Device for measuring a distance and method for measuring said distance

US11079479B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Fondazione Bruno Kessler · IT

Inventors

• Daniele Perenzoni · Trento, IT
• David Stoppa · Trento, IT
• Leonardo Gasparini · Trento, IT
• Matteo Perenzoni · Trento, IT
• Nicola Massari · Trento, IT
• Ulrich ZWÖLFER · Waldkirch, DE
• Kai Waslowski · Trento, IT
• Alexander BOHLI · Trento, IT
• Michael Albert · Stamford, US
• Friedhelm Wiethege · Waldkirch, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 10, 2018
• Grant date: Aug 3, 2021
• Expiry date: Nov 13, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01J2001/4466
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Measuring device (1) suited to measure the distance (d) of a reference object (O), configured so that it performs a plurality of measuring operations (Ai) in succession and comprising emission means (2) suited to emit a light radiation (R), receiving means (3) comprising a sensitive area (31) which is sensitive to the light radiation (R) and which is provided with a number M of sensitive units (4), each one of the sensitive units (4) being configured to generate an electrical signal (S), a first processing unit (5) comprising Ne processing elements (6), each one of said Ne processing elements (6) being configured to receive the electrical signal (S) for determining the time of impact (t) of a photon (F) on the sensitive units (4) and for calculating the value of said distance (d). The measuring device (1) comprises a second processing unit (7) configured to receive the electrical signals (S), processing the electrical signals (S) in such a way as to select a number Nu of sensitive units (4) impacted by the photons (F), associating each one of the Nu sensitive units (4) to one of the Ne processing elements (6), in such a way that, at the moment of the successive measuring operation …