Patent ID: 6801639
Filing Date: 2004-10-05
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
A distance measurement apparatus for measuring a distance of a plurality of points in an area to be photographed, comprising:a flash circuit for projecting flashlight into said area to be photographed; an area sensor for receiving light of said flashlight reflected from an object, provided with a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally; an A/D converter for converting respective pixel outputs of said area sensor into digital values, and outputting digital picture data; and a calculation control circuit for detecting a main object position in said area to be photographed based on said digital picture data and, at the same time, setting a distance measurement point on said main object position, wherein said calculation control circuit includes: an extraction section to extract a plurality of line data based on components of said flashlight from said digital picture data when said flashlight is projected; a judgment section for judging a part where a signal level varies by at least a predetermined value between adjacent pixels, for each of line data extracted by said extraction section, and specifying convex portions of said plurality of line data; a detection section for detecting said main object position, by comparing widths of the convex portions judged by said judgment section, for said plurality of line data; and a setting section for setting the distance measurement point at said main object position detected by said detection section.