JPH09229615A - Position detecting apparatus and position change detecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect the position and the position change of object to which a light source is difficult to attach by installing a photoelectric conversion element at a position where reflected light rays from the object are shielded by a light shielding plate corresponding to the position of the object. SOLUTION: An object has a reflecting region 2 having high reflectance in a part of its region. The reflecting region irradiated with diffused light rays from a light source 1 becomes a suppositional light source and the position of the object in the reflecting region 2 is detected by a position detecting device 3. Photoelectric conversion elements 11-14 are arranged in one and single y-z plane in the position detecting device 3 and light shielding plates 15-17 are installed respectively corresponding to the elements 11-13 of those elements. When reflected light rays from the reflecting region 2 are received by the elements 11-14, the light reception surface areas of the elements 11-13 among them change due to the light shielding plates 15-17 depending on the direction in which the reflected light rays are coming. The quantity of the light corresponding to the surface areas is transformed into voltage and the one dimensional position, the two-dimensional position, and the three-dimensional position of the reflecting region 2 can be detected by computing the obtained voltage values.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to position detection and position change detection of an object. For example, detection of distance, moving speed, object shape, etc., more specifically, position detection such as eccentricity and rotation speed of a rotating object, control of position and speed of a movable part of a robot, shape confirmation of parts on a production line, etc. The present invention relates to position detection and position change detection that can be widely used in general.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the conventional object position detecting technology, parts and devices that require excessive performance and cost for position detection or that require strict fine adjustment are used. is the current situation. For example, conventionally, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 60
As described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. -60502 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-238510, there are some which use a plurality of cameras.
However, although the camera is originally a device for inputting all the images, it is used only for detecting the light emitting area, so that not only extra cost is required but also the image processing A complicated image processing process of extracting the light emitting area is also required.

As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-196326, there is a device using a lens and a two-divided pin photodiode. Since the lens has a focal point due to its structure, it is difficult to detect an accurate three-dimensional position in a light emitting region that is away from the focal point, and a correction circuit or a bit for correcting aberration is required. Maps, etc. will be indispensable. If an accurate three-dimensional position is to be known using a zoom lens, a component for focusing and a process of focusing are required at the time of position detection.

As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-150623, there is a device which detects a position or measures a shape in a three-dimensional space by using a plurality of two-dimensional PSDs and pinholes. The pinhole is positioned as an optical component with good straightness, but the absolute amount of light that passes through is small, so in principle it is not possible to obtain a sufficient amount of light and it is burdened with amplification at the output of the light source or the output of the photoelectric conversion element. Takes.

As described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 54-116258, there is one in which a plurality of one-dimensional CCDs are opposed to each other in a direction orthogonal to each other, but the positions where the one-dimensional CCDs are arranged are limited. It is difficult to reduce the size and cost of the detection device.

As described in JP-A-6-42919, there is one using a PSD and a light shielding means. PS
D is suitable for light emitting region detection, but it is necessary to obtain a thin film having high uniformity in order to obtain an accurate current value without error from each of the 2 to 4 terminals. Therefore, the yield in the manufacturing process is reduced and the increase in cost is greatly affected. Therefore, replacement with a simple device is required. Further, in order to obtain an accurate current value, it is necessary to increase the amount of light to be emitted, which is extremely disadvantageous especially when combined with a pinhole that cannot obtain a large amount of light.

On the other hand, as a three-dimensional position detecting technique, a product name "FASTRAK" (Nissho Electronics), a product name "3D MOUSE" (Asahi Electronics) and the like are on sale. Product name "FASTRAK"
Uses a magnetic field, and the measurement range is as wide as about 3 m. However, when a magnetic substance exists within the measurement range and a distance about twice the measurement range, the magnetic field is distorted and an uncorrectable error occurs. Remains, the measurement conditions are limited. The product name "3D MOUSE" uses ultrasonic waves, but a lot of noise is generated due to the reflection of ultrasonic waves from surrounding objects, and the measurement conditions are also limited.

Another problem is that when light is used for three-dimensional position detection, it is impossible to detect the position of an object to which a light source cannot be attached, such as a rotating object or a minute area. In the range finder of the camera,
The reflected light from the object is used to measure the distance with a device having a relatively simple structure. However, only one-dimensional position can be measured, and extension to three-dimensional position detection is not easy.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and uses a low-cost component that does not require strict fine adjustment and detects the position of an object to which a light source is difficult to attach. An object of the present invention is to provide a position detection device and a position change detection device that can detect a position change. The position detection and the position change detection can be performed using a simple device including a light source, a photoelectric conversion element, a light shielding means, etc., by fully utilizing the straightness of light and the characteristics of the photoelectric conversion element.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a position detecting device, the position of an object to be irradiated with light is detected by at least one position detecting device for reflected light from the object. In the position detecting device, the position detecting device includes a light shielding unit that shields the reflected light from the object and at least one first photoelectric conversion unit, and the first photoelectric conversion unit is the light shielding unit. Is installed at a position where a part of the reflected light is shielded according to the position of the object. Further, in the invention described in claim 2, in the position detection device according to claim 1, the position detection device has at least one second photoelectric conversion means, and the second photoelectric conversion means includes: It is characterized in that it is installed at a position where the reflected light is not blocked by the light blocking means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the position detecting device, the position detecting device detects the position of the object to which light is irradiated by the reflected light from the object by at least one position detecting device, The position detection device includes a reflection unit that reflects the reflected light from the object, a light shielding unit that shields the reflected light, and at least one first photoelectric conversion unit, and the first photoelectric conversion unit includes: At least one of the reflecting means or the light shielding means is installed at a position where a part of the reflected light is reflected or shielded according to the position of the object. Further, in the invention according to claim 4, in the position detecting device according to claim 3, the position detecting device has at least one second photoelectric conversion means,
The second photoelectric conversion means is installed at a position where the reflected light is not shielded or reflected by the reflecting means and the light shielding means.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the position detecting device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is characterized in that it has a light source for irradiating the light. In the invention described in claim 6, claim 1
The position detection device according to any one of items 1 to 5, further comprising a position calculation unit that calculates a position of the object based on a photoelectric conversion output of the reflected light. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the position detection device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, at least a part of the object is provided with a reflection area, and the reflection area is reflected by the reflection area. Light at least 1
It is characterized by detecting with one position detection device.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the position detecting device according to the seventh aspect, the object is a photoconductor and is a position detecting device in an electrophotographic recording mechanism. is there. According to a ninth aspect of the invention, in the position detecting device according to the seventh aspect, the object is a lens or a lens support, and is a position detecting device in a lens moving mechanism. . According to a tenth aspect of the invention, in the position detecting device according to the seventh aspect, the object is a transparent substrate, the reflective region is provided on one side of the transparent substrate, and the other surface of the transparent substrate is provided. It is characterized in that the at least one position detection device is provided on the side.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the position detecting device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the surface of the object itself is a reflecting surface and is reflected by the reflecting surface. The reflected light is detected by the at least one position detection device. Furthermore, in the invention described in claim 12,
In the position detecting device according to the item (1), the object is a paper having a reflecting surface and is a paper position detecting device.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the position detecting apparatus according to the fifth or sixth aspect, there is provided an irradiation means for sequentially irradiating a plurality of regions of the object with the light source. It is characterized in that position detection outputs of the plurality of areas are obtained in synchronization. According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the position detecting device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the light source irradiates a plurality of regions of the target object with different characteristics of irradiation light for each of the regions. It is characterized in that position detection outputs of the plurality of regions are obtained based on the characteristics of the reflected light.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the position change detecting device, the position detecting device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects and the object based on the output of the position detecting device. It is characterized by having a position change calculation means for calculating a position change amount such as velocity, acceleration, angular velocity and the like.

[0017]

1 to 3 are schematic explanatory views of a position detecting device of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a case in which diffused light is applied to a reflection area, and FIG. FIG. 3 shows a light source, a reflection area of an object, and a reflection area of an object.
It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of a photoelectric conversion element. In the figure, 1, 5 and 7 are light sources, 2, 6 and 8 are reflection areas, 3 is a position detection device, and 4 is a small hole.

In FIG. 1, there is a reflective area 2 having a high reflectance in a partial area of the object. The light from the light source 1 is diffused light, and the reflection area 2 illuminated by the diffused light serves as a virtual light source, and the position of the object in the reflection area 2 is detected by the position detection device 3 including a photoelectric conversion element. .

The light source 1 is preferably a spot-shaped point light source or a light source close to this, for example, a small infrared LED is used. It is preferable that the light source mainly emits infrared light. Infrared light has a relatively small wavelength as disturbance light in a general work environment, and if an infrared transmission filter is provided in front of the photoelectric conversion element in the position detection device 3, the disturbance light can be removed more efficiently. Has an effect.

When the light source 1 is pulse-lighted and the light intensity is modulated so that a light pulse is generated at a predetermined cycle, disturbance light that appears as an offset component from the output of the photoelectric conversion element in the position detection device 3 can be removed. Light source 1
Taking in the output of the photoelectric conversion element in synchronism with the pulse in is more suitable for removing ambient light.

The reflective area 2 is preferably one that diffuses light. If the reflected light that is not diffused and is deviated in a certain direction by regular reflection is generated, position detection cannot be performed without a photoelectric conversion element in that direction. A reflector or a reflective paint or plating may be provided on at least a part of the object, or a part or the whole surface of the object itself may be a reflective surface.

As the position detecting device 3, a conventional position detecting device may be used as long as it can detect the position of the light source, but in the embodiment of the present invention, the linearity of light and the photoelectric conversion element are used. A device consisting of a combination of simple devices that fully utilize the characteristics is used. The position detection device 3 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 11, and thus will be summarized here. When the photoelectric conversion element receives the reflected light from the reflection region 2, the light receiving area of the photoelectric conversion element changes depending on the direction in which the reflected light comes in the photoelectric conversion element, and the light amount corresponding to this area is converted into a voltage, By calculating the voltage value, the one-dimensional position, the two-dimensional position, and the three-dimensional position of the reflection area 2 can be detected.

Since the amount of received light depends on factors other than the position of the reflection area 2, such as the distance between the reflection area 2 and the photoelectric conversion element, the direction of reflected light, and the reflectance, a photoelectric conversion element serving as a reference is provided. Therefore, normally, one second photoelectric conversion element having no light shielding means is provided, and light from the reflection region 2 is received and used as a reference. In particular, by arranging the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements in substantially the same plane, it is possible to realize simplification of alignment during assembly and simplification of arithmetic expressions.

In FIG. 2, the light emitted from the light source 1 is narrowed into a thin light beam by a small hole 4 such as a diaphragm, and the object on the light beam has a reflection area 2. Since the emitted light is narrowed down, the reflection area 2 may extend over a wide range, and the position of the object that reflects the emitted light is detected by the position detection device 3 having a built-in photoelectric conversion element.

In FIG. 3, reflection areas 2, 6, 8 are provided in a plurality of partial areas of the object, and photoelectric conversion elements are built in the positions of the reflection areas 2, 6, 8 by reflected light from these areas. The position detecting device 3 is sequentially detected. Since there are a plurality of reflection areas, the shape of the object can be measured.

The light source 1 illuminates the reflective area 2 and then the light source 5
The reflective area 6 is illuminated with and finally the reflective area 8 is illuminated with the light source 7. In the arithmetic processing circuit in the position detecting device 3 or in the information processing apparatus connected to the same by sending a synchronization signal from the light source side, the output of the photoelectric conversion element corresponding to the switching of light emission of the light sources 1, 5 and 7. The positions of the plurality of reflection areas 2, 6 and 8 of the object are individually detected by switching the above. Alternatively, the light wavelengths of the light sources 1, 5, and 7 may be different, the wavelengths of the reflected light from the reflection regions 2, 6, and 8 may be changed, and the position detection device 3 may detect the position for each wavelength of the light. For example, the wavelength of the light source can be changed by the color filter, or the wavelength of the reflected light can be selected.

When pulsed light is used, the light sources 1, 5,
In the information processing apparatus in or connected to the position detection device 3, the pulse periods of 7 are different, and the output of the photoelectric conversion element is separated for each pulse period, so that a plurality of reflection regions 2, 6, 6 of the object are obtained. It is possible to detect the 8 positions individually. It is also possible to individually detect the positions of the plurality of reflection regions 2, 6, and 8 by combining two or more of the above-described light emission point of the light source, the wavelength of light, and the pulse period.

It is also possible to replace the three light sources 1, 5, 7 with one light source. For example, the irradiation direction of one light source 1 is scanned by a mirror or the like to sequentially irradiate the reflection areas 2, 6 and 8, or the emitted light of the light source 1 is individually passed through three color filters having different transmission wavelengths. The wavelength of the light to be radiated is made different for each of the reflection areas 2, 6 and 8.
The reflecting surface may be colored for each of 6 and 8 so that the wavelength of the reflected light is different.

1 to 3, even if the light source 1 is provided on the object instead of the reflection area 2 and the position of the light source 1 is detected by the position detection device 3, the position and position change of the object can be detected. On the other hand, in the case where the reflective area 2 is used, the size and shape required for the reflective area 2 are not strict, and the power supply line and the signal line are not required. Therefore, the target object may be small, and it is easy to provide the target object at any place, and there is no problem even if the target object is not fixedly installed such as a moving object or a rotating object. As a result, it becomes possible to detect the position and the position change of the object to which the light source is difficult to attach.

1 to 3, the light source 1 is installed separately from the position detection device 3, but both are housed in one package and further mounted on a printed circuit board or the like in the same manner as a conventional IC. External connection pins may be provided. Typically, the object having the reflective area 2, the light source 1,
The position detection device 3 is fixedly installed. However, since the relative position between the reflection area 2 and the position detection device 3 is detected, the object having the reflection area 2 is a moving body, and the light source 1 and the position detection device 3 are fixedly installed or reflected. The object having the area 2 may be fixed and the position detection device 3 may be on the moving body side. The light source 1 also need not be fixed.

Although one position detecting device 3 is used in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is also possible to improve the position detection accuracy by using a plurality of position detecting devices 3 in combination. The outputs of the photoelectric conversion elements in the position detection device 3 are compared with each other, one or more position detection devices are selected based on the maximum value or the like, and the photoelectric conversion elements included in the selected position detection devices are selected. The reflection area 2 is calculated by calculating the average value of the output.
Can be obtained.

Further, the position change can be detected by detecting the position using the position detecting device 3 and again after a predetermined time. Similarly, it is possible to calculate the amount of position change such as the velocity, acceleration, angular velocity, etc. of the reflection area 2 based on the detected output of the position. In addition, the position of the detected reflection area 2 of the object is detected by applying a position detecting device to C
It can be displayed as a cursor or the like on the RT screen or the like.
At that time, the sum or average value of the outputs of one or more photoelectric conversion elements in the position detection device 3 is calculated, and when the result is out of the preset value range, the cursor display is stopped. May be.

Next, the position detecting device 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 11. Light source 1 and reflection area 2
The description is omitted, and since the reflection region 2 substantially serves as a light source when viewed from the position detection device 3, this will be described as the light source 18.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the first basic structure of the position detecting device. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along the xy plane of FIG. 4, and FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the light source and each part in FIG. 5A. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the xz plane of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6B is FIG. 6A.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the light source and each part in FIG. In the figure, 11 to 13 are first photoelectric conversion elements, 14 is a second photoelectric conversion element, 15 to 17 are light shielding plates, 18 is a light source, and 19 is an origin.

In the first basic structure, the first photoelectric conversion element 11 is provided at a position where a part of light is shielded by the light shielding plates 15 to 17 which shield the light from the light source 18 according to the position of the light source 18. It is a three-dimensional position detection device in which ~ 13 are installed. Further, the second photoelectric conversion element 14 is installed at a position where the light from the light source 18 is not blocked by the light blocking plates 15 to 17.

As shown in FIG. 4, in order to simplify the explanation, three first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 and one second photoelectric conversion element 11 to 13 are used.
The photoelectric conversion elements 14 are installed on the same yz plane, and these are the same rectangle having an end in the y-axis or z-axis direction. Light-shielding plates 15 to 17 are installed corresponding to the respective first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 on a plane separated from the plane by a predetermined distance h in the x direction, and these are shielded in the y-axis or z-axis direction. Are the same rectangle with.

The first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the light shielding plate 15
Of the first photoelectric conversion element 12 and the light shielding plate 16 are opposed to each other in the y-axis direction and are orthogonal to the second set in the z-axis direction.
The photoelectric conversion element 14 and the set of the first photoelectric conversion element 13 and the light shielding plate 17 are installed to face each other. The second photoelectric conversion element 14 has the same rectangular shape as the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 6A, the non-directional light from the light source 18 is received by the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 via the light shielding plates 15 to 17. , Light shield 1
The light is received on the entire surface of the second photoelectric conversion element 14 without passing through 5 to 17. At this time, in the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13, depending on the incident direction of light, in other words, depending on the solid angle when the light source 18 is viewed from each position of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13, The area of the light receiving area changes due to the change of the light shielding area that is shaded by the light shielding plates 15 to 17. In the figure, the light shielding regions of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 are filled with black.

The first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 convert the total amount of light corresponding to the light receiving area into a current or a voltage and output it. The photocurrents of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 may be converted into voltages through the current / voltage conversion unit. By calculating the current value or the voltage value obtained from each of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13, the one-dimensional position, the two-dimensional position, or the three-dimensional position of the light source 18 can be detected. First
The number of photoelectric conversion elements is 1 when detecting the one-dimensional position of the light source 18, two when detecting the two-dimensional position, and two when detecting the three-dimensional position. Three is enough.

Since the present invention, including other embodiments described later, does not use a lens, there is no need for a design considering the focal length and aberrations, and there is no difficulty in adjustment during assembly. Further, unlike the pinholes and slits, since the method of simply shielding light from one end of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 is adopted, a large light receiving area can be taken. As a result, the amount of light is large, and it becomes possible to perform position detection in a wide range including a distant place.

Note that FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show xy
Since it is a cross-sectional view of a plane, it only represents one cross section where z = 0, but in other cross sections parallel to the xy plane, the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 and 12 and the light shielding plate 15, 1
6 and the light source 18 have the same position and angle relationship on the cross section. The coordinates of the position of the light source 18 are (x,
y, z), but on such a cross section,
Since the position and the angular relationship are determined regardless of the z coordinate of the position of the light source 18, in FIG.
The coordinates of the position 8 are shown as (x, y).

Similarly, in FIG. 6 (A) and FIG. 6 (B), y =
It is a cross-sectional view of the xz plane which is 0, but in the other cross section parallel to the xz plane, the first photoelectric conversion element 13 and
The cross-sectional position and angular relationship with the light-shielding plate 17 and the light source 18 are the same. Since the position and angular relationship of the position of the light source 18 is determined regardless of the y coordinate on such a cross section, the coordinates of the position of the light source 18 are represented by (x, z).

However, in the light receiving surface of each of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13, even in the light receiving region, the unit depends on the distance from the light source 18, the direction of incidence of light, the intensity of light emitted from the light source 18, and the like. Since the amount of light per area changes,
This change also appears in the outputs of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13. As a result, an error occurs when detecting the position of the light source 18 based on the relationship between the incident direction of light and the light receiving area. Therefore, the second photoelectric conversion element 14 that receives the light from the light source 18 over the entire surface is provided, and by using this output,
Distance from the light source 18 and direction of incidence of light, light source 18
It is possible to compensate a change in the amount of light per unit area depending on the intensity of the irradiation light.

Incidentally, the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 1
Since the positions of 4 are slightly different, the amount of light per unit area differs depending on the difference in the distance from the light source 18 on each light receiving surface, but this is slight. In this embodiment, the position is detected by utilizing the fact that the area ratio of the light-receiving region and the light-shielding region changes depending on the difference in the light incident direction on each light-receiving surface. However, this area ratio greatly changes depending on the difference in the incident direction of light on each light receiving surface due to the existence of the distance h,
The influence of the change in the amount of light per unit area due to the difference in the incident direction of light is relatively small.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first photoelectric conversion element 1
Originally, if the ends of 1 to 13 on the origin 19 side are made coincident with the origin 19, the calculation becomes easier, but the first photoelectric conversion element 11
Since ~ 13 has a certain area, the origin 1
It is assumed that they are installed at a distance of a ₁ , a ₂ , and a ₃ from 9. In addition, the origin 1 of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13
The distance between the end on the 9 side and the end facing the end is L.
The second photoelectric conversion element 14 also has the same rectangular shape,
This is not always necessary as described later. There is no strict restriction on the distance from the origin 19 to the end on the side of the origin 19, and the distance does not have to be on the same plane as the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 and may be installed in the vicinity thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 5 (A) and 6 (A), the light shielding plates 15 to 17 are arranged on a plane at a constant distance h in the x-axis direction from the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the same rectangular shape is installed and has ends in the y-axis or z-axis direction, and the ends of the light shields 15 and 16 on the origin 19 side are distance A ₁ from the origin 19 in the y-axis direction. , A ₂ , and are separated from each other by h in the x-axis direction, and the end of the shading plate 17 on the origin 19 side is separated from the origin by a distance A _{3 in} the z-axis direction and h in the x-axis direction. It is desirable that the light-shielding plates 15 to 17 be made sufficiently thin, or at least their ends on the side of the origin 19 are formed into sharp edges.

In the first photoelectric conversion element 11,
It is assumed that the boundary line between the light receiving area and the light shielding area is at a distance of d ₁ from the origin. Similarly, the boundary line in the first photoelectric conversion element 12 is at a distance of d ₂ , and the boundary line in the first photoelectric conversion element 13 is at a distance of d ₃ . Thus, for example, the light source 1 is such that light is incident normal to the yz plane.
8 is sufficiently far on the axis passing through the origin 19 and perpendicular to the y-z plane, the light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 are d ₁ = A ₁ and d ₂ respectively from the origin 19. = A ₂ ,
With the position of d ₃ = A ₃ as a boundary line, the light receiving region and the light shielding region are divided.

Next, the relationship between the position of each part and the position of the light source 18 will be described using mathematical expressions with reference to FIGS. 5B and 6B. Based on the optical path from the light source 18 to the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13, the distances d _{1 to} d ₃ from the origin of the boundary line are obtained by utilizing the similarity of the triangle. First, in FIG. 5B, the following equation is established.

(D ₁ −y) / x = (d ₁ −A ₁ ) / h (d ₂ + y) / x = (d ₂ −A ₂ ) / h From this, x = −h · y / (d _{1 -A 1) + h · d} 1 / (d 1 -A 1) ... (1) y = (d 2 -A 2) · x / h-d 2 ... (2) (2) equation (1) Substituting into x = h · (d ₁ + d ₂ ) / (d ₁ + d ₂ −A ₁ −A ₂ ) ... (3) Substituting equation (3) into equation (2) yields y = (A ₁ · _{d 2 -A 2 · d 1)} / (d 1 + d 2 -A 1 -A 2) ... (4) is obtained. As described above, by obtaining the coordinates of x and y, first, the position can be detected in two dimensions on the xy plane.

Similarly, in FIG. 6B, the following equation holds. (D ₃ + z) / x = (d ₃ −A ₃ ) / h From this, z = (d ₃ −A ₃ ) · x / h−d ₃ (5) _{substituting, z = ((A 1 +} A 2) · d 3 -A 3 · (d 1 + d 2)) / (d 1 + d 2 -A 1 -A 2) ... (6) is obtained.

The outputs of the _first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 are set to V _{1 to} V _3, and the output of the second photoelectric conversion element 14 is set to V ₀ . Since the outputs of the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 14 are proportional to the areas of the respective light receiving regions, the following equation is established. _{(D 1 -a 1) / L} = V 1 / V 0 (d 2 -a 2) / L = V 2 / V 0 (d 3 -a 3) / L = V 3 / V 0 From this, d ₁ = V ₁ · (L / V ₀ ) + a ₁ (7) d ₂ = V ₂ · (L / V ₀ ) + a ₂ (8) d ₃ = V ₃ · (L / V ₀ ) + a ₃ … ( 9)

Substituting the equations (7) to (9) into the equations (3) to (6), x = h · (V ₁ + V ₂ + (a ₁ + a ₂ ) · V ₀ / L) / (V _{1 + V 2 + (a 1 +} a 2 -A 1 -A 2) · V 0 / L) ... (10) y = (A 1 · V 2 -A 2 · V 1 + (a 2 · A 1 -a 1 · _{A 2) · V 0 / L} ) / (V 1 + V 2 + (a 1 + a 2 -A 1 -A 2) · V 0 / L) ... (11) z = ((A 1 + A 2) · V 3 _{-A 3 · (V 1 + V} 2) + (a 3 · (A 1 + A 2) - (a 1 + a 2) · A 3) · V 0 / L) / (V 1 + V 2 + (a 1 + a 2 −A ₁ −A ₂ ) · V ₀ / L) (12), the coordinates of x, y, z are obtained.

Actually, the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 11
In the case of realizing an arithmetic circuit for obtaining x, y, z coordinates by using the outputs V _{1 to} V ₄ of 14, the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 are used in order to reduce an arithmetic error. The end portions on the origin side are all arranged at positions at a constant distance a from the origin in the xz plane, and the end portions on the origin side of the light shielding plates 15 to 17, that is, the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 are arranged. The part projecting the boundary line above is arranged so that it is arranged at a position at a constant distance A in the y-axis or z-axis direction in the plane from the origin, and at a position h in the x-axis direction perpendicular to this plane. To do.

That is, it is desirable to simplify equations (10) to (12) as follows, assuming that A ₁ = A ₂ = A ₃ = A a ₁ = a ₂ = a ₃ = a. _{x = h · (V 1 +} V 2 + 2a · V 0 / L) / (V 1 + V 2 - (2A-2a) · V 0 / L) ... (13) y = A · (V 2 -V 1) / _{(V 1 + V 2 - (} 2A-2a) · V 0 / L) ... (14) z = A · (2V 3 - (V 1 + V 2)) / (V 1 + V 2 - (2A-2a) · V It can be expressed as ₀ / L) (15). Thus, by devising the arrangement of each element, the three-dimensional position of the light source can be detected using a simple circuit.

Further, the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 1
It is desirable that the output of 4 be amplified and offset removed by an operational amplifier in order to reduce a calculation error.
The calculation is performed by converting the current or voltage into a digital amount by A / D conversion and then performing digital calculation, or
You may perform an analog calculation with an electric current or voltage using an operational amplifier.

In the above description, in order to simplify the calculation, the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 14 are regularly arranged on the same plane, and are arranged on a plane separated from the plane by a predetermined distance. Although the description has been given of the case where the light shielding plates 15 to 17 are regularly arranged, the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11
No. 14 to No. 14 do not necessarily need to be regularly arranged on the same plane, and the same applies to the light shielding plates 15 to 17.
However, the light shielding plates 15 to 17 and the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 11
13 is installed at a position where a part of the light is shielded according to the incident direction of the light from the light source 18, for example, at a position where the areas of the light receiving region and the light shielding region on the first photoelectric conversion element change. However, it is necessary to change the above-mentioned formula according to the arrangement.

The first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 do not necessarily have to have the same rectangular shape. The same applies to the light shielding plates 15 to 17. Even if the respective shapes and sizes are different from each other, the boundary line between the light receiving area and the light shielding area is regularly moved according to the incident direction of light from the position of the light source 18, so the position coordinates of the light source 18 are calculated. Can be asked. When the boundary line between the light receiving area and the light blocking area moves on the light receiving surface according to the incident direction of the light from the light source 18, the shape of the boundary line is always constant without depending on the incident direction of the light,
For example, the light-shielding plates 15 to 17 should be straight lines of a certain length.
If the shapes and installation positions of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 are determined, the position coordinates of the light source 18 can be obtained by directly modifying the above equation or by slightly modifying it.

The second photoelectric conversion element 14 compensates for a change in the amount of light per unit area depending on the incident direction of light in the light receiving region, and therefore may have any shape. In the above equations (13) to (15) and the like, it is only necessary to change the value of the coefficient (V ₀ / L) according to the area of the light receiving surface of the second photoelectric conversion element 14.

In the above description, the second photoelectric conversion element 1
The case where 4 is used has been described. The second photoelectric conversion element 14 is required for highly accurate position detection. But,
In some cases, there is no problem in practical use without using the second photoelectric conversion element 14. When the amount of light per unit area is known in advance, for example, the position to be detected by the light source 18 is limited to a narrow range, or when a slight relative position change from the reference position of the light source 18 is detected. is there. On the contrary, when the position of the light source 18 to be detected is limited to several places which are sufficiently distant and the position detection accuracy may be low, the output change of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 is large and the unit area is large. The change in the amount of light per hit is only an error.

In addition, the first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the light shield plate 1
The group of 5 and the group of the first photoelectric conversion element 12 and the light shielding plate 16 are arranged line-symmetrically. In this case, when the light source 18 is located far away and the x-coordinate value is large, the incident angle of light seen from the first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the first photoelectric conversion element 12 are considered.
Since the incident angles of light viewed from the same are the same, the area of the light receiving portion on the first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the second photoelectric conversion element 12 are
The sum of the areas of the light receiving portions of is constant regardless of the incident direction, and is equal to the area of the light receiving portions of the second photoelectric conversion element 14. Therefore, in such a case, instead of the output V ₀ of the second photoelectric conversion element 14, the output V 1 of the first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the output V ₁ of the second photoelectric conversion element 12 are used.
It is also possible to use the sum of _two . In reality, since the light source 18 is not sufficiently far away, an error occurs, but this method can also be used for applications where the position detection accuracy may be low.

Photodiodes (PD), for example, are used for the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 14,
The photoelectric conversion element is not limited to the photoelectric conversion element and may be any photoelectric conversion means.
Further, by using the entire current of the one-dimensional PSD as an output, the one-dimensional PSD can be used as a photodiode.

Since the resolution of the light quantity of a general photodiode is 1/30000, for example, a distance of 60 cm is 0.02 mm / dot and a distance of 6 m is 0.2 mm / dot.
It can be decomposed at a very high density of dot.
The light from the light source 18 is preferably non-directional, but even if it has directivity, if the directivity does not change significantly due to the difference in the positions of the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 14,
Only a slight error occurs.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the second basic structure of the position detecting device, FIG. 7 (A) is a plan view, and FIG. 7 (B) is a front view. 8A and 8B are a partial cross-sectional view and an equivalent partial cross-sectional view at positions CC ′ in FIG. 7, FIG. 8A is a partial cross-sectional view when light is blocked, and FIG. 8B is FIG.
8A is a partial sectional view equivalent to FIG. 8A, FIG. 8C is a partial sectional view when light is reflected, and FIG. 8D is a partial sectional view equivalent to FIG. 8C. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. Reference numerals 21 to 23 are reflection and light shielding plates.

In the second basic structure, a part of the light is reflected or shielded by the reflecting / shading plates 21 to 23 for reflecting or shielding the light from the light source 18 according to the incident direction of the light from the light source 18. This is a three-dimensional position detection device in which the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 are installed at positions. Further, the second photoelectric conversion element 14 is installed at a position where light is not blocked or reflected by the reflection / shading plates 21 to 23.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 and the second photoelectric conversion element 14 have the same basic configuration as described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. Will be installed in the position. However, the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11
The distances between the end of ˜14 on the side of the origin 19 and the far end opposite thereto are both L / 2. First photoelectric conversion element 1
Reflection / light-shielding plates 21 to 23 are installed at the ends far from the origin 19 of 1 to 13 corresponding to the respective first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13. This position is assumed to be at a distance of A _{1 to} A ₃ from the origin 19.

Each of the reflection / shading plates 21 to 23 is a rectangular plate-like body having a reflecting surface on the origin side and a shading surface on the opposite side, and is perpendicular to the y-z plane as shown in FIG. 7B. It is provided in the x-axis direction and the height is h. First photoelectric conversion element 1
The set of 1 and the reflection / shading plate 21 opposes the set of the first photoelectric conversion element 12 and the reflection / shading plate 22 in the y-axis direction,
The second photoelectric conversion element 14 is orthogonal to this in the z-axis direction.
And a set of the first photoelectric conversion element 13 and the reflection / light-shielding plate 23 face each other.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8C, in the reflection / shading plate 23, the light source 18 is opposite to the first photoelectric conversion element 13 side with respect to the first photoelectric conversion element 13. When the light source 18 is in the
When on the side, it acts as a reflection means. Although not shown, the other reflecting / shading plates 21 and 22 similarly act on the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 and 12.

In FIG. 8A, the light from the light source 18 is transmitted through the reflection / light-shielding plate 23 to the first photoelectric conversion element 13
Is received at. At this time, in the first photoelectric conversion element 13, the area of the light receiving region changes due to the change of the light shielding region depending on the light incident direction. In the figure, the light-shielding region of the first photoelectric conversion element 13 is filled in black, and the light-receiving region is marked with an arrow along the light-receiving surface. The reflection / shading plate 23 serves as a shading plate for the first photoelectric conversion element 13 even if both surfaces are reflecting surfaces. The first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 convert the total amount of light corresponding to the light receiving area into a current or a voltage and output it.

As described above, the first function of the reflection / shading plate 23 is to shield the light from the light source 18 by the amount depending on the incident direction and allow the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 to receive the light. Therefore, the direction of the light source 18 can be known by reading the outputs of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13.

In FIG. 8C, the light from the light source 18 is transmitted through the reflection / light-shielding plate 23 to the first photoelectric conversion element 13
Is received at. At this time, in the first photoelectric conversion element 13, the reflected light receiving area changes depending on the incident direction of the light, and the area of the area that double receives the direct light and the reflected light changes. The first photoelectric conversion element 13 converts the total amount of light corresponding to the sum of the light receiving areas of the direct light and the reflected light into a current or a voltage and outputs the current or voltage. As described above, the second function of the light shielding / reflecting means 23 is to reflect the light from the light source 18 by the amount depending on the incident direction and allow the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 to receive the light. The direction of the light source 18 can be known by reading the outputs of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13.

FIG. 8 (B) is equivalent to FIG. 8 (A). In FIG. 8 (B), there is no reflection / shading plate 23, and the first photoelectric conversion element 13 is extended to the tip of the shading plate 17 so that the length becomes twice L. It is assumed that the end of the light shielding plate 17 on the origin side is located at the same position as the upper end of the light shielding plate 23. Similar to FIG. 8A, a part of the light from the light source 18 is shielded by the light shielding plate 17, is received by the first photoelectric conversion element 13, and the output thereof is the first photoelectric conversion element 13. Will be output from. Similarly, FIG. 8D is similar to FIG.
It is equivalent to (C), and the configuration itself is the same as that of FIG. 8 (B). In FIG. 8C, of the light from the light source 18, the amount of light that should be reflected by the reflection / shading plate 23 is received by the extended first photoelectric conversion element 13, and the output thereof is added to produce the first light. The photoelectric conversion element 13 of No. 1 outputs.

The first photoelectric conversion element 13 and the light shielding plate 17 in FIGS. 8B and 8D are the first photoelectric conversion elements in the first basic configuration described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. Although it is similar to the element 13 and the light shielding plate 17, in the drawing, the length of the first photoelectric conversion element 13 is double and the area is also double. Although not shown, the other first photoelectric conversion elements 11 and 12 and the reflection / shading plates 21 and 22 in FIG. 7 also have the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 and 12 and the shading plate 15 in the first basic configuration. , 16 has the same relationship.

However, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8C, the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 14 are used.
If the length of is set to L / 2 for convenience as described above,
In the equation obtained in the description of the first embodiment,
By replacing V ₀ with 2V ₀ , the position coordinates of the light source 18 can be obtained. Of course, the specific numerical value of L is arbitrary.

The length of the second photoelectric conversion element 14 is also L
However, as described in the first basic configuration, the shape of the second photoelectric conversion element 14 is originally arbitrary, and if the coefficient is appropriately changed according to the light receiving area, the same equation is used. The position coordinates of the light source 18 can be obtained. For example, if the length L is the same as that of the equivalent first photoelectric conversion element 13 shown in FIGS. 8B and 8D, the position coordinates of the light source 18 can be obtained by using the above equation as it is. it can.

Also in this second basic structure, similar to the first basic structure, the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 1 are used.
4, particularly the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 do not necessarily have to be regularly arranged on the same plane, and the same applies to the reflection / shielding plates 21 to 23. However, the reflection / shielding plates 21 to 23 and the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 are located at positions where a part of the light is reflected or shielded according to the incident direction of the light from the light source 18, for example, the first photoelectric conversion element. Conversion elements 11 to 1
It is necessary to install the reflection light receiving area or the light shielding area on the position 3 so that the area of the reflected light receiving area or the light shielding area changes, and to change the above-described arithmetic expression according to the arrangement.

Similarly, the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13
Do not necessarily have to be the same rectangle. The same applies to the reflective light-shielding plates 21 to 23. Even if the respective shapes and sizes are different from each other, the boundary line of the reflected light receiving region or the boundary line of the light shielding region is regularly moved according to the incident direction of the light from the light source 18, and therefore the light source 18 is calculated. The position coordinates of can be obtained.

When the boundary line of the reflected light receiving region or the boundary line of the light shielding region moves on the light receiving surface in accordance with the incident direction of the light from the light source 18, the boundary line of the reflected light receiving region does not depend on the incident direction of the light. The reflection / shielding plates 21 to 23 and the first photoelectric conversion element 1 so that the shape is always constant, for example, a straight line having a constant length.
If the shapes and installation positions of 1 to 13 are determined, the position coordinates of the light source can be obtained by directly or slightly modifying the above-described arithmetic expression. As in the case of the first basic configuration, there are cases in which there is no practical problem even without using the second photoelectric conversion element 14.

It can be seen that the reflection / shading plates 21 to 23 substantially double the light receiving area of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13. Along with this, the angle range of the incident direction of the light that can be received is expanded, and the range in which the position of the light source can be detected is expanded. The reflection / shading plates 21 to 23 do not necessarily have to be flat and installed vertically from the ends of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 to the light receiving surface. However, by being flat and installed in this way,
There is an advantage that the arithmetic expression for obtaining the position coordinates of the light source 18 becomes simple.

As described with reference to FIGS. 8 (A) and 8 (C), the reflection / light-shielding plates 21 to 23 have either one of the reflection and light-shielding functions depending on the position of the light source 18. Is what works. Therefore, when the range of the position to be detected by the light source 18 is limited in advance, the reflecting / shading plates 21 to 23 may substantially perform only one of the functions.

Therefore, the reflection / light-shielding plates 21 to 23 are, depending on the case, three reflection-only means, three reflection-only means, or a combination of reflection-only and reflection-only means. It can also be used. The light-shielding plates 15 to 17 of the first basic configuration are also one form of means only for light-shielding, and therefore, in some cases, a part of the reflection / light-shielding plates 21 to 23 in the second basic configuration is used in the first embodiment. Alternatively, the light shielding plates 15 to 17 may be replaced.

Although the basic configuration of the position detecting device 3 has been described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8, various configurations obtained by slightly modifying this configuration will be described below.

FIG. 9 is a plan view for explaining a first modification of the first basic structure shown in FIG. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. Reference numeral 31 is a light shielding plate. This modified example is a position detection device in which the shading plates 15 to 17 in the first basic configuration described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 are moved to the origin 19 side, and further these are replaced by one shading plate 31. is there.

In this case, the light-receiving region and the light-shielding region are only opposite to those in FIGS. 4 to 6, and therefore the coordinates of the three-dimensional position of the light source 18 can be obtained by the same calculation. Also in FIG. 4, the light shielding plates 15 to 17 may be connected to be replaced with a single light shielding plate. For example, the second photoelectric conversion element 14 is replaced with a frame-shaped light-shielding plate having a rectangular center hole and below the center hole, the light from the light source 18 is not blocked by the light-shielding plate. May be installed.

Further, in FIG. 9, the illustrated light shielding plate 31 and the second photoelectric conversion element 14 are removed, and the second photoelectric conversion element 14 having the same shape as that of the light shielding plate 31 is installed at the position of the illustrated light shielding plate 31. As a result, the light shielding plate 31 and the second photoelectric conversion element 14 can be used in common. Alternatively, the second photoelectric conversion element 14 having a size smaller than that may be placed and installed on the illustrated light shielding plate 31. In this case, the size can be further reduced. Note that such a method is also possible in FIG. 4, and an appropriate light-shielding plate is selected from the three light-shielding plates 15 to 17, and this is replaced with the second photoelectric conversion element 14, or The second photoelectric conversion element 14 may be mounted on.

FIG. 10 is a plan view for explaining a second modification of the first basic structure shown in FIG. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. In this embodiment, one set of each of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 and the corresponding light shielding plates 15 to 17 in the first basic configuration described with reference to FIGS. And the plurality of sets are installed apart from each other, and further, one second photoelectric conversion element 14 is installed individually near each set,
This is a position detection device using a total of three second photoelectric conversion elements 14.

By arranging the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 apart from each other, the incident directions of the light from the light source 18 are relatively different between the photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13, so that the position detection is performed. The accuracy of is improved. However, if one second photoelectric conversion element 14 is left as it is, the distance from the light source 18 and the amount of light emitted from the light source 18 are reduced even between the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 and the second photoelectric conversion element 14. The incident direction, the intensity distribution of the irradiation light of the light source 18, etc. are greatly different.

In the first basic configuration, the output of the second photoelectric conversion element 14 is used to compensate for the change in the light amount per unit area depending on the distance from the light source 18 and the like. That is, the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 and the second photoelectric conversion elements
The position of the light source is detected by utilizing the fact that the ratio of the outputs of the photoelectric conversion elements 14 corresponds to the ratio of the respective irradiation areas or lengths. Therefore, when the two are separated, the light source 1
The accuracy of the position detection may be deteriorated due to the difference in the distance from 8 or the like.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the second photoelectric conversion element 14 is individually adjacent to each of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13, and the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 1 are individually arranged.
3 output and the second photoelectric conversion element 1 close to each
By combining with the output of No. 4 and calculating, the output of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 can be accurately associated with the irradiation area or length. In this case, V ₀ used in the expressions (7) to (9) described in the first basic configuration is used.
Represents not the value common to the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13, but the output of the individual second photoelectric conversion element 14 at each location. Therefore, the arithmetic expressions after this expression will be modified.

Also in this embodiment, the second photoelectric conversion element 14 can also be used as the light shielding plates 15 to 17 or can be mounted on the light shielding plates 15 to 17 to further reduce the size. If there are two sets of the first photoelectric conversion element, the light shielding plate, and the second photoelectric conversion element that receives light over the entire surface, two light sources are used.
Dimensional position can be detected.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view when the distance between the first photoelectric conversion element and the light shielding plate is changed in the first basic structure shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 11A shows a long distance. 11B is a partial cross-sectional view when the distance is shortened. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. In each case, the case where the light from the light source 18 is applied to the entire light receiving surface of the first photoelectric conversion element 11 via the light shielding plate 15 is illustrated.

At this time, the light source 18 is at the limit position for position detection, and when the light source 18 is further approached in the x-axis direction,
Light is leaked from the end of the first photoelectric conversion element 11 on the side of the light shield plate 15, and the position cannot be detected. However, the detection sensitivity is higher when the distance h between the first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the light shielding plate 15 is increased. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the distance h ₁ between the _first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the light shielding plate 15 is increased, it is suitable for detecting a long distance of x ₁ or more, and FIG. When the distance h ₂ is shortened as
It is suitable for detecting a short distance of x ₂ or more. For example,
By changing the setting of the position of the light shielding plate 15, it is possible to detect the position of the light source 18 existing in the range of several m3 to several cm3 with high accuracy of the order of several tens of μm to sub μm. .

Therefore, a group in which the distance between the first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the light shielding plate 15 is h ₁ and a group in which the distance between the first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the light shielding plate 15 is h ₂ shorter than h ₁ are closely arranged in the same arrangement, and the output of each group is set manually or By using a position detection device that automatically switches, it becomes possible to cope with both the near and far position detection. Or,
Even if the set of the first photoelectric conversion element 11 and the light shielding plate 15 is one, the value of the distance h may be made variable by moving the light shielding plate 15 by a motor, a plunger or the like. Similarly, the other sets of the first photoelectric conversion element and the light shielding plate can be used for both the near and far position detection. When the position of the light source 18 to be detected is limited in advance, the light-shielding plate 1 corresponding to each of the first photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 13 according to the extent of the distance from the light source 18 to the light source 18.
The length h of 5 to 17 may be set individually.

Next, a more specific embodiment of the position detecting device or the position change detecting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 (A) is an impact sensor and an acceleration sensor, and FIG. 12 (B) is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example. In the figure, FIG.
The same parts as those in FIG. Four
1 is a support rod, 42 is an impact sensor or acceleration sensor, 4
Reference numeral 3 is a piezoelectric element. This embodiment is an example in which a sensor using a cantilever beam represented by an impact sensor or an acceleration sensor is further improved in accuracy by the position detection device of the present invention. The impact sensor is used as a batch that is attached to the article and detects whether or not an impact is applied during the transportation of the article after the transportation.

As shown in FIG. 12B, since the conventional impact sensor or acceleration sensor uses a cantilever beam having a laminated structure such as the piezoelectric element 43, its detection characteristic is a cantilever beam material. It depends on the characteristics of bonding and bonding, and it is essential to select a material that does not affect the detection characteristics as much as possible or to correct the output. Further, in the case of the laminated structure of the piezoelectric element 43, only a one-dimensional impact or acceleration was obtained.

However, as shown in FIG. 12A, the reflection area 2 is supported by the support rod 41 made of a free material without using a piezoelectric element or the like, and its position is detected by the position detection device 3.
To detect. The light source 1 and the position detection device 3 are integrated into one, and the support rod 41 having the reflection area 2 in the small portion at the tip thereof is housed in the case to form the impact sensor or the acceleration sensor 42. The time change of the position of the reflection area 2 is calculated by calculation by a CPU or the like.
The calculation means can be built in this case, or the calculation can be performed by an external personal computer or a dedicated information processing device. There are few restrictions on the material of the support rod 41, and it is possible to detect impact and acceleration not only in one dimension but also in two dimensions.

Instead of providing the reflection plate, the tip end portion of the supporting rod itself may have a surface for reflecting light. Of course, it is desirable that the portion outside the reflection area 2 does not reflect the measurement light as much as possible. Since the position detecting device 3 can also be formed to be relatively small, the position detecting device 3 and the reflection area 2 may be arranged in the opposite manner.
May be attached to the support rod 41.

Further, the reflection area 2 is provided at the tip of the piezoelectric element 43 of FIG. 12B, and the light source 1 and the position detection device 3 are provided.
May be used as the impact sensor or the acceleration sensor 42. In this case, different 2
Impact and acceleration can be detected by one of the methods, both can be used complementarily, and the other can be calibrated.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 (A) shows a reflection area provided on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum, and FIG. 13 (B) shows the reflection area. FIG. 13C is an explanatory diagram of the one provided on the side surface of the photosensitive drum, and FIG. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG.
Reference numeral 51 is a photosensitive drum, and 52 is a rotating shaft. This embodiment is an application example to an electrophotographic recording mechanism such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, etc., and is used for measuring the operation of a photosensitive drum.

In FIG. 13A, the photosensitive drum 51
The reflection area 2 by a reflection plate or the like is provided in a small portion on the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum 51, and the light source 1 and the position detection device 3 are installed at positions close to the photosensitive drum 51 without contacting the photosensitive drum 51.
Rotates and the reflection area 2 approaches the position detection device 3, the position of the reflection area 2 is detected by the reflected light from the reflection area 2, and the angular velocity, eccentricity of the photosensitive drum 1,
Three-dimensional position change information such as axial displacement can be calculated and measured. The reflector of the reflective area 2 can be replaced with a phosphor. In the process of exposing the entire surface of the photosensitive drum 51, the fluorescent light emitted by the fluorescent material upon irradiation with the exposure light source is used as reflected light.

The position of the reflection area 2 is a part of the side surface of the photosensitive drum as shown in FIG.
As shown in (C), it may be installed on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft 52 of the photosensitive drum 51. When the reflection area 2 is installed at one location, the angular velocity, eccentricity, axial deviation, etc. can be measured at that one location. However, when the reflection area 2 is installed at multiple locations, the photosensitive drum is 51
A more detailed measurement becomes possible by constantly measuring the speed in the rotation direction, the eccentricity, and the deviation in the axial direction as a whole. Instead of providing the reflection plate, the photosensitive drum 51 in the reflection area 2 or the rotary shaft 52 itself may have a surface that reflects light. Of course, it is desirable that the portion outside the reflection area 2 does not reflect the measurement light as much as possible. The position detection device 3 and the reflection area 2 may be replaced with each other, and the position detection device 3 may be installed on the photosensitive drum 51 side.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. Reference numeral 61 is a substrate as an object, 62 is a PAD, and 63 is an inspection probe. This embodiment is an application example to the inspection probe 63, and detects the relative positional relationship between the substrate 61 as an object and the inspection probe 63 to perform alignment. A semiconductor chip or wafer can be used as the target substrate 61.

A metal PAD 62 for wire bonding and the like and a reflection region 2 are provided at a predetermined position on a substrate 61 which is an object. The reflection area 2 that reflects the light from the light source 1 is, for example, P on the substrate 61 that is an object.
A reflection plate formed by a method similar to that of the AD62 or attached separately, and this position is detected by the position detection device 3 provided at the tip of the inspection probe 63 or in the vicinity thereof, and the PAD62 and the inspection probe 63 are connected to each other. The relative position of, i.e., the position on the horizontal plane and the vertical height are measured. At the same time, while feeding back the measured value, the relative position can be changed by a driving device (not shown) to perform accurate probing.
There is no possibility of cutting AD62.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIGS. Reference numeral 64 is a wire bonding probe, and 65 is a wire. This embodiment is an application example to the wire bonding probe 64, and detects the relative positional relationship between the substrate 61 as an object and the wire bonding probe 64, and performs alignment during wire bonding. .

The light source 1 and the position detecting device 3 are provided at or near the tip of the wire bonding probe 64 from which the wire 65 is pulled out, and the position detecting device 3 measures the relative position between the PAD 62 and the wire bonding probe 64. The relative position can be changed by a driving device (not shown) while feeding back the measured value, and the wire bonding can be performed accurately.

In FIG. 14 or 15, the reflection area 2
May be provided at a plurality of locations. In this case, the twist of the substrate 61 that is the object can be detected. It is also possible to provide the reflection area 2 on the inspection probe 63 or the wire bonding probe 64 side and the position detection device 3 on the substrate 61 side which is the object. Although the light source 1 is provided on the position detecting device 3 side, it may be provided on another portion. When there is a portion on the substrate 61 such as the PAD 62 that is relatively easy to reflect light, it can be used as the reflection area 2.

As a similar application example, if the inspection probe 63 is replaced with a movable arm of a work robot which is also used in a general manufacturing line, it can be used for position detection and position control of the movable arm.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 71 is a transparent substrate, 72 is a low reflection film, 73 is a protective film, 74 is a stepper stage, and 75 is a light shielding hood. This embodiment is an application example to a semiconductor process such as for manufacturing a TFT liquid crystal and is used for an apparatus for alignment of a stepper.

Conventionally, although not shown, a light source such as a laser beam is installed near the stage of a stepper that holds a transparent substrate, a substrate is irradiated with a light beam of a specific shape, and the irradiated light beam (mark) and The marks already formed on the substrate were photographed by a CCD camera attached to a microscope, and their positions were aligned by automatic image processing and visual confirmation of the screen. However, in order to simply perform the alignment, the complicated process of controlling the precise emission direction of the laser light, photographing with the camera and image processing is performed, and if this is visually confirmed and judged to be normal. A confirmation signal must be input. Even with this method, the controllable accuracy is sub-μ.
m. According to the position detecting device of the present invention, similar accuracy of about sub-μm is possible with a simple means and a simple arithmetic circuit.

The TFT liquid crystal is formed on the glass substrate.
A reflective film is formed on the transparent substrate 71 such as the glass substrate, and is used as the reflective region 2. The reflection area 2 may be provided at a plurality of places on the glass substrate, and in this case, three points,
It is possible to detect multiple points such as 8 points. This reflecting surface is on the lower surface of the reflecting film, that is, on the side in contact with the transparent substrate 71, and diffuses the light incident from the transparent substrate 71 side. A concave portion is provided on the upper surface of the stage 74 of the stepper on which the transparent substrate 71 is placed, and the light source 1 and the position detection device 3 are provided on the transparent substrate 7.
1 is installed in a non-contact manner, the light source 1 irradiates the reflection area 2 with light, the reflected light is detected by the position detection device 3 having a photoelectric conversion element, and the reflection area 2 as a virtual light source.
Read the 3D position of.

In this way, the alignment of the transparent substrate 71 on the two-dimensional plane and the amount of floating of the transparent substrate 71 in the vertical direction are detected. The position can be detected even if the transparent substrate 71 and the position detection device 3 are in contact with each other. The light source 1 may have a light shielding hood 75 or a reflecting mirror that irradiates light only in the range where the reflection area 2 exists.

In the production of the reflective film to be the reflective region 2, first, a film such as aluminum having a high reflectance and easy to diffuse light is patterned into a predetermined region on the transparent substrate 71 such as glass by a semiconductor process or the like. In the case of manufacturing TFT liquid crystal, it can be performed at the same time when the metal of the gate electrode is formed. Fine concavities and convexities may be provided on the surface of the transparent substrate 71 to facilitate the diffusion of light. Next, polyimide or the like is laminated as the protective film 73 so that the reflective film is not deteriorated or changed in shape in a subsequent process by etching or the like.

Further, by laminating the low reflection film 72 thereon, it is possible to prevent the reflected light from other than the reflection film from reaching the photoelectric conversion element in the position detection device 3. When the low reflection film 73 can also be used as a protective film, the protective film 7
2 can be omitted. The production of these films needs to be performed at least before the exposure step that requires alignment. Also, at a place away from the transparent substrate 71,
It is also possible to fabricate these reflective regions 2 and the like and later bond them to the transparent substrate 71.

Furthermore, the transparent substrate 71 can be kept in the same optical state every time alignment is performed, and highly accurate alignment can be performed in each alignment process. For this purpose, it is necessary to avoid scratches and stains on the regions that become the optical paths of the irradiation light and the reflected light, and jigs that come into contact with the regions corresponding to this optical path in the alignment and exposure steps as well as in other steps. The process needs to be designed so that there is no such thing. In addition, before the alignment step, sufficient cleaning is performed to remove stains on the back surface of the transparent substrate 71, and the reflective region 2, the protective film 73, the low reflective film 72, etc. are altered or peeled off in the next step. It is necessary to select a process that does not.

Further, in order to avoid the incidence of stray light from other than the reflection area 2, the wavelength of the light emitted from the light source 1 is selectively set on the optical path from the reflection area 2 to the photoelectric conversion element in the position detection device 3. It is desirable to provide a filter that transmits light. Further, since light passes through the interface between the air and the transparent substrate 71, it is necessary to correct the difference in refractive index between them. However,
Whether the photoelectric conversion element in the light source 1 and the position detection device 3 provided on the stage 74 side of the stepper is covered with a material having the same refractive index as the transparent substrate 71 to make the air layer through which the reflected light passes as thin as possible. It is also possible to eliminate this correction by eliminating the contact.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 82 and 84 are lenses, and 81 and 83
Is a lens support. This embodiment is an application example to a lens mechanism in a copying machine, a fax machine, a printer, a camera, a telescope, an optical disk drive, etc.
It is used for measuring the operation of the lenses 82, 84 or the lens supports 81, 83.

The two lenses 82 and 84 are attached to the lens supports 81 and 83, respectively, and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction. The lenses are horizontally moved by the lens moving mechanism, and the relative positions of the two lenses are changed. Lens support 81, 8
The reflection area 2 is installed in a small portion of 3 by attaching a reflection plate, and the light source 1 and the position detection device 3 are installed in positions close to these. The reflective area 2 may be provided at the ends of the lenses 82 and 84. Lenses 82, 84
When the lens supports 81 and 83 move, the position of the lens supports 81 and 83 is detected by the reflected light from each reflection area 2, and the positions of the lenses 82 and 84 or the positions of the lens supports 81 and 83 are detected from the detected values. To measure.

Further, by calculating the time change of the position, it is possible to measure the three-dimensional information about the position change such as the velocity and the acceleration. By these, lens 8
Since the positions of 2,84 can be analyzed quantitatively,
Trouble such as misalignment can be found in advance,
It is possible to eliminate the positional deviation by feeding back the deviation amount.

The lens position can be detected in the zoom lens mechanism. In the lens moving mechanism that moves the lenses 82 and 84 in the vertical plane, it is also possible to detect the deviation of the central axes of the lenses 82 and 84 and align the central axes. It should be noted that the lens moving mechanism may be attached to only one side, and in this case, the present invention is used to provide a space between the lenses 82 and 84 or a lens support 81 and 83.
The relative distance between can be detected.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. Reference numeral 91 is a ring-shaped pipe, 92 is a column, and 93 is a sensor for detecting a rotation angle and the like. This embodiment is an application example to a small rotating object, and measures the position of the rotating object, the rotation angle such as the Euler angle, the angular velocity, the angular acceleration, and the like.

A transparent hollow ring-shaped pipe 91 is filled with a liquid or a gas, and a weight or a float is put in this as a light-reflective object to be the reflection area 2, and the rotational movement of this object is applied to the support column 92. It is detected by the position detection device 3 attached together with the light source 1. If the object other than the object serving as the reflection area 2 rotates so that the object is stationary, these members are housed to serve as a sensor 93 for detecting a rotation angle and the like, and the rotation of the object attached by this sensor is performed. Corners and the like can be detected. The light source 1 may be installed separately from the position detection device 3, or the light source 1 may be provided outside the detection sensor 93 for detecting the rotation angle and the like, and the light may be radiated therein.

Conventionally, since the Euler angle and the like were measured by the magnetic sensor, it was common knowledge that the magnetic substance was distorted by the magnetic substance existing in the measurement range and an uncorrectable error remained, but it was not Therefore, such an error does not exist, and the measurement can be easily performed. However, depending on the characteristics of the liquid or gas sealed in the ring-shaped pipe 91, the inertial force is included in the motion of the object that is the reflection region 2, so that, for example, several ring-shaped pipes 91 with different radii are prepared. However, it is also possible to correct the amount of movement due to inertia by changing the resistance of the object to be the reflection area 2 placed in each and sequentially irradiating the reflection area.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 101 is paper. This embodiment is an example of application to a paper feeding mechanism in a copying machine, a fax machine, a printer, etc., and performs position detection and operation measurement of paper or a paper feeding mechanism.

The vicinity of an edge such as an edge or a corner of the paper surface of the paper 101 is regarded as a reflection area, and the light source 1 and the position detection device 3 are installed at positions close to the edges of the paper surface. When the edge approaches the position detection device 3, the position of the edge of the paper surface is detected by the reflected light from the paper 101, and three-dimensional information regarding the position, speed, acceleration, etc. of the paper 101 is measured from the value. In this example, the light from the light source 1 is spot-like, and the area of the reflection region that reflects this light changes with the movement of the paper 101, but this can be treated as an error.

If the paper 101 is supplied by the paper feed mechanism, the operation of the paper feed mechanism can be measured from the position information of the paper 101 and the like. Further, if the paper feeding mechanism itself is provided with a reflection area, the position of the paper feeding mechanism can be detected similarly to the substrate 61 which is the object in FIG.

By these, not only the detection of the trouble that the paper cannot be fed, but also the direction and the size of the deviation of the paper 101 and the amount of the floating of the paper can be known. It is also possible to provide the information and to know the danger of occurrence before the trouble occurs. Of course, it can also be used for detecting the position of the paper 101 or the paper feed mechanism when controlling the paper feed mechanism.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of the ninth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 111 is a laser light source, and 112 is a target object having a reflecting surface. This embodiment is an application example to the measurement of an object shape, in which the shape of the object is detected by a position detection device. It is possible to measure three-dimensional shapes such as relics and soft materials that cannot be contact-measured.
The shape may change with time.

The target object 1 having a diffusive reflecting surface is scanned by scanning the light that is emitted from the laser light source 111 and is narrowed down.
By irradiating 12 with the reflected light, the position detection device 3 having a photoelectric conversion element detects the reflected light to detect the three-dimensional shape of the object. For scanning, for example, a mirror can be used. A signal synchronized with the scan is output to a calculation means provided inside or outside the position detection device 3,
A correspondence between the irradiation angle of the laser light and the calculated position may be taken.

As the light source, a light beam having a good straightness and a small light flux is preferable, but an LED light beam converged by a lens or a light beam narrowed down by using the small hole 4 shown in FIG. 2 may be used. Position detection and three-dimensional measurement such as speed and acceleration, which are changes over time, can be performed without contact.

Finally, measures for improving the position detection accuracy will be described. In order to perform highly accurate three-dimensional position detection in a wide range, it is desirable to provide a plurality of units of the position detection device 3 of the present invention. Then, select a unit that is closest to the light source 1 and can detect the position with high accuracy. Therefore, for example, a unit having the maximum output is selected from the outputs of the second photoelectric conversion elements 14 shown in FIG.
Dimensional position can be detected. The number of units to be selected is not limited to one, and for example, two to three may be selected from the one having the largest output, and the average value of the three-dimensional positions obtained therefrom may be obtained.

In addition, in the light receiving surface near each end of the first and second photoelectric conversion elements 11 to 14 shown in FIG. May have a factor of deterioration in accuracy such as poor linearity. In such a case, a light-shielding plate may be provided in contact with the light-receiving surface from the end portion to the portion having the accuracy deterioration factor, or a light-shielding paint may be applied to the light-receiving surface having the accuracy deterioration factor. It is possible to detect the position without using the part.

The position detecting device of the present invention becomes a general one-dimensional to three-dimensional position detecting device and further a position change detecting device by providing a reflection area irradiated by a light emitting source on an object. Although not shown, a reflection area may be provided on a ball-point pen that is normally used, a pen having a similar shape to this, or an indicator rod. For example, the tip portion of the pen housing or the indicator rod or its vicinity is used as the reflection area. virtual·
It can be applied to reality-related technologies, for example,
By providing a reflection area on a part of the user's body, the input device can detect body movement and body movement. in this way,
It is possible to measure the 3D position and speed or direction of motion of a general object or an object with a reflection area attached, or the 3D shape of a general object, and widely applied to the field of 3D measurement. can do.

[0133]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the invention, the position detecting device includes the light shielding means for shielding the reflected light from the object, and at least one first photoelectric device. Since the first photoelectric conversion means having the conversion means is installed at a position where a part of the reflected light is shielded according to the position of the object by the light shielding means, strict fine adjustment is not required, There is an effect that position detection can be performed using a simple device composed of photoelectric conversion means, light shielding means, and the like. Since the reflected light from the target object is received, it is possible to detect the position of the target object to which the light source is difficult to attach.

According to the invention described in claim 2, the position detecting device has at least one second photoelectric conversion means, and the second photoelectric conversion means shields the reflected light by the light shielding means. Since it is installed at such a position, there is an effect that it is possible to compensate a change in the amount of light per unit area depending on the distance from the light source, the direction of light, the intensity of the irradiation light of the light source, and the like.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the position detection device has a reflecting means for reflecting the reflected light from the object, a light shielding means for shielding the reflected light, and at least one first photoelectric conversion means. And the first photoelectric conversion means is installed at a position where a part of the reflected light is reflected or shielded by at least one of the reflecting means or the light shielding means according to the position of the object. In addition to the same effect as the invention described in Item 1, since the substantial light receiving area of the first photoelectric conversion means is increased by the reflecting means, the direction of light that can be received is expanded and the position of the light source can be detected. Has the effect of being expanded.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the position detecting device has at least one second photoelectric conversion means, and the second photoelectric conversion means shields the reflected light by the reflecting means and the light shielding means. Since it is installed at a position where it is not reflected, there is the same effect as the invention according to claim 2.

According to the invention described in claim 5, since the light source for irradiating light is included, the positional relationship between the light source and the position detection device is determined in advance, so that the installation location of the position detection device can be easily determined. There is an effect. According to the invention described in claim 6, since it has the position calculation means for calculating the position of the object based on the photoelectric conversion output of the reflected light, there is an effect that the position can be easily detected. According to the invention described in claim 7, since the reflection area is provided in at least a part of the object and the reflected light reflected by the reflection area is detected by at least one position detection device, the reflected light from the object There is an effect that can be easily obtained.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, since the object is the photoconductor and the position detecting device in the electrophotographic recording mechanism, there is an effect that the rotational position of the photoconductor can be easily detected. According to the invention described in claim 9, since the object is the lens or the lens support and the position detecting device in the lens moving mechanism, the position of the lens or the lens support can be easily detected. . According to the invention of claim 10, since the object is a transparent substrate, the reflective region is provided on one side of the transparent substrate, and at least one position detection device is provided on the other side of the transparent substrate. There is an effect that the position of the transparent substrate can be easily detected at a place sandwiching the transparent substrate with respect to the reflection area.

According to the invention described in claim 11, since the surface of the object itself is a reflecting surface and the reflected light reflected by the reflecting surface is detected by at least one position detecting device, it is additionally reflected. There is an effect that the reflective region can be provided by utilizing the characteristics of the object itself without using a plate, reflective paint, plating or the like. According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, since the object is paper having a reflecting surface and is a paper position detecting device, there is an effect that the position of the paper can be easily detected.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the invention, there is provided irradiation means for sequentially irradiating a plurality of regions of the object with the light source, and position detection outputs of the plurality of regions are obtained in synchronization with the sequential irradiation. There is an effect that the positions of a plurality of areas can be easily detected. According to the invention as set forth in claim 14, the light source irradiates a plurality of regions of the object with different characteristics of the irradiation light for each region, and position detection of the plurality of regions is performed based on the characteristics of the reflected light. Since the output is obtained, there is an effect that the positions of a plurality of areas can be easily detected.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the position detecting device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects,
The position change amount calculating means for calculating the position change amount such as the velocity, acceleration, and angular velocity of the target object based on the output of the position detecting device is provided, so that the position change amount of the target object can be easily detected. There is.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a case where diffused light is applied to a reflection area,
It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of a light source, the reflective area | region of an object, and a photoelectric conversion element.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view showing a positional relationship between a light source, a reflection area of an object, and a photoelectric conversion element in a case where a reflection area is irradiated with a thin light beam.

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a light source, a reflection area of an object, and a photoelectric conversion element in an object having a plurality of reflection areas.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a first basic configuration of the position detection device.

5 is a cross-sectional view of the xy plane of FIG. 4 and an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a light source and each part.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the xz plane of FIG. 4 and an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a light source and each part.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a second basic configuration of the position detection device.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view and an equivalent partial cross-sectional view at a position CC ′ of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a first modification of the first basic configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating a second modification example of the first basic configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram when the distance between the first photoelectric conversion element and the light shielding plate is changed in the first basic configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of the ninth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 5, 7, 18 ... Light source, 2, 6, 8 ... Reflection area, 3 ...
Position detecting device, 4 ... Small holes, 11-13 ... First photoelectric conversion element, 14 ... Second photoelectric conversion element, 15-17, 3
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Light-shielding plate, 21-23 ... Reflection and light-shielding plate, 41 ... Support rod, 43 ... Piezoelectric element, 51 ... Photosensitive drum, 52 ... Rotating shaft, 61 ... Target substrate, 63 ... Inspection probe,
64 ... Wire bonding probe, 71 ... Transparent substrate, 74 ... Stepper stage, 82, 84 ... Lens,
91 ... Ring pipe, 101 ... Paper, 111 ... Laser light source, 112 ... Target object having a reflecting surface.

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A position detection device for detecting the position of an object to which light is irradiated by reflected light from the object with at least one position detection device, wherein the position detection device is a reflected light from the object. And a first photoelectric conversion unit, and the first photoelectric conversion unit shields a part of the reflected light according to the position of the object by the light shielding unit. A position detecting device which is installed at a position. 2. The position detecting device is at least one.
The position according to claim 1, further comprising two second photoelectric conversion means, wherein the second photoelectric conversion means is installed at a position where the reflected light is not blocked by the light blocking means. Detection device. 3. A position detecting device for detecting the position of an object receiving light irradiation by means of at least one position detecting device for reflected light from the object, wherein the position detecting device detects the reflected light from the object. It has a reflection means for reflecting light, a light shielding means for shielding the reflected light, and at least one first photoelectric conversion means, and the first photoelectric conversion means includes at least one of the reflection means or the light shielding means. The position detecting device is installed at a position where a part of the reflected light is reflected or shielded according to the position of the object. 4. The position detecting device is at least one.
Two second photoelectric conversion means are provided, and the second photoelectric conversion means is installed at a position where the reflected light is not blocked or reflected by the reflecting means and the light shielding means. Item 3. The position detection device according to item 3. 5. The position detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a light source that emits the light. 6. The position detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising position calculating means for calculating a position of the object based on a photoelectric conversion output of the reflected light. 7. The reflection area is provided in at least a part of the object, and the reflected light reflected by the reflection area is detected by the at least one position detection device. The position detection device according to claim 1. 8. The position detecting device according to claim 7, wherein the object is a photoconductor and is a position detecting device in an electrophotographic recording mechanism. 9. The position detecting device according to claim 7, wherein the object is a lens or a lens support, and is a position detecting device in a lens moving mechanism. 10. The object is a transparent substrate, the reflective region is provided on one surface side of the transparent substrate, and the at least one position detection device is provided on the other surface side of the transparent substrate. The position detecting device according to claim 7. 11. The surface of the object itself is a reflective surface, and the reflected light reflected by the reflective surface is the at least 1
The position detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the position detecting device detects the position with one position detecting device. 12. The object is a paper having a reflecting surface and is a paper position detecting device.
1. The position detection device according to 1. 13. An irradiation means for sequentially irradiating a plurality of regions of the object with the light source, wherein position detection outputs of the plurality of regions are obtained in synchronization with the sequential irradiation. Alternatively, the position detection device according to item 6. 14. The light source irradiates a plurality of regions of the object with different characteristics of irradiation light for each region, and position detection outputs of the plurality of regions based on the characteristics of the reflected light. 5. The method according to claim 5, wherein
3. The position detecting device according to claim 1. 15. The position detecting device according to claim 1, and a position for calculating a position change amount such as velocity, acceleration, angular velocity or the like of the object based on an output of the position detecting device. A position change detection device comprising a change calculation means.