Patent ID: 7283211

Claim:
A distance-measuring optical apparatus for measuring a distance to an object as a target, comprising: an imaging optical system for forming an image of the object; an image sensor for taking the image of the object formed by the imaging optical system, converting the image into an image signal, and outputting the image signal; a driving section for moving at least the imaging optical system substantially perpendicular to an optical axis; an image sensor control section for outputting a periodical timing signal for designating a timing at which the image sensor takes the image of the object; and a driving control section for controlling the driving section such that the imaging optical system reciprocates at a predetermined cycle between two positions which are away from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis; wherein: the periodical timing signal is periodically output when the imaging optical system driven by the driving section is located in the vicinity of the two positions which are away from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis; and the distance-measuring optical apparatus further comprises an image processing operation section for receiving the image signal from the image sensor and performing an operation to obtain the distance from the imaging optical system to the object, using the image signal converted when the imaging optical system is at each of the two positions which are away from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis.