Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to, for example, a method for measuring distance in order to focus at least one camera lens of a camera. In one example embodiment of the method, a wide-distance measuring system is used to measure the distance of an object and provide at least one wide measurement value, the wide-distance measuring system includes at least one microwave measuring system, and is further used to focus the camera lens, and at least one further measurement value is provided using at least one further measuring system.

A range imaging system includes a light source unit configured to emit an irradiation light beam to an object, an imaging unit including a solid-state imaging device, and a calculation unit. The solid-state imaging device outputs an image capture signal for forming an image and an imaging signal of a light beam which is obtained when the irradiation light beam emitted is reflected by the object. The calculation unit is configured to calculate range information from the imaging signal, the range information being stored in association with the image.

A range imaging system includes a light source unit configured to emit an irradiation light beam to an object, an imaging unit including a solid-state imaging device, and a calculation unit. The solid-state imaging device outputs an image capture signal for forming an image and an imaging signal of a light beam which is obtained when the irradiation light beam emitted is reflected by the object. The calculation unit is configured to calculate range information from the imaging signal, the range information being stored in association with the image.

A distance measurement device includes an imaging unit which captures a subject image formed by an imaging optical system, an emission unit which emits directional light as light having directivity along an optical axis direction of the imaging optical system, a light receiving unit which receives reflected light of the directional light from the subject, a derivation unit which derives a distance to the subject based on the timing at which the directional light is emitted and the timing at which the reflected light is received, a display unit which displays the subject image, and a control unit which performs control such that, in a case of performing a distance measurement, the display unit displays the subject image as a motion image and transition is made to a state where actual exposure by the imaging unit is possible at the timing of the end of the distance measurement.

A distance measurement device includes an imaging unit which captures a subject image formed by an imaging optical system, an emission unit which emits directional light as light having directivity along an optical axis direction of the imaging optical system, a light receiving unit which receives reflected light of the directional light from the subject, a derivation unit which derives a distance to the subject based on the timing at which the directional light is emitted and the timing at which the reflected light is received, a display unit which displays the subject image, and a control unit which performs control such that, in a case of performing a distance measurement, the display unit displays the subject image as a motion image and transition is made to a state where actual exposure by the imaging unit is possible at the timing of the end of the distance measurement.

Ultrasonic ranging systems and methods that emit coded bursts and correlate transduced acoustical echoes of the bursts with a receive template characterizing a burst code to determine time-of-flight information use receive templates of time-variable length to improve short-range object detection. The template length is based on a time index measured from the start of the burst emission. The detection can account for a dead zone of transducer ringing following a burst. A time-variable gain that is also based on the time index can be applied to the correlated signal. The length and gain can be adjusted with reduced temporal frequency to reduce computation cost.

Ultrasonic ranging systems and methods that emit coded bursts and correlate transduced acoustical echoes of the bursts with a receive template characterizing a burst code to determine time-of-flight information use receive templates of time-variable length to improve short-range object detection. The template length is based on a time index measured from the start of the burst emission. The detection can account for a dead zone of transducer ringing following a burst. A time-variable gain that is also based on the time index can be applied to the correlated signal. The length and gain can be adjusted with reduced temporal frequency to reduce computation cost.

A camera for detecting objects in a detection zone is provided that has an image sensor for recording image data of the objects, a distance sensor for detecting at least one distance value from a respective object, and a control and evaluation unit that is configured to perform at least one setting of the camera for a recording using the distance value, The control and evaluation unit here has real time capability and is configured to generate a recording at a trigger time using time information of the distance sensor.

A camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an light output unit which outputs output light signals to be emitted to an object and includes a plurality of light sources arrayed according to predetermined rules; a lens unit which includes an infrared (IR) filter and at least one lens disposed on the IR filter, and focuses input light signals reflected from the object; an image sensor which generates electrical signals from the input light signals focused by the lens unit; an image processing unit which acquires depth information about the object by using phase differences or time differences between the output light signals and the input light signals received in the image sensor; and a control unit which controls the light output unit, the lens unit, the image sensor, and the image processing unit, wherein the plurality of light sources are divided into at least two light source groups, the control unit controls the output light signals to be output sequentially for each light source group, the image sensor includes at least two pixel groups divided for each of the light source groups, and the control unit controls the input light signals to be focused sequentially for each pixel group.

This invention provides an integrated time-of-flight sensor that delivers distance information to a processor associated with the camera assembly and vison system. The distance is processed with the above-described feedback control, to auto-focus the camera assembly's variable lens during runtime operation based on the particular size/shape object(s) within the field of view. The shortest measured distance is used to set the focus distance of the lens. To correct for calibration or drift errors, a further image-based focus optimization can occur around the measured distance and/or based on the measured temperature. The distance information generated by the time-of-flight sensor can be employed to perform other functions. Other functions include self-triggering of image acquisition, object size dimensioning, detection and analysis of object defects and/or gap detection between objects in the field of view and software-controlled range detection to prevent unintentional reading of (e.g.) IDs on objects outside a defined range (presentation mode).