The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 19, 2019
Filed:
Mar. 02, 2017
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Ohta-ku, Tokyo, JP;
Shu Takahashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuhiro Nihei, Kanagawa, JP;
Masahiro Itoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Ogawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroaki Tanaka, Tokyo, JP;
Yoichi Ichikawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Koji Masuda, Kanagawa, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A range finding apparatus includes a light emission unit including a light source and a light source driver, a light detection unit, and circuitry. The light source driver supplies a plurality of drive pulses having different pulse width at different time periods. The light detection unit receives the light emitted from the light emission unit and then reflected from an object. The circuitry calculates a range to the object based on a time difference between one time point when a pulse light is emitted from the light source and another time point when light reflected from the object is received by the light detection unit. One of the drive pulses set with a smaller pulse width is set with a sine wave pattern, and another one of the drive pulses set with a greater pulse width is set with a rectangular wave pattern.