Patent · US Active

Optical ranging sensor and electronic equipment

US8390793B2 · kind B2 · utility

26Cited by
10References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 27, 2010
Grant dateMar 5, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 30, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01C3/085
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical ranging sensor includes a light emitting unit for projecting a light beam on an object to be measured, a light receiving unit on which a light spot of reflected light of the light beam from the object is formed, and a processing circuit unit for processing output signals from the light receiving unit and detecting a distance to the object. The light receiving unit includes an effective light receiving part having light receiving cells arranged in matrix form in a first direction in which a position of the light spot moves as the object moves along a direction of an optical axis of the light emitting unit, and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A size of the effective light receiving part in the second direction is not smaller than a radius of the light spot but not larger than a diameter thereof.

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