KR20150095440A - Distance detecting apparatus and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting the distance which is installed on a rotating body of a moving body and at the same time, can synchronously detect the distances of objects in different directions, and to a method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus for detecting the distance comprises: a first light emitting part which radiates first light to a first object in a first direction; a second light emitting part which radiates second light to a second object in a second direction, which is different from the first direction; a reflecting part which reflects first reflected light of the first light reflected by the first object and second reflected light of the second light reflected by the second object; a light receiving part which receives the first reflected light and the second reflected light reflected by the reflecting part; and a detecting part which synchronously detects a first distance between the moving body and the first object and a second distance between the moving body and the second object based on the first reflected light and the second reflected light.

Description

[0001] DISTANCE DETECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF [0002]

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for detecting a distance of a mobile robot.

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a mobile robot such as a cleaning robot includes traveling means including a right and left wheel motor that travels the cleaning robot in addition to a general vacuum cleaner that sucks dust or foreign matter, And a control unit for controlling the entire apparatus of the mobile robot.

Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0129551

An object of the present invention is to provide a distance detecting device and method which can detect the distance of objects in different directions while being installed on a rotating body of a moving object.

A distance detecting apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention includes: a first light emitting unit that emits first light to a first object in a first direction; A second light emitting portion for emitting a second light to a second object in a second direction different from the first direction; A reflector for reflecting the first reflected light of the first light reflected by the first object and the second reflected light of the second light reflected by the second object; A light receiving unit receiving the first reflected light and the second reflected light reflected by the reflecting unit; And a detection unit that detects a first distance between the moving object and the one object and a second distance between the moving object and the two objects at the same time based on the first reflected light and the second reflected light.

In one example related to the present specification, the first direction and the second direction may be opposite to each other.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the reflective portion includes a first reflective surface reflecting the first reflected light of the first light to the light receiving portion; And a second reflecting surface reflecting the second reflected light of the second light to the light receiving unit.

As an example relating to the present specification, the reflecting portion may be a mirror of a triangle having the first and second reflecting surfaces.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reflective portion includes a first lens that condenses the first reflected light onto the first reflective surface; And a second lens for condensing the second reflected light on the second reflecting surface.

As an example related to the present specification, the first and second light emitting units may be arranged in a line in the rotating body.

As an example related to the present specification, the reflective portion may be positioned between the first and second light emitting portions.

As an example related to the present specification, the distance detection range of the first light emitting portion and the distance detection range of the second light emitting portion may be different from each other.

The light emitting angle of the first light emitting portion and the light emitting angle of the second light emitting portion are set differently from each other so that the distance detection range of the first light emitting portion and the distance detection range of the second light emitting portion are different from each other And the distance between the first light emitting portion and the light receiving portion and the distance between the second light emitting portion and the light receiving portion may be different from each other.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first light emitting unit may further include a first lens that condenses the first light onto the first object, and the second light emitting unit condenses the second light onto the second object And may further include a second lens.

The distance detecting apparatus and method according to embodiments of the present invention can simultaneously detect the distances of objects in different directions by disposing the plurality of light emitting units in different directions, and can increase the distance detecting speed.

The distance detection apparatus and method according to embodiments of the present invention can reduce the additional cost of the light receiving unit by disposing the plurality of light emitting units in different directions and using only one light receiving unit.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a robot cleaner to which a distance detection device according to embodiments of the present invention is applied.
2 is a front view of a robot cleaner to which a distance detection device according to embodiments of the present invention is applied.
3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a robot cleaner including a distance detection device according to embodiments of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram of a distance detecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram showing a distance detection apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a block diagram illustrating a distance detection apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating a method of detecting a distance through a distance detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix "module" and "part" for the components used in this specification are to be given or mixed with consideration only for ease of specification, and do not have a meaning or role that is different from itself, In the following description of the embodiments, detailed description of related arts will be omitted if it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. In addition, it should be noted that the attached drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and should not be construed as limiting the technical idea disclosed in the present specification by the attached drawings.

robotic vacuum

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a robot cleaner to which the distance detecting device according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a front view of the robot cleaner to which the distance detecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied, Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a robot cleaner including a distance detection apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention. The distance detecting device according to the embodiments of the present invention can be applied not only to a robot cleaner but also to various mobile objects that detect distances.

1 to 3, a robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit 110, a power supply unit 120, an acoustic acquisition unit 130, an image acquisition unit 140, An infrared sensor 150, a driving unit 160, an output unit 171, an input unit 172, a communication unit 180, and a sound source database 190. It is needless to say that the components shown in Fig. 3 are not essential, and a robot cleaner having more or less components than those shown in Fig. 3 can be implemented. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

The robot cleaner 100 includes a cleaning unit (not shown) for sucking and cleaning dust or foreign matter. The cleaning unit includes a dust container for storing collected dust, a suction fan for providing power to suck the dust in the cleaning area, and a suction motor for sucking air by rotating the suction fan, can do. At this time, the robot cleaner performs the cleaning function by autonomous running to the cleaning area, and further includes a driving unit 160 (see FIG. 3) for traveling on its own.

As shown in FIG. 2, the robot cleaner 100 may include left and right main wheels 161 and 162 that are movable on both lower sides. The driving unit 160 is connected to the left and right main wheels 161 and 162 and includes a predetermined wheel motor for rotating the wheels so that the main body can be rotated or moved by driving the wheel motor . At this time, it is preferable that a plurality of wheel motors are provided so as to be connected to each of the main wheels. The plurality of wheel motors can independently operate so as to allow individual control for each of the main wheels.

In addition, the robot cleaner 100 further includes at least one auxiliary wheel on its rear side to support the main body, and minimize the friction between the main body bottom surface and the bottom surface, thereby assisting the robot cleaner to move smoothly.

In addition, handles may be installed on both sides of the lower edge of the main body of the robot cleaner, for example, the main wheels 161 and 162, so as to be easily gripped by the user.

Meanwhile, the robot cleaner 100 may further include an input unit 172 and / or an output unit 171 for receiving a control command. As shown in FIG. 1, the input unit 172 includes a hard key, a soft key, a touch pad (including a touch screen including a display function) on the robot cleaner body for receiving a control command directly from a user . Alternatively, the control unit 110 may utilize various algorithms having a known word recognition function by utilizing the sound acquisition means 130 and / or the sound source database 190, Or may receive an input.

Through the input unit 172, the robot cleaner 100 can receive information necessary for performing various functions incorporated in the robot cleaner, such as a cleaning function and a monitoring function. Specifically, it receives commands such as time information necessary for performing a cleaning function according to a preset schedule, information about a cleaning area, and the like, and directly travels back and forth, right and left, return to a charging station, A command for receiving input or outputting information stored in various internal storage means or a command for setting or changing various functions such as a cleaning mode or a traveling mode (horizontal driving, vertical driving, zigzag running, etc.) of the robot cleaner Input can be received.

The output unit 171 may be installed in various forms at various positions as a means for providing various information to the user by the robot cleaner 100. However, as shown in FIG. 1, And may be installed so as to be exposed on the upper part of the robot cleaner in order to easily identify various information. The output unit 171 may include, for example, the current state, the reservation information, the battery state, the cleaning mode and / or the traveling mode state, the cleaning area information, the obstacle information, the location information, , A predicted travel path, and the like. Of course, it is of course possible to display the above information on the map information.

The robot cleaner 100 may further include an operation detecting unit (not shown) for detecting the operation and / or the current state of the robot cleaner 100 according to driving of the main body and outputting corresponding information. The motion detection unit may use a gyro sensor, a wheel sensor, an acceleration sensor, or the like to detect the operation and / or the state of the robot cleaner 100. The motion detection unit may be implemented to perform the same function in the control unit 110 shown in FIG. 3 or in a separate configuration physically independent from the control unit 110, but the implementation is not particularly limited.

The gyro sensor senses the direction of rotation when the robot cleaner moves and detects the rotation angle. Specifically, the gyro sensor detects the angular velocity of the robot cleaner and outputs a voltage or current value proportional to the angular velocity. The motion detection unit can sense the rotation direction and the rotation angle using the voltage or current value output from the gyro sensor have.

A wheel sensor is connected to the main wheels 161 and 162 to detect the rotational speed of the main wheel. Here, the wheel sensor may be a rotary encoder. The rotary encoder senses and outputs the rotational speed of the left and / or right main wheels. The motion detecting unit can calculate the rotational speeds of the left and right wheels using the rotational speed and calculate the rotational angle of the robot cleaner using the rotational speed difference between the left and right wheels.

The acceleration sensor senses a change in the speed of the robot cleaner due to a change in speed, for example, a start, a stop, a change of direction, or a collision with an object. The acceleration sensor is attached to the main wheel or the adjoining positions of the auxiliary wheels, so that the slip or idling of the wheel can be detected. In addition, the acceleration sensor is built in the motion detection unit and can detect the speed change of the robot cleaner. That is, the acceleration sensor detects the amount of impact according to the speed change and outputs a corresponding voltage or current value. Thus, the acceleration sensor can perform the function of an electronic bumper.

Based on the operation information output from the motion detection unit, the controller 110 can calculate the positional change of the robot cleaner, and the robot cleaner can calculate the relative position using the positional information.

Of course, the robot cleaner 100 may calculate an absolute position by comparing the image with the pre-stored image using the feature point or the obstacle information extracted from the image acquired through the image acquiring means 140. [

Meanwhile, the robot cleaner 100 according to the present invention includes the sound acquisition means 130. The sound acquiring means 130 is means for acquiring sounds generated outside the robot cleaner 100 as means for receiving sounds and converting them into electric signals.

A plurality of sound acquisition means 130 are provided outside the robot cleaner 100 so that the controller 110 can recognize the direction of the sound source generated from the outside. That is, when the control unit 110 acquires the sound source through the plurality of sound acquisition units 130, the direction of the external sound source can be sensed based on the sound pressure. More specifically, one sound acquisition means 130 having the highest sound pressure of the sound waves received from among the plurality of sound acquisition means 130 is determined, and the determined sound acquisition means 130 is arranged in the robot cleaner 100 The direction in which the external sound source is generated can be detected based on the detected position.

A plurality of directional sound acquisition means 130 having a high sensitivity to a sound wave received in a specific direction may be arranged along the outer circumferential surface of the robot cleaner side, It is possible to arrange the three sound acquisition means 130 so as to have the same angle along the outer peripheral surface of the side surface of the robot cleaner. For example, the three sound acquisition means 130 may be arranged at an angle of 120 ° between two adjacent sound acquisition means 130 with respect to the center of the robot cleaner 100.

Meanwhile, the robot cleaner 100 may include an image acquisition means (camera) The image acquiring means (camera) 140 includes an image sensor for converting light received from the outside into an electrical signal to acquire an image. The robot cleaner 100 includes at least one image acquiring means 140 And acquires an image by photographing the surroundings using the image. At this time, the image acquiring unit 140 includes at least one lens (not shown) for receiving the light reflected from the subject, an adjusting unit (not shown) for adjusting the distance between the lenses or the image sensor . That is, the image acquiring unit (camera) 140 photographs a subject image through a lens, and outputs the photographed image to the control unit 110.

1, the image acquiring unit 140 may be installed in front of the robot cleaner 100 or may be installed above the robot cleaner 110 (for example, at a position indicated by reference numeral 171) The surrounding image can be acquired. When the robot cleaner 100 includes a plurality of image acquiring units 140a and 140b, the robot cleaner 100 may be disposed along the outer circumferential surface of the side surface of the robot cleaner at a predetermined distance or at a predetermined angle.

The image acquiring means 140a or 140b may be disposed in front of the robot cleaner 100 in order to obtain a front image during movement of the robot cleaner 100 or may be disposed at an adjacent position of the sound acquiring means 130a, The image acquiring means 130a is provided on the left and right sides of the position of the sound acquiring means 130a so that the image of the direction in which the sound acquiring means 130a is located can be captured without missing the image, 140a, 140b can be arranged (see Figs. 1 and 2).

The sound source database 190 stores various types of life noise as sound sources, and classifies and stores the stored sound sources as abnormal sound sources. For example, a situation where there is an intruder from the outside such as a sound of falling or breaking of various objects, a sound of cracking of glass or the like, a drill rotating sound, a dog barking sound, The noise generated from the inside of the robot cleaner 100, the noise generated from appliances such as a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a water purifier may be generated irrespective of intrusion or not, Various kinds of noise can be stored as a non-abnormal sound source.

Preferably, the sound source database 190 uses a non-volatile memory (NVM) that keeps stored information even when power is not supplied. Examples include ROM, flash memory, magnetic computer storage devices (e.g., hard disk, diskette drive, magnetic tape), optical disk drives, and the like, Magnetic RAM, PRAM, and the like.

The controller 110 controls the overall operation of the robot cleaner 100 or each component included in the robot cleaner 100. The controller 110 determines whether the sound source acquired through the sound acquiring unit 130 is abnormal or not, And acquires an image in the abnormal sound source generating direction through the image acquiring means.

The sound acquisition means 130 may determine whether the sound source acquired by the control unit 110 through the sound acquisition means 130 corresponds to the abnormal sound source through various known means or methods. It is possible to determine whether the sound source acquired through the sound source database 190 matches a sound source that matches or is closest to the sound source stored in the sound source database 190 and determines whether the sound source belongs to the abnormal sound source. At this time, it is possible to determine the coincidence and / or similarity of the two sound sources by calculating the similarity between the sound sources obtained through the sound acquisition means 130 and the sound sources stored in the sound source database 190.

For example, when a heat sensor (not shown), a gas sensor (not shown), or a proximity sensor (not shown) senses a certain temperature or detects a gas leak or detects an external intruder, The control unit 110 compares the warning sound obtained through the sound acquiring unit 130 with a sound source stored in the sound source database 190 to determine whether the sound source corresponds to an abnormal sound source or not, When the doorbell rings through the alarm bell 300d, the control unit 110 may compare the sound source stored in the sound source database 190 to determine that the current situation is abnormal (there is a visitor in the cleaning area).

In order to determine whether the control unit 110 is in the abnormal sound source, the sound source to be compared is a sound source obtained through the sound acquisition unit 130 by filtering only sound sources whose sound pressure is equal to or higher than a certain level, Only the above-mentioned sound sources can be targeted. It is preferable to filter the sound waves flowing from the outside of the outside of the cleaning area so as not to judge whether or not the sound source is abnormal. For example, when the sound pressure of the sound wave obtained through the normal sound acquisition means 130 is 40 to 45 db, which is not an abnormal situation, it is possible to have a sound recognition rate of 90% or more in the clean area by setting 55 db as the reference level.

When the control unit 110 determines that the sound source obtained through the sound acquisition unit 130 corresponds to the abnormal sound source as described above, the robot cleaner 100 determines that the current situation is abnormal, To the remote terminal or server.

The robot cleaner 100 transmits an alarm signal to at least one terminal (not shown) such as a computer (not shown), a smart television (not shown), a smart phone or a mobile terminal (not shown) The remote user can be warned that this is the situation. At this time, the robot cleaner 100 can directly transmit data to and receive data from the terminal, or transmit data to and receive data from the terminal through at least one server (not shown) connected to a heterogeneous network.

The control unit 110 transmits the sound source acquired through the sound acquisition unit 130 together with an alarm signal to a remote terminal or server and provides the sound source to the user so that the user can determine whether or not the current abnormal situation is urgent .

The control unit 110 can determine the source of the abnormal sound source in addition to the direction of the abnormal sound source. That is, as described above, it is possible to rotate or move through the driving unit 160 in the direction of generating the abnormal sound source, but at this time, it is possible to grasp the epicenter where the abnormal sound source occurs in order to accurately calculate the moving target point.

The control unit 110 estimates an anomalous source generation distance based on the sound pressure of the sound wave acquired through the sound acquisition unit 130, Alternatively, the control unit 110 may store at least one expected occurrence point on the map corresponding to various sound sources stored in the sound source database 190, and the control unit 110 may control the generation direction of the abnormal sound source sensed through the sound acquisition unit 130 It is possible to grasp the expected occurrence point corresponding to the occurrence point as the epicenter.

When the control unit 110 recognizes a point (origination point) at which the noise is generated more than the direction in which the abnormal noise is generated, the control unit 110 may move to the epicenter to acquire the image or acquire the image during the movement. Thus, by providing the situation through the image to the remote terminal or server through the communication unit 180, the user can make a judgment on the situation within a short time.

The control unit 110 may acquire an image of an abnormal sound source or an image of an epicenter through the image acquisition unit 140, or may acquire an image during rotation or movement. In this case, the image acquired through the image acquisition unit 140 may be either a still image or a moving image, and in the case of a plurality of still images continuously acquired during the rotation of the robot cleaner 100, one panorama image So that even if the image acquiring unit 140 has a lens having a narrow angle of view, it is possible to acquire an image without a missing image in a wide range of images.

When the control unit 110 determines that the sound source acquired through the sound acquiring unit 130 corresponds to the abnormal sound source and transmits the alarm signal to the remote terminal or the server through the communication unit 180, The sound source obtained through the sound acquisition means 130 and / or the image acquired through the image acquisition means 140 may be transmitted together and provided to the user.

Meanwhile, in order to increase the accuracy of the determination as to whether or not an abnormal situation exists, the controller 110 may process an image of the image acquired through the image acquiring unit 140 to determine whether a moving object exists. In one embodiment, a plurality of consecutive images may be compared to detect whether there is an object moving through a difference between the images.

The controller 110 may detect a human body image or an animal image in order to increase accuracy in determining whether an abnormal situation is detected by an external intruder.

The control unit 110 may perform image processing through various algorithms known to those skilled in the art, such as stopping or moving images, to detect a human body or an animal image in the image. Since the monitoring function of the robot cleaner 100 generally operates when there is no human being in the cleaning area, when the control unit 110 detects a human body image in the image acquired through the image acquiring unit 140, The sound source obtained through the sound acquisition means 130 and / or the image (including the human body image) acquired through the image acquisition means 140 may be transmitted to the remote terminal or server via the communication unit 180 In the case where an animal image is sensed, it is determined that an abnormal situation occurs when the rate of change of the motion of the image with respect to the detected animal (subject) is equal to or higher than a predetermined rate, or the sound source acquired for the detected animal (subject) , A sound source obtained through the sound acquisition means 130 and / or an image (including a human body image) acquired through the image acquisition means 140 is transmitted to a remote terminal or server through the communication unit 180 Lt; / RTI >

For example, if there is no person in the cleaning area and there is a pet dog, it is highly likely that the robot cleaner 100 judges that the robot cleaner 100 has detected an image of the pet dog, Since it is possible to determine an abnormal situation when the intruder is found and barked, if the speed of change of the motion of the animal image detected by the control unit 110 is fast or the sound pressure of the sound source corresponding to the detected animal image is equal to or higher than a certain level It is possible to reduce the possibility of misjudgment. At this time, in the sound source database 190, it is determined whether or not the sound pressure inputted only to the sound source having the same or a similar degree as the previously stored sound source is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, It is possible.

The robot cleaner 100 according to the present invention may further include an infrared sensor 150.

The infrared sensor 150 is installed in front of or in front of the robot cleaner 100 to detect the infrared information of the object using infrared rays and convert the physical / The temperature of the heat source located around the cleaner 100 is sensed and when the heat source of a certain temperature or more is detected, power is supplied to the image acquiring means 140 to operate the device.

The infrared sensor 150 also operates when the control unit 110 determines that the sound source acquired through the sound acquisition unit 130 is an abnormal sound source, thereby preventing waste of additional power consumption caused by the infrared sensor 150 .

As described above, when the control unit 110 determines that the sound source acquired through the sound acquisition unit 130 is an abnormal sound source, it can sense the direction of the abnormal sound source and acquire the image in the corresponding direction. At this time, the generation direction of the sound source is sensed only when it is determined that the sound source is abnormal, so that the robot cleaner 100 reacts to the non-abnormal sound source and does not consume power such as operating the image acquiring means 140, The direction of the abnormal sound source can be obtained.

The robot cleaner 100 may include a power supply unit 120. The power supply unit 120 includes a rechargeable battery and supplies driving power to each of the components included in the robot cleaner.

The robot cleaner 100 supplies power to the robot cleaner 100 when the remaining amount of power is insufficient. The robot cleaner 100 moves to a charging station or receives power from an external power source connected by a user. The controller 110 senses the state of charge of the battery and compares the sensed battery level with a preset reference battery level. If the sensed battery level is less than the reference battery level, The robot cleaner 100 may be moved to a charging station to perform charging.

The distance detecting device 200 detects the distance between a robot cleaner (moving object) and an object by using laser light (Light). The distance detecting device 200 is installed on a rotating plate (rotating body) rotating by 360 degrees, Detects the distance between the object and the object in real time, and recognizes (detects) the surrounding obstacle (object) based on the detected distance.

The distance detecting device 200 irradiates an object with laser light generated by a light emitting portion (for example, a laser diode), detects a position at which the light reflected from the object is formed at the light receiving portion, ), The distance between the robot cleaner and the object can be obtained. In the case of detecting the distance, only the distance corresponding to one point is detected, so that an object (obstacle) in all directions is detected through 360 ° rotation and / or tilt operation in order to detect an object in the entire surrounding area. Methods for detecting the distance of the object itself are well known in the art, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Details of the rotation plate and the tilting operation in the up and down direction are disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0087417 of the applicant of the present invention, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The distance detecting apparatus 200 according to the embodiments of the present invention can reduce the additional cost of the light receiving unit by arranging the two light emitting units in different directions and using only one light receiving unit instead of the two light receiving sensors It is possible to simultaneously detect the distances of two different directional objects, and the distance detection speed can be doubled.

4 is a block diagram of a distance detecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4, the distance detecting apparatus 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes:

A first light emitting part (201) for emitting a first light to a first object in a first direction;

A second light emitting unit 202 for emitting a second light to a second object in a second direction different from the first direction;

A reflection unit (203) for reflecting the first reflected light of the first light reflected by the first object and the second reflected light of the second light reflected by the second object;

A light receiving unit 204 for receiving the first reflected light and the second reflected light reflected by the reflecting unit 203;

(Not shown) for simultaneously detecting a first distance between the moving object and the first object and a second distance between the moving object and the second object based on the first reflected light and the second reflected light. Here, the detection unit may be included in the control unit 110 or independently configured. The distance detecting device 200 is disposed on a rotating plate (rotating body) that rotates by the rotational force of the motor, and detects the distance of the objects in real time while rotating 360 degrees. The first direction and the second direction may be opposite to each other.

The first light emitting unit 201 may further include a lens (for example, a collimator lens) 201a for condensing the first light sequentially irradiated onto the first object in the first direction.

The second light emitting unit 201 may further include a lens (for example, a collimator lens) 202a for condensing the second light sequentially irradiated onto the second object in the second direction. The first and second light emitting units 201 and 202 may be disposed on the rotating body in a line with a predetermined distance from the reflecting unit 203.

The reflection unit (203) includes a first reflection surface reflecting the first reflected light of the first light to the light receiving unit (204); And a second reflecting surface reflecting the second reflected light of the second light to the light receiving unit 204. [ The reflective portion 203 may be a triangular mirror having the first and second reflective surfaces.

The reflector 203 includes a lens 203a for condensing the first reflected light of the first light on the first reflecting surface; And a lens 203b for condensing the second reflected light of the second light onto the second reflecting surface.

The light receiving unit 204 is installed on the rotating body and receives the first reflected light and the second reflected light reflected by the reflecting unit 203.

The detecting unit detects a first distance between the moving object and the first object on the basis of the first reflected light received by the light receiving unit 204 and simultaneously detects the second reflected light received by the light receiving unit 204 And detects a second distance between the moving object and the second object.

5 is a block diagram showing a distance detection apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5, the distance detecting apparatus 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first light emitting unit 201 for emitting a first light to a first object in a first direction; A second light emitting unit 202 for emitting a second light to a second object in a second direction different from the first direction; A reflection unit (203) for reflecting the first reflected light of the first light reflected by the first object and the second reflected light of the second light reflected by the second object; A light receiving unit 204 for receiving the first reflected light and the second reflected light reflected by the reflecting unit 203; (Not shown) that simultaneously detects a first distance between the moving object and the first object and a second distance between the moving object and the second object based on the first reflected light and the second reflected light, The reflective portion 203 may be positioned between the first and second light emitting portions 201 and 202. The distance detecting device 200 is disposed on a rotating plate (rotating body) that rotates by the rotational force of the motor, and detects the distance of the objects in real time while rotating 360 degrees. The first direction and the second direction may be opposite to each other.

The detecting unit detects a first distance between the moving object and the first object on the basis of the first reflected light received by the light receiving unit 204 and simultaneously detects the second reflected light received by the light receiving unit 204 And detects a second distance between the moving object and the second object.

6 is a block diagram illustrating a distance detection apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6, the distance detecting apparatus 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first light emitting unit 201 for emitting a first light to a first object in a first direction; A second light emitting unit 202 for emitting a second light to a second object in a second direction different from the first direction; A reflection unit (203) for reflecting the first reflected light of the first light reflected by the first object and the second reflected light of the second light reflected by the second object; A light receiving unit 204 for receiving the first reflected light and the second reflected light reflected by the reflecting unit 203; (Not shown) that simultaneously detects a first distance between the moving object and the first object and a second distance between the moving object and the second object based on the first reflected light and the second reflected light, The light emitting angle of the first light emitting portion 201 and the light emitting angle of the second light emitting portion 202 are set to be different from each other and the distance between the first light emitting portion 201 and the light receiving portion 204, The distance between the light emitting portion 202 and the light receiving portion is also different.

The distance detecting device 200 is disposed on a rotating plate (rotating body) that rotates by the rotational force of the motor, and detects the distance of the objects in real time while rotating 360 degrees. The first direction and the second direction may be opposite to each other.

)과 상기 제2 발광부(202)의 광 출사각(

)은 서로 다르게 설정하고, 상기 제1 발광부(201)와 상기 수광부(204) 간의 거리(g₁)와 상기 제2 발광부(202)와 상기 수광부(204) 간의 거리(g₂)를 서로 다르게 배치한다. 예를 들면, 상기 제1 발광부(201)와 상기 수광부(204) 간의 거리, 상기 제2 발광부(202)와 상기 수광부(204) 간의 거리, 상기 제1 발광부(201)의 광 출사각, 상기 제2 발광부(202)의 광 출사각을 서로 다르게 상기 회전체에 배치함으로써 최소 근거리와 최대 원거리가 결정된다. 본 발명의 실시예들에 따른 거리 검출 장치를 통해 거리를 검출하는 방법을 도 7을 참조하여 설명한다.The detecting unit detects a first distance between the moving object and the first object on the basis of the first reflected light received by the light receiving unit 204 and simultaneously detects the second reflected light received by the light receiving unit 204 And detects a second distance between the moving object and the second object. The light emitting angle of the first light emitting portion 201 is adjusted so that the distance detection range of the first light emitting portion 201 is different from the distance detection range of the second light emitting portion 202

) And the light emission angle of the second light emitting portion 202

) From each other a distance (g ₂₎ between the set differently, the first light emitting portion 201 and the light receiving unit (204 distance (g ₁₎ between a) and the second light emitting portion 202 and the light receiving unit 204 Place them differently. For example, the distance between the first light emitting portion 201 and the light receiving portion 204, the distance between the second light emitting portion 202 and the light receiving portion 204, the light output angle of the first light emitting portion 201, And the light emitting angles of the second light emitting portion 202 are arranged on the rotating body differently from each other, whereby the minimum distance and the maximum distance are determined. A method of detecting the distance through the distance detecting device according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

7 is a diagram illustrating a method of detecting a distance through a distance detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the method of detecting the first and second distances is the same, and therefore, only the method of detecting the first distance will be described.

The method of detecting the first distance L may be obtained based on Equation (1).

는 상기 제1광의 출사각을 나타내며, p는 상기 수광부의 전체 광 검출 영역(d) 중에서 상기 제1 광의 반사광이 위치하는 영역(위치)을 나타낸다. 즉, 2개의 발광부의 위치(2개의 발광부와 수광부 간의 상대 위치) 및 2개의 발광부의 광 출사각을 서로 달리함으로써 한 개의 발광부(201)를 이용하여 근거리 물체를 감지하고, 다른 한 개의 발광부(202)를 이용해서 원거리 물체를 감지할 수 있다.Here, f represents a focal length of the first light, g represents a distance between the first light emitting portion 201 and the light receiving portion 204,

P represents an area (position) where the reflected light of the first light is located in the entire light detecting area d of the light receiving unit. That is, by detecting the positions of the two light emitting portions (the relative positions between the two light emitting portions and the light receiving portions) and the light output angles of the two light emitting portions, the near object is sensed using one light emitting portion 201, The remote object can be sensed by using the unit 202.

As described above, the distance detection device 200 according to the embodiments of the present invention can reduce the additional cost of the light receiving unit by disposing the two light emitting units in different directions and using only one light receiving unit, It is possible to simultaneously detect distances of objects in two different directions, and the distance detection speed can be doubled by detecting distances through the two light emitting units.

Computer readable recording medium

The distance detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention described above can be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer components and recorded in a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be those specially designed and configured for the present invention or may be those known and used by those skilled in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; optical media), and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include machine language code such as those generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device may be configured to operate as one or more software modules for performing the processing according to the present invention, and vice versa.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, Such modifications and changes are to be considered as falling within the scope of the following claims.

201: first light emitting portion 202: second light emitting portion
203: reflection part 204:

Claims (10)

A rotating body rotated by a rotational force of the motor; And a distance detecting device that rotates by the rotating body and detects a distance of an object, the distance detecting device comprising:
A first light emitting portion for emitting a first light to a first object in a first direction;
A second light emitting portion for emitting a second light to a second object in a second direction different from the first direction;
A reflector for reflecting the first reflected light of the first light reflected by the first object and the second reflected light of the second light reflected by the second object;
A light receiving unit receiving the first reflected light and the second reflected light reflected by the reflecting unit;
And a detecting unit that detects a first distance between the moving object and the one object and a second distance between the moving object and the two objects at the same time based on the first reflected light and the second reflected light. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other. 2. The display device according to claim 1,
A first reflecting surface for reflecting the first reflected light of the first light to the light receiving portion;
And a second reflecting surface for reflecting the second reflected light of the second light to the light receiving unit. The distance detection device according to claim 3, wherein the reflection portion is a mirror of a triangle having the first and second reflection surfaces. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the reflective portion includes: a first lens that condenses the first reflected light onto the first reflective surface;
And a second lens for condensing the second reflected light on the second reflecting surface. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second light emitting units are arranged in a line in the rotation body. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflection section is located between the first and second light emitting sections. The distance detection device according to claim 1, wherein a distance detection range of the first light emitting portion and a distance detection range of the second light emitting portion are different from each other. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting angle of the first light emitting portion and the light emitting angle of the second light emitting portion are set differently so that the distance detection range of the first light emitting portion and the distance detection range of the second light emitting portion are different from each other, Wherein a distance between the first light emitting portion and the light receiving portion and a distance between the second light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are different from each other. 2. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first light-emitting portion further comprises a first lens for focusing the first light onto the first object, and the second light- Further comprising a lens.

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