Patent ID: 6169855
Filing Date: 2001-01-02
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A distance measuring apparatus, comprising: a pair of image forming lenses, each image forming lens forming a subject image; a pair of line sensors on which said subject images are respectively formed through said pair of image forming lenses, wherein each line sensor has a plurality of light receiving elements, each light receiving element, when actuated, converting received light into an electrical signal which is integrated to output image data; a plurality of corresponding light receiving areas formed on each of said pair of line sensors, each light receiving area including a predetermined number of light receiving elements of said plurality of light receiving elements, wherein said plurality of light receiving areas respectively receive different areas of a corresponding one of said subject images formed through said pair of image forming lenses; a contrast detector that detects a level of a contrast of image data for each of said plurality of light receiving areas, said image data being output from light receiving elements in each of said plurality of light receiving areas; an adjusting system that adjusts a size of at least one of said plurality of light receiving areas in accordance with said detected contrast level; and a correlation detector that generates correlation evaluative data representative of a correlation between first image data output from light receiving elements in one of said plurality of light receiving areas on one of said pair of line sensors and second image data output from light receiving elements of a corresponding light receiving area on the other of said pair of line sensors, said adjusting system further narrowing a size of both said one of said plurality of light receiving areas and said other of said plurality of light receiving areas when at least two local minima of said correlation evaluative data are generated by said correlation detector.