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SonyGranted patentChips & hardwareInterest 4/10

Sony patents light-based distance sensor that adjusts brightness for eye safety

Sony describes a device that measures distance by shining light at an object and analyzing the reflection. It first measures the ambient light level to determine how bright a second pulse of light should be, ensuring the sensor does not emit more light than necessary.

Why it mattersThis approach helps manufacturers build safer distance sensors for devices like cars or robots by preventing excessive light exposure to nearby people.

In the filing’s own words

An object of the present invention is to sufficiently consider safety of human eyes in distance measurement. The present technology relates to a distance measurement device including: an irradiation unit configured to emit light to a target space; a light receiving unit configured to receive observation light in the target space and including a plurality of light receiving elements that outputs an electric signal; a light intensity calculation unit configured to calculate light intensity in the target space, on the basis of a first electric signal corresponding to reflected light from an object irradiated with first light included in the observation light received by the light receiving unit, the first light being emitted from the irradiation unit; and a distance measurement processing unit configured to perform a distance measurement process for calculating a distance to the object, on the basis of a second electric signal corresponding to reflected light from the object irradiated with second light included in the observation light received by the light receiving unit, the second light being emitted from the irradiation unit on the basis of the light intensity calculated by the light intensity calculation unit.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A distance measurement device, comprising: an irradiation unit configured to emit light on an object in a target space, wherein the emitted light comprises first light and second light; a light receiving unit configured to receive observation light in the target space, wherein the light receiving unit comprises a plurality of light receiving elements configured to output a plurality of electric signals; a light intensity calculation unit configured to calculate light intensity in the target space, based on a first electric signal of the plurality of electric signals, wherein the first electric signal corresponds to first reflected light from the object irradiated with the first light, the first reflected light is included in the observation light received by the light receiving unit, and the second light is emitted based on the calculated light intensity; and a distance measurement processing unit configured to execute a distance measurement process to calculate a distance to the object, based on a second electric signal of the plurality of electric signals, wherein the second electric signal corresponds to second reflected light from the object irradiated with the second light, and the second reflected light is included in the observation light received by the light receiving unit.

Facts

Company
Sony (SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION)
Official title
Distance measurement device and distance measurement method
Patent number
US12736632B2
Application number
17904228
Filed
Jan 19, 2021
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Inventors
1
Claims
17

Classified under

G01S 7/4816 Physics & computingG01S 7/4865 Physics & computingG01S 17/10 Physics & computingG01S 17/50 Physics & computingG01S 7/4814 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.