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:
Dec. 19, 2000
Filed:
May. 10, 1999
Masahiko Kato, Akiruno, JP;
Takahiro Yamanishi, Echi-gun, JP;
Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Takata Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A distance measuring apparatus includes a light transmission optical system for transmitting a light beam having intensity distribution with a pair of peaks, and a reception system for measuring a distance to an obstacle on the basis of reflected light from the obstacle. The light transmission optical system has a pair of light transmission units for transmitting two light beams, each having a Gaussian intensity distribution, and composition of the two light beams forms the light beam having the intensity distribution with the pair of peaks. The light transmission units are arranged at positions near both ends of a front portion of an automobile, to transmit the two light beams in parallel from the positions. An interval between the peaks is a distance corresponding to an area in which the degree of danger to life is high in a collision against the obstacle, i.e. about 1 m. And the feet of the light intensity distribution with the pair of peaks fall within the width of the automobile.