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: The present disclosure allows a light-emitting device to detect a failure of a light-emitting circuit without affecting the waveform of a pulse current to be supplied to a light source element. The light-emitting device includes: a light-emitting circuit including a light source element; and a power supply configured to supply electric charges to the light-emitting circuit. The light-emitting circuit is provided between a power supply node and a ground node. The power supply is connected to the power supply node via a power supply line. A monitor detects an abnormal state of the light-emitting circuit by monitoring the voltage of the power supply line or the internal voltage of the power supply.

Abstract: A voltage control system has a light receiving array part receiving incident light and a light shielding array part shielding light receiving elements from incident light by a light shielding mechanism. The voltage control system also includes: a voltage application unit applying a bias voltage to an anode terminal; a multiplication state determination unit determining the multiplication state of the light shielding array part based on output signals from cathodes of the light receiving elements in the light shielding array part; and a voltage setting unit performing voltage setting for the bias voltage to be output from the voltage application unit based on the determination results from the multiplication state determination unit.

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: 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: 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: It is made possible to monitor the periphery of a target object more accurately, using an imaging device that generates distance image data by sub-range analysis. For a target object present across first and second distance zones adjacent to each other, a first position at a near end position of the first distance zone, a second position at a boundary position between the first and second distance zones, and a third position indicating the position at a far end position of the second distance zone are obtained. Location data of the target object is generated based on location information of the second position with respect to a straight line connecting the first position and third position.

Abstract: A substrate current suppression circuit includes: a fixed voltage line that supplies a fixed voltage to the collectors of the third and fourth transistors. The fixed voltage is a voltage higher than the base voltage of the third and fourth transistors when the first polarity is p type, and is a voltage lower than the base voltage when the first polarity is n 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: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in a matrix. Each pixel circuit includes: a photodiode; a first charge storage that stores a charge; a floating diffusion region that stores a charge; a second charge storage that stores a charge; a first transfer transistor that transfers a charge from the photodiode to the first charge storage; a second transfer transistor that transfers a charge from the first charge storage to the floating diffusion region; a first reset transistor that resets the floating diffusion region; and an accumulating transistor for accumulating a charge of the floating diffusion region in the second charge storage. The capacitance of the first charge storage is greater than the capacitance of the floating diffusion region, and the capacitance of the second charge storage is greater than the capacitance of the floating diffusion region.

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: A distance measuring device includes a light emitter; a light receiver; a protection cover that is located on an optical path between the light emitter and the light receiver; a mode switch that switches between a first mode and a second mode; a distance calculator that calculates a distance from a target object based on a difference between a time when light is emitted from the light emitter and a time when reflected light is received by the light receiver in the first mode; and an LD light emission intensity adjuster that adjusts a light emission intensity of the light emitter. The adjustment is performed such that a light emission intensity of the light emitter in the second mode is lower than a light emission intensity of the light emitter in the first mode.

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 distance measuring device that measures a distance to an object. The distance measuring device includes: a light source that emits pulsed light; a reflector that reflects and radiates, as radiation light, the pulsed light emitted from the light source, and reflects object light that is the radiation light reflected by the object and returning; and an imager that captures the object light reflected by the reflector. The pulsed light emitted from the light source is diffused light. The light source and the imager are located to face the reflector. The reflector radiates, as the radiation light, light in a shape with a long axis and a short axis. The imager performs exposure in synchronization with the pulsed light to image the object light.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor capable of detecting a photon and having smaller circuit scale is provided. The solid-state image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixel cells, a pixel driving circuit configured to drive the plurality of pixel cells, a readout circuit, and a plurality of readout wires corresponding to respective columns of the pixel cell. Each of the plurality of pixel cells includes an avalanche photodiode configured to detect a photon by avalanche multiplication occurring when one photon enters, and a transfer transistor configured to transfer a detection result of the photon to the corresponding readout wire. The readout circuit determines whether a photon is detected or not, and outputs a determination result.

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.