公开(公告)号：US10903254B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-26

申请号：US15801111

申请日：2017-11-01

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Mitsuhiko Otani ,  Junichi Matsuo ,  Haruka Takano

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  H01L27/146 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H04N5/341 ,  G01S7/487 ,  G01C3/06 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  H01L31/101 ,  H04N5/335

Abstract: A distance-measuring imaging device includes a light source that applies light according to timing of a light emission signal; a solid-state imager that performs, for an object, exposure according to timing of an exposure signal, and generates raw data corresponding to an exposure amount of the exposure; a signal amount comparator that determines a magnitude relationship in signal amount in the raw data; and a distance calculator that generates and outputs a distance signal based on a determination result. The solid-state imager accumulates, in each of different signal accumulation regions for accumulating signals detected in a same pixel, a signal by exposure in an exposure period that differs in exposure signal timing. The signal amount comparator determines the magnitude relationship between the signals accumulated in the signal accumulation regions. The distance calculator calculates the distance to the object using an arithmetic expression selected depending on the determination result.

公开(公告)号：US10422859B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-24

申请号：US14977579

申请日：2015-12-21

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Makoto Kawamura ,  Tomohito Nagata ,  Haruka Takano ,  Mitsuhiko Otani

IPC: G01S7/48 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H01L27/146 ,  G01S17/08 ,  H04N5/235 ,  H04N5/353

Abstract: In a distance measuring device, a drive controller generates an emission timing signal and an exposure timing signal in accordance with a measurement condition. A light source irradiates light in response to the emission timing signal. A solid-state image sensor has a group of pixels arranged in a matrix pattern and divided into a plurality of regions on a line-by-line basis, and performs an exposure process on a selected one of the regions in response to the exposure timing signal. An imaging signal processor obtains distance information by performing an arithmetic operation on a signal output from the solid-state image sensor. The drive controller generates mutually different measurement conditions to the plurality of the regions of the solid-state image sensor.

公开(公告)号：US10073164B2

公开(公告)日：2018-09-11

申请号：US14965901

申请日：2015-12-11

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Mitsuhiko Otani ,  Toshiya Fujii ,  Junji Tokumoto ,  Haruka Takano

IPC: G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H01L27/148 ,  G01C3/08

CPC classification number: G01S7/4808 ,  G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/4868 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H01L27/14843

Abstract: A distance-measuring/imaging apparatus having a high S/N and a high distance measurement accuracy is provided. The distance-measuring/imaging apparatus includes: a signal generation unit for generating an emission signal and exposure signal; a light source unit for performing light irradiation by receiving the emission signal; an imaging unit for performing exposure by receiving the exposure signal and for acquiring the exposure amount of the reflected light; and a calculation unit for calculating and outputting the distance information on the basis of the exposure amount. The imaging unit acquires a first exposure amount corresponding to the exposure in a first emission/exposure period, in which the exposure is performed by receiving the exposure signal simultaneously with a receiving timing of the emission signal. The imaging unit acquires a second exposure amount corresponding to the exposure in a second emission/exposure period, in which the exposure is performed by receiving the exposure signal after a lapse of a delay time from the receiving timing of the emission signal. The calculation unit calculates the distance information on the basis of the first exposure amount and second exposure amount that are acquired by changing the repeat count of the emission signal in the first emission/exposure period.

公开(公告)号：US10048380B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-14

申请号：US14973002

申请日：2015-12-17

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Makoto Yarino ,  Toshiya Fujii ,  Mitsuhiko Otani ,  Haruka Takano

IPC: G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/486 ,  H01L27/148 ,  H04N5/3728 ,  G01S17/36 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: A distance-measuring imaging device includes: a drive control unit; a light source unit; an image processing unit including light receiving units and charge reading units arranged one-to-one; and an image processing unit. The charge reading units are arranged partly at the left side of corresponding ones of the light receiving units and partly at the right side of corresponding ones of the same. In each of a period in which the exposure is performed when the exposure control signal is received after a first delay time since when the light emission control signal is received and a period in which the exposure is performed when the exposure control signal is received after a second delay time longer than the first delay time, since when the light emission control signal is received, the left-side charge reading units read charge leftward, and the right-side charge reading units read charge rightward.