Distance measuring apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12578437-B2
Application number	US-201917439399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2019
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A distance measuring apparatus to measure a distance to an object includes: a plurality of light sources to emit a first light and a second light; a mirror; and a light receiving unit. When the mirror rotates about the first and third axes, an angle formed by an optical axis of the second light projected on the first plane and the second axis is larger than an angle formed by an optical axis of the first light projected on the first plane and the second axis, and an angle formed by the optical axis of the second light projected on the second plane and the second axis is larger than an angle formed by the optical axis of the first light projected on the second plane and the second axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A distance measuring apparatus to measure a distance to an object, comprising:
a plurality of light sources to emit light; a mirror to reflect a plurality of lights emitted from the plurality of light sources; and a light receiving unit to receive a plurality of reflected lights that are the plurality of lights reflected by the object, the plurality of light sources including a first light source to emit first light and a second light source to emit second light, a direction in which a distance measuring area of the distance measuring apparatus is expanded by including the first and second light sources being defined as a first axis, an axis that is a normal to the mirror when the mirror is located at a center of a range of rotation and that is orthogonal to the first axis being defined as a second axis, an axis perpendicular to the first and second axes and passing through an intersection of the first and second axes being defined as a third axis, a plane including the first and second axes being defined as a first plane, a plane including the second and third axes being defined as a second plane, when the mirror rotates about at least the first axis,
an angle formed by an optical axis of the second light projected on the first plane and the second axis being larger than an angle formed by an optical axis of the first light projected on the first plane and the second axis, and
an angle formed by the optical axis of the second light projected on the second plane and the second axis being larger than an angle formed by the optical axis of the first light projected on the second plane and the second axis.

2 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first light and the second light scanned by the mirror form a plurality of scanning ranges disposed along the first axis.

3 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources further include a third light source to emit a third light,
the distance measuring area is further expanded along the first axis by further including the third light source, and when the optical axis of the first light, the optical axis of the second light, and an optical axis of the third light, as projected on the first plane, each form a larger angle with the second axis, the optical axis of the first light, the optical axis of the second light, and the optical axis of the third light, as projected on the second plane, each form a larger angle with the second axis.

4 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first light, the second light, and the third light scanned by the mirror form a plurality of scanning ranges disposed along the first axis.

5 . A distance measuring apparatus to measure a distance to an object, comprising:
a plurality of light sources to emit light; a mirror to reflect a plurality of lights emitted from the plurality of light sources; and a light receiving unit to receive a plurality of reflected lights that are the plurality of lights reflected by the object, the plurality of lights being scanned by the mirror to form a plurality of scanning ranges disposed along a first axis that is one rotation axis of the mirror, the distance measuring apparatus having a distance measuring area expanded along the first axis, an axis that is a normal to the mirror when the mirror is located at a center of a range of rotation and that is orthogonal to the first axis being defined as a second axis, an axis perpendicular to the first and second axes and passing through an intersection of the first and second axes being defined as a third axis, a plane including the first axis and the second axis being defined as a first plane, a plane including the second axis and the third axis being defined as a second plane,
when an optical axis of each emitted light of the plurality of light sources, as projected on the first plane, forms a larger angle with the second axis, an optical axis of each emitted light of the plurality of light sources, as projected on the second plane, forming a larger angle with the second axis.

6 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the angle formed by the optical axis of each emitted light of the plurality of light sources as projected on the first plane and the second axis is different from the angle formed by the optical axis of each emitted light of the plurality of light sources as projected on the second plane and the second axis.

7 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the angle formed by the optical axis of each emitted light of the plurality of lights as projected on the first plane and the second axis is 60 degrees or less, and the angle formed by the optical axis of each emitted light of the plurality of lights as projected on the second plane and the second axis is 0 degrees or more and 12 degrees or less.

8 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, of the plurality of scanning ranges, a pair of scanning ranges adjacent to each other overlap each other each at an end thereof adjacent to the other scanning range.

9 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of scanning ranges are continuous at their respective centers, upper sides or lower sides as seen in a direction along the third axis.

10 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of scanning ranges have their respective centers to be positionally different from each other.

11 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources are located on a same side with respect to the first plane.

12 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources have one light source and another light source adjacent to each other, disposed such that an angle formed by an optical axis of emitted light of the one light source and an optical axis of emitted light of the other light source, as projected on the second plane, is smaller than an angle formed by the optical axis of the emitted light of the one light source and the optical axis of the emitted light of the other light source, as projected on the first plane.

13 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mirror rotates about the first and third axes.

14 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein, of the plurality of scanning ranges, a pair of scanning ranges adjacent to each other overlap each other each at an end thereof adjacent to the other scanning range.

15 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of scanning ranges are continuous at their respective centers, upper sides or lower sides as seen in a direction along the third axis.

16 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of scanning ranges have their respective centers to be positionally different from each other.

17 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of light sources are located on a same side with respect to the first plane.

18 . The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of light sources have one light source and another light source adjacent to each other, disposed such that an angle formed by an optical axis of emitted light of the one light source and an optical axis of emitted light of the other light source, as projected on

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Honda Natsuki
• Omaki Masayuki
• Inoue Yoko
• Kishigami Tomo
• Nakahara Shota
• Tsuboi Yoshitaka
• Takagawa Yosuke

Classifications

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S17/10

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

• G01S7/4817 Primary

  relating to scanning · CPC title

• G01S7/4815 Primary

  using multiple transmitters · CPC title