Abstract: A distance measuring device includes: a light emitting unit; a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix; and a control unit calculating the distance to a measuring target. Each of the plurality of pixels includes: an avalanche photodiode; a primary accumulation region for temporarily holding a signal charge; and a plurality of memory elements provided in parallel with respect to the primary accumulation region. The control unit performs a plurality of times of light exposure at timings corresponding to different distance sections within one pulse period of outgoing light from the light emitting unit, allows signal charges generated after the respective times of light exposure to be accumulated in the different memory elements, and reads out the signal charges to calculate the distance to the measuring target.

Abstract: A distance measuring device includes: a light source configured to project pulsed light; a light receiver configured to receive reflected light; a distance measurement controller configured to select, for distance measurement, one of distance measurement sections set in accordance with distances, and control operation times of the light source and the light receiver in accordance with the selected one of the distance measurement sections; and a distance image generator configured to generate a section image from a signal output from the light receiver, and combine section images corresponding to the distance measurement sections to generate a distance image. The distance measurement controller includes a random number generator configured to generate random number data for selecting one of the distance measurement sections randomly.

Abstract: In an object information generation system, an imaging unit is configured to capture a plurality of segment images respectively corresponding to a plurality of distance segments dividing a target space. In a signal processor, the object region extraction unit extracts, from a plurality of segment images, an object region that is a pixel region including an image of the object. An object information generation unit determines, for the object region, a window in which calculation-target pixels are cut out, and generates distance information of the object by calculation using information of a plurality of pixels in the window for two or more segment images.

Abstract: The present disclosure allows evaluation on the reliability of a distance value in a distance image, using a distance measuring device that generates a distance image from a plurality of section images. A reliability calculator obtains a maximum signal amount and a background signal amount from signal amounts in the section images for each pixel of the distance image to calculate, as reliability of distance determination, a difference between the maximum signal amount and the background signal amount. As the reliability of distance determination, an analog amount can be obtained which serves as an index of the reliability of the distance value indicated by the distance image.

Abstract: Effective pixels and a failure detection pixel are connected to a control signal line for controlling an operation of the pixels and to an output signal line for outputting a result of failure detection in the pixels. Among the effective pixels, the effective pixels in a same row are connected in common to a same control signal line, and the effective pixels in a same column are connected in common to a same output signal line. The failure detection pixel is connected in common to at least one of the control signal line or the output signal line and configured to detect a failure in any of the effective pixels connected to the at least one of the control signal line or the output signal line.

Abstract: A distance measurement device includes: a light source configured to emit visible illumination light; an imaging element configured to receive reflected light of the illumination light from an object; and a signal processing circuit configured to reduce the emission of the illumination light in a predetermined period, detect a timing when the reception of the reflected light at the imaging element is reduced due to the reduction of the illumination light, and measure a distance to the object on the basis of the detected timing.

Abstract: An information processing system includes an object information generator and an output unit. The object information generator generates object information. A piece of the object information indicates a feature of an object present in a target distance section. The target distance section is one selected from a plurality of distance sections defined by dividing the distance measurable range in accordance with differences in elapsed times from a point of time when a light emitting unit emits a measuring light. The object information generator generates the piece of the object information based on a distance section signal associated with the target distance section. The output unit outputs the object information.

Abstract: An object detection system includes a light emitter, an optical sensor, a controller, and a signal processor. The controller controls the light emitter and the optical sensor to cause range segment signals to be outputted from the optical sensor for corresponding range segments. The signal processor includes: a target object information generator that includes a plurality of generators (a first generator through a fifth generator) capable of operating in parallel and generates items of target object information indicating features of target objects for the range segments; and storage that stores the items of target object information. The target object information generator compares a past one of the items of target object information stored in the storage with a feature of a current one of the target objects detected by the optical sensor to generate a corresponding one of the items of target object information.

Abstract: A ranging device includes: a pulse generator; a controller that controls the pulse generator according to n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 4) types of packet generation codes indicating whether or not to expose or emit light in each of unit segments corresponding to distance segments into which a ranging range is divided; a light source; a solid-state image capturer; and a distance calculator that calculates the distance based on n types of signal values per unit segment obtained from the solid-state image capturer.

Abstract: An image recognition device includes a light source that emits lighting pulses to a measurement space, a image generator that generates a distance image based on reflected light acquired by a light receiving element, a reflectivity calculator that calculates a correction coefficient corresponding to a reflectivity for each measurement section, and a lighting pulse controller that controls a number of lighting pulses emitted from the light source according to the correction coefficient for each measurement section.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate a pixel region in which an APD is disposed, and a logic region different from the pixel region; a transistor which is disposed in the logic region and includes a sidewall made of an insulating material; an anti-reflective film which is disposed above a main surface of the semiconductor substrate in the pixel region and is made of the insulating material; and a first liner film which is disposed above the main surface of the semiconductor substrate in the logic region and is made of the insulating material. The anti-reflective film and the first liner film are integrally formed. The thickness of the anti-reflective film is larger than or equal to the sum of the thickness of the sidewall and the thickness of the first liner film.

Abstract: Each of column signal lines is connected to two or more of P pixels belonging to one of Q pixel columns of pixels. In each of the pixels, a first switch switches connection and disconnection between a light receiver and a first charge storage. A second switch switches connection and disconnection between the first charge storage and a second charge storage. A third switch switches connection and disconnection between the first charge storage and one of column signal lines corresponding to the pixel. The fourth switch switches the connection and disconnection between the second charge storage and the one of the column signal lines corresponding to the pixel.

Abstract: A distance measurement device includes: an image capturer that captures N segmental images corresponding to N segmental distances into which a distance measurement range is divided; and a range image generator that generates a range image from the N segmental images. The range image generator determines: among segmental pixels included in the N segmental images, a segmental pixel having a maximum signal value from N segmental pixels at the same pixel position among pixel positions; a value indicating a segmental distance of the segmental pixel having the maximum signal value to be a distance value of the pixel position of the range image, when the maximum signal value is greater than or equal to a threshold; and a value indicating a value outside the distance measurement range to be the distance value of the pixel position of the range image, when the maximum signal value is less than the threshold.

Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a control unit and a measuring unit. The control unit controls a photodetector unit. The photodetector unit includes a photoelectric transducer element and an output unit. The photoelectric transducer element generates electrical charges on receiving light reflected from a target as a part of measuring light emitted from a light-emitting unit. The output unit outputs an electrical signal representing a quantity of the electrical charges generated by the photoelectric transducer element. The measuring unit calculates, in accordance with the electrical signal, a distance to the target within a measurable range. The control unit sets, in each of a plurality of intervals that form the measurable range, a conversion ratio of the quantity of the electrical charges generated by the photoelectric transducer element to a quantity of the light received by the photoelectric transducer element.

Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a controller and a distance calculator. The controller sets, in a first time period, a first measurement time range corresponding to a first measurement distance range; causes a light emitter to emit light and places a light receiver into an exposure state, in the first measurement time range; sets, in a second time period, a second measurement time range corresponding to a second measurement distance range; and causes the light emitter to emit light and places the light receiver into an exposure state, in the second measurement time range. At least one measurement condition is different between the first and second time periods. The distance calculator calculates the distance from the distance measuring device to a measurement target, based on the time from the emission to the reflection of light. The time is in at least one of the first and second time periods.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged pixels is provided. The pixels each include a light receiving circuit that senses incident light having arrived at the light receiving element in a light exposure period, a counter circuit that counts the number of arrivals of the incident light based on the light reception signal from the light receiving circuit, a comparison circuit that outputs a comparison signal according to the count from the counter circuit, and a storage circuit that stores a time signal as a distance signal when the comparison signal from the comparison circuit is ON. Transistors included in the light receiving circuit, the counter circuit, the comparison circuit, and the storage circuit have the same conductivity type.

Abstract: A distance measurement device includes: a light source configured to emit visible illumination light; an imaging element configured to receive reflected light of the illumination light from an object; and a signal processing circuit configured to reduce the emission of the illumination light in a predetermined period, detect a timing when the reception of the reflected light at the imaging element is reduced due to the reduction of the illumination light, and measure a distance to the object on the basis of the detected timing.

Abstract: Heat-blocking filter is a heat-blocking filter to be installed in a window glass of a vehicle. The heat-blocking filter substantially transmits visible light and infrared light in a first wavelength range, and substantially blocks infrared light outside the first wavelength range.

Abstract: A distance measurement device includes: a pulse light emitter that emits pulse light to a measurement target; an optical sensor that receives reflected light which is the pulse light reflected by the measurement target; and a controller that controls a light emission timing of the pulse light emitted by the pulse light emitter, and determines a distance to the measurement target, from a light reception timing of the reflected light detected by the optical sensor. The controller sets the light emission timing in each of N periods (N being a natural number less than K) selected randomly from continuous K periods (K being a natural number greater than or equal to 2) to a timing that is delayed by a random first time from a start time of the period.

Abstract: An image recognition device includes: a luminance image generator and a distance image generator that generate a luminance image and a distance image, respectively, based on an image signal of an imaging target object output from a photoreceptor element; a target object recognition processor that extracts a target-object candidate from the luminance image using a machine learning database; and a three-dimensional object determination processor that uses the distance image to determine whether the extracted target-object candidate is a three-dimensional object. If it is determined that the target-object candidate is not a three-dimensional object, the target-object candidate extracted from the luminance image is prevented from being used, in the machine learning database, as image data for extracting a feature value of a target object.