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:
May. 19, 1998
Filed:
May. 21, 1996
Masahiko Kato, Akiruno, JP;
Hiroshi Matsuzaki, Hachioji, JP;
Tadashi Morokuma, Tokyo, JP;
Tsutomu Nakamura, Nagano-ken, JP;
Kazuya Matsumoto, Nagano-ken, JP;
Tetsuo Nomoto, Nagano-ken, JP;
Toyokazu Mizoguchi, Nagano-ken, JP;
Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A two-dimensional rangefinding sensor of the present invention consisting of an illuminating device for projecting light beams, which undergoes luminance modulation at a predetermined frequency for a predetermined duration with a predetermined cycle time, onto an object, an image-formation optical system for forming an image of the object illuminated with light beams which have undergone the luminance modulation and which have been projected from the illuminating device, a two-dimensional image sensor mounted on an image-formation plane of the image-formation optical system, a driving means for performing a modulation driving operation on an electrode terminal, which is operative to determine the sensitivity of the two-dimensional image sensor at the frequency, and a reading means for reading a signal corresponding to a signal charge generated in each of picture elements of the image sensors. Thereby, a range-data image of a three-dimensional object can be obtained by using a two-dimensional image sensor without mechanically scanning with illumination light.