Patent ID: 6437853
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: G01C,G01S

Abstract:
A three-dimensional image capturing device, comprising:a light source that irradiates a distance measuring light beam to a measurement subject, said distance measuring light beam being a pulsed beam, said measurement subject reflecting said distance measuring light beam to generate a reflected light beam pulse; a first reflected light beam component sensing processor that senses said reflected light beam pulse for a first constant period, which starts at a fall of said distance measuring light beam, to sense a first reflected light beam component including a fall of said reflected light beam pulse; a second reflected light beam component sensing processor that senses said reflected light beam pulse for a second constant period, which has the same length as said first constant period and starts earlier than said fall of said distance measuring light beam, to sense a second reflected light beam component including said fall of said reflected light beam pulse; and a distance calculation processor that obtains the distance from said device to each point of said surface of said measurement subject, based on said first and second reflected light beam components.