peak.

7. The distance detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a case where a distance indicated by the reference value overlaps with the false detection range, the evaluation unit evaluates the reliability of the calculation result of the distance to the target body included in the false detection range to be higher.

8. The distance detector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reference value regarding the distance to the target body is acquired based on a current position and position information of the target body.

9. The distance detector according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a position receiving unit configured to receive the current position.

10. The distance detector according to claim 8 , further comprising:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire the position information.

11. The distance detector according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display unit configured to display the distance to the target body.

12. A display device for displaying a distance to the target body which is detected by the distance detector according to claim 1 .

13. A distance detection method, comprising:
projecting light toward a target body;
receiving a reflected light from the target body;
detecting a light receiving time from the projecting of the light to the receiving of the reflected light;
setting a false detection range in which the light receiving time may be falsely detected;
calculating a distance to the target body based on a detection result of the light receiving time; and
evaluating a reliability of a calculation result of the distance to the target body based on (i) a deviation of a distance corresponding to the calculation result from a reference value regarding the distance to the target body and (ii) the false detection range.

14. The distance detection method according to claim 13 ,
wherein, in the evaluating, in a case where a plurality of calculation results of the distance to the target body are obtained in the calculating, a reliability of each of the plurality of calculation results is evaluated based on a deviation of a distance corresponding to each calculation result from the reference value regarding the distance to the target body, and a calculation result having a high reliability is selected from among the plurality of calculation results based on an evaluation result.

15. The distance detection method according to claim 14 ,
wherein, in the evaluating, the reliability is evaluated to be higher as the deviation from the reference value is smaller.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded thereon a program to cause a computer to execute:
causing light to be projected toward a target body;
causing reflected light to be received from the target body;
detecting a light receiving time from the projecting of the light to the receiving of the reflected light;
setting a false detection range in which the light receiving time may be falsely detected;
calculating a distance to the target body based on a detection result of the light receiving time; and
evaluating a reliability of a calculation result of the distance to the target body based on (i) a deviation of a distance corresponding to the calculation result from a reference value regarding the distance to the target body and (ii) the false detection range.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 16 ,
wherein, in the evaluating, in a case where a plurality of calculation results of the distance to the target body are obtained in the calculating, a reliability of each of the plurality of calculation results is evaluated based on a deviation of a distance corresponding to each calculation result from the reference value regarding the distance to the target body, and a calculation result having a high reliability is selected from among the plurality of calculation results based on an evaluation result.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17 ,
wherein, in the evaluating, the reliability is evaluated to be higher as the deviation from the reference value is smaller.

Assignees

• Nikon Vision Co Ltd
• Nikon Corp

Inventors

• Nonomura Takehito
• Inoue Takeshi

Classifications

• G01S17/10

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) · CPC title

• G01S7/487

  Extracting wanted echo signals {, e.g. pulse detection} · CPC title

• G01S7/4808 Primary

  Evaluating distance, position or velocity data · CPC title

• G01S7/497 Primary

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title