Patent ID: 7646423

Claim:
An image capturing apparatus for capturing an image of an object by illuminating the object and receiving reflected light from the object, comprising: an image sensor for receiving the reflected light; a plurality of light-emitting devices mounted in the peripheral positions of the image sensor; a light guide member for guiding light of the plurality of light-emitting devices to an image capturing range, and illuminating the image capturing range; an optical unit accommodated inside the light guide member and for guiding the reflected light of the object in the illuminated image capturing range to the image sensor; a distance-measuring light-emitting device for irradiating the object with light; an aperture disposed on the distance-measuring light-emitting device, and for covering the light rays of the distance-measuring light-emitting device, converging the light rays, and guiding to a focusing lens; and a control circuit for driving the distance-measuring light-emitting device, detecting spot light position of the distance-measuring light-emitting device from a photographed image of the image sensor, and obtaining the distance to the object, wherein the distance-measuring light-emitting devices are mounted for a plurality of numbers on the circuit board so as to measure the distance to the object in the image capturing range, using the image of the image sensor.