Optical distance sensor

US6972834B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation · JP
• Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Toru Oka · Kiyosu, JP
• Hajime Nakajima · Kasai, JP
• Masahiro Shikai · Tokyo, JP
• Akihide Shiratsuki · Chiyoda, JP
• Jurgen Mohr · Eppingen, DE
• Ulrike Wallrabe · Karlsruhe, DE
• Uwe Hollenbach · Karlsruhe, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 11, 2000
• Grant date: Dec 6, 2005
• Expiry date: Apr 16, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B19/0085
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical distance sensor includes a first substrate provided with a light emitting element and a light detecting element, a one-piece optical structure body on a second substrate, the optical structure body having optical elements for converging incident light in a direction parallel to a surface of the second substrate and for converging an outgoing light beam from the light emitting element and a light beam reflected by an object in the direction parallel to the surface of the second substrate, and lenses for converging incident light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the second substrate and for converging the outgoing light beam from the light emitting element and the light beam reflected by the object in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the second substrate, respectively.