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:
Jan. 03, 2006
Filed:
Jun. 08, 2000
Nobuhiro Tani, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuhiro Tani, Tokyo, JP;
PENTAX Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A three-dimensional image capturing device comprises an imaging device, such as a CCD, having a plurality of photo-diodes, a vertical transfer unit and a substrate. The plurality of photo-diodes is separated into a plurality of groups and each of the groups can be controlled independently. A distance measuring light beam having a predetermined pulse width is radiated to a measurement subject and a reflected light beam, generated by the measurement subject due to the distance measuring light beam, is sensed by the photo-diodes, so that a distance information sensing operation which detects distance information of the measurement subject is executed. In the distance information sensing operation, only predetermined groups of the photo-diodes are used for sensing the distance information, while in an image information sensing operation, which detects an image of the measurement subject, all photo-diodes in the CCD are used.