Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Fumiko Sakoh

Tadashi Nakamura

Shin Aoki

Kenichiroh Saisho

Goichi Akanuma

Tomofumi Kitazawa

Soichiro Yokota

Satoshi Sawaguchi

Mitsumi Fujii

Tetsuo Yamashita

Tomoko Ishigaki

Kiichiroh Saitoh

Hiromi Yoshikawa

A distance measuring device includes a first measurer, a second distance measurer, and circuitry. The first distance measurer measures a distance to a target object; and outputs first distance information indicating a measured distance when the distance measurement is performed under a condition that satisfies a distance measurement condition, but outputs the first distance information indicating a predetermined value when the distance measurement is performed under a condition that does not satisfy the distance measurement condition. The second distance measurer measures a distance to the target object and outputs second distance information indicating the measured distance. When the first distance information indicates the predetermined value and the second distance information satisfies a predetermined condition, the circuitry makes alteration such that the distance measurement condition is relaxed. When the distance measurement condition is altered, the first distance measurer measures a distance to the target object again.

Distance measuring device, moving system, and distance measurement method

A range-finding system includes two imaging devices to capture multiple images from two different viewpoints and a parallax calculator to calculate parallax based on the multiple images captured by the two imaging devices. The parallax calculator includes an estimation unit to estimate a correction value based on the amount of image deviation in a lateral direction corresponding to pixel position in the images captured by the two imaging devices and a correction unit to correct a pre-correction parallax or an image based on the correction value estimated by the estimation unit.

Calibrating range-finding system using parallax from two different viewpoints and vehicle mounting the range-finding system

The deflecting mirror includes a fixed base member; a mirror having a reflection surface; a support member swingablly supporting the mirror; a pair of driving beam members, each having a first end connected with the fixed base member and a second end connected with the support member to support the support member from both sides; and a piezoelectric member fixed to each driving beam member and extending from the first or second end of each driving beam member while having length not longer than about half the length of the driving beam member. The piezoelectric member and the driving beam members constitute piezoelectric unimorph or bimorph structure. By applying voltage to the piezoelectric member, the driving beam members are driven at the same time in the same direction, thereby vibrating the support member in a direction perpendicular to the reflection surface of the mirror, resulting in swinging of the mirror.

Deflecting mirror for deflecting and scanning light beam

An optical deflector, including a fixed base; a mirror having a light reflection surface; a pair of elastic support members oscillatably supporting the mirror; and a pair of drive beams formed of a beam-shaped member on which a piezoelectric is fixed, wherein the elastic support members and the drive beams in longitudinal directions are almost orthogonally located and connected with each other, other ends of the drive beams are fixed on the fixed base, the mirror and the pair of elastic support members are cantilevered by the pair of drive beams relative to the fixed base, and bending oscillation of the drive beams causes torsional deformation of the elastic members to rotationally oscillate the mirror.

Optical deflector, optical scanner, image forming apparatus, and image projector

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Kanagawa, Japan

Fumiko Sakoh