Patent ID: 7898647
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. A distance measuring apparatus comprising: an output unit outputting a first pulsed light to a measurement object; a light detecting unit detecting the first pulsed light that is reflected by said measurement object and outputting a signal that is responsive to an intensity variation of the first pulsed light; a first measuring unit measuring time differences between the outputting and the detecting of said first pulsed light by sampling said signal output from said light detecting unit at a predetermined frequency during a period when an intensity of said signal is larger than a predetermined value; a second measuring unit measuring, by sampling said signal output from said light detecting unit at the predetermined frequency, a time difference between the outputting and the detecting of the first pulsed light at a time when an intensity of said signal varies from less than the predetermined value to the predetermined value or more; and a calculating unit calculating a distance to said measurement object using either the time differences measured by said first measuring unit or the time difference measured by said second measuring unit.