Light-emitting device and range-measuring device

Abstract

Compared to a drive that illuminates only one area, this method suppresses the effect of misalignment between multiple light sources on a single area. [Solution] The light-emitting device comprises a light-emitting unit 4 having multiple light sources 410 to 440, each having multiple light-emitting sections A1 to A12 that can emit light individually, and a drive unit that drives the light-emitting unit 4 to have a first lighting state in which one light-emitting section A1 that irradiates light toward one area in each of the multiple light sources 410 to 430, and a second lighting state in which multiple light-emitting sections A1 to A12, including one light-emitting section A1 and another light-emitting section that irradiates light toward a non-irradiated area, which is the part of a region other than the part irradiated by the one light-emitting section A1, are lit simultaneously in a predetermined light source 440 among the multiple light sources 410 to 440.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light-emitting device and a distance measuring device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an optical detection device including a light-emitting unit that irradiates a target area, and a light-receiving unit that receives reflected light that is irradiated by the light-emitting unit and reflected by a detected object, the light-receiving unit having a plurality of light-receiving elements divided into a plurality of light-receiving sections. This optical detection device includes a processor that performs full irradiation for irradiating the entire target area or full light reception for outputting the overall light reception result, and partial irradiation for irradiating a part of the target area or partial light reception for sequentially outputting the light reception results of a part of a part, and executes object detection processing for detecting a detected object based on the light received by the light-receiving unit. The processor executes indirect light detection processing for detecting that at least one of the plurality of light-receiving sections has received indirect light when the light-emitting unit performs full irradiation, based on the difference between the amount of light received when the light-emitting unit performs full irradiation and the amount of light received when the light-emitting unit performs partial irradiation for each light-receiving section.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, there is a light-emitting device in which a plurality of light sources each having a plurality of light-emitting sections are arranged. Consider a case where only the light-emitting section that irradiates light toward a certain area is in the lighting state in each of the plurality of light sources. When driving the light-emitting sections of the plurality of light sources to be in the lighting state only once with respect to a certain area, it is assumed that the influence of the deviation of the light-emitting sections with respect to the certain area becomes large due to the accuracy in assembling the plurality of light sources. The objective of the present invention is to suppress the effect of misalignment between multiple light sources on a single region, compared to the case where the drive is set to illuminate only one region. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is a light-emitting device comprising: a light-emitting unit having a plurality of light sources, each having a plurality of light-emitting compartments that can individually emit light; and a drive unit that drives the light-emitting unit to have a first lighting state in which a single light-emitting compartment that irradiates light toward a certain area is lit in each of the plurality of light sources, at least some of the light sources, and a second lighting state in which a plurality of light-emitting compartments, including the single light-emitting compartment and another light-emitting compartment that irradiates light toward a non-irradiated portion of the area other than the portion irradiated by the single light-emitting compartment, are lit simultaneously in a predetermined light source among the plurality of light sources. The invention described in claim 2 is a light-emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a calculation unit that acquires the result of the second lighting state and performs calculations to suppress the influence of the non-illuminated portion in the first lighting state based on the acquired result. The invention described in claim 3 is the light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined number of light sources is smaller than the number of at least some of the light sources. The invention described in claim 4 is the light-emitting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the predetermined number of light sources is one. The invention described in claim 5 is a light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the plurality of light sources is configured to include a light-emitting section and an optical member that transmits light from the light-emitting section, and at least one of the light-emitting sections and the optical members in each of the plurality of light sources are identical. The invention described in claim 6 is a light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit switches between driving the light-emitting unit to enter the first lighting state and the second lighting state, and driving the light-emitting unit to enter the first lighting state but not the second lighting state. The invention described in claim 7 is a light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined light source is a plurality of light sources including a first light source and a second light source, and when the first light source is in the second lit state, the second light source is not in the second lit state, and when the second light source is in the second lit state, the first light source is not in the second lit state. The invention described in claim 8 is a light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of light-emitting sections that light up in the second lighting state in the predetermined light source are a part of the light-emitting sections of the predetermined light source. The invention described in claim 9 is a light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first region is one of the divided regions obtained by dividing the region to be illuminated by the light-emitting unit, and the number of times the drive unit drives each of the divided regions to the first lighting state is equal to or greater than the number of times it drives to the second lighting state. The invention described in claim 10 is a light-emitting device according to claim 9, characterized in that when each of the divided regions is driven once to the first lighting state, the number of times it is driven to the second lighting state is one. The invention described in claim 11 is a light-emitting device comprising a light-emitting unit having a plurality of light sources, each having a plurality of individually light-emitting compartments, and a processor, wherein the processor drives the light-emitting unit to have a first lighting state in which a single light-emitting compartment that irradiates light toward a certain area is lit in each of at least some of the plurality of light sources, and a second lighting state in which a plurality of light-emitting compartments, including the single light-emitting compartment and another light-emitting compartment that irradiates light toward a non-irradiated portion of the area other than the portion irradiated by the single light-emitting compartment, are lit simultaneously in a predetermined light source among the plurality of light sources. The invention described in claim 12 is a light-emitting device comprising: a plurality of light sources having a plurality of individually emitting light-emitting compartments arranged therein; a light-emitting unit in which the irradiation angle of some of the plurality of light sources is larger than the irradiation angle of the other light sources; a first lighting state in which one light-emitting compartment that irradiates light toward one area in each of the other light sources is lit; and a drive unit that drives the light-emitting unit to reach a second lighting state in which at least the one light-emitting compartment in some of the light sources is lit. The invention described in claim 13 is a distance measuring device comprising: a light-emitting device according to claim 1, 11, or 12; a light-receiving unit that receives reflected light from the light-emitting device; an acquisition unit that acquires the result of light reception by the light-receiving unit; and a distance measuring unit that measures a distance based on the result of light reception acquired by the acquisition unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, compared to the case where the drive is performed to illuminate only one area, it becomes possible to suppress the effect of misalignment among multiple light sources on a single area. According to the invention of claim 2, compared to a case where there is no calculation unit that acquires the result of the second lighting state and performs calculations to suppress the influence of the un-illuminated portion in the first lighting state based on the acquired result, it becomes possible to more reliably suppress the effect of flare when a highly reflective material is present. According to the invention of claim 3, the predetermined number of light sources is smaller than the number of at least some of the light sources compared to not employing a configuration that suppresses the effects of flare in the presence of highly reflective materials more reliably. According to the invention of claim 4, the predetermined number of light sources makes it possible to more reliably suppress the effects of flare when a highly reflective material is present, compared to a configuration in which only one light source is used. According to the invention of claim 5, each of the multiple light sources is configured to include a light-emitting section and an optical member that transmits light from the light-emitting section. Compared to a configuration in which at least one of the light-emitting sections and optical members in each of the multiple light sources are identical, it is possible to reduce the number of parts. According to the invention of claim 6, the drive unit can be made more versatile compared to a configuration in which the drive unit does not switch between driving the light-emitting unit to a first lighting state and a second lighting state, and driving the light-emitting unit to a first lighting state but not to a second lighting state. According to the invention of claim 7, the predetermined light source is a plurality of light sources including a first light source and a second light source, and compared to not employing a configuration in which the second light source is not in the second lighting state when the first light source is in the second lighting state, and the first light source is not in the second lighting state when the second light source is in the second lighting state, it becomes possible to suppress the temperature rise of the light sources associated with the second lighting state. According to the invention of claim 8, the temperature rise of the light source associated with the second lighting state can be suppressed compared to a configuration in which the plurality of light-emitting sections that light up in the second lighting state of a predetermined light source are part of the light-emitting sections of the predetermined light source. According to the invention of claim 9, one region is one of the divided regions obtained by dividing the region to be illuminated by the light-emitting unit, and the number of times the drive unit drives each of the divided regions to the first lighting state is equal to or greater than the number of times it drives to the second lighting state. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the control burden. According to the invention of claim 10, when each divided region is driven to the first lighting state once, the number of times it is driven to the second lighting state is reduced compared to a configuration in which only one state is adopted. According to the invention of claim 11, compared to the case where the drive is performed to illuminate only one area, it becomes possible to suppress the effect of misalignment among multiple light sources on a single area. According to the invention of claim 12, compared to the case where the drive is performed to illuminate only one area, it becomes possible to suppress the effect of misalignment among multiple light sources on a single area. According to the invention of claim 13, compared to the case where the drive is performed to illuminate only one area, it becomes possible to suppress the effect of misalignment among multiple light sources on a single area. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1]It is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a distance measuring device to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] It is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit according to the present embodiment and the irradiation surface irradiated with the light emitted from the light emitting unit. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the light emitting unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the light receiving surface of the light receiving unit according to the present embodiment and the irradiation surface. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining an example of the irradiation order of the irradiation sections of the irradiation surface. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the distance image in the present embodiment, (a) is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the distance measuring device and the object, (b) is a diagram showing an example of the distance image created by the control unit, and (c) is a diagram showing the state of the irradiation surface. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a distance measuring device to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the lighting states of a plurality of light sources according to the first embodiment, (a) shows the state in which a single light emitting section is lit, and (b) shows the state in which a plurality of light emitting sections are lit. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining the light quantity distribution of the light receiving sections of the light receiving unit by the light of a plurality of light sources, (a) corresponds to the lighting state of FIG. 8(a), and (b) corresponds to the lighting state of FIG. 8(b). [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing an example of control accompanying the lighting of the light source. [Figure 11] It is a graph for explaining the case of calculating a distance image from the acquired infrared image, (a) shows the case of a scan image, (b) shows the case of a flash image, and (c) shows the case of adding the charge of the flash image to the scan image. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart for explaining an operation example. [Figure 13] It is a diagram for explaining the lighting modes of a plurality of light sources according to a modified example, (a) and (b) are one lighting mode, and (c) and (d) are another lighting mode. [Figure 14]It is a diagram for explaining the lighting state of the light source according to the second embodiment, where (a) shows the state where a single light-emitting section is lit, and (b) shows the state where a plurality of light-emitting sections are lit. [Figure 15] It is a diagram for explaining the light quantity distribution of the light-receiving section of the light-receiving unit by the light of a plurality of light sources, where (a) corresponds to the lighting state of Fig. 14(a), and (b) corresponds to the lighting state of Fig. 14(b). [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing a control example accompanying the lighting of the light source. [Figure 17] It is a diagram for explaining the first modification example of the lighting pattern, where (a) shows the lighting state during scanning, and (b) shows the lighting state during flashing. [Figure 18] It is a diagram for explaining the second modification example of the lighting pattern, where (a) shows the lighting state during scanning, and (b) shows the lighting state during flashing. [Figure 19] It is a diagram for explaining the third modification example of the lighting pattern, where (a) shows the lighting state during scanning, and (b) shows the lighting state during flashing. [Figure 20] It is a diagram for explaining the irradiation angle of the light source according to the third embodiment. [Figure 21] It is a diagram for explaining the light quantity distribution of the light-receiving section of the light-receiving unit by the light of a plurality of light sources. [Figure 22] It is a diagram for explaining a configuration example when an optical member is disposed on the light source. (a) and (b) show an example using a microlens as the optical member, and (c) and (d) show other examples using a lens as the optical member.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described as embodiments below. It is clear from the description of the claims that combinations of a plurality of embodiments and those obtained by making various changes or improvements to these embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0009] <Distance measuring device 1> (Overall structure) Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the distance measuring device 1 to which this embodiment is applied. The distance measuring device 1 measures the distance to an object based on the time from the moment light is emitted from the light-emitting unit 4 to the moment the light reflected by the object is received by the light-receiving unit 5. In other words, the distance measuring device 1 is a device that measures distance based on the Time of Flight (ToF) method. The ToF method includes the indirect ToF (iToF) method, which measures time from the difference between the phase of the emitted light and the phase of the received light, and the direct ToF (dToF) method, which directly measures the time from the emission of light to the reception of light. In this embodiment, the distance measuring device 1 will be described as measuring distance based on the indirect ToF method.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the distance measuring device 1 comprises an optical device 3 and a control unit 8. The optical device 3 comprises a light-emitting unit 4 that emits light toward a predetermined irradiation range, a light-receiving unit 5 that receives light emitted from the light-emitting unit 4 and reflected by objects present in the irradiation range, a light-emitting drive unit 6 that drives the light-emitting unit 4, and a light-receiving drive unit 7 that drives the light-receiving unit 5. The configuration of the light-emitting unit 4 and the light-receiving unit 5 of the optical device 3 will be described in detail later. Furthermore, the reference numeral 2, indicated by the dashed line, will be explained later.

[0011] The control unit 8 controls the operation of the light-emitting unit 4 and the light-receiving unit 5 of the optical device 3. Furthermore, the control unit 8 acquires the light reception result from the light receiving unit 5 and measures the distance from the distance measuring device 1 to the object using the Time of Flight (ToF) method based on this light reception result.

[0012] The light-receiving unit 5 detects infrared radiation emitted from objects within the irradiation area (irradiation surface 60 in Figure 2, described later). The control unit 8 generates an infrared image from the detection results. The control unit 8 continuously or intermittently at predetermined time intervals detects infrared radiation in the irradiation area and generates an infrared image. The control unit 8 analyzes the acquired infrared images to understand the status of the object within the irradiation range. The control unit 8 determines whether the object is a moving object or a stationary object within the irradiation range. The control unit 8 also determines which irradiation section 61 (see Figure 2, described later) the object is located in within the irradiation range. Furthermore, if the object is a moving object, the control unit 8 determines the direction of movement of the object within the irradiation range and the relative amount of movement of the object within the irradiation range.

[0013] (Light-emitting part 4) Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between the light-emitting surface 40 of the light-emitting unit 4 according to this embodiment and the illumination surface 60 that is irradiated by the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 4. In Figure 2, the left direction of the paper is the +x direction, the top direction of the paper is the +y direction, and the back direction of the paper is the +z direction, with the opposite directions being -x, -y, and -z. In Figure 2, the light-emitting surface 40 and the illumination surface 60 are shown offset in the vertical direction (±y direction) of the paper, but in reality, the light-emitting surface 40 and the illumination surface 60 are arranged to face each other. In Figure 2, the light-emitting surface 40 of the light-emitting unit 4 is located in the front direction (-z direction) of the paper, and the illumination surface 60 is located in the back direction (+z direction) of the paper. In other words, Figure 2 shows the light-emitting unit 4 emitting light onto the illumination surface 60, viewed from the side opposite to the side from which the light-emitting unit 4 emits light. The light-emitting unit 4 is composed of, for example, one or more light-emitting chips.

[0014] The light-emitting unit 4 comprises a light-emitting surface 40 on which multiple vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs, indicated by reference numeral 43 in Figure 3, which will be described later) are arranged. The light-emitting unit 4 emits light toward the irradiation surface 60 through the emission of light from the VCSELs 43. In Figure 2, the VCSELs 43 are not shown. Furthermore, as will be described later, the light-emitting unit 4 may also be configured to have multiple light-emitting surfaces 40.

[0015] The light-emitting surface 40 is divided into multiple light-emitting compartments 41, each containing at least one VCSEL 43. Here, as an example, the light-emitting surface 40 is divided into a total of 12 light-emitting compartments 41, four in the x direction and three in the y direction. As shown in the figure, when it is necessary to distinguish between each light-emitting compartment 41, they are distinguished as light-emitting compartments A1 to A12, starting from the upper left side (the +x and +y ends) in Figure 2. In this specification, "~" indicates multiple components, each distinguished by a number, and means that it includes those listed before and after "~" as well as those numbered in between. For example, light-emitting sections A1 to A12 include 12 light-emitting sections 41, numbered from light-emitting section A1 to light-emitting section A12.

[0016] Each light-emitting section 41 is independently driven by the light-emitting drive unit 6 (see Figure 1) to perform light emission operations. In addition, each light-emitting section 41 emits light when power is supplied to the VCSEL 43 contained in the light-emitting section 41 by the light-emitting drive unit 6. In this embodiment, the power supplied to the VCSEL 43 contained in each light-emitting section 41, and the VCSEL 43 emit light due to the supplied power. The amount of light emitted from each light-emitting section 41 can be adjusted according to environmental factors such as the brightness of the illumination area and operations by the user of the distance measuring device 1. In this embodiment, driving the light-emitting section 41 refers to power being supplied to the VCSEL 43 contained in the light-emitting section 41 so that it emits light, and the light-emitting operation refers to the VCSEL 43 contained in the light-emitting section 41 emitting light for a predetermined period of time. Furthermore, "independently driven" means that each light-emitting section 41 is driven and illuminated individually. The light-emitting drive unit 6 drives each light-emitting section 41 in accordance with the control signal from the control unit 8 (see Figure 1). Therefore, each light-emitting section 41 does not necessarily illuminate all at the same time; for example, in the example in Figure 2, light-emitting section A1 may be emitting light, but light-emitting section A12 may not be emitting light.

[0017] The illumination surface 60 is the surface to which light from the light-emitting unit 4 is irradiated, at a certain distance in the direction (+z direction) from the center 40C of the light-emitting surface 40, and perpendicular to the direction in which light is emitted. In the example shown in Figure 2, the light-emitting unit 4 emits light in the +z direction, so the illumination surface 60 extends in the x and y directions at a certain distance in the +z direction. Here, the central axis Ax (dotted line) passing through the center 60C of the illumination surface 60 and the center 40C of the light-emitting surface 40 is perpendicular to the light-emitting surface 40 and the illumination surface 60. In this embodiment, the illumination surface 60 is rectangular in shape, corresponding to the rectangular shape of the light-emitting surface 40.

[0018] As shown in the figure, the irradiation surface 60 is divided into multiple irradiation sections 61, corresponding to the light-emitting sections 41 on the light-emitting surface 40. In the example in Figure 2, it is divided into 12 irradiation sections 61, with 4 in the x direction and 3 in the y direction. If it is necessary to distinguish between each irradiation section 61, they will be labeled as Irradiation Sections B1 to B12, starting from the upper left side (the +x and +y ends) in Figure 2. In some cases, an illumination area Bi assigned the same number i as an illumination area Bi is referred to as a "corresponding illumination area." For example, illumination area A1 is the illumination area corresponding to illumination area B1. Conversely, an illumination area Bi assigned the same number i as an illumination area Ai is also referred to as a "corresponding illumination area."

[0019] Irradiation sections B1 to B12 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the xy-plane with respect to emission sections A1 to A12. For example, in Figure 2, just as emission sections A1, A2, A3, and A4 are arranged in this order in the -x direction, irradiation sections B1, B2, B3, and B4 are arranged in this order in the -x direction. Each light-emitting section 41 emits light toward its corresponding illumination section 61. Each illumination section 61 is then illuminated by the light emitted from its corresponding light-emitting section 41. Here, "light-emitting section 41 emitting light toward its corresponding illumination section 61" means that the optical axis of the light emitted from each light-emitting section 41 is directed toward its corresponding illumination section 61. It is not limited to all of the light emitted from a light-emitting section 41 illuminating its corresponding illumination section 61. In other words, some of the light emitted from a certain light-emitting section 41 may illuminate an illumination section 61 different from its corresponding illumination section 61, or outside the range of the illumination surface 60.

[0020] Figure 3 shows an example of the light-emitting unit 4 according to this embodiment. Unlike Figure 2, Figure 3 shows the light-emitting unit 4 as viewed from the side that emits light. Therefore, in Figure 3, the right direction on the paper is the +x direction, the top direction on the paper is the +y direction, and the front direction on the paper is the +z direction. As shown in Figure 3, the light-emitting unit 4 has a substrate 42 and a light-emitting surface 40 on which a plurality of VCSELs 43 are arranged. More specifically, the substrate 42 and the light-emitting surface 40 are arranged on top of each other in the direction of light emission (+z direction, the front direction of the paper). Note that the substrate 42 may have wiring for power supply and electrical signal exchange, as well as electronic components related to the operation of the light-emitting unit 4, but these are omitted from the description.

[0021] As described above, the light-emitting unit 4 has 12 light-emitting sections 41 (light-emitting sections A1 to A12) on the light-emitting surface 40, each of which has a VCSEL 43 arranged on it. As shown in Figure 3, all light-emitting sections A1 to A12 have the same area. In addition, each of the light-emitting sections A1 to A12 has the same number of VCSELs 43 (7 in this example) arranged in it. Furthermore, the area of ​​each light-emitting section 41 and the number of VCSELs 43 to be placed are not limited, and some or all of the light-emitting sections 41 may have different areas, and different numbers of VCSELs 43 may be placed in each section.

[0022] The light emitted from each light-emitting section 41 of the light-emitting unit 4 is spread by an irradiation lens section (not shown) into a plane perpendicular to the emission direction (the axial direction of the central axis Ax) and irradiated onto the irradiation surface 60. The irradiation lens section may use optical components such as a diffuser plate provided in the optical path of the light to diffuse the light by scattering, a diffractive optical element (DOE) that changes the angle of incident light before emission, and / or a lens.

[0023] (Light receiving part 5) Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the light-receiving surface 50 of the light-receiving unit 5 according to this embodiment and the illumination surface 60 described above. In Figure 4, as in Figure 2, the left direction of the paper is the +x direction, the top direction of the paper is the +y direction, and the back direction of the paper is the z direction, with the opposite directions being the -x, -y, and -z directions, respectively. Note that in Figure 4, the light-receiving surface 50 and the illumination surface 60 are shown offset in the vertical direction (±y direction) of the paper, but in reality, the light-receiving surface 50 and the illumination surface 60 are arranged to face each other. In Figure 4, the light-receiving unit 5 (light-receiving surface 50) is located in the front direction (-z direction) of the paper, and the illumination surface 60 is located in the back direction (+z direction) of the paper. In other words, Figure 4 shows the light-receiving unit 5, which receives light reflected from the illumination surface 60, as viewed from the side opposite to the side from which the light-receiving unit 5 receives light.

[0024] The light-receiving unit 5 extends in the x and y directions and has a light-receiving surface 50 on which multiple light-receiving elements (not shown) are arranged. The light-receiving unit 5 receives light that is emitted from the light-emitting unit 4 and reflected by an object on the illumination surface 60, using each of the light-receiving elements. The central axis Bx (dotted line) passing through the center 60C of the illumination surface 60 and the center 50C of the light-receiving surface 50 is perpendicular to the illumination surface 60 and the light-receiving surface 50. In this embodiment, the light-receiving surface 50 is rectangular in shape, similar to the light-emitting surface 40 (see Figure 2) and the illumination surface 60.

[0025] The light-receiving surface 50 is divided into multiple light-receiving sections 51, corresponding to the light-emitting section 41 (see Figure 2) of the light-emitting surface 40 (see Figure 2) and the irradiation section 61 of the irradiation surface 60. In the example in Figure 4, it is divided into 12 light-receiving sections 51, with 4 in the x direction and 3 in the y direction. If it is necessary to distinguish between each light-receiving section 51, they are distinguished as light-receiving sections C1 to C12, starting from the upper left side (the +x and +y ends) in Figure 4. In some cases, a light-receiving area Ci assigned the same number i as a light-emitting area Ai or a light-illuminating area Bi is referred to as a "corresponding light-receiving area." For example, light-receiving area C1 is a light-receiving area corresponding to light-emitting area A1 or light-illuminating area B1. Conversely, a light-emitting area Ai assigned the same number as a light-receiving area Ci is referred to as a "corresponding light-emitting area," and a light-receiving area Bi assigned the same number as a light-receiving area Ci is referred to as a "corresponding light-illuminating area."

[0026] The light-receiving sections C1 to C12 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the xy-plane with respect to the illumination sections B1 to B12. For example, in Figure 4, the light-receiving sections C1, C2, C3, C4 are arranged in the same order in the -x direction as the illumination sections B1, B2, B3, B4 are arranged in the same order in the -x direction. Each light-receiving section 51 receives light emitted from the light-emitting section 4 and reflected by an object located in the corresponding irradiation section 61.

[0027] Each light-receiving section 51 has multiple light-receiving elements arranged in a regular pattern. Each light-receiving element receives light emitted from the light-emitting section 4 and reflected by an object on the illumination surface 60, and can output an electrical signal according to the received light. Examples of light-receiving elements include photodiodes and phototransistors.

[0028] Each light-receiving section 51 is independently driven by the light-receiving drive unit 7 (see Figure 1) to perform light-receiving operations. Here, driving a light-receiving section 51 means bringing the light-receiving section 51 into a state where it can accumulate charge in response to light reception by the light-receiving element, and light-receiving operation means that the light-receiving element of the light-receiving section 51 accumulates charge in response to light reception. Furthermore, "independently driven" means driving each light-receiving section 51 individually to bring it into a state where it can accumulate charge in response to light reception. The light-receiving drive unit 7 drives each light-receiving section 51 in response to a control signal from the control unit 8 (see Figure 1). Furthermore, the light receiving unit 5 outputs an electrical signal to the control unit 8 corresponding to the charge accumulated in the light receiving section 51, that is, the result of light reception in the light receiving section 51, in accordance with the readout operation of the control unit 8 (details will be described later).

[0029] Figure 5 illustrates an example of the irradiation sequence for the irradiation sections 61 of the irradiation surface 60. In one example of the sequence shown in Figure 5, irradiation of the irradiation section 61 is performed sequentially in the direction of arrow 64. That is, when the irradiation section 61 is divided into upper, middle, and lower sections, the irradiation is performed in the order of upper section B1-B4, middle section B5-B8, and lower section B9-B12. In the upper section, the order is B1-B4. In the middle section, the direction is the opposite of the upper section, and the order is B8-B5. In the lower section, the direction is the same as the upper section, and the order is B9-B12.

[0030] The emission of light from the light-emitting section 41 of the light-emitting unit 4 is driven in the order of arrows 44 so that the irradiation of the irradiation section 61 is in the order of arrows 64. In addition, the reception of light from the light-receiving section 51 of the light-receiving unit 5 in response to the reflected light from the irradiation section 61 is driven in the order of arrows 54, which correspond to arrows 64.

[0031] (Control Unit 8) Returning to Figure 1, the control unit 8 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 81, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 82, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 83. CPU81 is an example of a processor that loads various programs stored in ROM82, etc., into RAM83 and executes them to realize the functions described later. RAM83 is memory used as working memory for CPU81, etc. ROM82 is memory that stores various programs, etc., that are executed by CPU81.

[0032] Here, the program executed by the CPU 81 may be provided stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, or semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the program executed by the CPU 81 may be provided using communication means such as the Internet.

[0033] In this embodiment, each process is executed on any computer. Furthermore, any computer may execute these processes using a processor as hardware, a program as software, or a combination thereof. In that case, the processor is configured to work in cooperation with the program to execute the various processes in this embodiment, and can function as a unit or means in this embodiment. Also, the execution order of the processes by the processor is not limited to the order described and may be changed as appropriate. Any computer may be a general-purpose computer, a computer designed for a specific purpose, a workstation, or any other system capable of executing each process.

[0034] A processor may consist of one or more hardware components, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, a processor may consist of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a dedicated circuit for executing a specific process such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Furthermore, the type of hardware may be a combination of different types of hardware. When multiple hardware components are configured to execute one or more processes of a processor, these components may reside in physically separate devices or in the same device. Also, in any embodiment, the order of each process performed by the processor is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate. Hardware is composed of electrical circuits (circuitry) that combine circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0035] Furthermore, the program may be firmware or software such as microcode. Alternatively, the program may be, for example, a set of program modules, each function of which may be implemented by a processor configured to perform its respective function. The program may be program code or multiple code segments stored on one or more non-temporary computer-readable media (e.g., storage media or other storage). The program may be divided and stored on multiple non-temporary computer-readable media located on physically separate devices. Program code or code segments may represent any combination of procedures, functions, subprograms, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. Program code or code segments may be connected to other code segments or hardware circuits by sending and receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.

[0036] The control unit 8 controls the light emission operation of the light emission unit 4 through the light emission drive unit 6, and controls the light receiving operation of the light receiving unit 5 through the light receiving drive unit 7. Furthermore, the control unit 8 performs a readout operation on the light receiving unit 5 through the light receiving drive unit 7. Here, "readout operation" means that the control unit 8 controls the light receiving unit 5 through the light receiving drive unit 7 and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the result of light reception by the light receiving element in the light receiving section 51, and acquires the result of light reception for each light receiving section 51. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 can perform a readout operation independently for each light receiving section 51. For example, if one light receiving section Ci and another light receiving section Cj are performing a light reception operation and accumulating charge, the control unit 8 can perform a readout operation on both light receiving section Ci and light receiving section Cj, or it can perform a readout operation on only light receiving section Ci.

[0037] The control unit 8 measures the distance of each irradiation area 61 based on the light reception results in each light receiving area 51. Then, it combines the distance measurement results in each irradiation area 61 and creates a distance image representing the distance between the distance measuring device 1 and the object. More specifically, the control unit 8 applies predetermined calculation processing to the four electrical signals obtained from the light receiving unit 5 as the results of four light receptions in each light receiving area 51. This calculates (measures) the distance between the distance measuring device 1 and the object in each irradiation area 61 of the irradiation surface 60 and creates a distance image.

[0038] <Distance image 100> Figure 6 illustrates the distance image 100 in this embodiment, where (a) shows the positional relationship between the distance measuring device 1 and the objects S1 and S2, (b) shows the appearance of the illumination surface 60, and (c) shows an example of the distance image 100 created by the control unit 8. The distance image 100 shown in Figure 6(c) was created as a result of measuring the distance for all illuminated sections 61 on the illuminated surface 60. In the example in Figure 6, the objects S1 and S2 (sometimes referred to simply as object S) were stationary and did not change their position relative to the distance measuring device 1, at least from the start to the completion of the distance measurement necessary for creating the distance image 100.

[0039] As shown in Figure 6(c), the distance image 100 has multiple image sections 101 corresponding to the light-emitting section 41 of the light-emitting surface 40, the illumination section 61 of the illumination surface 60, and the light-receiving section 51 of the light-receiving surface 50 (see Figures 2 and 4). In the example in Figure 6(c), the distance image 100 has 12 image sections 101, four arranged horizontally in the figure corresponding to the ±x directions of the illumination surface 60 and the light-receiving surface 50, and three arranged vertically in the figure corresponding to the ±y directions. If it is necessary to distinguish between each image section 101, they are distinguished as image sections D1 to D12 in order from the upper left in Figure 6(c).

[0040] In the distance image 100, the image section Di is an image obtained based on light emitted from the light-emitting section Ai of the light-emitting surface 40, reflected by the object at the illumination section Bi of the illumination surface 60, and received at the light-receiving section Ci of the light-receiving surface 50. Note that an image section Di assigned the same number i to the light-emitting section Ai, illumination section Bi, and light-receiving section Ci may be referred to as the "corresponding image section." Conversely, an image section Di assigned the same number i to the light-emitting section Ai may be referred to as the "corresponding light-emitting section." Furthermore, an illumination section Bi assigned the same number i to the image section Di may be referred to as the "corresponding illumination section," and a light-receiving section Ci assigned the same number to the image section Di may be referred to as the "corresponding light-receiving section."

[0041] Each image section 101 of the distance image 100 has multiple pixels (not shown) associated with multiple light-receiving elements in the corresponding light-receiving section 51. In the distance image 100, the pixel value of each pixel in the image section 101 corresponds to the distance from the distance measuring device 1 to the object, calculated from the electrical signals from each light-receiving element in the light-receiving section 51.

[0042] In the example shown in Figure 6(a), objects S1 and S2 are located at a certain distance from the distance measuring device 1. As shown in Figure 6(b), in this example, object S1 is located in the area spanning irradiation sections B1, B5, and B9 of the irradiation surface 60, and object S2 is located in the area spanning irradiation sections B2 and B6. Furthermore, the distance from the distance measuring device 1 to object S1 (for example, about 1 m) is smaller than the distance from the distance measuring device 1 to object S2 (for example, about 3 m).

[0043] As shown in Figure 6(c), the depth image 100 depicts an image S1' representing object S1 and an image S2' representing object S2 (sometimes referred to simply as image S') using pixels contained in each image section 101. More specifically, image S1' is depicted across image sections D1, D5, and D9 of the depth image 100, corresponding to illumination sections B1, B5, and B9, and image S2' is depicted across image sections D2 and D6 of the depth image 100, corresponding to illumination sections B2 and B6. In this example, information relating to the distance from the distance measuring device 1 to object S1 and the distance from the distance measuring device 1 to object S2 can be obtained from the pixel values ​​of the pixels that make up images S1' and S2' in the distance image 100 (represented by shading in Figure 6(c)).

[0044] Furthermore, since the distance image 100 includes distance information between each point on the surface of the object S and the distance measuring device 1, it can also be considered to include information about the three-dimensional shape of the object S. Therefore, the distance measuring device 1 to which this embodiment is applied can also be used for three-dimensional measurement.

[0045] <Example of a schematic configuration of distance measuring device 1> Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of the distance measuring device 1 to which this embodiment is applied. The distance measuring device 1 illustrated in Figure 7 comprises at least a housing 1a and a printed circuit board 1b housed within the housing 1a. Note that in Figure 7, some parts of the housing 1a are omitted from the illustration.

[0046] The printed circuit board 1b is equipped with the aforementioned light-emitting unit 4 and light-receiving unit 5, which constitute the optical device 3. The printed circuit board 1b is also equipped with the CPU 81, ROM 82, and RAM 83 (see Figure 1), which constitute the control unit 8.

[0047] To further explain, in the configuration example shown in Figure 7, the light-emitting unit 4 comprises four light sources 410, 420, 430, and 440. Each of the light sources 410 to 440 has a light-emitting surface 40 (see, for example, Figure 3) which is divided into a plurality of light-emitting sections 41. The light sources 410 to 440 are arranged around the light-receiving unit 5. Note that while Figure 7 shows an example with four light sources 410-440, it is also possible to have a number other than four, such as two, three, or five light sources.

[0048] Here, if the light-emitting unit 4 is equipped with multiple light sources 410 to 440, consider the case where, for example, the light from each of the multiple light sources 410 to 440's light-emitting section A1 is irradiated onto, for example, irradiation section B1 of the irradiation sections B1 to B12 (see, for example, Figure 2) of the irradiation surface 60. When irradiating with the light from the light-emitting section A1 of multiple light sources 410 to 440, the irradiation section B1 (see, for example, Figure 2) can be irradiated with a higher energy density compared to irradiating with the light from the light-emitting section A1 of just one light source, for example, light source 410. Also, when irradiating the irradiation section B1 with the light from each of the multiple light sources 410 to 440's light-emitting section A1, the exposure time of the light-receiving element (not shown) in the light-receiving section C1 (see, Figure 4) of the light-receiving unit 5 is shortened, and the acquisition of the global component, which is background light, can be suppressed. As a result, outdoor long-distance distance measurement becomes possible.

[0049] However, due to variations during assembly, it is difficult to match the illumination area of ​​the illumination surface 60 by multiple light sources 410-440 with the light-receiving area of ​​the light-receiving section 51 corresponding to the illumination section 61. As a result, an unilluminated area may occur in the illumination section 61, and if this results in an unexposed area in the light-receiving section 51, the distance measurement error may increase. Therefore, in this embodiment, when irradiating a predetermined irradiation area 61 (see, for example, Figure 2) with multiple light sources 410 to 440, a configuration is adopted in which there are no unirradiated areas, thereby suppressing distance measurement errors caused by unirradiated areas. This will be explained below.

[0050] Various embodiments of a configuration that irradiates without leaving any unirradiated areas will be described. The first embodiment will be described using Figures 8 to 13. The second embodiment will be described using Figures 14 to 19. The third embodiment will be described using Figures 20 to 22. <First Embodiment> First, the first embodiment will be described.

[0051] <Lighting status of light sources 410-440> Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the lighting states of the multiple light sources 410 to 440 according to the first embodiment. Figure (a) shows the state in which a single light-emitting section A1 is lit, and (b) shows the state in which multiple light-emitting sections A1 to A12 are lit. The lighting state shown in Figure 8(a) is when each of the light-emitting sections A1 of light sources 410 to 440 is lit. That is, all four light sources 410 to 440 are lit (all four lights lit). Also, only one light-emitting section A1 is lit, while the other light-emitting sections A2 to A12 are not lit.

[0052] The lighting state shown in Figure 8(b) is when light source 440 is lit among the light sources 410 to 440. That is, one of the four light sources 410 to 440, light source 440, is lit, and the other light sources 410 to 430 are not lit (one light lit). Also, the light-emitting sections A1 to A12 are lit by light source 440.

[0053] The lighting state shown in Figure 8(a) is an example of the first lighting state, and light sources 410-440 are examples of at least some of the multiple light sources arranged. Light-emitting section A1 is an example of a single light-emitting section that irradiates light toward one area. The lighting state shown in Figure 8(b) is an example of the second lighting state, and light source 440 is an example of a predetermined light source among multiple light sources. Light-emitting section A1 is an example of one light-emitting section, and light-emitting sections A2 to A12 are examples of another light-emitting section. Light-emitting sections A1 to A12 are examples of multiple light-emitting sections.

[0054] In the light-emitting unit 4, the light source 440 enters the first lighting state shown in Figure 8(a) and the second lighting state shown in Figure 8(b). Light sources 410-430 enter the first lighting state shown in Figure 8(a) but do not enter the second lighting state shown in Figure 8(b). These lighting states are driven by the light-emitting drive unit 6 (see Figure 1).

[0055] Figure 9 illustrates the light intensity distribution of the light-receiving section of the light-receiving unit 5 due to the light from multiple light sources 410 to 440. Figure 9(a) corresponds to the lighting state in Figure 8(a), and Figure 9(b) corresponds to the lighting state in Figure 8(b). Note that Figure 9 shows the light-receiving area C1, etc., but it can also be viewed as the illumination area B1 (see Figure 4), etc. In this case, illumination area B1 is an example of one region, and illumination areas B2, B5, and B6, which correspond to the light-receiving areas C2, C5, and C6, are examples of regions adjacent to one region. Furthermore, regions 411 to 431, which will be described later, are examples of the range illuminated by one light-emitting area in other light sources. Region 441 is an example of the range illuminated by one light-emitting area in some light sources.

[0056] Due to variations during assembly as described above, the light from light sources 410-440 (see, for example, Figure 8) is received shifted to the upper left of the light receiving section C1 in the example shown in Figure 9(a). The light from light source 410 is in the region 411 indicated by the dashed line, and the light from light source 420 is in the region 421 indicated by the dashed line. The light from light source 430 is in the region 431 indicated by the dashed line, and the light from light source 440 is in the region 441 indicated by the solid line. In the light-receiving section C1, there is a region 401 (indicated by the upper right diagonal line) that is not exposed by any of the light sources 410 to 440.

[0057] In the example shown in Figure 9(b), the light from light source 440 is in region 442. The light from light-emitting sections A2, A5, and A6 (see Figure 8(b)) of light source 440 illuminates region 401 of light-receiving section C1. Region 401 of the light-receiving section C1 is an example of a non-irradiated area, which is the part of a region other than the part illuminated by one of the light-emitting sections.

[0058] Focusing on the light-receiving area C1, it can be divided into two regions: the area 401 shown by the upper right diagonal line, which is exposed by the area 442 of the light source 440, and the area 402 shown by the lower right diagonal line, which is exposed by the areas 411 to 441 of the light sources 410 to 440. Thus, region 401 is not exposed by regions 411 to 441 of light sources 410 to 440, but is exposed by region 442 of light source 440. Therefore, even if there are variations during assembly, there are no regions in the light-receiving section C1 that are not exposed by any of the light sources 410 to 440.

[0059] <Control Example> Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of control associated with the illumination of light sources 410-440. This control example is performed by the control unit 8 (see Figure 1). In the control example shown in Figure 10, the light-emitting sections A1 to A12 of the light source 440 are turned on (see Figure 8(b)) (step 101). The corresponding light-receiving sections C1 to C12 (see Figure 9(b)) are also activated (step 102). As a result, an infrared image 100 (see Figure 6(c)) is generated from the acquired amount of received light (step 103). The infrared image 100 may hereafter be referred to as the distance image 100. The infrared image 100 acquired in step 103 is sometimes called a "flash image," and the time when light emission and reception are performed to acquire the "flash image" is sometimes called "during flash."

[0060] After setting the variable n to 1 (step 104), the light-emitting section An of the light sources 410-440 is turned on (step 105). In this case, the light-emitting section A1 of the light sources 410-440 is turned on (see Figure 8(a)). The corresponding light-receiving section Cn, i.e., light-receiving section C1 (see Figure 9(a)), is also activated (step 106). This generates an infrared image 100 (see Figure 6(c)) of the light-emitting section A1 when it is turned on from the acquired amount of light received (step 107).

[0061] Then, 1 is added to the variable n (step 108), and it is determined whether the variable n exceeds 12 (step 109). If the variable n does not exceed 12 (No in step 109), the process returns to step 105. For example, if the variable n is 2, the light-emitting section A2 of the light sources 410-440 is turned on (see, for example, Figure 8(a)). Subsequently, the light-emitting sections An of the light sources 410-440 are turned on until the variable n is between 3 and 12, and the corresponding light-receiving section Cn is activated accordingly. In this way, by sequentially lighting up the light-emitting sections A1 to A12 of the light sources 410 to 440 and operating the corresponding light-receiving sections C1 to C12, an infrared image 100 is acquired for each section. The infrared images 100 acquired sequentially are sometimes called "scanned images," and the time when light emission and reception are performed to acquire the "scanned images" is sometimes called "scanning time."

[0062] If the variable n is greater than 12 (Yes in step 109), the process is terminated after calculating a distance image from the acquired light amount (step 110). This calculation involves adding a flash image to the scanned image. This makes it possible to reduce the area 401 (see, for example, Figure 9(a)) that was not illuminated during scanning in the scanned image, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0063] In the control example shown in Figure 10, when each of the multiple light sources 410-440 is driven to the first lighting state once, it is driven to the second lighting state only once. That is, it is driven to the second lighting state once for every 12 times it is driven to the first lighting state. This reduces the number of times the second lighting state is driven, thereby reducing the control burden. Of course, control examples that alternate between the first and second lighting states are also conceivable, as is a control example that performs the first lighting state multiple times followed by the second lighting state once. Furthermore, the order in which the first and second lighting states are performed does not matter.

[0064] As mentioned above, the area 401 corresponding to the light-receiving area C1 can be reduced by the flash image (see Figure 9(b)), and the other light-receiving areas C1-C3 and C5-C7 can also be reduced by the flash image (see Figure 9(b)). On the other hand, it is thought that the other light-receiving areas C4, C8, and C9-C12 cannot be reduced by the flash image. However, since the light-receiving areas C4, C8, and C9-C12 are at the outer edge of the light-receiving unit 5, their influence on the distance image is reduced compared to the central part of the light-receiving unit 5.

[0065] Next, we will explain how to calculate a depth image from the acquired infrared image (see step 108 in Figure 10). Figure 11 is a graph illustrating the calculation of a distance image from an acquired infrared image, where (a) shows the case using a scanned image, (b) shows the case using a flash image, and (c) shows the case where the charge of the flash image is added to the scanned image. Figures 11(a) to (c) show the average values ​​over several frames, with the vertical axis representing distance (m) and the horizontal axis representing position in X-pixels. As an example, the case where distance is measured for objects S3 and S4 is shown. Objects S3 and S4 are located on the right side when facing the illumination surface 60 (see, for example, Figure 2), and the highly reflective material is located at the left edge.

[0066] In the scan image shown in Figure 11(a), the effect of flare caused by the highly reflective material described above is visible at the positions of objects S3 and S4. In the case of the flash image shown in Figure 11(b), the effect of flare caused by the highly reflective material is visible at the left edge where the highly reflective material is located, but not at the locations of objects S3 and S4. Figure 11(c) is an image obtained by adding 25% of the charge from the flash image in Figure 11(b) to the scan image in Figure 11(a). In this way, as shown in the image in Figure 11(c), the un-irradiated area can be reduced by adding the flash image to the scan image.

[0067] To further explain, as shown in Figure 11(c), the vertical axis of the graph indicates that the distance to object S3 is 3.8m and the distance to object S4 is 4.5m. From the horizontal axis of the graph, object S4 is located between 300 and 400, and object S3 is located between 400 and 500.

[0068] To suppress the effects of the flare described above, it is preferable to reduce the number of light sources used during flashing. More specifically, it is even more preferable that the number of light sources used during flashing is less than the number of light sources used during scanning. It is preferable that there be only one light source used during flashing. The number of light sources used during flashing is an example of a predetermined number of light sources, and the number of light sources used during scanning is an example of at least some of the number of light sources.

[0069] Next, we will explain an example of a calculation that suppresses the influence of the discrepancy between the result of the second lighting state and the result of the first lighting state. This calculation example is implemented by the CPU 81. The CPU 81 is an example of a calculation unit. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the calculation. In the example calculation shown in Figure 12, a flash image is acquired (step 201), and then 12 scanned images are acquired (step 202). These 12 scanned images are then combined (step 203). This results in a single combined scanned image.

[0070] Then, the charge amount of the composite scan image is subtracted from the charge amount of the flash image to generate a difference image (step 204). This difference image mainly concerns the region 401 that was not illuminated during the scan (see Figure 9(b)).

[0071] The gain of the composite scan image is corrected by multiplying the charge amount of the composite scan image by the charge amount of the difference image (step 205). This multiplication can involve using the charge amount of the difference image directly, or by multiplying the charge amount of the difference image by a coefficient. This reduces the influence of region 401 (see Figure 9(b)) and suppresses errors in distance measurement. Correction data can be acquired at predetermined times during setup or distance measurement, and until then, the pre-update data can be used as the correction value.

[0072] <Lighting patterns of light sources 410-440> Figure 13 illustrates the lighting configurations of multiple light sources 410-440 in a modified example, where (a) and (b) represent one lighting configuration, and (c) and (d) represent other lighting configurations. Note that (a) and (b) in Figure 13 are the same as (a) and (b) in Figure 8 described above.

[0073] Figures 13(a) and (c) show the case during scanning, and (b) and (d) show the case during flashing. The lighting patterns during scanning are the same for one lighting pattern and the other lighting patterns. However, the lighting patterns during flashing are different for one lighting pattern and the other lighting patterns.

[0074] In other words, in the case shown in Figure 13(b), light source 440 is lit among the multiple light sources 410 to 440. On the other hand, in the case shown in Figure 13(d), light source 430 is lit. Thus, when light source 440 is illuminated during flash, light source 430 is not illuminated during flash. When light source 430 is illuminated during flash, light source 440 is not illuminated during flash. In this case, light sources 430 and 440 are examples of predetermined light sources, light source 430 is an example of a first light source, and light source 440 is an example of a second light source.

[0075] By alternating between one lighting mode and another, the number of times the light source 440 flashes can be reduced. As a result, the temperature rise of the light source 440 can be suppressed compared to when the light source 440 flashes alone. Although we have described two lighting modes, one and the other, other lighting modes are also possible. For example, the light sources that light up during a flash could be multiple light sources 410 to 440 in a predetermined order.

[0076] <Various variations of control> In the example shown in Figure 10, the scan image is acquired after the flash image, but this is not the only option. That is, one possible variation is to acquire the flash image after the scan image. Another example is to acquire a flash image in between the sequential acquisition of scan images for each of the light-emitting sections A1 to A12. For example, a flash image could be acquired after the scan image for light-emitting section A6 is acquired, but before the scan image for light-emitting section A7 is acquired.

[0077] Furthermore, as another variation, the acquisition of a single flash image is not limited to acquiring one scan image for each light-emitting section A1 to A12. For example, it is possible to acquire multiple scan images, such as three, for a single flash image.

[0078] Another possible modification is to control the process so that steps 101-103 described above, for acquiring a flash image, are performed only if predetermined conditions are met, and not performed if those conditions are not met. In other words, if the predetermined conditions are not met, steps 101 to 103 described above will not be performed, even if there is an area 401 in the scanned image that is not illuminated during scanning (see, for example, Figure 9(a)).

[0079] The predetermined condition referred to here is that distance measurement is required for an object present on the irradiation surface 60, and it does not matter whether there is a region 401 in the scanned image that is not irradiated during scanning (see, for example, Figure 9(a)). More specifically, this refers to cases where distance measurement is required for an object located on the irradiation surface 60, provided that predetermined conditions are met. Furthermore, if the predetermined conditions are not met, only detection of whether an object exists on the illumination surface 60 is necessary, and distance measurement to the object is not required. If distance measurement is not required and detection of the presence or absence of an object is sufficient, the area 401 has little effect on the distance measurement result, so the illumination of the light-emitting sections A1 to A12 of the light source 440 (step 101), etc., is not performed.

[0080] Therefore, if the predetermined conditions are met, both the scanned image and the flash image will be acquired. If the predetermined conditions are not met, the scanned image will be acquired, but the flash image will not. This makes it possible to shorten processing time when simply detecting the presence or absence of an object is sufficient.

[0081] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described using Figures 14 to 16. Figures 14 and 15 correspond to Figures 8 and 9, which describe the first embodiment. Figure 16 corresponds to Figure 10, which describes the first embodiment. Therefore, in the description of Figures 14 to 16, some of the content described in Figures 8 to 10 may be omitted.

[0082] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the lighting states of light sources 410 to 440 according to the second embodiment. Figure (a) shows the state in which a single light-emitting section A1 is lit, and (b) shows the state in which multiple light-emitting sections A1, A2, A5, and A6 are lit. The lighting state shown in Figure 14(a) is a state in which each light-emitting section A1 of light sources 410 to 440 is lit. That is, all four light sources 410 to 440 are lit (all four lights are lit). Also, only one light-emitting section A1 is lit, and the other light-emitting sections A2 to A12 are not lit. In this respect, the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment (see Figure 8).

[0083] The lighting state shown in Figure 14(b) is a state in which light source 440 is lit among the light sources 410 to 440. That is, one of the four light sources 410 to 440, light source 440, is lit, and the other light sources 410 to 430 are not lit (one light lit). Furthermore, the light sources 440 that are lit are light-emitting sections A1, A2, A5, and A6 among the light-emitting sections A1 to A12, while the other light-emitting sections A3 to A4 and A7 to A12 are not lit. In this respect, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment (see Figure 8) in which light-emitting sections A1 to A12 are lit. Light-emitting sections A1, A2, A5, and A6 of light source 440 are examples of multiple light-emitting sections that light up in the second lighting state in a predetermined light source.

[0084] Figure 15 illustrates the light intensity distribution of the light-receiving section of the light-receiving unit 5 due to the light from multiple light sources 410 to 440. Figure 15(a) corresponds to the lighting state in Figure 14(a), and Figure 15(b) corresponds to the lighting state in Figure 14(b). Note that Figure 15 shows the light-receiving area C1, etc., but it can also be viewed as the illumination area B1 (see Figure 4), etc. In this case, illumination area B1 is an example of one region, and illumination areas B2, B5, and B6, which correspond to the light-receiving areas C2, C5, and C6, are examples of regions adjacent to one region. Furthermore, regions 411 to 431, which will be described later, are examples of the range illuminated by one light-emitting area in other light sources. Region 441 is an example of the range illuminated by one light-emitting area in some light sources.

[0085] Due to variations during assembly as described above, the light from light sources 410-440 (see, for example, Figure 14) is received shifted to the upper left of the light receiving section C1 in the example shown in Figure 15(a). The light from light source 410 is in the region 411 indicated by the dashed line, and the light from light source 420 is in the region 421 indicated by the dashed line. The light from light source 430 is in the region 431 indicated by the dashed line, and the light from light source 440 is in the region 441 indicated by the solid line. In the light-receiving section C1, there is a region 401 (indicated by the upper right diagonal line) that is not exposed by any of the light sources 410 to 440.

[0086] In the example shown in Figure 15(b), the area 401 of the light-receiving section C1 is illuminated by light from the light-emitting sections A2, A5, and A6 of the light source 440 (see Figure 14(b)). Region 401 of the light-receiving section C1 is an example of a non-irradiated area, which is the part of a region other than the part illuminated by one of the light-emitting sections.

[0087] To explain further, in the example shown in Figure 15(b), the light from the light source 440 is located in the region 443 indicated by the solid line. The light from the light source 440 exposes not only the light-receiving area C1, but also the light-receiving areas C2, C5, and C6 located around the light-receiving area C1. In other words, the light from the light source 440 is received throughout the entire area of ​​the light-receiving area C1. Therefore, the aforementioned region 401 is exposed by the light from the light source 440.

[0088] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an example of control associated with the illumination of light sources 410-440. Figure 16 corresponds to Figure 10, which illustrates the first embodiment. In the control example shown in Figure 16, after setting the variable n to 1 (step 301), the light-emitting section An of light sources 410-440 is turned on (step 302). In this case, the light-emitting section A1 of light sources 410-440 is turned on (see Figure 14(a)). Next, the corresponding light-receiving section Cn is activated (step 303). In this case, light-receiving section C1 (see Figure 15(a)) is activated. This generates an infrared image 100 (see Figure 6(c)) of the illuminated light-emitting section A1 from the acquired light-receiving amount as a scan image (step 304).

[0089] Then, the light-emitting section An of the light source 440 and the light-emitting sections adjacent to section An are turned on (step 305). In this case, light-emitting section A1 and the adjacent light-emitting sections A2, A5, and A6 are turned on (see Figure 14(b)). Next, the corresponding light-receiving section Cn is activated (step 306). In this case, light-receiving sections C1 and C2, C5, and C6 are activated (see Figure 15(b)). This generates an infrared image 100 (see Figure 6(c)) of the light-emitting section A1 when it is lit, as a flash image from the acquired amount of light received (step 307).

[0090] Add 1 to the variable n (step 308) and determine if the variable n exceeds 12 (step 309). If the variable n does not exceed 12 (No in step 309), return to step 302. For example, if the variable n is 2, light-emitting section A2 of light sources 410-440 and adjacent light-emitting sections A1, A3, A5-A7 are turned on (see, for example, Figure 14(a)). Subsequently, until the variable n is 3 to 12, light-emitting section An of light sources 410-440 and adjacent light-emitting sections are turned on, and the corresponding light-receiving section Cn is activated accordingly. This allows for the sequential acquisition of scan images and their corresponding flash images.

[0091] If the variable n is greater than 12 (Yes in step 309), the process is terminated after calculating a distance image from the acquired light amount (step 310).

[0092] <Various lighting patterns for light sources 410-440> In the first embodiment described above, the lighting pattern is as follows: during scanning, one light-emitting section An of light sources 410 to 440 (where n is 1 to 12) is lit; and during flashing, light-emitting sections A1 to A12 of one of the light sources 440 are lit (see Figure 8). In the second embodiment described above, the lighting pattern is as follows: during scanning, one light-emitting section An of light sources 410 to 440 (where n is 1 to 12) is lit; and during flashing, light-emitting section An and the light-emitting sections adjacent to section An of light source 440 are lit (see Figure 14). The lighting patterns are not limited to these. Various variations of the lighting patterns are described below.

[0093] Figure 17 illustrates a first modified example of the lighting pattern. (a) in the figure shows the lighting state during scanning, and (b) shows the lighting state during flashing. In the first modified example, as shown in Figure 17(a), each light-emitting section A1 of light sources 410 to 430 is lit. That is, three of the four light sources 410 to 440 are lit, while light source 440 is not lit (3 lights lit). In this respect, the first modified example differs from the first embodiment (see Figure 8), in which all four light sources 410 to 440 are lit.

[0094] As shown in Figure 17(a), in the first modified example, only one of the light-emitting sections A1 to A12, section A1, is lit, while the other light-emitting sections A2 to A12 are not lit. In this respect, the first modified example is the same as the first embodiment (see Figure 8).

[0095] Furthermore, in the first modified example, as shown in Figure 17(b), light source 440 is lit among the light sources 410 to 440. That is, one of the four light sources 410 to 440, light source 440, is lit, and the other light sources 410 to 430 are not lit (one light lit). Also, the light-emitting sections A1 to A12 are lit by light source 440. In these respects, the first modification is the same as the first embodiment (see Figure 8).

[0096] More specifically, during the scan shown in Figure 17(a), only one light-emitting section A1 in light sources 410-430 of the light sources 410-440 emits light. Light source 440 does not emit light during the scan. As shown in Figure (b), during flashing, light source 440 of the light sources 410-440 emits light in light-emitting sections A1-A12. Light sources 410-430 do not emit light during flashing.

[0097] Thus, in the first modified example, of the light sources 410-440, light sources 410-430 emit light during scanning, and light source 440 emits light during flashing. In the first modification, by employing a control that prevents the light source 440 from emitting light during scanning, the temperature of the light source 440, which has risen due to the light emission during flashing, can be lowered during scanning.

[0098] Figure 18 illustrates a second modified example of the lighting pattern. (a) in the figure shows the lighting state during scanning, and (b) shows the lighting state during flashing. In the second modification, during scanning as shown in Figure 18(a), each light-emitting section A1 of the light sources 410 to 440 is illuminated. In this respect, the second modification is the same as the first embodiment (see Figure 8) in which all four light sources 410 to 440 are illuminated.

[0099] In the second modification, as shown in Figure 18(b), when flashing, light sources 430 and 440 of the light sources 410-440 are lit (two lights lit). In this respect, the second modification differs from the first embodiment (see Figure 8) in which only one light source 440 is lit. Thus, in this second modified example, since two lights illuminate during flashing, it becomes possible to illuminate the illumination surface 60 (see Figure 2) even when it is located at a distance, compared to the first embodiment, and thus distance measurement can be performed.

[0100] Figure 19 illustrates a third modified example of the lighting pattern. (a) in the figure shows the lighting state during scanning, and (b) shows the lighting state during flashing. In the third modification, during scanning as shown in Figure 19(a), the light-emitting sections A1 and A2 of the light sources 410 to 440 are illuminated. In this respect, the third modification differs from the first embodiment (see Figure 8), in which only one light-emitting section of the light sources 410 to 440 is illuminated. In other words, during scanning, light-emitting sections A1 and A2 light up first, followed by light-emitting sections A3 and A4. Similarly, light-emitting sections A5 and A6 light up first, followed by light-emitting sections A7 and A8, A9 and A10, and finally A11 and A12.

[0101] In the third modification, as shown in Figure 19(b), during flashing, only light source 440 of the light sources 410-440 is lit (one light lit). In this respect, the third modification is the same as the first embodiment (see Figure 8). Thus, in this third modification, since two light-emitting sections light up during scanning, the scanning time is shorter compared to the first embodiment.

[0102] <Third Embodiment> Next, as a third embodiment, a configuration in which the light-emitting unit 4 includes light sources 410 and 420 having different irradiation angles will be described. Figure 20 illustrates the illumination angles of the light sources 410 and 420 provided by the light-emitting unit 4. This figure shows an example configuration in which the light-emitting unit 4 is equipped with two light sources 410 and 420. Furthermore, the figure shows an example configuration in which each of the light sources 410 and 420 is divided into light-emitting sections A1 and A2, with light-emitting section A1 being illuminated.

[0103] The illumination angle of light source 410 is θ1, and the illumination angle of light source 420 is θ2. Irradiation angles θ1 and θ2 are different angles from each other. More specifically, when light emission section A1 of light source 410 emits light, the irradiation angle of the light is θ1, and when light emission section A1 of light source 420 emits light, the irradiation angle of the light is θ2. Irradiation angle θ2 is larger than irradiation angle θ1 (θ2 > θ1), and in the case of irradiation angle θ2, the light is diffused compared to irradiation angle θ1. The illumination angles θ1 and θ2 referred to here are angles that indicate the degree of light spread from the light-emitting section A1, and refer to the angles at which the light intersects with the vertical plane in the light-emitting section A1.

[0104] In light source 410, light-emitting sections A2 to A12 (see Figure 2), other than light-emitting section A1, also have an illumination angle of θ1. In light source 420, light-emitting sections A2 to A12 (see the same figure), other than light-emitting section A1, also have an illumination angle of θ2.

[0105] The illumination angle θ1 of light source 410 is an example of the illumination angle of other light sources, and the illumination angle θ2 of light source 420 is an example of the illumination angle of some light sources. In such cases, the state in which the light-emitting section A1 of light source 410 is lit is an example of the first lighting state, and the state in which the light-emitting section A1 of light source 420 is lit is an example of the second lighting state.

[0106] In Figure 20, an example is shown where the light-emitting unit 4 has two light sources 410 and 420, but it is not limited to this, and it is also conceivable to have three or four light sources. In such cases, it is conceivable to have one of the light sources with an illumination angle of θ2, or to have multiple light sources. It is also conceivable to have all of the multiple light sources with an illumination angle of θ2.

[0107] Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the light intensity distribution of the light receiving section C1 of the light receiving unit 5 due to the light from multiple light sources 410 and 420. Due to variations during assembly as described above, the light from light sources 410 and 420 (see, for example, Figure 20) is received shifted to the upper left of the light receiving section C1 in the example shown in Figure 21. That is, the light from light source 410 is located in the region 411 indicated by the dashed line. In the light-receiving section C1, there is a region 401 (indicated by the upper right diagonal line) that is not exposed by any of the light sources 410 to 420.

[0108] To explain further, of the multiple light sources 410-420, the light from light source 420 is located in the region 421 shown by the solid line. The light from light source 420 exposes not only the light-receiving area C1 but also the light-receiving area C2 located around the light-receiving area C1. In other words, the light from light source 420 is received throughout the entire area of ​​light-receiving area C1. Therefore, the aforementioned region 401 is exposed by the light from light source 420. Region 421 is larger than region 411. Even with variations during assembly, there are no areas in the light-receiving section C1 that are not exposed by any of the light sources 410-420.

[0109] Next, we will describe an example configuration in which the irradiation angle θ2 of light source 420 is different from the irradiation angle θ1 of light source 410. Figure 22 illustrates an example configuration when optical elements are arranged in the light sources 410-420. (a) and (b) show an example using microlenses 450 and 460 as optical elements, while (c) and (d) show another example using lenses 470 and 480 as optical elements. Note that (a) to (d) show configuration examples corresponding to the case where the light sources 410-420 have light-emitting sections A1 and A2. For example, if the light sources 410-420 have light-emitting sections A1 to A12, other light-emitting sections A3 to A12 can be configured similarly, so their explanation is omitted. The light sources 410-420 emit light on the upper side of Figure 22.

[0110] In the example shown in Figures 22(a) and (b), a configuration is adopted in which a microlens is provided for each light-emitting section A1 and A2 of the light sources 410 and 420. That is, as shown in Figure 22(a), a microlens 450 is provided for each of the light-emitting sections A1 and A2 of the light source 410. Also, as shown in Figure 22(b), a microlens 460 is provided for each of the light-emitting sections A1 and A2 of the light source 420. Therefore, in the light source 410, the number of light-emitting sections is the same as the number of microlenses 450. Similarly, in the light source 420, the number of light-emitting sections is the same as the number of microlenses 460. The microlens 450 of the light source 410 has optical properties that achieve an illumination angle θ1 (see Figure 20). The microlens 460 of the light source 420 has optical properties that achieve an illumination angle θ2 (see the same figure).

[0111] Furthermore, if the light sources 410-420 each have predetermined illumination angles, the illumination angles θ1 and θ2 are realized by combining them with the illumination angles of the microlenses 450 and 460.

[0112] Further explanation will be provided regarding the predetermined illumination angles of light sources 410-420. The illumination angle is set to a predetermined angle by changing, for example, the aperture of the light-emitting element of light source 410-420. The predetermined illumination angle referred to here, although not shown in the illustration, can refer to a situation where there are multiple light sources with an illumination angle θ1 (see Figure 20). This situation may involve all of the light sources having the same illumination angle, or it may apply to only some of the light sources. In the latter case, the predetermined illumination angles of the light sources other than those of the predetermined light sources will differ from the predetermined illumination angles of those predetermined light sources.

[0113] In other examples shown in Figures 22(c) and (d), a configuration is adopted in which a single lens is provided across the light-emitting sections A1 and A2 of the light sources 410 and 420. That is, as shown in Figure 22(c), the same lens 470 is provided across the light-emitting sections A1 and A2 of the light source 410. Also, as shown in Figure 22(d), the same lens 480 is provided across the light-emitting sections A1 and A2 of the light source 420.

[0114] In light source 410, one lens 470 is provided for each of the multiple light-emitting sections A1 and A2, and in light source 420, one lens 480 is provided for each of the multiple light-emitting sections A1 and A2. Therefore, in light source 410, the number of lenses 470 is less than the number of light-emitting sections A1 and A2. Also, in light source 420, the number of lenses 480 is less than the number of light-emitting sections A1 and A2. Furthermore, if the light sources 410 and 420 are equipped with light-emitting sections A1 to A12 (see Figure 2), a configuration in which one lens 470 or lens 480 is provided for each of the light-emitting sections A1 to A12 is also conceivable.

[0115] The lens 470 of the light source 410 has optical properties that achieve an illumination angle θ1 (see Figure 20). The lens 480 of the light source 420 has optical properties that achieve an illumination angle θ2 (see the same figure). Furthermore, if the light sources 410 to 420 each have predetermined illumination angles, the illumination angles θ1 and θ2 are realized by combining them with the illumination angles of the lenses 470 and 480. The predetermined illumination angles of the light sources 410 to 420 themselves are the same as in Figures 20(a) and (b), and their explanation is omitted.

[0116] Thus, the light source 420 is equipped with a microlens 460 or lens 480 that makes the illumination angle larger than that of the light source 410. Microlenses 450, 460 and lenses 470, 480 are examples of optical components.

[0117] Here, we focus on the combination of light-emitting sections A1 and A2 of the light sources 410 and 420 that achieve illumination angles θ1 and θ2, and the microlenses 450 and 460 or lenses 470 and 480. It is preferable that at least one of the light-emitting sections A1 and A2 in each of the multiple light sources 410 and 420, and at least one of the microlenses 450 and 460 or lenses 470 and 480 that transmit light from the light-emitting sections A1 and A2, are identical. When the predetermined illumination angles of the multiple light sources 410 and 420 are the same, the number of parts can be reduced compared to when they are different. Furthermore, using identical microlenses 450 and 460 or lenses 470 and 480 also allows for a reduction in the number of parts.

[0118] (Light-emitting device 2 and rangefinder 1) In Figure 1, the light-emitting device 2, shown by the dashed line, comprises a light-emitting unit 4, a light-emitting drive unit 6, and a control unit 8. This light-emitting device 2 is an example of a light-emitting device comprising: a light-emitting unit 4 having multiple light sources 410 to 440, each having multiple individually light-emitting sections A1 to A12; a drive unit 6 that drives the light-emitting unit 4 to have a first lighting state in which one light-emitting section A1 that irradiates a region B1 with light in at least some of the multiple light sources 410 to 430; and a second lighting state in which multiple light-emitting sections A1 to A12, including one light-emitting section A1 in a predetermined light source 440 among the multiple light sources 410 to 440, and other light-emitting sections A2, A5, A6 that irradiate light towards a non-irradiated portion 401, which is the part of the region B1 other than the part 402 irradiated by the one light-emitting section A1, are simultaneously lit. Furthermore, the light-emitting device 2 shown by the dashed line in Figure 1 is an example of a light-emitting device that includes a light-emitting unit 4 having multiple light sources 410 to 440, each having multiple individually light-emitting sections A1 to A12, and a processor, such as a CPU 81. The processor drives the light-emitting unit 4 to have a first lighting state in which at least some of the multiple light sources 410 to 430 among the multiple light sources 410 to 440 have one light-emitting section A1 that irradiates light toward a region B1, and a second lighting state in which a predetermined light source 440 among the multiple light sources 410 to 440 has multiple light-emitting sections A1 to A12, including one light-emitting section A1 and other light-emitting sections A2, A5, A6 that irradiate light toward a non-irradiated portion 401, which is the part of region B1 other than the part 402 irradiated by the one light-emitting section A1, all of which are lit simultaneously. Furthermore, the light-emitting device equipped with the light-emitting unit 4 in Figure 20 is an example of a light-emitting device comprising: a light-emitting unit 4 comprising a plurality of light sources having a plurality of individually emitting light-emitting sections A1 to A12, wherein the irradiation angle θ2 of some of the multiple arranged light sources 410 to 440 is greater than the irradiation angle θ1 of the other light sources 410; and a drive unit 6 that drives the light-emitting unit 4 so that a first lighting state occurs in which one light-emitting section A1 that irradiates light toward a certain region B1 in each of the other light sources 410 is lit, and a second lighting state occurs in which at least one light-emitting section A1 in some of the light sources 420 is lit.

[0119] Furthermore, the distance measuring device 1 shown in Figure 1 is an example of a distance measuring device comprising a light-emitting device 2, a light-receiving unit 5 that receives reflected light from the light-emitting device 2, an acquisition unit 5 that acquires the results of the light reception by the light-receiving unit 5, and a distance measuring unit 8 that measures the distance based on the results of the light reception acquired by the acquisition unit 5. The light-receiving unit 5 is an example of a light-receiving unit and an example of an acquisition unit. The CPU 81 of the control unit 8 that realizes the distance measuring function is an example of a distance measuring unit. This invention can also be applied to programs and program products.

[0120] <Note> (((1))) A light-emitting unit comprising multiple light sources, each having multiple individually emitting light-emitting sections, A drive unit drives the light-emitting unit such that each of the multiple light sources has a first lighting state in which one light-emitting section that irradiates light toward one area is lit, and a second lighting state in which multiple light-emitting sections, including the one light-emitting section and another light-emitting section that irradiates light toward the un-irradiated portion of the area other than the part irradiated by the one light-emitting section, are lit simultaneously in a predetermined light source among the multiple light sources. A light-emitting device equipped with the following features. (((2))) The system further includes a calculation unit that acquires the result of the second lighting state and performs calculations to suppress the influence of the un-illuminated portion in the first lighting state based on the acquired result. The light-emitting device according to feature 1. (((3))) The predetermined number of light sources is smaller than the number of at least some of the light sources. The light-emitting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above. (((4))) The predetermined number of light sources is one. The light-emitting device according to feature 3. (((5))) Each of the plurality of light sources is configured to include the light-emitting section and an optical member that transmits the light from the light-emitting section. In each of the plurality of light sources, at least one of the light-emitting sections and the optical members are identical. A light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the following: (((6))) The drive unit performs the operation by switching between driving the light-emitting unit to enter the first and second lighting states, and driving the light-emitting unit to enter the first lighting state but not the second lighting state. A light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the following: (((7))) The aforementioned predetermined light source is a plurality of light sources, including a first light source and a second light source. When the first light source is in the second illuminated state, the second light source is not in the second illuminated state. When the second light source is in the second illuminated state, the first light source is not in the second illuminated state. A light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the following: (((8))) The plurality of light-emitting sections that light up in the second lighting state in the predetermined light source are a part of the light-emitting sections of the predetermined light source. A light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the following: (((9))) The aforementioned region one is one of the divided regions obtained by dividing the area to be illuminated by the light-emitting unit, The number of times the drive unit drives each of the divided regions to the first illuminated state is equal to or greater than the number of times it drives to the second illuminated state. The light-emitting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above. (((10))) When each of the divided regions is driven once to the first illuminated state, the number of times it is driven to the second illuminated state is 1. The light-emitting device according to feature 9. (((11))) A light-emitting unit comprising multiple light sources, each having multiple individually emitting light-emitting sections, Processor and Equipped with, The aforementioned processor, The light-emitting unit is driven to have a first lighting state in which at least some of the multiple light sources have one light-emitting section that illuminates a certain area, and a second lighting state in which a predetermined light source among the multiple light sources has multiple light-emitting sections that are simultaneously lit, including the one light-emitting section and another light-emitting section that illuminates a non-illuminated portion of the area other than the part illuminated by the one light-emitting section. Light-emitting device. (((12))) A light source having multiple light-emitting sections that can emit light individually is arranged, and the illumination angle of some of the light sources among the arranged light sources is greater than the illumination angle of the other light sources, A first lighting state in which one light-emitting section that irradiates light toward one area in each of the other light sources is lit, and a drive unit that drives the light-emitting section so that at least one of the light sources is lit in a second lighting state, A light-emitting device equipped with the following features. (((13))) A light-emitting device according to claim 1, 11, or 12, A light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the light-emitting device, An acquisition unit that acquires the result of light reception by the light receiving unit, A distance measuring unit that measures distance based on the light reception results acquired by the acquisition unit, A rangefinder equipped with the following features.

[0121] According to the invention of (((1))), compared to the case where the drive is performed to illuminate only one area, it becomes possible to suppress the effect of misalignment between multiple light sources on a single area. According to the invention of (((2))), compared to a case where there is no calculation unit that acquires the result of the second lighting state and performs calculations to suppress the effect of the un-illuminated portion in the first lighting state based on the acquired result, it becomes possible to more reliably suppress the effect of flare when a highly reflective material is present. According to the invention of (((3))), the predetermined number of light sources is smaller than the number of at least some of the light sources, compared to not employing a configuration that suppresses the effects of flare in the presence of highly reflective materials more reliably. According to the invention of (((4))), the predetermined number of light sources makes it possible to more reliably suppress the effects of flare when a highly reflective material is present, compared to not adopting a configuration in which only one light source is used. According to the invention of (((5))), each of the multiple light sources is configured to include a light-emitting section and an optical member that transmits the light from the light-emitting section. Compared to a configuration in which at least one of the light-emitting sections and optical members in each of the multiple light sources are identical, it is possible to reduce the number of parts. According to the invention of (((6))), the drive unit can be made more versatile than when a configuration is not adopted in which the drive unit switches between driving the light-emitting unit to a first lighting state and a second lighting state, and driving the light-emitting unit to a first lighting state and not to a second lighting state. According to the invention of (((7))), the predetermined light source is a plurality of light sources including a first light source and a second light source, and compared to not employing a configuration in which the second light source is not in the second lighting state when the first light source is in the second lighting state, and the first light source is not in the second lighting state when the second light source is in the second lighting state, it becomes possible to suppress the temperature rise of the light sources associated with the second lighting state. According to the invention of (((8))), the multiple light-emitting sections that light up in the second lighting state in a predetermined light source can suppress the temperature rise of the light source associated with the second lighting state, compared to the case in which a configuration is not adopted in which the multiple light-emitting sections that light up in the second lighting state in a predetermined light source are part of the light-emitting sections of the predetermined light source. According to the invention of (((9))), one region is one of the divided regions obtained by dividing the region to be illuminated by the light-emitting unit, and the number of times the drive unit drives each of the divided regions to the first lighting state is greater than or equal to the number of times it drives to the second lighting state. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the control burden. According to the invention of (((10))), when each divided region is driven to the first lighting state once, the number of times it is driven to the second lighting state is reduced compared to when a configuration is not adopted in which the state is driven to the first lighting state once. According to the invention of (((11))), compared to the case where the drive is performed to illuminate only one area, it becomes possible to suppress the effect of misalignment between multiple light sources on a single area. According to the invention of (((12))), compared to the case where the drive is performed to illuminate only one area, it becomes possible to suppress the effect of misalignment among multiple light sources on a single area. According to the invention of (((13))), compared to the case where the drive is performed to illuminate only one area, it becomes possible to suppress the effect of misalignment among multiple light sources on a single area. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0122] 1... Distance measuring device, 2... Light-emitting device, 4... Light-emitting unit, 5... Light-receiving unit, 6... Light-emitting drive unit, 7... Light-receiving drive unit, 8... Control unit, 41, A1~A12... Light-emitting section, 51, C1~C12... Light-receiving section, 61, B1~B12... Irradiation section, 81... CPU, 401... Area, 410, 420, 430, 440... Light source, 450, 460... Microlens, 470, 480... Lens, θ1, θ2... Irradiation angle

Claims

1. A light-emitting unit comprising multiple light sources, each having multiple individually emitting light-emitting sections, A drive unit drives the light-emitting unit to have a first lighting state in which at least some of the multiple light sources have one light-emitting section that illuminates a certain area, and a second lighting state in which a predetermined light source among the multiple light sources has multiple light-emitting sections that are simultaneously lit, including the one light-emitting section and another light-emitting section that illuminates a non-illuminated portion of the area other than the part illuminated by the one light-emitting section. A light-emitting device equipped with the following features.

2. The system further includes a calculation unit that acquires the result of the second lighting state and performs calculations to suppress the influence of the un-irradiated portion in the first lighting state based on the acquired result. The light-emitting device according to feature 1.

3. The predetermined number of light sources is smaller than the number of at least some of the light sources. The light-emitting device according to feature 1.

4. The predetermined number of light sources is one. The light-emitting device according to feature 3.

5. Each of the plurality of light sources is configured to include the light-emitting section and an optical member that transmits the light from the light-emitting section. In each of the plurality of light sources, at least one of the light-emitting sections and the optical members are identical. The light-emitting device according to feature 1.

6. The drive unit performs the operation by switching between driving the light-emitting unit to enter the first and second lighting states, and driving the light-emitting unit to enter the first lighting state but not the second lighting state. The light-emitting device according to feature 1.

7. The aforementioned predetermined light source is a plurality of light sources including a first light source and a second light source, When the first light source is in the second illuminated state, the second light source is not in the second illuminated state. When the second light source is in the second illuminated state, the first light source is not in the second illuminated state. The light-emitting device according to feature 1.

8. The plurality of light-emitting sections that light up in the second lighting state in the predetermined light source are a part of the light-emitting sections of the predetermined light source. The light-emitting device according to feature 1.

9. The aforementioned region one is one of the divided regions obtained by dividing the area to be illuminated by the light-emitting unit, The number of times the drive unit drives each of the divided regions to the first illuminated state is equal to or greater than the number of times it drives to the second illuminated state. The light-emitting device according to feature 1.

10. When each of the divided regions is driven to the first illuminated state once, the number of times it is driven to the second illuminated state is one. The light-emitting device according to feature 9.

11. A light-emitting unit comprising multiple light sources, each having multiple individually emitting light-emitting sections, Processor and Equipped with, The aforementioned processor, The light-emitting unit is driven to have a first lighting state in which at least some of the multiple light sources have one light-emitting section that illuminates a certain area, and a second lighting state in which a predetermined light source among the multiple light sources has multiple light-emitting sections that are simultaneously lit, including the one light-emitting section and another light-emitting section that illuminates a non-illuminated portion of the area other than the part illuminated by the one light-emitting section. Light-emitting device.

12. Multiple light sources are arranged, each having multiple light-emitting sections capable of emitting light individually. The light-emitting section has a light-emitting section in which the illumination angle of some of the multiple light sources is greater than the illumination angle of the other light sources. A first lighting state in which one light-emitting section that illuminates a certain area in each of the other light sources is lit, and a drive unit that drives the light-emitting section so that at least one of the light sources is lit in a second lighting state, A light-emitting device equipped with the following features.

13. A light-emitting device according to claim 1, 11, or 12, A light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the light-emitting device, An acquisition unit that acquires the result of light reception by the light receiving unit, A distance measuring unit that measures distance based on the light reception results acquired by the acquisition unit, A rangefinder equipped with the following features.

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