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. 18, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 07, 2002
Takanari Tanabata, Ishioka, JP;
Keisuke Nakashima, Hitachi, JP;
Yoshiharu Konishi, Owariasahi, JP;
Takashi Matsuyama, Kyoto, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A distance measuring technology is capable of stably and accurately performing measurement of the distance to the distance to an object without use of a highly accurate focus control mechanism. The distance measurement is performed by an apparatus having a mask for restricting light so as to pass light through two or more different light passing positions; a lens system for focusing the light that has passed through the mask; an image taking-in means for taking in images from the light focused by the lens system; and a distance calculating unit for calculating a distance from an imaging element to an object using the taken-in images. The mask restricts the light so that the light is able to pass through only specified positions.