Distance measuring equipment and method
US6429941B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 13, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 6, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 13, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S7/497
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A distance measuring equipment and method that measures a distance to an object with high accuracy regardless of the reflectivity of the object is disclosed. The distance measuring equipment includes a transmitter for transmitting pulsed light to the outside, a receiver for receiving the pulsed light reflected by an object in the outside and performing photoelectric conversion and a measuring portion for measuring a time period from the transmission time point of the pulsed light to the reception time point of the reflected light so as to output data of the distance to the object. The measuring portion periodically samples the electric signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion of the receiver and memorize plural instantaneous values at plural time points. Then, the measuring portion determines the time point at the inflection point of the quantity variation of the received light on the basis of the memorized plural instantaneous values so as to generate the data of the distance to the object on the basis of the determined time point as the reception point.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.