Patent ID: 6173123
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: G01C,G01S,G02B

Abstract:
A rangefinder apparatus comprising:light-emitting means for projecting light toward a range-finding object;light-detecting means for detecting reflected light of the light projected from said light-emitting means to the range-finding object and outputting a signal according to a position at which the reflected light is detected;arithmetic means for carrying out an arithmetic operation according to the signal from said light-detecting means and outputting a signal corresponding to a distance to the range-finding object;integrating means for integrating the signal from said arithmetic means by discharging or charging an integrating capacitor a plurality of times with a period, in response to the signal from said arithmetic means, to output a signal corresponding to the integration;detecting means for detecting the distance to the range-finding object according to the signal from said integrating means;a battery for supplying a power source voltage; andstep-up means for raising the power source voltage of said battery through an oscillating action and outputting a raised voltage wherein the raised voltage is supplied to at least one of said light-emitting means, light-detecting means, arithmetic means, integrating means, and detecting means, and the period of said integrating means is prevented from being a constant period.