A distance measurement device includes an emission unit, a detection unit, a first reduction unit that reduces, based on a detection result of the detection unit, influence of variation of an optical axis of the image formation optical system on the subject image received as light by the light receiving section, a second reduction unit that reduces variation of an optical axis of the directional light with respect to the subject based on the detection result of the detection unit, and a control unit that, in the case of operating the first reduction unit and the second reduction unit at the same time, controls the first reduction unit and the second reduction unit to reduce variation of an irradiation position of the directional light in the subject image received as light by the light receiving section.

Disclosed are a distance image acquisition apparatus and a distance image acquisition method capable of achieving high distance measurement accuracy and omitting wasteful imaging or calculation. The distance image acquisition apparatus (10) includes a distance image sensor (14), a drive mode setting unit (20A), a distance image generation unit (20B), a pulse light emission unit (22), and an exposure control unit (24). The exposure control unit (24) controls emission and non-emission of pulse light emitted from the pulse light emission unit (22) according to a drive mode set by the drive mode setting unit (20A), and controls exposure in the distance image sensor (14). The distance image generation unit (20B) performs calculation processing of a sensor output acquired from the distance image sensor (14) according to the drive mode set by the drive mode setting unit (20A) to generate a distance image corresponding to a distance of a subject.

The distance image acquisition apparatus (10) includes a projection unit (12) which projects a first pattern of structured light distributed in a two-dimensional manner with respect to a subject within a distance measurement region, a light modulation unit (22) which spatially modulates the first pattern projected from the projection unit (12), an imaging unit (14) which is provided in parallel with and apart from the projection unit (12) by a baseline length, and captures an image including the first pattern reflected from the subject within the distance measurement region, a pattern extraction unit (20A) which extracts the first pattern spatially modulated by the light modulation unit (22) from the image captured by the imaging unit (14), and a distance image acquisition unit (20B) which acquires a distance image indicating a distance of the subject within the distance measurement region based on the first pattern.

The distance image acquisition apparatus (10) includes a projection unit (12) which projects a first pattern of structured light distributed in a two-dimensional manner with respect to a subject within a distance measurement region, a light modulation unit (22) which spatially modulates the first pattern projected from the projection unit (12), an imaging unit (14) which is provided in parallel with and apart from the projection unit (12) by a baseline length, and captures an image including the first pattern reflected from the subject within the distance measurement region, a pattern extraction unit (20A) which extracts the first pattern spatially modulated by the light modulation unit (22) from the image captured by the imaging unit (14), and a distance image acquisition unit (20B) which acquires a distance image indicating a distance of the subject within the distance measurement region based on the first pattern.

A distance image acquisition device includes a distance measurement sensor that detects a measurement light by transferring charges generated in a charge generation region in response to incidence of a measurement light reflected by a target object, to a charge accumulation region by using a transfer gate electrode. The charge generation region includes an avalanche multiplication region that causes avalanche multiplication. The control unit divides an entire distance range of a measurement target into the plurality of sections, controls the distance measurement sensor so as to perform measurements about a plurality of sections while varying a time difference between an emission timing of the measurement light by the light source and a transferring timing of the charges by the transfer gate electrode among the plurality of sections, and generates a distance image of the entire distance range based on the results of the measurements about the plurality of sections.

A decrease in sensitivity of distance measurement is reduced. A light receiving element includes a first voltage application unit and a second voltage application unit, a first charge detection unit, and a second charge detection unit. The first voltage application unit and the second voltage application unit are configured in linear shapes extending in the same direction on the surface of the semiconductor substrate that performs photoelectric conversion of the incident light, are arranged apart from each other, and are provided with proximity portions and applied with different voltages. The first charge detection unit is arranged around the first voltage application unit on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and detects a charge generated by photoelectric conversion. The second charge detection unit is arranged around the second voltage application unit on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and detects a charge generated by photoelectric conversion.

A method for controlling a distance measurement apparatus including a light emitting device capable of changing a direction of emission of a light beam and a light receiving device that detects a reflected light beam includes acquiring data representing a plurality of images acquired at different points in time by an image sensor that acquires an image of a scene, determining, on the basis of the data representing the plurality of images, a degree of priority of distance measurement of one or more physical objects included in the plurality of images, and executing distance measurement of the one or more physical objects by causing the light emitting device to emit the light beam in a direction corresponding to the degree of priority and in an order corresponding to the degree of priority and causing the light receiving device to detect the reflected light beam.

A signal processing device according to the present technology includes a multistage-branching-wired-line unit that supplies the same signal to a plurality of target elements via multistage-branched wired lines, and a logic circuit arranged at each of stages of the multistage-branching-wired-line unit, in which the wired lines in at least a certain space between the stages in the multistage-branching-wired-line unit cross each other.

A recommended distance provision method for providing a recommended distance in consideration of characteristics of wind by a distance recommendation device for golf is proposed. The method includes calculating a horizontal distance, a vertical distance, and the recommended distance of a shot, which are distances to a target without considering an influence of the wind, on the basis of measurement information including a straight-line distance to the target and an inclination to the target, calculating a horizontal distance correction value for the horizontal distance on the basis of information on a wind direction and a wind speed, calculating an adjusted landing angle for a preset landing angle on the basis of the information on the wind direction and the wind speed, and calculating an additional distance correction value, and calculating a final recommended distance by adding the calculated additional distance correction value and the horizontal distance correction value.

A distance image generating device includes a light emitter that emits light pulses; a light receiver that includes light receiving elements and receives reflected light; a distance calculator that generates a distance image based on an amount of the reflected light; and a light amount adjuster that determines an emission count in accordance with which the light emitter is to emit the light pulses and an exposure count in accordance with which the light receiver is to receive the reflected light based on the distance image and causes the light emitter to emit the light pulses in accordance with the determined emission count and the light receiver to receive the reflected light in accordance with the determined exposure count. The distance calculator calculates the distance based on an amount of the reflected light received at the exposure count by the light receiver.