Distance measuring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12231776-B2
Application number	US-202017310804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2020
Priority date	Mar 11, 2019
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

When a light receiving unit (12) performs light reception for each phase according to light emission of a light source unit (11), a distance measuring unit (131) calculates distance information on the basis of a light reception signal for each phase output by the light receiving unit according to the light reception for each phase. A control unit (130) controls a level of the light reception signal for each phase in accordance with the calculation of the distance information based on the light reception signal for each phase. An adjustment unit (132) adjusts a generation unit that generates an image signal on the basis of the light reception signal for each phase and a level of the image signal according to an adjustment value. The control unit generates the adjustment value on the basis of the light reception signal for each p phase.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A distance measuring device, comprising:
a light emitting element configured to emit light;
a light receiving element configured to:
receive the light for each phase of a plurality of phases based on the emission of the light; and
output a light reception signal for the each phase based on the reception of the light for the each phase; and

circuitry configured to:
calculate distance information based on the light reception signal for the each phase;
determine that the calculated distance information is one of equal to or greater than a threshold value;
increase an exposure time of the light receiving element based on the determination that the calculated distance information is one of equal to or greater than the threshold value;
control a level of the light reception signal for the each phase based on the increased exposure time;
generate an image signal based on the light reception signal for the each phase;
generate an adjustment value based on the controlled level of the light reception signal for the each phase; and
adjust a level of the generated image signal based on the adjustment value.

2. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
detect a subject area including a specific subject in an image area based on the distance information and the generated image signal, wherein the image area is based on the generated image signal; and
adjust, based on the adjustment value, the level of the generated image signal in the subject area.

3. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
obtain an adjusted image signal based on the adjusted level of the generated image signal; and
select one of the generated image signal or the adjusted image signal.

4. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein
the light received by the light receiving element includes a plurality of light components,
the plurality of light components includes a component of reflected light, and
the circuitry is further configured to generate the image signal based on the component of the reflected light.

5. The distance measuring device according to claim 4 , wherein
the plurality of light components further includes a component of ambient light, and
the circuitry is further configured to generate the image signal based on the component of the reflected light and the component of the ambient light.

6. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
control a duty of the emission of the light; and
control the level of the light reception signal for the each phase based on the controlled duty of the emission of the light.

7. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
control intensity of the emission of the light; and
control the level of the light reception signal for the each phase based on the controlled intensity of the emission of the light.

8. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
control a gain of the light reception signal for the each phase output by the light receiving element; and
control the level of the light reception signal for the each phase based on the controlled gain of the light reception signal.

9. The distance measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to cancel the control of the level of the light reception signal based on the generated adjustment value.

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Ono Hiroaki

Classifications

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title

• G01S17/46

  Indirect determination of position data · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N23/72 Primary

  Combination of two or more compensation controls · CPC title