Patent ID: 9562922
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: G01P,G01S,G01V,G06F

Claim:
1. An optical sensor, comprising: a plurality of light receiving elements each for generating a photocurrent in response to receipt of (i) reflected light resulting from a detection target object reflecting light having been emitted by a light emitting element to the detection target object or (ii) ambient light not having been blocked by the detection target object; a first comparison section for comparing, with a predetermined threshold value, an absolute value of a ratio of (i) a difference between the respective photocurrents of at least two of the plurality of light receiving elements which at least two light receiving elements are arranged in a particular direction to (ii) a sum of the respective photocurrents of the at least two light receiving elements; and a movement direction determination section for, in a case where the first comparison section has determined that the absolute value of the ratio is larger than the predetermined threshold value, determining that the particular direction is a direction in which the detection target object is moving.