Patent ID: 11914039
Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 14:
15. A method of finding a range to a target object, comprising:
emitting light from a light-emitter including a plurality of light-emitting regions arranged in a two-dimensional array;
guiding the light emitted from the light-emitter to a range finding area using an optical structure;
receiving, using a light-receiver, light reflected from the target object existing in the range finding area when the light emitted from the light-emitter hits the target object and reflects from the target object, the light-receiver being divided into a plurality of light receiving regions;
controlling light emission amount of each of the plurality of light-emitting regions of the light-emitter;
measuring an amount of light received at each of the light receiving regions of the light- receiver to obtain a measured output;
measuring a distance to the taruet object based on the measured output;
causing each of the plurality of light-emitting regions of the light-emitter to emit the light with the same light amount as a preliminary light emission stage;
controlling the light emission amount of each of the plurality of light-emitting regions of the light-emitter to be used for a main light emission stage corresponding to a range finding operation of the target object based on the amount of light received at each of the light receiving regions of the light-receiver that was measured at the preliminary light emission stage; and
measuring the distance to the target object for each of the light receiving regions of the light-receiver by performing the range finding operation at the main light emission stage.