Device for measuring a distance and method for measuring said distance

Abstract

Measuring device () suited to measure the distance (d) of a reference object (O), configured so that it performs a plurality of measuring operations (A) in succession and comprising emission means () suited to emit a light radiation (R), receiving means () comprising a sensitive area () which is sensitive to the light radiation (R) and which is provided with a number M of sensitive units (), each one of the sensitive units () being configured to generate an electrical signal (S), a first processing unit () comprising Nprocessing elements (), each one of said Nprocessing elements () being configured to receive the electrical signal (S) for determining the time of impact (t) of a photon (F) on the sensitive units () and for calculating the value of said distance (d). The measuring device () comprises a second processing unit () configured to receive the electrical signals (S), processing the electrical signals (S) in such a way as to select a number Nof sensitive units () impacted by the photons (F), associating each one of the Nsensitive units () to one of the Nprocessing elements (), in such a way that, at the moment of the successive measuring operation (A), the distance (d) is determined by each one of the Nsensitive units () selected.