Detection device, storage medium storing a detection program, and optical device

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of detection device, the storage medium of storage detection program and optical device.A kind of detection device, with: light emitting element array, with multiple light emitting elements;Light receiving element array, with multiple light receiving elements receiving the reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitting element array to detection object;Driving portion, selectively drive multiple light emitting elements;And detection part, make the light emitting element emit light, and the light receiving amount of light received by the light receiving element, the first light emitting element corresponding to the first light receiving element of the light receiving amount less than the threshold value of pre-set, to detect the detection object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a detection device, a storage medium for storing detection programs, and an optical device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for measuring depth of destructive light that does not react to internal reflections. The method includes: emitting light onto a scene via a light source; performing a destructive light measurement by controlling a first charge accumulation unit of a pixel to collect charge based on light hitting the pixel during a first time period, during which the destructive light hits the pixel but no return light from an object within the pixel's field of view hits the pixel; removing the contribution of the destructive light from one or more measurements affected by the destructive light based on the destructive light measurement; and determining the depth based on the one or more measurements after removing the contribution of the destructive light.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a distance measuring device, characterized by comprising: a light-projecting unit that projects light onto an object; a light-receiving unit that receives light reflected or scattered by the object; a scanning unit that scans the light projected from the light-projecting unit onto a scanning area; and a distance measuring unit that measures the time from when the light is projected by the light-projecting unit to when the light is received by the light-receiving unit, measures the distance to the object, divides the scanning area into multiple segmented areas, defines a scan as the period from the start of scanning one segmented area to the end of scanning all segmented areas, and determines whether the measurement value of the first segmented area can be used as the measurement result of the first segmented area based on the measurement value of a first segmented area measured by the distance measuring unit during the first scan and the measurement value of a second segmented area measured before the measurement value of the first segmented area. If it is determined that the measurement value of the first segmented area can be used as the measurement result of the first segmented area, the measurement value of the first segmented area is output as the distance to the object in the first segmented area.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a light-flying ranging device, characterized by comprising: a first light source that emits first light into a first light-emitting space; a light-receiving unit having a plurality of pixels that receives light through each pixel; a distance image acquisition unit that, during a period of light emission from the first light source when the first light is repeatedly emitted, receives light including first reflected light obtained by the first light being reflected by the surface of an object, thereby acquiring a distance image representing the distance from the device to the object for each pixel; a brightness value image acquisition unit that, during a non-light-emitting period when the first light is not repeatedly emitted from the first light source, receives light including second reflected light obtained by the second light emitted from a second light source from a second light-emitting space including at least a portion of the first light-emitting space in a manner different from the first light, obtained by the second light being reflected by the surface of an object, thereby acquiring a brightness value image representing the brightness value of each pixel; and a multipath detection unit that uses the distance image and the brightness value image to detect regions where multipaths occur.

[0005] Patent Document 4 discloses a distance measuring device comprising: a light-emitting part that emits a probe light; and a light-receiving part that receives reflected light from the probe light. The distance measuring device measures the distance to an object that reflects the probe light based on the reflected light received by the light-receiving part. The device is characterized by: defining a strong scattering region centered on the light-emitting part where the intensity of the scattered light generated by the probe light passing through a water droplet with a diameter larger than the wavelength of the probe light or being reflected by the water droplet exceeds the noise level of the light-receiving part; positioning the light-receiving part at a position offset from the strong scattering region; and providing a light-shielding unit that blocks convergent scattered light converging in a specific direction and scattered light incident on the light-receiving part at an angle of incidence larger than the convergent scattered light.

[0006] Existing technical documents

[0007] Patent documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-219400

[0009] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-028039

[0010] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-15448

[0011] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-333592 Summary of the Invention

[0012] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0013] The purpose of this invention is to provide a detection device, a detection procedure, and an optical device that, when detecting a target object by detecting the reflected light emitted from a light-emitting element array having multiple light-emitting elements, can prevent the influence of light other than direct light from being reflected off the target object, compared to the case where light other than direct light is not considered.

[0014] Methods for solving problems

[0015] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a detection device is provided, comprising: a light-emitting element array having a plurality of light-emitting elements; a light-receiving element array having a plurality of light-receiving elements for receiving reflected light emitted from the light-emitting element array onto a detection object; a driving unit for selectively driving the plurality of light-emitting elements; and a detection unit for emitting light from the light-emitting elements and emitting light from a first light-receiving element corresponding to a first light-receiving element whose light received by the light-receiving elements is less than a preset threshold, thereby detecting the detection object.

[0016] In the second type of detection device, in the first type of detection device, the detection unit causes all the light-emitting elements to emit light, and causes the first light-emitting element to emit light, in order to detect the object to be detected.

[0017] In the third type of detection device, in the first type of detection device, the detection unit causes a second light-emitting element corresponding to a second light-receiving element whose light intensity is above the threshold to emit light a fewer number of times than the first light-emitting element emits light, in order to detect the object to be detected.

[0018] In the fourth type of detection device, the detection unit performs the emission of light from the first light-emitting element and the emission of light from the second light-emitting element in parallel.

[0019] In the fifth type of detection device, in the first type of detection device, the detection unit causes the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light individually. When light is received by a second light-receiving element other than the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element that emits light, the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-receiving element is not made to emit light, but the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element emits light to detect the object to be detected.

[0020] In the sixth type of detection device, in the first type of detection device, the detection unit causes all the light-emitting elements to emit light, and the detection unit measures the distance to the object to be detected based on the amount of light received by all the light-receiving elements, and causes light-emitting elements other than the light-emitting elements that illuminate the light-receiving elements in the area where the distance changes continuously to emit light, thereby detecting the object to be detected.

[0021] In the seventh type of detection device, in the first type of detection device, the detection unit causes the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light individually, and causes the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light in a light-receiving sequence set according to a light-receiving diagram of the light-receiving amount received by the plurality of light-receiving elements, so as to detect the object to be detected.

[0022] In the eighth type of detection device, the detection unit, based on the light intensity diagram, causes each group of light-emitting elements combined in a manner that does not produce mutual interference of light to emit light.

[0023] In the ninth type of detection device, in the first type of detection device, the detection unit causes the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light individually, and detects the detection object individually based on the amount of light received by the light-receiving element corresponding to the light-emitting element.

[0024] In the detection device of the tenth method, in the detection device of the first method, the detection unit causes the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light individually, and calculates the amount of light received by light-receiving elements other than the light-receiving elements corresponding to the light-emitting elements as a correction amount.

[0025] In the eleventh type of detection apparatus, in any of the first to tenth types of detection apparatus, the light-emitting element array is capable of emitting light in each of a plurality of light-emitting zones comprising at least two or more light-emitting elements, and the detection unit controls the emitting of light in each of the plurality of light-emitting zones.

[0026] In the twelfth type of detection device, in any of the first to eleventh types of detection devices, the detection unit detects the distance of the object to be detected by time of flight.

[0027] The detection apparatus of the thirteenth type includes: a light-emitting element array having a plurality of light-emitting elements; a light-receiving element array having a plurality of light-receiving elements for receiving reflected light emitted from the light-emitting element array onto a detection object; a driving unit for selectively driving the plurality of light-emitting elements; and a detection unit for emitting light from a first light-emitting element other than a second light-receiving element that receives light other than direct light reflected directly from the detection object, and detecting the detection object based on the amount of light received by the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element.

[0028] The detection device of the fourteenth method includes a processor that controls the emission of light from a plurality of light-emitting elements included in a light-emitting element array, and causes a first light-emitting element, other than a second light-emitting element corresponding to a second light-receiving element that receives light other than direct light reflected directly from the object being detected, to emit light from a plurality of light-receiving elements included in a light-receiving element array that receives light reflected from the object being detected by the light-emitting element array, and detects the object being detected based on the amount of light received by the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element.

[0029] The storage medium of the fifteenth method of the storage detection program is used to enable a computer to perform processing of a detected object. The processing includes: controlling the light emission of a plurality of light-emitting elements included in a light-emitting element array; causing a first light-emitting element, other than a second light-emitting element corresponding to a second light-receiving element that receives light other than direct light reflected directly from the detected object, to emit light among a plurality of light-receiving elements included in a light-receiving element array that receives reflected light from the light emitted by the light-emitting element array to the detected object; and detecting the detected object based on the amount of light received by the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element.

[0030] The optical device of the sixteenth type includes: an array of light-emitting elements having a plurality of light-emitting elements; an array of light-receiving elements having a plurality of light-receiving elements; and a detection unit of any one of the first to thirteenth types.

[0031] Invention Effects

[0032] According to the first, thirteenth to sixteenth methods, when detecting a target object by detecting the reflected light emitted from an array of light-emitting elements having multiple light-emitting elements, the influence of light other than direct light can be prevented compared to the case where light other than direct light that is reflected directly onto the target object is not considered.

[0033] According to the second method, compared with the case where all light-emitting elements emit light regardless of the amount of light received, light saturation can be prevented.

[0034] According to the third method, compared with the case where all light-emitting elements emit light the same number of times, it is possible to prevent light saturation.

[0035] According to the fourth method, compared with the case where the light-emitting element corresponding to the light-receiving element with a light-receiving amount less than the threshold is emitted sequentially and the light-emitting element corresponding to the light-receiving element with a light-receiving amount greater than the threshold is emitted sequentially, the processing time can be shortened.

[0036] According to the fifth method, the effects of multipath can be avoided compared to the case where all light-emitting elements emit light.

[0037] According to the sixth method, the effects of multipath propagation caused by walls, etc., can be avoided.

[0038] According to the seventh method, the effects of mutual interference of light can be avoided.

[0039] According to the eighth method, the effects of mutual interference of light can be further avoided.

[0040] According to the ninth method, compared with the case where all light-emitting elements emit light, the influence of indirect light can be prevented.

[0041] According to the tenth method, it is possible to prevent the light emission control of the light-emitting element from becoming complicated.

[0042] According to the eleventh method, compared with the case of controlling the light emission of each light-emitting element, it is possible to prevent the control of the light-emitting elements from becoming complicated.

[0043] According to the twelfth method, the three-dimensional shape of the object being detected can be determined. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings, wherein:

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the structure of the measuring device according to the first embodiment.

[0046] Figure 2 It is a block diagram representing the structure of the electrical system of the measuring device.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a front view of the light source.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a diagram used to illustrate the light-emitting zones.

[0049] Figure 5 This is the circuit diagram of the measuring device.

[0050] Figure 6 This is a front view of the 3D sensor.

[0051] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of the measurement procedure in the first embodiment.

[0052] Figure 8 This is a front view of the 3D sensor.

[0053] Figure 9 It is a graph used to illustrate multiple paths.

[0054] Figure 10 It is a graph used to illustrate multiple paths.

[0055] Figure 11This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of the measurement procedure in the second embodiment.

[0056] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of the measurement procedure in the third embodiment.

[0057] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of the measurement procedure in the fourth embodiment.

[0058] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of the measurement procedure in the fifth embodiment.

[0059] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of the measurement procedure in the sixth embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0060] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] <First Implementation Method>

[0062] In measuring devices that measure the three-dimensional shape of an object, there are devices that measure the three-dimensional shape based on the so-called Time of Flight (ToF) method, which uses the time of flight of light. In the ToF method, the three-dimensional shape is determined by measuring the time from the moment light is emitted from the light source of the measuring device to the moment the light is reflected by the object and received by the three-dimensional sensor (hereinafter referred to as a 3D sensor) of the measuring device. Furthermore, the object whose three-dimensional shape is being measured is labeled as the measured object. The measured object is an example of a detected object. Additionally, the measurement of three-dimensional shape is sometimes labeled as three-dimensional measurement, 3D measurement, or 3D sensing.

[0063] The Time-of-Flight (ToF) method includes the direct method and the phase difference method (indirect method). The direct method involves illuminating the object being measured with a pulse of light that emits light for only a very short time and measuring the time until the light returns. The phase difference method involves periodically flashing a pulse of light and measuring the time delay between multiple pulses and the object being measured as the phase difference. In this embodiment, the case of measuring three-dimensional shape using the phase difference method will be described.

[0064] Such measuring devices are mounted on portable information processing devices for purposes such as facial authentication of users seeking access. Previously, portable information processing devices used methods such as passwords, fingerprints, and iris scans to authenticate users. In recent years, there has been a demand for more secure authentication methods. Therefore, measuring devices that measure three-dimensional shape are increasingly being incorporated into portable information processing devices. That is, a three-dimensional image of the user's face is acquired, access is determined, and the device (portable information processing device) is only permitted to use if the user is authenticated as authorized.

[0065] In addition, such a measuring device is also suitable for situations such as augmented reality (AR) where the three-dimensional shape of the measured object is continuously measured.

[0066] The structures, functions, and methods described in the embodiments described below are applicable not only to facial authentication and augmented reality, but also to the measurement of the three-dimensional shape of other objects being measured.

[0067] (Measuring device 1)

[0068] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a measuring device 1 for measuring three-dimensional shapes.

[0069] The measuring device 1 includes an optical device 3 and a control unit 8. The control unit 8 controls the optical device 3. Furthermore, the control unit 8 includes a three-dimensional shape determination unit 81 for determining the three-dimensional shape of the object being measured. In addition, the measuring device 1 is an example of a detection device. Furthermore, the control unit 8 is an example of a detection unit.

[0070] Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing the hardware structure of the control unit 8. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the control unit 8 includes a controller 12. The controller 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12C, and an input / output interface (I / O) 12D. Furthermore, the CPU 12A, ROM 12B, RAM 12C, and I / O 12D are interconnected via a system bus 12E. The system bus 12E includes a control bus, an address bus, and a data bus.

[0071] In addition, a communication unit 14 and a storage unit 16 are connected to I / O 12D.

[0072] The communication unit 14 is an interface for data communication with external devices.

[0073] The storage unit 16 is composed of a non-volatile, rewritable memory such as a flash memory ROM, and stores the measurement program 16A (described later) and the partition correspondence table 16B (described later). The CPU 12A reads the measurement program 16A stored in the storage unit 16 into the RAM 12C and executes it, thereby forming a three-dimensional shape determination unit 81 to determine the three-dimensional shape of the measured object. Furthermore, the measurement program 16A is an example of a detection program.

[0074] The optical device 3 includes a light-emitting device 4 and a 3D sensor 5. The light-emitting device 4 includes a wiring substrate 10, a heat-dissipating substrate 100, a light source 20, a light-diffusing component 30, a driving unit 50, a holding unit 60, and capacitors 70A and 70B. Furthermore, to activate the driving unit 50, the light-emitting device 4 may also include passive components such as resistive elements 6 and capacitors 7. Here, two resistive elements 6 and two capacitors 7 are provided. Two capacitors 70A and 70B are labeled, but only one is possible. Furthermore, when not distinguishing between capacitors 70A and 70B, they are labeled as capacitor 70. Furthermore, there may be one resistive element 6 and multiple capacitors 7. Here, sometimes electrical components other than the light source 20, driving unit 50, and capacitor 7, such as the 3D sensor 5, resistive elements 6, and capacitors 7, are not distinguished and are labeled as circuit components. Furthermore, capacitors are sometimes referred to as capacitance. The 3D sensor 5 is an example of a light-receiving element array.

[0075] The heat dissipation substrate 100, driving part 50, resistive element 6, and capacitor 7 of the light-emitting device 4 are disposed on the surface of the wiring substrate 10. Furthermore, in Figure 1 In this case, the 3D sensor 5 is not disposed on the surface of the wiring substrate 10, but it can also be disposed on the surface of the wiring substrate 10.

[0076] A light source 20, capacitors 70A and 70B, and a holding portion 60 are disposed on the surface of the heat dissipation substrate 100. Furthermore, a light diffusion member 30 is disposed on the holding portion 60. Here, the shape of the heat dissipation substrate 100 is the same as the shape of the light diffusion member 30. Here, "surface" refers to... Figure 1 The front side of the paper. More specifically, in the wiring substrate 10, the side on which the heat dissipation substrate 100 is disposed is referred to as the surface, the front side, or the surface side. In addition, in the heat dissipation substrate 100, the side on which the light source 20 is disposed is referred to as the surface, the front side, or the surface side.

[0077] The light source 20 is configured as a two-dimensional array of light-emitting elements (see below). Figure 3As an example, the light-emitting element is a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). Hereinafter, the light-emitting element will be described as a VCSEL. VCSEL will be referred to as VCSEL. Since the light source 20 is disposed on the surface of the heat-dissipating substrate 100, the light source 20 emits light perpendicularly to the surface of the heat-dissipating substrate 100 in a direction away from the heat-dissipating substrate 100. That is, the light-emitting element array is a surface-emitting laser array. Furthermore, the multiple light-emitting elements in the light source 20 are arranged in two dimensions, and sometimes the surface of the light source 20 that emits light is marked as the emission surface.

[0078] Light emitted from the light source 20 is incident on the light diffusion member 30. The light diffusion member 30 then diffuses and emits the incident light. The light diffusion member 30 is arranged to cover the light source 20 and the capacitors 70A and 70B. That is, the light diffusion member 30 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the light source 20 and the capacitors 70A and 70B provided on the heat dissipation substrate 100 via a holding portion 60 provided on the surface of the heat dissipation substrate 100. Therefore, the light emitted from the light source 20 is diffused by the light diffusion member 30 and irradiates the object being measured. In other words, compared to the case without the light diffusion member 30, the light emitted from the light source 20 is diffused by the light diffusion member 30 and irradiates a wider area.

[0079] In the case of 3D measurement using the Time-of-Flight (ToF) method, the light source 20 is required to emit pulsed light (hereinafter referred to as emitted light pulse) through the drive unit 50, for example, at a frequency of 100 MHz or higher. Furthermore, in the case of facial recognition, the light illumination distance is approximately 10 cm to 1 m. Moreover, the light illumination range is approximately 1 m square. The light illumination distance is denoted as the measurement distance, and the light illumination range is denoted as the illumination range or measurement range. Additionally, a surface virtually set within the illumination range or measurement range is denoted as the illumination surface. Furthermore, in cases other than facial recognition, the measurement distance to the object being measured and the illumination range to the object can be other than those described above.

[0080] The 3D sensor 5 has multiple light-receiving elements, such as 640×480 light-receiving elements, and outputs a signal that corresponds to the time from the moment the light is emitted from the light source 20 to the moment the light is received by the 3D sensor 5.

[0081] For example, each light-receiving element of the 3D sensor 5 receives pulsed reflected light (hereinafter referred to as a light-receiving pulse) from the object being measured relative to the emitted light pulse from the light source 20, and accumulates a charge in each light-receiving element corresponding to the time until the light is received. The 3D sensor 5 is configured as a CMOS device in which each light-receiving element has two gates and corresponding charge accumulation sections. Moreover, by alternately applying pulses to the two gates, the generated photoelectrons are rapidly transmitted to either of the two charge accumulation sections. A charge corresponding to the phase difference between the emitted light pulse and the light-receiving pulse is accumulated in the two charge accumulation sections. Then, the 3D sensor 5 outputs a digital value corresponding to the phase difference between the emitted light pulse and the light-receiving pulse as a signal to each light-receiving element via an AD converter. That is, the 3D sensor 5 outputs a signal corresponding to the time from the moment the light is emitted from the light source 20 to the moment the light is received by the 3D sensor 5. In other words, a signal corresponding to the three-dimensional shape of the object being measured is acquired from the 3D sensor 5. Furthermore, the AD converter can be provided in the 3D sensor 5 or external to the 3D sensor 5.

[0082] As explained above, the measuring device 1 diffuses the light emitted from the light source 20 and illuminates the object being measured, while the 3D sensor 5 receives the reflected light from the object. In this way, the measuring device 1 measures the three-dimensional shape of the object.

[0083] First, the light source 20, light diffusion component 30, driving unit 50, and capacitors 70A and 70B constituting the light-emitting device 4 will be described.

[0084] (Structure of light source 20)

[0085] Figure 3 This is a top view of the light source 20. The light source 20 is constructed by arranging multiple VCSELs in a two-dimensional array. That is, the light source 20 is configured as an array of light-emitting elements using VCSELs as light-emitting elements. The right direction of the paper is defined as the x-direction, and the top direction of the paper is defined as the y-direction.

[0086] The direction orthogonal to the x and y directions is defined as the z direction. Furthermore, the surface of light source 20 refers to the front side of the paper, i.e., the side facing +z, and the back side of light source 20 refers to the back side of the paper, i.e., the side facing -z. The top view of light source 20 is a diagram showing the light source 20 as viewed from the surface side.

[0087] To further explain, in the light source 20, the side on which the epitaxial layer is formed and functions as the light-emitting layer (the active region 206 described later) is referred to as the surface, front side, or surface side of the light source 20.

[0088] A VCSEL is an active region formed between a lower multilayer film reflector and an upper multilayer film reflector laminated on a semiconductor substrate 200, which serves as the light-emitting region and emits laser light in a direction perpendicular to the surface. Therefore, compared to using an end-face emission type laser, VCSELs are easier to array in two dimensions. As an example, the number of VCSELs in the light source 20 is between 100 and 1000. Furthermore, multiple VCSELs are connected in parallel and driven in parallel. The number of VCSELs mentioned above is just an example and can be set according to the measurement distance and illumination range.

[0089] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, the light source 20 is divided into multiple light-emitting zones 24, and each light-emitting zone is driven. Figure 4 In the example, as shown by the dashed line, it is divided into 12 light-emitting zones of 4×3. 11 Up to 24 34 However, the number of light-emitting zones is not limited to this. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, they are simply referred to as light-emitting zone 24. Additionally, in Figure 4 In the example, a light-emitting partition 24 contains 16 VCSELs, but the number of VCSELs contained in a light-emitting partition 24 is not limited to this; it is sufficient to contain more than one VCSEL.

[0090] Multiple VCSEL-shared anode electrodes 218 (see reference) are disposed on the surface of the light source 20. Figure 5 A cathode electrode 214 is provided on the back of the light source 20 (see reference). Figure 5 That is, multiple VCSELs are connected in parallel. By driving multiple VCSELs in parallel, a stronger light can be emitted compared to driving a single VCSEL.

[0091] Here, the shape of the light source 20 as viewed from the surface side (labeled as a planar shape, the same below) is rectangular. Furthermore, the side facing in the -y direction is labeled as side 21A, the side facing in the +y direction as side 21B, the side facing in the -x direction as side 22A, and the side facing in the +x direction as side 22B. Side 21A and side 21B are opposite each other. Side 22A and side 22B connect to side 21A and side 21B respectively, and are opposite each other.

[0092] Furthermore, the center of the planar shape of the light source 20, that is, the center in the x and y directions, is set as the center Ov.

[0093] (Drive unit 50 and capacitors 70A and 70B)

[0094] When it is desired to drive the light source 20 at a higher speed, low-side driving is preferred. Low-side driving refers to a structure in which the driving element, such as a MOS transistor, is located downstream of the current path relative to the driving object, such as a VCSEL. Conversely, a structure in which the driving element is located upstream is called high-side driving.

[0095] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the equivalent circuit when the light source 20 is driven by a low-side drive. Figure 5 The diagram shows the VCSEL of the light source 20, the drive unit 50, capacitors 70A and 70B, and the power supply 82. Furthermore, the power supply 82 is provided in… Figure 1 The control unit 8 is shown. Power supply 82 generates a DC voltage with the + side as the power supply potential and the - side as the reference potential. The power supply potential is supplied to power line 83, and the reference potential is supplied to reference line 84. Alternatively, the reference potential can be ground potential (sometimes marked as GND, in...). Figure 5 (marked as [G]).

[0096] As described above, the light source 20 is composed of multiple VCSELs connected in parallel. The anode electrode 218 of the VCSEL (refer to...) Figure 3 ,exist Figure 5 The part marked [A] is connected to power cord 83.

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, the light source 20 is divided into multiple light-emitting zones 24, and the control unit 8 drives the VCSEL according to each light-emitting zone 24. Additionally, in Figure 5 The diagram only shows the three VCSELs of one light-emitting zone 24, omitting the diagrams of other VCSELs and light-emitting zones.

[0098] like Figure 5 As shown, a switching element SW is provided between each VCSEL and the power line 83. Each switching element SW is simultaneously turned on and off according to the command from the control unit 8. Thus, the VCSELs contained in a light-emitting zone 24 are controlled to emit light and not emit light at the same time.

[0099] The driving unit 50 includes an n-channel MOS transistor 51 and a signal generation circuit 52 for turning the MOS transistor 51 on and off. The drain of the MOS transistor 51 (in...) Figure 5 The cathode electrode 214 of the VCSEL (marked as [D]) is referenced. Figure 3 ,exist Figure 5 The connection is marked [K] in the middle. The source of MOS transistor 51 (in Figure 5The MOS transistor 51 (marked [S]) is connected to the reference line 84. Furthermore, the gate of the MOS transistor 51 is connected to the signal generation circuit 52. That is, the VCSEL and the MOS transistor 51 of the drive unit 50 are connected in series between the power supply line 83 and the reference line 84. Under the control of the control unit 8, the signal generation circuit 52 generates a "H level" signal that turns the MOS transistor 51 on and a "L level" signal that turns the MOS transistor 51 off.

[0100] One terminal of capacitors 70A and 70B is connected to power line 83, and the other terminal is connected to reference line 84. Here, when multiple capacitors 70 are present, they are connected in parallel. That is, in... Figure 5 In this context, capacitor 70 consists of two capacitors, 70A and 70B. Alternatively, capacitor 70 can be, for example, an electrolytic capacitor or a ceramic capacitor.

[0101] Next, the driving method of the light source 20, which is driven on the low side, will be explained.

[0102] First, the control unit 8 turns on the switching element SW of the light-emitting section 24 that the VCSEL wants to emit light, and turns off the switching element SW of the light-emitting section 24 that the VCSEL does not want to emit light.

[0103] The following describes the driving of the VCSEL contained in the light-emitting zone 24, which is turned on by the switching element SW.

[0104] First, the signal generated by the signal generation circuit 52 of the drive unit 50 is at "L level". In this case, the MOS transistor 51 is in the off state. That is, at the source of the MOS transistor 51 ( Figure 5 [S]) and drain ( Figure 5 No current flows between [D]). Therefore, no current flows in the VCSEL connected in series with the MOS transistor 51. That is, the VCSEL does not emit light.

[0105] Capacitors 70A and 70B are connected to power supply 82. One terminal of capacitors 70A and 70B connected to power line 83 becomes the power supply potential, and the other terminal connected to reference line 84 becomes the reference potential. Therefore, current flows from power supply 82 through capacitors 70A and 70B (supplying charge) to charge them.

[0106] Next, when the signal generated by the signal generation circuit 52 of the driving unit 50 becomes "H level", the MOS transistor 51 changes from the off state to the on state. Thus, capacitors 70A and 70B, together with the series-connected MOS transistor 51 and VCSEL, form a closed loop, and the charge accumulated in capacitors 70A and 70B is supplied to the series-connected MOS transistor 51 and VCSEL. That is, driving current flows through the VCSEL, and the VCSEL emits light. This closed loop is the driving circuit for driving the light source 20.

[0107] Furthermore, when the signal generated by the signal generation circuit 52 of the drive unit 50 becomes "L level" again, the MOS transistor 51 changes from the ON state to the OFF state. As a result, the closed loop (drive circuit) of capacitors 70A and 70B, and the series-connected MOS transistor 51 and VCSEL becomes an open loop, and the drive current no longer flows through the VCSEL. Therefore, the VCSEL stops emitting light. Charge is transferred from the power supply 82 to capacitors 70A and 70B.

[0108] As explained above, whenever the signal output from signal generation circuit 52 changes to "H level" and "L level", MOS transistor 51 repeatedly turns on and off, and VCSEL repeatedly emits light and does not emit light. The repeated turning on and off of MOS transistor 51 is sometimes referred to as switching.

[0109] Furthermore, if the 3D sensor 5 can be used to receive only the light emitted from the light source 20 that is directly incident on the object being measured and reflected, the distance to the object being measured can be measured with high precision.

[0110] However, in reality, the 3D sensor 5 has a lens (not shown), which presents a lens spot problem where the light-receiving element, which should not receive excess light due to multiple reflections from the lens, receives excess light. Furthermore, hereinafter, light that is directly incident on the object being measured, reflected, and directly received by the light-receiving element is referred to as direct light. Excess light other than direct light is referred to as indirect light.

[0111] Due to the lens spot, in light-receiving elements that receive both direct and indirect light, the amount of light received sometimes exceeds the intended amount and becomes saturated. Furthermore, when there is an obstacle, such as a user's finger, between the measuring device 1 and the object being measured, the amount of light received sometimes also exceeds the intended amount due to excess indirect light reflected by the obstacle.

[0112] Therefore, in this embodiment, the distance to the measured object is measured using the phase difference method based on the amount of direct light received by the light-receiving element PD among the multiple light-receiving elements PD included in the 3D sensor 5 that receives reflected light emitted from the light source 20 at the measured object. Specifically, the distance to the measured object is measured by emitting light from the VCSEL corresponding to the light-receiving element PD with an amount of light received less than a preset threshold. That is, the distance to the measured object is not emitted by the VCSEL corresponding to the light-receiving element PD with an amount of light received greater than the preset threshold. Furthermore, the series of processes from emitting light from the light source 20 to measuring the distance to the measured object is sometimes referred to as integration.

[0113] In this embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, the 3D sensor 5 is divided into multiple light-receiving zones 26. Each light-receiving zone 26 includes one or more light-receiving elements (PDs). Figure 6 In the example, a light-receiving partition 26 includes 16 light-receiving elements (PDs), but the number of light-receiving elements (PDs) is not limited to this. Furthermore, in... Figure 6 In this example, for ease of explanation, the 3D sensor 5 is divided into 4×3 light-receiving zones 26, similar to the light-emitting zone 24. 11 Up to 26 34 However, it can also be divided into a different number than the light-emitting zone 24. In addition, without specifically distinguishing the light-receiving zone, it is simply referred to as the light-receiving zone 26.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when all VCSELs belonging to each light-emitting zone 24 are made to emit light for each light-emitting zone 24, the light-receiving zone 26 to which the light-receiving element PD that receives direct light belongs is predetermined. The correspondence between the light-emitting zones 24 and the light-receiving zones 26 is pre-stored in the storage unit 16 as a zone correspondence table 16B (see reference). Figure 2 ).

[0115] For example, in the absence of obstacles, each light-emitting zone 24 emits light individually to a pre-set object to be measured, and the zone correspondence table 16B is determined based on the amount of light received in each light-receiving zone 26.

[0116] Furthermore, the light-emitting zone 24 and the light-receiving zone 26 can correspond in any of the following ways: one-to-one, many-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many. However, in this embodiment, for ease of explanation, they are set to correspond in a one-to-one manner.

[0117] Next, the function of the measuring device 1 in this embodiment will be explained. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the measurement process executed by the control unit 8 of the measuring device 1 in this embodiment. Figure 7The measurement process shown is executed by the CPU 12A reading the measurement program 16A stored in the storage unit 16.

[0118] In step S100, to make all VCSELs in the light-emitting sections 24 of the light source 20 emit light, the MOS transistor 51 of the driving unit 50 is turned on, and all switching elements SW are turned on. As a result, all VCSELs emit light.

[0119] In step S102, the amount of light received (charge) is obtained from the 3D sensor 5 by the light-receiving elements of all light-receiving zones 26.

[0120] In step S104, it is determined whether there is a light-receiving element whose light-receiving amount is higher than or equal to a preset threshold. The threshold is set to a value that indicates that indirect light other than direct light has also been received and the light-receiving amount is saturated. For example, the threshold is set to the maximum value of the light-receiving amount that can be measured by the light-receiving element. Then, if there is a light-receiving element whose light-receiving amount is higher than or equal to the preset threshold, the process proceeds to step S106. If there is no light-receiving element whose light-receiving amount is higher than or equal to the preset threshold, the process proceeds to step S110.

[0121] In step S106, referring to the partition correspondence table 16B, the light-emitting partition 24 corresponding to the light-receiving partition 26 to which the light-receiving element has a light-receiving amount above the threshold is determined. Then, the light-emitting partition 24 other than the determined light-emitting partition 24 is designated as the first light-emitting partition 24. The VCSELs belonging to the first light-emitting partition 24 emit light a predetermined number of times. The light-receiving amount of the light-receiving element belonging to the light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the first light-emitting partition 24 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5, and the distance to the measured object is measured using the aforementioned phase difference method. That is, the VCSELs belonging to the first light-emitting partition 24 corresponding to the light-receiving partition 26 to which the light-receiving element has a light-receiving amount less than the threshold are made to emit light, and the distance to the measured object is measured. In this way, the distance to the measured object is measured by making the VCSELs belonging to the first light-emitting partition 24 corresponding to the light-receiving partition 26, which has less influence from indirect light, emit light. Alternatively, the distance to the measured object can be measured by only obtaining the light-receiving amount of the light-receiving element belonging to the light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the first light-emitting partition 24.

[0122] In step S108, the VCSELs of the second light-emitting partition 24 (other than the first light-emitting partition 24) are made to emit light. The amount of light received by the light-receiving element of the light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the emitting second light-emitting partition 24 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5, and the distance to the object being measured is measured. At this time, the VCSELs of the second light-emitting partition 24 are made to emit light a number N2 fewer times than the number N1 times the VCSELs of the first light-emitting partition 24 are made to emit light in step S106. Furthermore, the number N2 is set to the number of times when the amount of light received by the light-receiving element is less than a threshold. This prevents the amount of light received by the light-receiving element from exceeding the threshold.

[0123] In step S110, since there are no light-receiving elements with a light-receiving amount exceeding the threshold, the distance to the object being measured is measured based on the light-receiving amount of all light-receiving elements obtained in step S102.

[0124] Thus, in this embodiment, the light-emitting partition corresponding to the light-receiving partition 26 to which the light-receiving element has a light-receiving amount less than a preset threshold is designated as the first light-emitting partition 24, and the light-emitting partition corresponding to the light-receiving partition 26 to which the light-receiving element has a light-receiving amount greater than or equal to the preset threshold is designated as the second light-emitting partition 24. Furthermore, for the second light-emitting partition 24, the number of light emission cycles is reduced to enable it to emit light.

[0125] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, it belongs to the light-receiving zone 26. 22 26 23 26 31 26 34 At least a portion of the light-receiving elements receive light exceeding a threshold. In this case, the light-receiving partition 26... 22 26 23 26 31 26 34 Corresponding light-emitting partition 24 22 ,twenty four 23 ,twenty four 31 ,twenty four 34 The light-emitting zone 24, which is set as the second light-emitting zone 24, is set as the first light-emitting zone 24, which is the light-receiving zone 26 that is not there.

[0126] In addition, Figure 7 In the processing, step S108 is executed after step S106, but steps S106 and S108 can also be executed in parallel. That is, the emission of the first light-emitting partition 24 and the emission of the second light-emitting partition 24 are executed in parallel. This can shorten the processing time.

[0127] <Second Implementation>

[0128] Next, the second embodiment will be described. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used to denote the parts that are the same as in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0129] The structure of measuring device 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0130] The problems arising when measuring the distance to an object by illuminating it with light from the light source 20 and receiving its reflected light are not limited to the lens spot described in the first embodiment. For example, as... Figure 9 As shown, the light emitted from the light source 20 is not simply the direct light L1 that is reflected directly onto the object 28 being measured. For example, there is a multipath problem, where the light is reflected by obstacles such as the wall 32 and travels along multiple paths as multipath light L2, which is then received by the 3D sensor 5.

[0131] Sometimes, due to multipath, the light-receiving element receives not only direct light but also indirect light that it shouldn't receive, which affects the accuracy of the measured distance.

[0132] Therefore, in this embodiment, the second light-emitting zone 24, which corresponds to the light-receiving zone 26 to which the light-receiving element that should not receive indirect light belongs, is not made to emit light. Instead, the VCSEL belonging to the first light-emitting zone 24, which is outside the second light-emitting zone 24, emits light to measure the distance to the object being measured. Thus, as Figure 10 As shown, the distance to the object 28 can be measured without the influence of multipath light L2.

[0133] The function of this embodiment will be explained below. Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the measurement process executed by the control unit 8 of the measuring device 1 in this embodiment.

[0134] In step S200, one non-emitting light-emitting section 24 is made to emit light. That is, in order to make the VCSEL of the non-emitting light-emitting section 24 emit light, the MOS transistor 51 of the driving unit 50 is turned on, and the switching element SW of the non-emitting light-emitting section 24 is turned on. As a result, the VCSEL of one light-emitting section 24 emits light, while the VCSELs of the other light-emitting sections 24 do not emit light.

[0135] In step S202, the amount of light received by the light-receiving elements belonging to all light-receiving zones 26 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5.

[0136] In step S204, the first light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the light-emitting partition 24 that emitted light in step S200 is determined by referring to the partition correspondence table 16B. Then, based on the amount of light received by the light-receiving elements belonging to all light-receiving partitions 26 obtained in step S202, it is determined whether light was received in the second light-receiving partition 26 other than the first light-receiving partition 26.

[0137] Then, if the second light-receiving partition 26 receives light, proceed to step S206; if the second light-receiving partition 26 does not receive light, proceed to step S208.

[0138] In step S206, the light-emitting partition 24 that emitted light in step S200 is set as the second light-emitting partition 24.

[0139] In step S208, the light-emitting partition 24 that emitted light in step S200 is set as the first light-emitting partition 24.

[0140] In step S210, it is determined whether all light-emitting sections 24 have been made to emit light. If all light-emitting sections 24 have been made to emit light, the process proceeds to step S212. If there are any light-emitting sections 24 that have not emitted light, the process proceeds to step S200, whereby the non-light-emitting sections 24 are made to emit light and the same processing as described above is performed.

[0141] In step S212, only the first light-emitting partition 24 set in step S208 emits light a preset number of times, and the amount of light received by each light-receiving element is obtained from the 3D sensor 5. The distance to the object being measured is measured by the aforementioned phase difference method.

[0142] Thus, in this embodiment, when light is received by a light-receiving element belonging to a second light-receiving partition 26 other than the first light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the light-emitting partition 24, the first light-receiving partition 24 other than the second light-receiving partition 24 corresponding to the second light-receiving partition 26 is made to emit light, and the distance to the object being measured is measured.

[0143] <Third Implementation Method>

[0144] Next, the third embodiment will be described. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used for parts identical to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0145] The structure of measuring device 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0146] The function of this embodiment will be explained below. Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the measurement process executed by the control unit 8 of the measuring device 1 in this embodiment.

[0147] In step S300, with Figure 7 Similarly, in step S100, to make all VCSELs in the light-emitting sections 24 of the light source 20 emit light, the MOS transistor 51 of the driving unit 50 is turned on, and all switching elements SW are turned on. As a result, all VCSELs emit light.

[0148] In step S302, with Figure 7 Similarly, in step S102, the amount of light received (charge) received by the light-receiving elements of all light-receiving zones 26 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5, and the distance to the object being measured is measured based on the obtained amount of light received.

[0149] In step S304, it is determined whether there is a light-receiving zone 26 with continuously changing distance as measured in step S302. Then, if there is a light-receiving zone 26 with continuously changing distance, the process proceeds to step S306; if there is no light-receiving zone 26 with continuously changing distance, the process proceeds to step S308.

[0150] In step S306, the light-emitting partition 24 corresponding to the light-receiving partition 26 with continuously changing distance is set as the second light-emitting partition 24, and the other light-emitting partitions are set as the first light-emitting partition 24.

[0151] In step S308, all light-emitting partitions 24 are set as the first light-emitting partition 24.

[0152] In step S310, the first light-emitting partition 24 is made to emit light, and the amount of light received by the light-receiving elements of all light-receiving partitions 26 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5, and the distance to the object being measured is measured.

[0153] Therefore, the luminous partition 24, which is irradiated by light to walls with continuously varying distances, is prevented from emitting light, thus avoiding the effects of multipath propagation.

[0154] <Fourth Implementation>

[0155] Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used for parts identical to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0156] The structure of measuring device 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0157] The function of this embodiment will be explained below. Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating the measurement process executed by the control unit 8 of the measuring device 1 in this embodiment.

[0158] In step S400, with Figure 11 Similarly, in step S200, the non-emitting emitting partition 24 is made to emit light.

[0159] In step S402, with Figure 11 Similarly, in step S202, the amount of light received by the light-receiving elements belonging to all light-receiving zones 26 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5, and the obtained amount of light received is stored in the storage unit 16.

[0160] In step S404, it is determined whether all light-emitting sections 24 have emitted light. If all light-emitting sections 24 have emitted light, the process proceeds to step S406. If there are any non-emitting light-emitting sections 24, the process proceeds to step S400, where the non-emitting light-emitting sections 24 are made to emit light, and the same processing as described above is performed. Thus, a light-receiving amount diagram can be obtained, showing the correspondence between the light-emitting section 24 and the amount of light received by each light-receiving section 26 when that light-emitting section 24 is made to emit light.

[0161] In step S406, the emission order of the emission zones 24 is set based on the light reception diagram. Specifically, the emission order is set so that each emission zone 24 emits light in a manner that does not cause mutual interference of light. Here, mutual interference of light refers to a situation where, when multiple emission zones 24 emit light simultaneously, light is also received in a second light-receiving zone 26 other than the corresponding first light-receiving zone 26, which adversely affects the accuracy of the measurement.

[0162] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, the light reception diagram represents the light reception in zone 26. 22 Corresponding light-emitting partition 24 22 In the case of light emission, in the light-receiving zone 26 22 Surrounding light-receiving zones 26 11 26 12 26 22 The light received is also shown in the light-receiving diagram. Furthermore, the light-receiving diagram represents the light received in the 26 light-receiving zones. 23 Corresponding light-emitting partition 24 23 In the case of light emission, in the light-receiving zone 26 23 Surrounding light-receiving zones 26 13 26 24 26 33 The light received is also shown in the light-receiving diagram. Furthermore, the light-receiving diagram represents the light received in the 26 light-receiving zones. 31 Corresponding light-emitting partition 24 31 In the case of light emission, in the light-receiving zone 26 31 Surrounding light-receiving zones 26 21 26 22 26 32 The light received is also shown in the light-receiving diagram. Furthermore, the light-receiving diagram represents the light received in the 26 light-receiving zones. 34 Corresponding light-emitting partition 24 34 In the case of light emission, in the light-receiving zone 2634 Surrounding light-receiving zones 26 23 26 24 26 33 A diagram showing the amount of light received by the device.

[0163] In this case, even if the light-receiving partition 26 is made 11 26 12 26 13 26 14 26 21 26 24 26 32 26 33 Corresponding light-emitting partition 24 11 ,twenty four 12 ,twenty four 13 ,twenty four 14 ,twenty four 21 ,twenty four 24 ,twenty four 32 ,twenty four 33 Simultaneous emission of light will not cause mutual interference. Similarly, even if the light-receiving zone is 26... 22 26 23 Corresponding light-emitting partition 24 22 ,twenty four 23 Simultaneous emission of light will not cause mutual interference. Furthermore, even when the light-receiving zone is 26... 31 26 34 Corresponding light-emitting partition 24 31 ,twenty four 34 They emit light simultaneously without interfering with each other.

[0164] Therefore, in Figure 8 In the example, the first time the light-emitting partition 24 is made 11 ,twenty four 12 ,twenty four 13 ,twenty four 14 ,twenty four 21 ,twenty four 24 ,twenty four 32 ,twenty four 33 Simultaneous emission, the second time causing the emission zone 24 to emit light. 22 ,twenty four 23 Simultaneous emission, the third time causing the luminous zone 24 to emit light. 31 ,twenty four 34 The lighting sequence can be set by emitting light simultaneously. Alternatively, the lighting sequence can be set in a way that minimizes the number of times light is emitted.

[0165] In step S408, the light-emitting partition 24 is made to emit light according to the light-emitting sequence set in step S406, and the distance to the object being measured is measured.

[0166] In this way, according to the light-receiving diagram, each group of light-emitting partitions 24, which are combined in a manner that does not produce mutual interference of light, emits light.

[0167] <Fifth Implementation>

[0168] Next, the fifth embodiment will be described. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used for parts identical to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0169] The structure of measuring device 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0170] The function of this embodiment will be explained below. Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating the measurement process executed by the control unit 8 of the measuring device 1 in this embodiment.

[0171] In step S500, with Figure 11 Similarly, in step S200, only one non-emitting emitting zone 24 is made to emit light a preset number of times.

[0172] In step S502, the light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the light-emitting partition 24 that emitted light in step S500 is determined by referring to the partition correspondence table 16B, and the amount of light received by the light-receiving element belonging to the determined light-receiving partition 26 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5.

[0173] In step S504, based on the amount of light received by each light-receiving element obtained in step S502, the distance from the light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the light-emitting partition 24 that emitted light in step S500 to the object being measured is measured by the aforementioned phase difference method.

[0174] In step S506, it is determined whether all light-emitting sections 24 have been made to emit light. If all light-emitting sections 24 have been made to emit light, the routine ends. If there are any light-emitting sections 24 that are not emitting light, the process proceeds to step S500, whereby the non-light-emitting sections 24 are made to emit light and the same processing as described above is performed.

[0175] Thus, in this embodiment, the light-emitting partitions 24 emit light one by one, and the distance from the light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the light-emitting partition 24 to the object being measured is measured individually.

[0176] <Sixth Implementation Method>

[0177] Next, the sixth embodiment will be described. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used for parts identical to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0178] The structure of measuring device 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0179] The function of this embodiment will be explained below. Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the measurement process executed by the control unit 8 of the measuring device 1 in this embodiment.

[0180] In step S600, with Figure 11 Similarly, in step S200, the non-emitting emitting partition 24 is made to emit light.

[0181] In step S602, with Figure 11 Similarly, in step S202, the amount of light received by the light-receiving elements belonging to all light-receiving zones 26 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5.

[0182] In step S604, based on the amount of light received by the light-receiving elements belonging to all light-receiving partitions 26 obtained in step S602, it is determined whether light was received in the second light-receiving partition 26 other than the first light-receiving partition 26 corresponding to the first light-emitting partition 24 that emitted light in step S600.

[0183] Then, if the second light-receiving partition 26 receives light, proceed to step S606; if the second light-receiving partition 26 does not receive light, proceed to step S608.

[0184] In step S606, the amount of light received by the light-receiving element of the second light-receiving partition 26 is stored as a correction amount in the storage unit 16.

[0185] In step S608, it is determined whether all light-emitting sections 24 have been made to emit light. If all light-emitting sections 24 have been made to emit light, the process proceeds to step S610. If there are any light-emitting sections 24 that have not emitted light, the process proceeds to step S600, whereby the non-light-emitting sections 24 are made to emit light and the same processing as described above is performed.

[0186] In step S610, the VCSELs belonging to all light-emitting zones 24 are made to emit light.

[0187] In step S612, the amount of light received by the light-receiving elements of all light-receiving zones 26 is obtained from the 3D sensor 5.

[0188] In step S614, for the light-receiving elements in all light-receiving zones 26 that have had their correction values ​​stored in the storage unit 16 in step S606, the light-receiving amount is corrected by subtracting the correction value from the light-receiving amount. Then, the corrected light-receiving amount is used to measure the distance to the object being measured. This avoids the influence of indirect light.

[0189] The embodiments have been described above, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various changes or modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the manner in which such changes or modifications are made is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0190] Furthermore, the above embodiments do not limit the invention covered by the claims. Also, the combination of all features described in the embodiments is not necessarily necessary for the solution of the invention. The foregoing embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted through combinations of the disclosed multiple technical features. Even if several technical features are deleted from all the technical features shown in the embodiments, as long as the desired effect is achieved, the configuration after deleting these technical features can still be extracted as an invention.

[0191] For example, in the above embodiments, the case of determining the three-dimensional shape of the object being measured by measuring the distance to the object being measured has been described, but it is also possible to detect only, for example, whether the object being measured exists within a predetermined distance.

[0192] Alternatively, it can be configured as executing Figure 7 , 11 The control unit 8 for processing ~15 is composed of a dedicated processor (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit; ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit; FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array; programmable logic device, etc.) and is assembled in the optical device 3. In this case, the distance to the object being measured is measured solely by the optical device 3.

[0193] Furthermore, while this embodiment describes the method of mounting the measurement program 16A in the storage unit 16, it is not limited to this. The measurement program 16A of this embodiment may also be provided in the form of storage on a computer-readable storage medium. For example, the measurement program 16A of this embodiment may be provided in the form of storage on optical discs such as CD (Compact Disc)-ROM and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or in the form of storage on semiconductor memory such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory and memory cards. Additionally, the measurement program 16A of this embodiment may be obtained from an external device via a communication line connected to the communication unit 14.

[0194] In the above embodiments, processor refers to processor in a broad sense, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and special-purpose processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit; ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit; FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array; Programmable Logic Device, etc.).

[0195] Furthermore, the operation of the processor in the above embodiments can be performed not only by a single processor, but also collaboratively by multiple processors located in physically separate positions. Additionally, the order of the processor's actions is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments and can be appropriately modified.

Claims

1. A detection device comprising: An array of light-emitting elements, comprising multiple light-emitting elements including a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element; A light-receiving element array, comprising multiple light-receiving elements that receive reflected light emitted from the light-emitting element array onto the object being detected, including a first light-receiving element corresponding to a first light-emitting element and a second light-receiving element corresponding to a second light-emitting element; A driving unit that selectively drives a plurality of the light-emitting elements; as well as The detection unit causes the light-emitting element to emit light, and causes the first light-emitting element corresponding to a first light-receiving element whose light received by the light-receiving element is less than a preset threshold to emit light, thereby detecting the object to be detected. The detection unit: This allows each of the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light individually. When light is received by a second light-receiving element other than the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element that emits light, the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element emits light instead of the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-receiving element to detect the object to be detected.

2. A detection device comprising: An array of light-emitting elements, which has multiple light-emitting elements; A light-receiving element array having multiple light-receiving elements for receiving reflected light emitted from the light-emitting element array onto the object being detected; A driving unit that selectively drives a plurality of the light-emitting elements; as well as The detection unit causes the light-emitting element to emit light, and causes the first light-emitting element corresponding to a first light-receiving element whose light received by the light-receiving element is less than a preset threshold to emit light, thereby detecting the object to be detected. The detection unit: This allows each of the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light individually. The detection target is detected by causing the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light in a sequence determined by a light-receiving diagram based on the light received by the multiple light-receiving elements. The light reception diagram illustrates the correspondence between each of the plurality of light-emitting elements and the light reception of each light-receiving element when the plurality of light-emitting elements emit light individually. The detection unit sets the emission sequence of the plurality of light-emitting elements according to the light-receiving diagram, so that each group of light-emitting elements combined in a manner that does not produce mutual interference of light emits light.

3. The detection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The array of light-emitting elements is capable of emitting light in each of a plurality of light-emitting zones comprising at least two or more light-emitting elements. The detection unit controls the emission of light in each of the plurality of light-emitting zones.

4. The detection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The detection unit detects the distance to the object being detected using time-of-flight.

5. A detection device comprising: An array of light-emitting elements, which has multiple light-emitting elements; A light-receiving element array having multiple light-receiving elements for receiving reflected light emitted from the light-emitting element array onto the object being detected; A driving unit that selectively drives a plurality of the light-emitting elements; as well as The detection unit emits light from a first light-emitting element (other than a second light-receiving element that receives light other than direct light reflected directly from the object being detected), and detects the object being detected based on the amount of light received by the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element. The detection unit: This allows the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light individually. When light is received by a second light-receiving element other than the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element that emits light, the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element emits light instead of the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-receiving element to detect the object to be detected.

6. A detection device comprising a processor, wherein, The processor: Controlling the emission of light from multiple light-emitting elements contained in the light-emitting element array, The first light-emitting element, other than the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-emitting element that receives light other than direct light reflected directly from the object being detected, is made to emit light from a plurality of light-receiving elements included in the light-receiving element array that receives reflected light from the object being detected. The detection object is determined by the amount of light received by the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element. This allows each of the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light individually. When light is received by a second light-receiving element other than the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element that emits light, the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element emits light instead of the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-receiving element to detect the object to be detected.

7. A storage medium storing a detection program for causing a computer to perform a process for detecting an object, the process including: Controlling the emission of light from multiple light-emitting elements contained in the light-emitting element array, The first light-emitting element, which is other than the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-emitting element that receives light other than direct light reflected directly from the object being detected, is made to emit light from a plurality of light-receiving elements in a light-receiving element array that receives light reflected from the object being detected. The object being detected is then detected based on the amount of light received by the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element. In the process of detecting the object to be detected: This allows the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light individually. When light is received by a second light-receiving element other than the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element that emits light, the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element emits light instead of the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-receiving element to detect the object to be detected.

8. An optical device comprising: An array of light-emitting elements, which has multiple light-emitting elements; A light-receiving element array, which has multiple light-receiving elements; and The detection unit causes the light-emitting element to emit light, and causes the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element whose light received by the light-receiving element is less than a preset threshold to emit light, thereby detecting the object to be detected. The detection unit causes the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light individually. When light is received by a second light-receiving element other than the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element that emits light, the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-receiving element is not made to emit light, but the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element emits light to detect the object to be detected.

9. An optical device comprising: An array of light-emitting elements, which has multiple light-emitting elements; A light-receiving element array, which has multiple light-receiving elements; and The detection unit causes the light-emitting element to emit light, and causes the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element whose light received by the light-receiving element is less than a preset threshold to emit light, thereby detecting the object to be detected. The detection unit: This allows the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light individually. The detection target is detected by causing the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light in a sequence determined by a light-receiving diagram based on the light received by the multiple light-receiving elements. The light reception diagram illustrates the correspondence between each of the plurality of light-emitting elements and the light reception of each light-receiving element when the plurality of light-emitting elements emit light individually. The detection unit sets the emission sequence of the plurality of light-emitting elements according to the light-receiving diagram, so that each group of light-emitting elements combined in a manner that does not produce mutual interference of light emits light.

10. An optical device comprising: An array of light-emitting elements, which has multiple light-emitting elements; A light-receiving element array, which has multiple light-receiving elements; and The detection unit emits light from a first light-emitting element (other than a second light-receiving element that receives light other than direct light reflected directly from the object being detected), and detects the object being detected based on the amount of light received by the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element. The detection unit: This allows the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light individually. When light is received by a second light-receiving element other than the first light-receiving element corresponding to the first light-emitting element that emits light, the first light-emitting element corresponding to the first light-receiving element emits light instead of the second light-emitting element corresponding to the second light-receiving element to detect the object to be detected.

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