Image capturing apparatus having distance measurement function
US7777808B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 31, 2006 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 17, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/56
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An image capturing apparatus illuminates an object and captures an image of the object using the reflected light from the object. The image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor for capturing an image of the object by receiving reflected light, distance-measuring light-emitting devices for irradiating the object with spot light, and a control circuit for driving the distance-measuring light-emitting devices, detecting the spot light positions of the distance-measuring light-emitting devices from an image captured by the image sensor, and obtaining the distance to the object. The image sensor provided for capturing an image of the object can be used as a photodetector device for distance measurement. With this, it becomes unnecessary to separately provide a photodetector device for distance measurement, which enables miniaturization of the image capturing apparatus, as well as cost reduction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.