Login| Sign Up| Help| Contact|

Patent Searching and Data


Title:
THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISTANCE-MEASURING DEVICE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/1984/004160
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A distance-measuring device for obtaining three-dimensional information on positions in space at points of an object within an external field. In this device, the following method is employed to obtain the positions in space of the points of an object precisely and rapidely, irrespective of the state of the object being imaged, using visual information concerning an image of the object (5) being imaged focused on an image pickup device (3). For ease of description, individual image signals (6) output from ultrafine positions forming the image are called "picture element signals (20)", and the small parts of the object focusing images at the ultrafine positions are called "object points (21) being imaged". Initially, the picture element signals output from the positions where the image of the object is focused within a range focused by each of time points are detected while varying a lens (2) forming an optical system, the position of the imaging device (3), or the focal distance of a lens (3). It is then considered whether the image of the same object (21) is focussed at positions outputting the same picture element signals (20) which are different from each of picture element signals (2) output from near or adjacent positions, from among the picture element signals forming the image focused in image pickup devices of the optical system which has different optical axes. The positions outputting picture element signals (20) which coincide as described above are detected while varying at least one amongst; the positions in the corresponding image pickup devices (3) outputting the distance to a prescribed point on the optical axis (7) of each optical system, or the angle formed by a prescribed reference line with the optical axis (7), or the positions outputting picture element signals (20) being compared, thereby obtaining the distance to the object (21) focused with its image at the positions from the three numerical values determined at the corresponding positions. The position can be obtained from the distance thus obtained, and also the direction to the object (21) indicated by the positions in the image pickup devices (3) outputting each of the picture element signals (20). Therefore, this device is useful as a visual sensor for detecting the distance or position to an object within an external field, and also the lengths, angles, shape, area, volume, etc., of the article can be detected in a contactless way.

Inventors:
SHIMIZU NAOKI (JP)
Application Number:
PCT/JP1983/000125
Publication Date:
October 25, 1984
Filing Date:
April 16, 1983
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
SHIMIZU NAOKI
International Classes:
G01C3/08; (IPC1-7): G01C3/08
Foreign References:
US3958117A1976-05-18
JPS4990529A1974-08-29
JPS5385454A1978-07-27
US4078171A1978-03-07
Other References:
See also references of EP 0140972A4
Download PDF: