JPH0719862A - Distance measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve measurement accuracy by providing a light emission controller for controlling a luminescence element emitting light among a plurality of luminescence elements constituting a light emission device. CONSTITUTION:Light is emitted from a plurality of luminescence elements of a light emission device 101 for a first object 10 and received with a light reception device 201 for a second object 20. A calculator 202 calculates the distance to the object 10 using the intervals of each point of the received light pattern and the like. If the distance between the object 10 and the object 20 is large and each point constituting the pattern received with the light reception device 201 is small compared with the light reception area, instruction signal to enlarge the size and interval of each point constituting the light emission pattern is sent from a communication device 203 to the object 10. The instruction signal is received with a communicaion device 103 and sent to a light emission controller 102. The controller 102 changes the luminescence element emitting light and controls so that the size and interval of each point of light emission pattern become large. In this manner, light emission pattern with proper size can be formed in accordance with the distance between the objects 10 and 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distance measuring device used in space or on the ground, such as an artificial satellite, a space work machine, a space station, and a distance measuring device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional distance measuring device will be described with reference to the schematic view of FIG.

Reference numeral 31 is a first object located in outer space, for example, a space station. A light emitting device 32 is mounted on the first object 31. The light emitting device 32 includes a plurality of light emitting elements such as LEDs, for example, four light emitting elements a to d. The light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements a to d forms a light pattern according to the arrangement of the light emitting elements a to d. The light pattern is composed of three points B, C, and D corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements a to d, for example, as shown in FIG.

In addition, in a place away from the first object 31,
The second object 33 is located. The second object 33 is, for example, a spacecraft that approaches the first object 31 while measuring the distance from the first object 31 and docks with the first object 31.

When the distance between the first object 31 and the second object 33 is measured, when the two objects 31, 33 are distant from each other, for example, a radio wave or a laser beam is used, and the two objects 31, 33 come close to each other. If the light emitting device 3 mounted on the first object 31
2 is used.

For example, light is emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements a to d constituting the light emitting device 32 and is received by the light receiving device 34 mounted on the second object 33. The light receiving device 34 is composed of, for example, a CCD camera. The light received by the light receiving device 34 corresponds to the light pattern of the light emitting device 32, and has a pattern such as A1 to D1 in FIG.

A calculation device (not shown) is mounted on the second object 33, and the light emission device 32 is included in the calculation device.
The distance between the first object 31 and the second object 33 is input by inputting information such as the intervals between the plurality of light emitting elements a to d that configure the above, and the array patterns A1 to D1 of the light received by the light receiving device 34. Is calculated. The second object 33 is the first object 3
The first object 31 is approached and docked while the distance to 1 is calculated by the method described above.

[0008]

Here, the first object 3
The distance between 1 and the second object 33 is larger, for example as shown in FIG.
It is assumed that the second object 33a is located at the position (c). In this case, the light receiving device 34a mounted on the second object 33a
The arrangement pattern of the light received by is A2 of FIG.
As shown in D2, the shape of the entire pattern and the points A2 to D2 forming the pattern are also small.

Therefore, the proportion of the light-receiving pattern or the like on the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving device 34a becomes small, and sufficient measurement accuracy cannot be obtained.

In order to solve such a drawback, it is conceivable to increase the overall shape of the light emitting pattern and the size of each light emitting point. However, if the overall shape of the light emission pattern and the individual points that emit light are made large, the overall shape of the light emission pattern will change when the first object and the second object approach each other.
It becomes larger than the light receiving surface of the light receiving device and protrudes from the light receiving surface, making it impossible to measure the distance.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a distance measuring device capable of improving the measurement accuracy.

[0012]

The present invention provides a light emitting device mounted on a first object and comprising a plurality of light emitting elements,
A light receiving device mounted on a second object and receiving light emitted from the light emitting device; and a first light receiving device mounted on the second object using position information of the light received by the light receiving device.
In a distance measuring device including a calculation device that calculates the distance to the object, a light emission control device that controls a light emitting device that emits light among a plurality of light emitting devices that configure the light emitting device is provided.

[0013]

According to the above construction, the light emitting control device can control which light emitting element among the plurality of light emitting elements which constitute the light emitting device emits light. Therefore, the shape of the light emitting pattern formed by the light emission of the plurality of light emitting elements and the size of each light emitting point can be changed to suit the distance between the two objects whose distance is to be measured. As a result, the measurement accuracy of the distance measuring device can be improved.

[0014]

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an embodiment of the present invention.
Will be described with reference to.

Reference numeral 10 is a first object located in outer space, for example, a space station. A light emitting device 101 is mounted on the first object 10. The light emitting device 101 is
It is composed of a plurality of light emitting elements, and these plurality of light emitting elements are, for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, vertical lines x1 to xn and horizontal lines y.
It is arranged at each intersection of 1 to yn. Note that which of the plurality of light emitting elements is to emit light is determined by the light emission control device 1.
02 control. In this case, under the control of the light emission control device 102, for example, the four light emitting elements A to D marked with a black mark in FIG. 2A emit light.

Further, at a place away from the first object 10,
A second object 20 (Fig. 1) is located. Second object 2
0 approaches while measuring the distance to the first object 10,
For example, a spacecraft that docks with the first object 10. When measuring the distance between the second object 20 and the first object 10, the light emitting device 1 mounted on the first object 10 is used.
01 is used.

Here, the first object 10 and the second object 20
The procedure for measuring the distance between and will be described. Light emitting device 1
The light is emitted from the light emitting devices A to D of No. 01, and the second object 2
The light is received by the light receiving device 201 mounted on No. 0. The light receiving device 201 is composed of, for example, a CCD camera, and the light received by the light receiving device 201 is converted into an electric signal and sent to the calculation device 202. The computing device 202 is composed of a computer and the like, and its calculation is controlled by software. Then, the calculation device 202 calculates the distance between each point of the received light pattern based on the signal sent from the light receiving device 201, and calculates the distance to the first object 10. Since the method of calculating the distance to the first object 10 is a known technique, the description of the specific calculating method is omitted.

By the way, the first object 10 and the second object 2
When the distance from 0 is large, the pattern received by the light receiving device 201 is, for example, A1 to D1 in FIG. In FIG. 2B, the light receiving surface M of the light receiving device 201 is
Is indicated by a solid line of the outer frame, but the shape of the entire received light pattern and each point forming the pattern are smaller than the light receiving surface M.

As described above, when it is determined that the shape of the entire received light pattern or each point forming the pattern is smaller than the light receiving surface M, the communication device 203 mounted on the second object 20 detects An instruction signal is sent to the first object 10 so as to increase the size and interval of each point forming the light emission pattern.

The instruction signal sent from the second object 20 is
The light is received by the communication device 103 mounted on the first object 10 and sent to the light emission control device 102. Then, in the light emission control device 102, the light emitting element that emits light is changed, and control is performed so that the size and interval of each point forming the light emission pattern becomes large. For example, the light emitting element at the position of Δ in FIG. 3A is made to emit light. In this case, since one point forming the light emitting pattern is composed of four light emitting elements, the point becomes larger accordingly. Further, the interval between the individual points is increased by the control of the light emission control device 102. As a result, the size and interval of each point of the light emission pattern emitted from the light emitting device 101 are increased.

At this time, the pattern received by the light receiving device 201 is, for example, A2 to D2 in FIG. At this time, the second object changes the light emission pattern, changes the parameter for obtaining the distance, and calculates the distance according to the new pattern.

According to the above configuration, a light emission pattern having a size suitable for the distance can be formed according to the distance between the first object 10 and the second object. Therefore, the light receiving device 2
The light receiving surface M of 01 can be effectively used and highly accurate measurement can be performed.

For example, when the second object docks with the first object 10, the second object gradually approaches the first object 10 from a distant position. In such a case, the size and interval of each point constituting the light emission pattern are initially set to be large, and the size and interval of each point of the light emission pattern are reduced as the second object approaches the first object 10. .

As the distance between the second object and the first object 10 decreases, the light emitting pattern on the light receiving surface gradually increases with the passage of time, and if left unattended, it will run off the light receiving surface. . Therefore,
In the second object, the size of the light emission pattern on the light receiving surface is monitored, and the first object 10 is instructed to change the light emission pattern as appropriate. Whether or not the light receiving pattern protrudes from the light receiving surface of the light receiving device is determined by, for example, measuring the distance between the end point of the light receiving pattern and the end of the light receiving surface, and the distance being smaller than a certain value. Etc.

Further, according to the above-mentioned structure, since the light emitting device is composed of a large number of light emitting elements, even if some of the light emitting elements fail, it is possible to cope with them by causing the other light emitting elements to emit light. In particular, when it is used for space equipment, it is impossible to repair it after launch, so the above configuration is effective. Also, since the light emission pattern can be set in various shapes,
Distance can be measured using the optimum pattern each time. For example, when the light emission pattern cannot be seen due to the presence of an obstacle or the like, the influence of the obstacle can be avoided by causing the light emitting element at a position avoiding the obstacle to emit light. It is also possible to confirm the presence or absence of obstacles.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the exchange of the signal for instructing the change of the light emission pattern is carried out between the objects for which the distance is measured. However, for example, a third base is provided and the third base is provided.
It may be configured to send an instruction signal from the base.

[0027]

According to the present invention, since the light emitting pattern for measuring the distance is input to the light receiving surface of the light receiving device in a size suitable for the distance, accurate measurement can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... 1st object 20 ... 2nd object 101 ... Light emitting device 102 ... Light emission control device 103, 203 ... Communication device 201 ... Light receiving device 202 ... Calculation device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A light emitting device, which is mounted on a first object and includes a plurality of light emitting elements, a light receiving device, which is mounted on a second object, and receives light emitted from the light emitting device, A distance measuring device that is mounted on two objects and that calculates the distance to the first object using position information of the light received by the light receiving device; Among the light emitting elements of, the distance measuring device is provided with a light emission control device for controlling the light emitting element that emits light.