Distance measuring device

Claim 2

A distance measuring device which has signal generating means arranged to transmit a signal to an object the distance to which is to be measured, receives reflection signals from the object by an array of a plurality of signal receiving means and measures the distance to the object on the basis of information obtained from said signal receiving means, said device comprising: information detecting means for detecting information from at least two of said plurality of signal receiving means; and distance measuring means for continuously measuring the distance to the object on the basis of signals produced from said information detecting means; said distance measuring means being arranged to receive and compute signals from said information detecting means and being provided with computing means for obtaining by computation the position of a peak value of the received signals which continuously vary in the direction in which said signal receiving means are set in array; said distance measuring means having largest value determining means for detecting which of the signals received by said signal receiving means is of the largest value among these signals; said computing means including a computation circuit which computes the position x of said peak value in accordance with the following formula; ##EQU4## wherein xm represents the position of signal receiving means that has received a signal of the largest value; ym the signal value of the signal received by said signal receiving means xm; ym+1 and ym-1 signal values of signals received by signal receiving means disposed adjacent to said signal receiving means xm; and Δx a pitch between signal receiving means and is arranged to be x=m+1-xm=xm-1.

Claim 3

A distance measuring device according to claim 1, wherein said information detecting means includes position indicating means for indicating the position of the signal receiving means which has received the signal of the largest value.

Claim 4

A distance measuring device according to claim 2, wherein said computing means includes first addition means for adding together the largest value signal received by said signals receiving means and the signals received by said signal receiving means disposed adjacent to said signal receiving means that has received the largest value signal and for performing the addition with a predetermined degree of weighting.

Claim 5

A distance measuring device according to claim 3, wherein said computing means includes dividing means for dividing the output of said first addition means.

Claim 6

A distance measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said computing means includes second addition means which adds together the output of said position indicating means and the output of said dividing means.

Claim 7

A distance measuring device according to claim 5, wherein said signal receiving means includes a photoelectric converting means.

Claim 8

A distance measuring device according to claim 6, wherein said signal generating means includes light emitting means.

Claim 9

A distance measuring device which has signal generating means arranged to transmit a signal to an object the distance to which is to be measured, receives reflection signals reflected from the object by an array of a plurality of signal receiving means and measures the distance to the object on the basis of information from said signal receiving means, said device comprising: first largest value detecting means which detects a reflection signal of the largest value among said reflection signals received by said plurality of signal receiving means from said object; first position detecting means for detecting the position of the signal receiving means which has received the reflection signal of the largest value; second largest value detecting means which detects a reflection signal of the second largest value among said reflection signals received by said plurality of signal receiving means; second position detecting means for detecting the position of the signal receiving means which has received said second largest value signal; and distance measuring means which continuously detects a distance to said object, said distance measuring means includes computing means for continuously computing the distance on the basis of the outputs of said first and second largest value detecting means and those of said first and second position detecting means; said computing means including a computing circuit for computing the position of a peak value of received signals which vary in the direction in which said array of signal receiving means is arranged in a row; said computing circuit computes the position x of said peak value according to the following formula: ##EQU5## wherein xm represents the output of said first position detecting means; ym the output of said first largest value detecting means; xe the output of said second position detecting means; and ye the output of said second largest value detecting means.

Claim 10

A distance measuring device which has signal generating means arranged to transmit a signal to an object the distance to which is to be measured, receives reflection signals reflected from the object by an array of a plurality of signal receiving means and measures the distance to the object on the basis of information from said signal receiving means, said device comprising: first largest value detecting means which detects a reflection signal of the largest value among said reflection signals received by said plurality of signal receiving means from said object; first position detecting means for detecting the position of the signal receiving means which has received the reflection signal of the largest value; second largest value detecting means which detects a reflection signal of the second largest value among said reflection signals received by said plurality of signal receiving means; second position detecting means for detecting the position of the signal receiving means which has received said second largest value signal; and distance measuring means which continuously detects a distance to said object, said distance measuring means includes computing means for continuously computing the distance on the basis of the outputs of said first and second largest value detecting means and those of said first and second position detecting means; said computing means including a computing circuit for computing the position of a peak value of received signals which vary in the direction in which said array of signal receiving means is arranged in a row; said computing circuit computes the position x of said peak value according to the following formula: ##EQU5## wherein xm represents the output of said first position detecting means; ym the output of said first largest value detecting means; xe the output of said second position detecting means; and ye the output of said second largest value detecting means.

Claim 11

A distance measuring device according to claim 8, wherein said computing means includes: first multiplication means which multiplies the output of said first largest value detecting means by that of said second position detecting means; and second multiplication means which multiplies the output of said second largest value detecting means by that of said first position detecting means.

Claim 12

A distance detecting device according to claim 9, wherein said computing means includes first addition means which adds up the output of said first multiplication means and that of said second multiplication means.

Claim 13

A distance detecting device according to claim 10, wherein said computing means includes second addition means which adds up the output of said first largest value detecting means and that of said second largest value detecting means.

Claim 14

A distance detecting device according to claim 11, wherein said computing means includes division means which divides the output of said first addition means by that of said second addition means.

Claim 15

A distance detecting device according to claim 12, wherein said signal receiving means includes photo-electric converting means.

Claim 16

A distance detecting device according to claim 13, wherein said signal generating means includes light emitting means.

Claim 17

A distance measuring device which has signal generating means arranged to transmit a signal to an object the distance to which is to be measured, receives reflection signals from the object with an array of a plurality of signal receiving means, and measures the distance to the object on the basis of information obtained from said signal receiving means, said device comprising: information detecting means for detecting information from at least two of said plurality of signal receiving means; and distance measuring means for continuously measuring the distance to the object on the basis of signals produced from said information detecting means; said distance measuring means being arranged to receive and compute signals from said information detecting means and being provided with computing means for obtaining by computation the position of a peak value of the received signals which continuously vary in the direction in which said signal receiving means are set in array; said distance measuring means having largest value determining means for detecting which of the signals received by said signal receiving means is of the largest value among these signals; said information detecting means including position indicating means for indicating the position of the signal receiving means which has received the signal of the largest value; and said computing means for adding together the largest value signal received by said signals receiving means and the signals received by said signal receiving means disposed adjacent to said signal receiving means that has received the largest value signal and for performing the addition with a predetermined degree of weighting.

Claim 18

A distance measuring device which has signal generating means arranged to transmit a signal to an object the distance to which is to be measured, receives reflection signals from the object with an array of a plurality of signal receiving means, and measures the distance to the object on the basis of information obtained from said signal receiving means, said device comprising: information detecting means for detecting information from at least two of said plurality of signal receiving means; and distance measuring means for continuously measuring the distance to the object on the basis of signals produced from said information detecting means; said distance measuring means being arranged to receive and compute signals from said information detecting means and being provided with computing means for obtaining by computation the position of a peak value of the received signals which continuously vary in the direction in which said signal receiving means are set in array; said distance measuring means having largest value determining means for detecting which of the signals received by said signal receiving means is of the largest value among these signals; said information detecting means including position indicating means for indicating the position of the signal receiving means which has received the signal of the largest value; and said computing means for adding together the largest value signal received by said signals receiving means and the signals received by said signal receiving means disposed adjacent to said signal receiving means that has received the largest value signal and for performing the addition with a predetermined degree of weighting.

Claim 19

A device as in claim 15, wherein said computing means includes dividing means for dividing the output of said first addition means.

Claim 20

A device as in claim 16, wherein said computing means includes second addition means which adds together the output of said position indicating means and the output of said dividing means.

Claim 21

A device as in claim 17, wherein said signal receiving means includes a photo-electric converting means.

Claim 22

A device as in claim 18, wherein said signal generating means includes light emitting means.

Claim 23

A distance measuring device which has signal generating means arranged to transmit a signal to an object the distance to which is to be measured, receives reflection signals reflected from the object by an array of a plurality of signal receiving means, and measures the distance to the object on the basis of information from said signal receiving means, said device comprising: first largest value detecting means which detects a reflection signal of the largest value among said reflection signals received by said plurality of signal receiving means from said object; first position detecting means for detecting the position of the signal receiving means which has received the reflection signal of the largest value; second largest value detecting means which detects a reflection signal of the second largest value among said reflection signals received by said plurality of signal receiving means; second position detecting means for detecting the position of the signal receiving means which has received said second largest value signal; and distance measuring means which continuously detects a distance to said object, said distance measuring means includes computing means for continuously computing the distance on the basis of the outputs of said first and second largest value detecting means and those of said first and second position detecting means; said computing means including a computing circuit for computing the position of a peak value of received signals which vary in the direction in which said array of signal receiving means is arranged in a row; said computing means including: first multiplication means which multiplies the output of said first largest value detecting means by that of said second position detecting means; and second multiplication means which multiplies the output of said second largest value detecting means by that of said first position detecting means.

Claim 24

A distance measuring device which has signal generating means arranged to transmit a signal to an object the distance to which is to be measured, receives reflection signals reflected from the object by an array of a plurality of signal receiving means, and measures the distance to the object on the basis of information from said signal receiving means, said device comprising: first largest value detecting means which detects a reflection signal of the largest value among said reflection signals received by said plurality of signal receiving means from said object; first position detecting means for detecting the position of the signal receiving means which has received the reflection signal of the largest value; second largest value detecting means which detects a reflection signal of the second largest value among said reflection signals received by said plurality of signal receiving means; second position detecting means for detecting the position of the signal receiving means which has received said second largest value signal; and distance measuring means which continuously detects a distance to said object, said distance measuring means includes computing means for continuously computing the distance on the basis of the outputs of said first and second largest value detecting means and those of said first and second position detecting means; said computing means including a computing circuit for computing the position of a peak value of received signals which vary in the direction in which said array of signal receiving means is arranged in a row; said computing means including: first multiplication means which multiplies the output of said first largest value detecting means by that of said second position detecting means; and second multiplication means which multiplies the output of said second largest value detecting means by that of said first position detecting means.

Claim 25

A device as in claim 20, wherein said computing means includes first addition means which adds up the output of said first multiplication means.

Claim 26

A device as in claim 21, wherein said computing means includes second addition means which adds up the output of said first largest value detecting means and that of said second largest value detecting means.

Claim 27

A distance detecting device according to claim 22, wherein said computing means includes division means which divides the output of said first addition means by that of said second addition means.

Claim 28

A distance detecting device according to claim 22, wherein said signal receiving means includes photo-electric converting means.

Claim 29

A distance detecting device according to claim 24, wherein said signal generating means includes light emitting means.

Claim 30

A distance measuring device in which a signal is projected onto an object to be measured and the distance to the object is measured on the basis of position at which the signal reflected by the object is received, comprising: (a) signal emitting means for projecting a signal onto the object; (b) signal receiving means for receiving the signal reflected by the object, said receiving means having a plurality of of receiving portions each of which produces an output corresponding to the intensity of the reflected signal, (c) computing means for approximating the output values of the receiving portions to a curve of the second order and calculate the peak position of the curve, said computing means producing a signal of the peak position as a signal representing the distance to the object.

Claim 31

A distance measuring device in which a signal is projected onto an object to be measured and the distance to the object is measured on the basis of position at which the signal reflected by the object is received, comprising: (a) signal emitting means for projecting a signal onto the object; (b) signal receiving means for receiving the signal reflected by the object, said receiving means having a plurality of of receiving portions each of which produces an output corresponding to the intensity of the reflected signal, (c) computing means for approximating the output values of the receiving portions to a curve of the second order and calculate the peak position of the curve, said computing means producing a signal of the peak position as a signal representing the distance to the object.

Claim 32

A device according to claim 26, in which the computing means includes sampling means for sampling an output of the receiving portion in which the intensity of the reflected signal is maximum and outputs of receiving portions marginal to the receiving portion of maximum intensity to formulate the curve of the second order.