The present disclosure relates to a distance measurement apparatus and a biometric authentication apparatus that are capable of conducting high-precise distance measurement even in intense light such as sunlight. A light source applies light to a subject. An image sensor captures an image of the subject. A distance measurement section calculates a distance to the subject on the basis of the image obtained by the image capturing. A transparent member is formed, on the image sensor, so as to be integrated with the image sensor. In addition, the transparent member includes a transmission film that allows a peak wavelength band of the light of the light source to transmit therethrough. The present disclosure is applicable to a biometric authentication apparatus, for example.

An apparatus, e.g. a proximity sensor module (10), for optical distance sensing includes a target surface (25) having a non-uniform design including a high-reflectivity region and a low-reflectivity region for light of a particular wavelength. The position of the target surface (25) is displaceable within the apparatus. The apparatus includes a light source (12) operable to emit light at the particular wavelength toward the target surface (25), and a photodetector (14) operable to sense at least some of the light emitted by the light source and subsequently reflected by the target surface (25). A processor is operable to correlate an output from the photodetector (14) with a distance to the target surface (25). A wall (22) may separate the light source (12) and photodetector (14) from one another, which can help reduce internal optical crosstalk. The light source (12) and photodetector (14) are mounted and electrically coupled to a substrate (16) that, in turn, can be mounted and electrically coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB) (18) of a host device. The light source (12) and photodetector (14) are surrounded laterally by a spacer or housing wall (20). The target surface (25) may be the backside of a touch interactive display screen (24) in the host device, e.g., a portable computing device such as a smartphone, tablet, wearable device, personal digital assistant (PDA), or personal computer. Circuitry (28) can be implemented, for example, as an integrated circuit chip or other processor and may include software and/or a look-up table stored in memory that allows the circuitry (28) to correlate the measured photodetector signal to a distance. When pressure is provided on the display screen (24) (e.g., by a person pressing her finger on the screen), the display screen is displaced slightly in the direction of the substrate (16) on which the light source (12) and photodetector (14) are mounted. As a result of the displacement, the intensity of light detected by the photodetector (24) changes. The signal measured by the photodetector (24) can be correlated to a distance value. If the distance value is within a specified range (or changes by at least a specified amount), for example, it can trigger some further action in the host device.

A distance measurement unit includes: a distance measurement light source that outputs distance measurement light; an objective lens through which the distance measurement light and reflected light are transmitted; an imaging lens through which the reflected light is transmitted and which forms an image at an imaging position; an optical path adjustment unit that adjusts an optical path of the reflected light; and a light detection unit that detects the reflected light. The objective lens allows the distance measurement light to be transmitted therethrough in a state in which an optical path of the distance measurement light is spaced apart from a central axis of the objective lens. The optical path adjustment unit adjusts the optical path so that the imaging position of the reflected light approaches a predetermined plane. A light reception surface of the light detection unit is located to follow along the predetermined plane.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a shape measuring device and method, wherein the separation of light from one distance sensor increases measurement precision without increasing the size of the device. The present invention provides “a shape measuring device comprising: a distance sensor that radiates a laser toward a measurement target and detects the reflected light so as to calculate the distance to a measurement point; a separation unit that separates the light from the distance sensor into a plurality of light rays; a rotation unit that rotates the distance sensor and the measurement target relative to each other; and a data processing unit that integrates measurement results obtained from the distance sensor for the distances to a plurality of measurement points.”

Techniques for determining a depth of a buried asset are provided. A first point on an AR model of the buried asset is identified. The first point is where a depth of the buried asset is to be determined. An AR device is used to determine coordinates of a second point on a surface corresponding to the first point on the AR model. Coordinates of a third point on the buried asset corresponding to the first point on the AR model are determined. The depth of the buried asset is determined based on the coordinates of the second point on the surface and coordinates of the third point on the buried asset.

A tracking method is disclosed. The method determines the position of a location marked on a wall on the basis of image coordinates of a first image point, image coordinates of a second image point, the emission direction associated with the second image point, and the respective distances of the axis of a base station from the wall in the associated emission direction.

A system includes first and second cameras capturing first and second images, which include first and second object images of an object. A controller obtains a camera distance between the first and second cameras, receives the first and second images from the cameras, and retrieves the first and second object images in the first and second images. The controller determines first and second object image sizes of the object in the first and second object images, where the first object image size is a different size from the second object image size. The controller then calculates a first object distance between the first camera and the object using the camera distance, the first object image size, and the second object image size.

In a method of operating a dimensioning system with a plurality of laser scanners, a processor controls the operations of the scanners and processes the scanner signals, and further with memory for storing data delivered by the processor, the data acquired by the dimensioning system in its regular mode of operation are used to construct a three-dimensional model of surface points of the object including spatial coordinates and image intensity for each surface point. The three-dimensional model is stored in the memory. Based on the three-dimensional model, two-dimensional images from any desired viewing angle that was exposed to the scanner rays can be produced on demand to document the appearance of the object at the time the scan was taken.

An apparatus and method for locating a midpoint between surfaces is disclosed herein. A laser distance measurer includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, and first and second side surfaces intersecting the top and bottom surfaces, a first laser and a first sensor disposed along the first side surface, and a second laser and a second sensor disposed along the second side surface. The laser distance measurer includes a processor disposed in the housing configured to determine a first distance from the laser distance measurer to the first surface, determine a second distance from the laser distance measurer to the second surface, and indicate a position of the laser distance measurer relative to the midpoint between the first and second surfaces based on the first and second distances.

A display apparatus and method may be used to estimate a depth distance from an external object to a display panel of the display apparatus. The display apparatus may acquire a plurality of images by detecting lights that are input from an external object and passed through apertures formed in a display panel, may generate one or more refocused images, and may calculate a depth from the external object to the display panel using the plurality of images acquired and one or more refocused images.