Patent US4212512A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4582424A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Distance measuring apparatus

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1983-05-12
•
Granted: 1986-04-15
•
Expires: 2003-05-12
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A distance measuring apparatus provided with a plurality of light-emitting units and a plurality of light-receiving units. The light emission period of each of the light-emitting units is changed over at each predetermined period interval. A plurality of light-receiving elements constituting each light-receiving unit are constructed so as to receive the reflected light from a plurality of distance measurement fields of view on an object to be photographed in a plurality of distance measurement zones obtained by dividing a range to be measured into several blocks. The input signal from each of the light-receiving elements in each of the distance measurement zones is changed over in synchronism with the light emission period of the light-emitting units and the output signals for the respective distance measurement zones are compared, whereby a distance data indicative of the distance measurement zone most approximate to the object distance is put out.

Inventors

  • 👤 Takashi Kawabata

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 13:44
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C3/00; G01C3/10

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim 218 words
A distance measuring apparatus comprising: (a) a plurality of light-emitting means emitting light at a predetermined period interval, said light-emitting means projecting the light onto a plurality of distance measurement fields of view of an object to be photographed whose distance is to be measured; (b) light-receiving means comprising a plurality of light-receiving elements for receiving the reflected light from said object, said light-receiving elements receiving the reflected light from a plurality of distance measurement fields of view on said object in distance measurement zones obtained by dividing a distance measurement range into several blocks; (c) a signal detecting circuit having change-over means for receiving as input the output signals of said light-receiving elements having received the reflected light from said distance measurement field of view in each of said distance measurement zones and for time-divisionally changing over the output signal from each of said light-receiving elements in each of said distance measurement zones; (d) signal output means for receiving as input the signal of said signal detecting circuit for each of said distance measurement zones and putting out a signal from the distance measurement zone most approximate to the object distance; and (e) means for putting out a distance data, said means receiving as input the signal of said output means and putting out the distance data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 218 words
A distance measuring apparatus comprising: (a) a plurality of light-emitting means emitting light at a predetermined period interval, said light-emitting means projecting the light onto a plurality of distance measurement fields of view of an object to be photographed whose distance is to be measured; (b) light-receiving means comprising a plurality of light-receiving elements for receiving the reflected light from said object, said light-receiving elements receiving the reflected light from a plurality of distance measurement fields of view on said object in distance measurement zones obtained by dividing a distance measurement range into several blocks; (c) a signal detecting circuit having change-over means for receiving as input the output signals of said light-receiving elements having received the reflected light from said distance measurement field of view in each of said distance measurement zones and for time-divisionally changing over the output signal from each of said light-receiving elements in each of said distance measurement zones; (d) signal output means for receiving as input the signal of said signal detecting circuit for each of said distance measurement zones and putting out a signal from the distance measurement zone most approximate to the object distance; and (e) means for putting out a distance data, said means receiving as input the signal of said output means and putting out the distance data.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3435744A Cited
US3443502A Cited
US3781111A Cited
US4251144A Cited
US4371261A Cited
US4367934A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-04-14 1989-10-14 1990-04-15 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-04-14 1993-10-14 1994-04-15 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-04-14 1997-10-14 1998-04-15 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag