Floodlights, measuring devices

Abstract

This specification discloses a technology capable of solving the above-mentioned problems. It checks whether the light-emitting element of the floodlight is emitting light normally. [Solution] The light source is a light source comprising a housing having a through passage, a light-emitting element that emits light toward the through passage of the housing, and a first light-emitting optical system arranged in the through passage, wherein a light-inlet hole is formed in the inner wall surface of the housing that forms the through passage, and a monitor light-receiving element that receives the light emitted from the light-emitting element through the light-inlet hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0005] , ,

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a light-emitting device and a measuring device.

Background Art

[0002] With the development of autonomous driving systems (AD) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), research and development of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) has been underway as one of the measuring devices used for grasping the surrounding environment and estimating the self-position of a vehicle during driving. LiDAR includes a light projector that projects laser light onto a measurement target and a light receiver that receives the reflected light that returns after the laser light is reflected by the measurement target. LiDAR measures the distance to the measurement target based on the difference between the timing when the light projector emits laser light and the timing when the light receiver receives the reflected light. The light projector has a plurality of light-emitting devices (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a conventional light projector, a device for confirming whether a light-emitting element is emitting light normally has not been sufficiently studied.

[0005] This specification discloses a technology capable of solving the above-described problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The technologies disclosed herein can be implemented, for example, in the following forms:

[0007] (1) The light projector disclosed herein comprises a housing having a through passage, a light-emitting element that emits light toward the through passage of the housing, and a first light projection optical system disposed in the through passage. The inner wall surface of the housing that forms the through passage has a light introduction hole, and a monitoring light-receiving element that receives the light emitted from the light-emitting element through the light introduction hole. With this light projector, the path of the light emitted from the light-emitting element and received by the monitoring light-receiving element is lengthened by the light introduction hole. As a result, the irradiation range of the light that can be received by the monitoring light-receiving element is widened, and the range in which the monitoring light-receiving element can be installed is widened.

[0008] (2) The light emitter may further include a second light-emitting optical system arranged in the through-pass and between the light-emitting element and the first light-emitting optical system, wherein the light introduction hole is formed in the inner wall surface of the housing, specifically in the portion of the inner wall surface between the first light-emitting optical system and the second light-emitting optical system. With this configuration, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting element and received by the monitor light-receiving element is further lengthened by the light introduction hole arranged between the first light-emitting optical system and the second light-emitting optical system. This further widens the illumination range of light that can be received by the monitor light-receiving element, and further widens the range in which the monitor light-receiving element can be installed.

[0009] (3) In the above-mentioned light emitter, the inside of the light intake hole may be hollow. With this configuration, because the light intake hole is hollow, the path of the light emitted from the light-emitting element and received by the monitoring light-receiving element does not become focused. This makes it possible to maintain the illumination range of the light that can be received by the monitoring light-receiving element.

[0010] (4) The light source disclosed herein is a light source comprising: a housing having a through passage; a light-emitting element of the housing that emits light toward the through passage; a first light-emitting optical system disposed in the through passage; a second light-emitting optical system disposed in the through passage and between the light-emitting element and the first light-emitting optical system; and a monitor light-receiving element disposed on the inner wall surface forming the through passage for receiving the light emitted from the light-emitting element. According to this light source, by arranging the monitor light-receiving element on the inner wall surface forming the through passage, the path of the light emitted from the light-emitting element and received by the monitor light-receiving element is lengthened. As a result, the irradiation range of the light that can be received by the monitor light-receiving element is widened, and the range in which the monitor light-receiving element can be installed is widened.

[0011] (5) The measuring device may be configured to include the light emitter described in any one of claims 1 to 4. With this configuration, by providing the light emitter in the measuring device, the light-receiving element for monitoring can easily and reliably detect that the light-emitting element of the measuring device is operating normally.

[0012] Furthermore, the technologies disclosed herein can be implemented in various forms, for example, in the form of floodlights, measuring devices, and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the measuring device in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] An explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the light-emitting device in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the light-emitting device in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] A. First Embodiment: A-1. Configuration of measuring device 1: This embodiment will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 to 3. The measuring device 1 of this embodiment is a LiDAR. The measuring device 1 is mounted on, for example, a vehicle on which an AD (automated drive) or an ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) is installed. The measuring device 1, for example, while the vehicle is running, assists in detecting objects such as people and other vehicles, ensures the safety of the vehicle driver and the people present around the vehicle, and provides various types of information useful for reducing damage to the objects present around during the operation of the vehicle to other devices and users.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the measuring device 1 includes a light projector 100, a light receiver 400, an information processing device 500, and a communication interface 600.

[0016] A-1-1. Light Projector: The light projector 100 includes a light source unit 110 and a control circuit board 210.

[0017] (Light Source Unit 110): The light source unit 110 has a plurality of light emitting units 20. The measuring device 1 of this embodiment is a FLASH-type LiDAR, and the light source unit 110 has a configuration in which, for example, a plurality of light emitting units 20 are arranged linearly (one-dimensional) or planar (two-dimensional). The configuration of the light source unit 110 will be described later.

[0018] (Control Circuit Board): The control circuit board 210 is a circuit board on which electronic components and the like for performing light emission control of the light source unit 110 are mounted. The control circuit board 210 controls the power supply circuit (not shown) of the light source unit 110 and controls the light emitting unit 20.

[0019] A-1-2. Light Receiver, etc.: As shown in FIG. 1, the light receiver 400 includes a light receiving optical system 410, a light receiving unit 420, and a TOF measuring device 430.

[0020] The light-receiving optical system 410 is an optical system for causing a light-receiving unit 420 to receive a reflected laser beam Lre, which is light that has been emitted from the light source unit 110 (for example, an optical beam (laser light), hereinafter referred to as the "output laser beam Lout") and has been reflected back from the measurement target W. The light-receiving optical system 410 may be various lenses such as a condenser lens, various filters such as a wavelength filter, or a reflection mirror.

[0021] The light-receiving unit 420 includes a light-receiving element. The light-receiving element is, for example, a photodiode. The light-receiving unit 420 receives the reflected laser beam Lre incident from the light-receiving optical system 410, and converts it into a light-receiving signal corresponding to the intensity and light-receiving timing of the reflected laser beam Lre and outputs the signal.

[0022] The TOF measurement device 430 has, for example, a time measurement IC (integrated circuit) equipped with a TDC (time-to-digital converter) circuit. The TOF measurement device 430 is communicably connected to the control circuit board 210 and the light-receiving unit 420. The TOF measurement device 430 receives a timing signal indicating the light-emitting timing output from the control circuit board 210 and a light-receiving signal output from the light-receiving unit 420, and based on these, determines the difference between the timing when the output laser beam Lout was emitted and the timing when the reflected laser beam Lre was received, that is, the time of flight (TOF) of the laser beam. The TOF measurement device 430 outputs a signal corresponding to the obtained TOF and the light-receiving signal received from the light-receiving unit 420.

[0023] The information processing device 500 has a processor. The processor may be, for example, a CPU (central processing unit), an MPU (microprocessing unit), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or a DSP (digital signal processor). The information processing device 500 is communicatively connected to the TOF measuring device 430. The information processing device 500 receives the signal corresponding to TOF output and the received signal from the TOF measuring device 430, and generates various information such as the distance to the measurement target W based on these. This information may include, for example, a histogram used in time-correlated single-photon counting, the distance to each point of the measurement target W, and point cloud information. The information generated by the information processing device 500 is transmitted via the communication interface 600 to an external device 700 that utilizes this information.

[0024] The external device 700 may be, for example, a device that creates an environmental map using a point cloud, or a device that performs self-localization estimation (SLAM: Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) using scan matching algorithms such as NDT (Normal Distributions Transform) or ICP (Iterative Closest Point).

[0025] A-2. Configuration of the light source unit 110: Next, the light source unit 110 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. The light source unit 110 of this embodiment comprises a housing 10, a light-emitting unit 20, a first light-emitting optical system 30, a second light-emitting optical system 40, a light-introducing unit 50, and a light-receiving unit 60 for monitoring.

[0026] (Enclosure 10): The housing 10 comprises a cylindrical side portion 11 and a bottom portion 16 with one opening of the side portion 11 closed. The cavity in the side portion 11 is hereafter referred to as the through passage 11G. The inner surface of the side portion 11 is hereafter referred to as the inner wall surface 11S. The through passage 11G is formed by the inner wall surface 11S. The housing 10 is made of metal. The inner wall surface 11S is treated to have a surface reflectivity of 0.5 to 20%. The light-emitting portion 20 is arranged on the inner surface of the bottom portion 16. The housing 10 has a first mounting portion 18 on the circumference of the opening facing the bottom portion 16. The first light projection optical system 30 is arranged on the first mounting portion 18. The housing 10 has a second mounting portion 19 on the inner wall surface 11S near the center, in the circumferential direction. The second light projection optical system 40 is arranged on the second mounting portion 19. In other words, the first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40 are arranged on the optical path of the output laser light Lout of the through-passage 11G. The first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40 are arranged at positions separated from each other with respect to the axial direction of the side portion 11. An optical introduction hole 50h is formed in the inner wall surface 11S of the housing 10 in the radial direction of the housing 10.

[0027] (Light-emitting part 20): The light-emitting unit 20 includes a light-emitting element 22 and a first circuit board 24. The shape of the first circuit board 24 is rectangular, but it may also be a shape other than rectangular (e.g., circular). The light-emitting element 22 is mounted on the first circuit board 24. The light-emitting element 22 is, for example, an infrared laser light-emitting element that emits infrared light. Examples of laser light-emitting elements include laser diodes, light-emitting diodes, surface light-emitting elements (e.g., VCSELs (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers), and surface light-emitting element arrays (e.g., VCSEL arrays) in which multiple surface light-emitting elements are arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally on a substrate (semiconductor substrate, ceramic substrate, etc.)).

[0028] (Projection optics): The first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40 (collectively referred to simply as the "light projection optical system") adjust the light distribution of the output laser beam Lout by, for example, applying an optical effect (refraction, scattering, diffraction, etc.) to the light output laser beam Lout emitted by each light-emitting element 22 of the light-emitting unit 20. The light projection optical system is composed of optical components such as various lenses such as collimating lenses and reflectors (mirrors).

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the first light projection optical system 30 is a diffusion lens. The first light projection optical system 30 forms a first incident surface 32S into which the output laser beam Lout is incident. The first incident surface 32S is a convex curved surface. The first incident surface 32S is directed toward the second light projection optical system. The first light projection optical system 30 forms a first exit surface 34S from which the output laser beam Lout is emitted. The first incident surface 32S is a concave curved surface.

[0030] The second light projection optical system 40 is a collimating lens. The second light projection optical system 40 forms a second incident surface 42S into which the output laser light Lout is incident. The second incident surface 42S is a concave curved surface. The second light projection optical system 40 forms a second exit surface 44S from which the output laser light Lout is emitted. The second exit surface 44S is a convex curved surface. The second incident surface 42S is directed toward the light-emitting unit 20. The second exit surface 44S is directed toward the first light projection optical system 30.

[0031] (Light introduction hole 50h): The light introduction hole 50h is formed in the inner wall surface 11S (hereinafter referred to as the "second inner wall surface portion 14S") between the first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40. The light introduction hole 50h is circular with a diameter of 8 mm on the surface of the second inner wall surface portion 14S. The light introduction hole 50h penetrates the second side portion 14, which is the side portion 11 between the first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40, perpendicularly from the surface of the second inner wall surface portion 14S.

[0032] (Optical introduction section 50): The light introduction section 50 is a cylinder having circular openings at both ends. The circular openings of the light introduction section 50 have a diameter of 8 mm. The light introduction section 50 is located on the outside of the second side portion 14 (opposite the second inner wall surface portion 14S). The opening at one end of the light introduction section 50 on the second side portion 14 side communicates with the light introduction hole 50h. The circumference of the opening of the light introduction section 50 coincides with the circumference of the light introduction hole 50h. That is, the inner surface of the light introduction section 50 and the side surface of the second side portion 14 that forms the light introduction hole 50h form the same surface (hereinafter, this surface is referred to as the "light introduction road surface 50S"). The surface of the light introduction road surface 50S is treated so that its surface reflectivity is 0.5 to 20%. The space enclosed by the light introduction road surface 50S is the light introduction path 50G. The optical introduction path 50G extends perpendicularly from the second side portion 14 to the second inner wall portion 14S. The optical introduction path 50G is hollow.

[0033] (Light receiving unit for monitor 60): The monitoring light receiving unit 60 includes a monitoring light receiving element 62 and a second circuit board 64. The shape of the second circuit board 64 is rectangular, but it may also be a shape other than rectangular (e.g., circular). The monitoring light receiving element 62 receives light emitted from the light source unit 110 and passing through the light introduction path 50G via the light introduction hole 50h. The monitoring light receiving element 62 is a photodiode. The monitoring light receiving element 62 converts the received light into a received light signal (hereinafter referred to as the "monitor received light signal") corresponding to the intensity of the received light and outputs it to the control circuit board 210 of the light emitter 100 (see Figure 1). The monitoring light receiving element 62 is positioned on the side of the second light emission optical system 40 closer to the tip of the opening of the light introduction unit 50.

[0034] A-3. Operation of the light source unit 110: The operation of the light source unit 110 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The light source unit 110 emits output laser light Lout from the light-emitting element 22 of the light-emitting unit 20 toward the through-passage 11G (along the axial direction of the through-passage 11G). Most of the emitted output laser light Lout passes through the second light projection optical system 40 and the first light projection optical system 30 and is emitted to the outside (see Figure 1). On the other hand, a portion of the output laser light Lout undergoes optical phenomena such as reflection, refraction, and scattering in the first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40, passes through the light introduction path 50G, and is received by the monitor light receiving element 62 as monitor light Ls. The monitor light Ls is received by the monitor light receiving element via the following optical path as shown in Figure 2. Note that the following optical path is just one example. The output laser beam Lout is reflected externally from the first incident surface 32S of the first projection optical system 30 and passes through the optical introduction path 50G to form the optical path (Ls1). The output laser beam Lout is internally reflected off the first emission surface 34S of the first projection optical system 30 and passes through the optical introduction path 50G to form the optical path (Ls2). The output laser beam Lout is internally reflected off the first exit surface 34S of the first projection optical system 30, and the reflected light is further internally reflected off the second incident surface 42S of the second projection optical system 40, and passes through the optical path (Ls3) in the optical introduction path 50G. The output laser beam Lout is internally reflected off the first output surface 34S of the first projection optical system 30, and the reflected light is further externally reflected off the second output surface 44S of the second projection optical system 40, passing through the optical path (Ls4) in the optical introduction path 50G. The output laser beam Lout is refracted by the second projection optical system 40 and passes through the optical introduction path 50G (not shown). The monitor light Ls may be light that has traveled through one of the above optical paths, or it may be light that has traveled through two or more optical paths.

[0035] Light passing through the light introduction path 50G via the light introduction hole 50h formed in the second inner wall portion 14S is received by the monitoring light receiving element 62 as monitor light Ls. The monitoring light receiving element 62 converts the received monitor light Ls into a monitor received signal and outputs it to the control circuit board 210 of the light emitter 100 (see Figure 1). The control circuit board 210 determines whether the level of the monitor received signal is below a certain threshold. If the level of the monitor received signal is below a certain threshold, the control circuit board 210 determines that the light-emitting element 22 is abnormal (for example, the light-emitting element 22 is not emitting output laser light Lout, or the light-emitting element 22 is not emitting output laser light Lout of the amount of light required for measurement by the measuring device 1). The control circuit board 210 outputs this result to the information processing device 500.

[0036] A-4. Effects of this embodiment: According to this embodiment, the light emitter 100 can determine whether or not output laser light Lout is emitted from the light-emitting element 22 of the light source unit 110 (whether or not output laser light Lout that can withstand the measurement device 1 to measure the distance) without directly checking the output laser light Lout emitted from the light emitter 100 or by indirectly checking the voltage or current applied to the light-emitting element 22. The output laser light Lout emitted from the light-emitting element 22 undergoes optical phenomena such as reflection, scattering, and refraction by the first light-emitting optical system 30 and the second light-emitting optical system 40, and the light that passes through the optical introduction path 50G is received by the monitoring light-receiving element 62 as monitor light Ls. In this way, the optical path is lengthened by the length of the optical introduction path 50G. When the optical path is lengthened, the intensity of the light decreases. The range of light having an intensity of light corresponding to the level of the monitor received signal being above a certain threshold spreads over a certain range (hereinafter referred to as the "irradiation range") on the second circuit board 64. The monitoring light-receiving element 62 is positioned within this illumination range. For example, the maximum and minimum values ​​of the intensity of the monitoring light Ls within the illumination range are 100 times or less. This eliminates the need for the monitoring light-receiving unit 60 to employ special light-receiving elements (for example, light-receiving elements with a wide dynamic range) or to design circuits for processing a wide range of monitoring light-receiving signals.

[0037] Furthermore, if the monitoring light-receiving element 62 is placed near the light-emitting element 22 (for example, on the first circuit board 24), the monitoring light-receiving element 62 directly receives the high-intensity output laser light Lout. Because the distance between the light-emitting element 22 and the monitoring light-receiving element 62 is short, a sufficient optical path for the monitoring light Ls cannot be secured. Therefore, for such monitoring light Ls, it is necessary to use a light-receiving element with a wide dynamic range. Consequently, power consumption will also increase.

[0038] According to this embodiment, the monitor light receiving unit 60 receives monitor light Ls, which is light that has passed through the light introduction path 50G extending from the second inner wall surface portion 14S between the first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40. That is, the optical path of the monitor light Ls is further lengthened by optical phenomena such as reflection, refraction, and scattering between the first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40. In other words, the illumination range of the monitor light Ls is further widened.

[0039] According to this embodiment, the monitor light Ls is received by the monitoring light-receiving element 62 via various optical paths due to various optical phenomena in the first light-emitting optical system 30 and the second light-emitting optical system 40. In other words, the monitor light Ls is light that enters the light-introducing hole 50h from various angles and passes through the light-introducing path 50G. This means that the illumination range of the monitor light Ls is further widened.

[0040] As described above, according to this embodiment, the optical path is lengthened by the optical introduction path 50G, and the irradiation range of the monitor light Ls that has passed through the optical introduction path 50G is widened. The monitor light receiving element 62 can be placed within this irradiation range. Therefore, the monitor light receiving element 62 can be placed within a certain range. This makes it easy to install the monitor light receiving element 62 on the light emitter 100. In this embodiment, the irradiation range is, for example, 10 times or more the area of ​​the light receiving surface of the monitor light receiving element 62.

[0041] The light emitter 100 of this embodiment comprises a side portion 11 of a housing 10 having a through passage 11G, a light-emitting element 22 that emits output laser light Lout toward the through passage 11G, and a first light-emitting optical system 30 arranged in the through passage 11G. Of the side portion 11, an inner wall surface 11S forming the through passage 11G has a light introduction hole 50h, and a monitoring light-receiving element 62 that receives the output laser light Lout emitted from the light-emitting element 22 through the light introduction hole 50h. With the light emitter 100, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting element 22 and received by the monitoring light-receiving element 62 is lengthened by the light introduction hole 50h. As a result, the irradiation range of light that can be received by the monitoring light-receiving element 62 is widened, and the installation range of the monitoring light-receiving element 62 is widened.

[0042] The light emitter 100 of this embodiment may further include a second light-emitting optical system 40 arranged in the through-passage 11G and positioned between the light-emitting element 22 and the first light-emitting optical system 30, wherein the light introduction hole 50h may be formed in the second inner wall surface portion 14S of the inner wall surface 11S of the side portion 11, between the first light-emitting optical system 30 and the second light-emitting optical system 40. With this configuration, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting element 22 and received by the monitor light-receiving element 62 is further lengthened by the light introduction hole 50h positioned between the first light-emitting optical system 30 and the second light-emitting optical system 40. As a result, the irradiation range of light that can be received by the monitor light-receiving element 62 is further widened, and the range in which the monitor light-receiving element 62 can be installed is further widened.

[0043] In this embodiment, the light emitter 100 may have a hollow interior in the light intake hole 50h. With this configuration, because the light intake hole 50h is hollow, the path of the light emitted from the light-emitting element 22 and received by the monitoring light-receiving element 62 does not become focused. This makes it possible to maintain the illumination range of the light that can be received by the monitoring light-receiving element 62.

[0044] The measuring device 1 may also be configured to include a light emitter 100. With this configuration, by providing the light emitter 100 in the measuring device 1, the monitoring light receiving element 62 can easily and reliably detect that the light-emitting element 22 of the measuring device 1 is operating normally.

[0045] B. Second Embodiment: A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Note that in the second embodiment, the configuration of the measuring device 1 is the same as in the first embodiment, except for the light introduction hole 50h of the light source unit 110, the light introduction unit 50, and the light receiving unit 60 for monitoring. Therefore, these will not be described in the second embodiment.

[0046] B-1. Configuration of the light source unit 110: In the second embodiment, the light source unit 110 has a monitor light receiving unit 60 positioned on the second inner wall surface portion 14S, which is the inner wall surface 11S of the housing 10 between the first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40. Unlike the first embodiment, the light source unit 110 of the second embodiment does not have a light introduction hole 50h or a light introduction unit 50.

[0047] B-2. Effects of this embodiment: The light emitter 100 of this embodiment includes a side portion 11 of a housing 10 having a through passage 11G, a light-emitting element 22 that emits output laser light Lout toward the through passage 11G, a first light-emitting optical system 30 arranged in the through passage 11G, and a second light-emitting optical system 40 arranged in the through passage 11G and positioned between the light-emitting element 22 and the first light-emitting optical system 30. A monitor light-receiving element 62 that receives monitor light Ls emitted from the light-emitting element 22 is provided, which is positioned on the second inner wall surface portion 14S that forms the second through passage portion 14G, which is the through passage 11G between the first light-emitting optical system 30 and the second light-emitting optical system 40. According to the light emitter 100, by placing the monitoring light receiving element 62 on the first inner wall surface portion 12S that forms the first through-passage portion 12G formed by the first side portion 12 between the light-emitting portion 20 and the second light-emitting optical system 40, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting element 22 and received by the monitoring light receiving element 62 is lengthened. As a result, the illumination range of light that can be received by the monitoring light receiving element 62 is widened, and the range in which the monitoring light receiving element 62 can be installed is widened.

[0048] C. Variant: The technologies disclosed herein are not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various forms without departing from their essence, for example, the following modifications are possible.

[0049] In the above embodiment, a flash-type LiDAR was used as an example of the measuring device 1, but it is not limited to this, and may be a scan-type LiDAR, or an optical measuring device 1 other than LiDAR. Furthermore, the measuring device 1 may have a configuration having one light-emitting unit 20. The light-emitting unit 20 may have a configuration having multiple light-emitting elements 22. In the above embodiment, the light-emitting elements 22 were infrared laser light-emitting elements that emit infrared light, but it is not limited to this, and may be light-emitting elements that emit visible light, ultraviolet light, etc.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the shape of the housing 10 is cylindrical, but it is not limited to cylindrical as long as it has a through passage 11G. The material of the housing 10 is metal, but it may be made of other materials such as resin. Also, the through passage 11G does not need to be entirely covered by the inner wall surface 11S. For example, it may only be the first inner wall surface portion 12S, which is the inner wall surface 11S that forms the first through passage portion 12G, or the second inner wall surface portion 14S.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the inner wall surface 11S of the housing 10 and the surface of the light introduction path 50S are treated to have a surface reflectivity of 0.5 to 20%, but the material is not limited to this. For example, it may be an optical system material such as a mirror.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the first light projection optical system 30 and the second light projection optical system 40 are a diffusion lens and a commat lens, respectively, but are not limited to these. Furthermore, the surface shape of each light projection optical system can be appropriately changed depending on the function of the light projection optical system.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the monitoring light Ls is received by the monitoring light receiving element 62 and the monitoring light received signal is output to the control circuit board 210 of the light emitter 100, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the monitoring light receiving element 62 may output the monitoring light received signal to the information processing device 500, and the information processing device 500 may determine whether the level of the monitoring received signal is below a certain threshold. Alternatively, other processing devices other than the control circuit board 210 and the information processing device 500 may be newly provided.

[0054] In the above embodiment 1, the light introduction path 50G formed by the light introduction hole 50h and the light introduction section 50 is formed in the second side portion 14, but it may also be formed in the first side portion 12, which is the side portion 11 that forms the first inner wall portion 12S. The light introduction path 50G is hollow, but an optical system may be arranged therein. In that case, the optical system may be a concave lens, a convex lens, or an irregularly shaped lens. Alternatively, a rod lens or a prism may also be used. The former can increase the intensity of the monitor light Ls. The latter can widen the illumination range compared to the former optical system.

[0055] In the above embodiment 1, the light introduction hole 50h penetrates from the inner wall surface 11S to the side surface 11, but it does not have to penetrate. In that case, the light receiving element 62 for monitoring is placed in the light introduction hole 50h. Also, the light introduction hole 50h is formed perpendicular to the side surface 11, but it does not have to be perpendicular.

[0056] In the above embodiment 1, the light introduction section 50 is cylindrical, but its shape is not particularly limited. Also, the circumference of the opening at the base end of the light introduction section 50 and the circumference of the light introduction hole 50h coincide, but they do not have to coincide. The light introduction section 50 extends perpendicularly from the side portion 11 to the inner wall surface 11S, but it does not have to be perpendicular.

[0057] In the above embodiment 1, the monitoring light receiving unit 60 was positioned at a location where the monitoring light receiving element 62 receives the monitoring light Ls that has passed through the light introduction path 50G, but it may also be positioned along the path of the light introduction path 50G. For example, the monitoring light receiving unit 60 may be positioned in the cavity of the light introduction unit 50.

[0058] In the above embodiment 1, the light introduction hole 50h is formed in the second inner wall surface portion 14S, but it may also be formed in the first inner wall surface portion 12S, for example. Accordingly, the light introduction section 50 and the monitor light receiving section 60 may be arranged in the first inner wall surface portion 12S. This allows the monitor light receiving element 62 to receive, for example, light reflected from the second incident surface 42S of the second light projection optical system 40 as monitor light Ls, in addition to the monitor light Ls described above. Furthermore, the light introduction hole 50h may also be formed on the inner wall surface outside the first light projection optical system 30 (downstream of the output laser light Lout). Accordingly, the arrangement positions of the light introduction section 50 and the monitor light receiving section 60 can be changed as appropriate. Specifically, the monitor light receiving element 62 may be positioned so that it can receive the output laser light Lout refracted by the first light projection optical system 30 as monitor light Ls.

[0059] In the above embodiment 2, the light-receiving unit 60 for monitoring is located on the second inner wall surface portion 14S, but it may also be located on an inner wall surface outside the first light-emitting optical system 30 (downstream of the output laser light Lout). Specifically, the light-receiving element 62 for monitoring may be located in a position where it can receive the output laser light Lout refracted by the first light-emitting optical system 30 as monitor light Ls. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1: Measuring device 10: Housing 11: Side section 11G: Through passage 11S: Inner wall surface 12: First side section 12G: First through passage section 12S: First inner wall surface section 14: Second side section 14G: Second through passage section 14S: Second inner wall surface section 16: Bottom section 18: First mounting section 19: Second mounting section 20: Light-emitting section 22: Light-emitting element 24: First circuit board 30: First light projection optical system 32S: First incident surface 34S: First exit surface 40: Second light projection optical system 42S: Second incident surface 44S: Second exit surface 50: Light introduction section 50G: Light introduction path 50S: Light introduction path surface 50h: Light introduction hole 60: Light receiving section for monitoring 62: Monitor light-receiving element 64: Second circuit board 100: Light emitter 110: Light source unit 210: Control circuit board 400: Light receiver 410: Light-receiving optical system 420: Light-receiving unit 430: TOF measuring device 500: Information processing device 600: Communication interface 700: External device Lout: Output laser light Lre: Reflected laser light Ls: Monitor light W: Measurement target

Claims

1. It is a floodlight, A housing having a through passage, A light-emitting element that emits light toward the through passage of the housing, A first light projection optical system is arranged in the aforementioned through passage, Equipped with, Of the aforementioned housing, a light introduction hole is formed in the inner wall surface that forms the through passage. The system includes a light-receiving element for monitoring that receives the light emitted from the light-emitting element through the light-inlet hole. Floodlight.

2. A floodlight according to claim 1, The system further comprises a second light-emitting optical system arranged in the through-pass and between the light-emitting element and the first light-emitting optical system, The light introduction hole is formed in the inner wall surface portion of the housing between the first light projection optical system and the second light projection optical system. Floodlight.

3. A floodlight according to claim 2, The inside of the aforementioned light introduction hole is hollow. Floodlight.

4. It is a floodlight, A housing having a through passage, A light-emitting element that emits light toward the through passage of the housing, A first light projection optical system is arranged in the aforementioned through passage, A second light-emitting optical system is arranged in the through-pass and between the light-emitting element and the first light-emitting optical system, A light-receiving element for monitoring, which is arranged on the inner wall surface forming the through passage, and which receives the light emitted from the light-emitting element. A floodlight equipped with that feature.

5. A measuring device comprising the light source described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

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