Patent · US Expired

Active electro-optical distance detection methods and devices

US4511248A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
4References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 30, 1982
Grant dateApr 16, 1985
Priority date—
Expiry dateJun 30, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S17/46
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Active distance detection is effected by (1) directing light through a lens to an object, from an emitter zone located at or proximate the lens focal plane, (2) sensing the amplitude of light reflected back through the lens from the object at two or more detection zones that are located respectively at different distances from the emitter zone and that are generally coplanar with the emitter zone in a plane substantially normal to the optical axis of the lens, and (3) comparing the amplitudes of object-reflected light at the detection zones in a manner determinative of the unique distance-from-emitter-zone versus reflected-light-amplitude curve of the object's distance.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.