Patent ID: 7154589
Filing Date: 2006-12-26
Classification: G01S,G02B,G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A rangefinder apparatus for passive rangefinding by successively carrying out a correlation calculation for each of a plurality of rangefinding areas according to respective output signals of a pair of light-detecting sensors on which a pair of images are formed by external light from an object to be subjected to rangefinding, and by calculating a distance to the object according to a minimal value exhibiting the highest degree of correlation in correlation values obtained by the correlation calculation for each rangefinding area, the rangefinder apparatus comprising sensor data storage means for receiving a pair of A/D-converted sensor data generated according to the output signals of the pair of light-detecting sensors and storing the sensor data received as sensor data for the correlation calculation, wherein the sensor data storage means receives sensor data at least one additional time for a rangefinding area for which sensor data received for the first time includes data with low contrast, adds the sensor data received at least one additional time to the sensor data received for the first time to produce a sum, and stores the sum.