IP Library › Granted Patent US 12695271
Granted Patent B2
US 12695271 · App. 17/978,963 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Light source device and measurement apparatus

Inventor: Seiji Ono (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
H01S5/0428G01S7/484G01S17/10H01S5/423
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12695271
App. No.
17/978,963
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light source device includes: a light-emitting section including plural light-emitting elements; a shifter that performs a shift operation; and a controller that causes the shifter to perform the shift operation to set, among the plural light-emitting elements, a light-emitting element which is to emit light, that changes the shifter to an OFF state after the set light-emitting element is shifted to a state in which the set light-emitting element is able to emit light, and that causes the set light-emitting element to emit light multiple times by turning ON and OFF a voltage application side of a power source, the power source supplying a light-emitting current which causes the light-emitting element to emit light.

Claims (48)

1 . A light source device comprising:

a light-emitting section including a plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting elements includes a light-emission control thyristor and a surface emitting element connected in series with the light-emission control thyristor;

a shifter configured to perform a shift operation, wherein the shifter includes a plurality of shift thyristors and either a plurality of coupling transistors or a plurality of coupling diodes, wherein the plurality of shift thyristors and the plurality of coupling transistors or coupling diodes are respectively connected to each other, and the plurality of light-emitting elements are connected to the shifter; and

a controller configured to cause the shifter to perform the shift operation to set, among the plurality of light-emitting elements, a light-emitting element which is to emit light by controlling a corresponding one of the plurality of shift thyristors to be turned ON, wherein the set light-emitting element is configured to be shifted to a state in which the set light-emitting element is able to emit light when the corresponding one of the plurality of shift thyristors is turned ON,

wherein the controller is further configured to change the shifter to an OFF state after the set light-emitting element is shifted to a state in which the set light-emitting element is able to emit light, and to cause the set light-emitting element to emit light a plurality of times by turning ON and OFF a voltage application side of a power source, the power source supplying a light-emitting current which causes the light-emitting element to emit light.

2 . The light source device according to claim 1 , wherein, when a period from a start of the shift operation until an end of the shift operation is assumed to be one cycle by the controller, the shifter sets one light-emitting element in one cycle.

3 . The light source device according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to change the shifter to the OFF state after the set light-emitting element is shifted to a state in which the set light-emitting element is able to emit light and before the set light-emitting element stops emitting light.

4 . The light source device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change the shifter to the OFF state by setting a shift signal, which is to be supplied to the shifter by the controller, to be a ground potential.

5 . The light source device according to claim 1 , wherein, during a period for which the set light-emitting element is ready to reemit light after supplying of the light-emitting current to the set light-emitting element has stopped, the controller is configured to supply the light-emitting current to the set light-emitting element again and causes the set light-emitting element to emit light.

6 . The light source device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to supply a pulse of a current, which is smaller than the light-emitting current, to the set light-emitting element during an interval between light-emitting operations of the set light-emitting element, the pulse serving to reset the period for which the set light-emitting element is ready to reemit light.

7 . A light source device comprising:

a light-emitting section including a plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting elements includes a light-emission control thyristor and a surface emitting element connected in series with the light-emission control thyristor;

a shifter including a plurality of shift elements through which an ON state is sequentially transferred in a predetermined order, wherein the plurality of shift elements include a plurality of shift thyristors and either a plurality of coupling transistors or a plurality of coupling diodes, wherein the plurality of shift thyristors and the plurality of coupling transistors or coupling diodes are respectively connected to each other, and the plurality of light-emitting elements are connected to the shifter; and

a controller configured to cause the shifter to set, among the plurality of light-emitting elements, a light-emitting element which is to emit light by controlling a corresponding one of the plurality of shift thyristors to be turned ON, wherein the set light-emitting element is configured to be shifted to a state in which the set light-emitting element is able to emit light when the corresponding one of the plurality of shift thyristors is turned ON,

wherein the controller is further configured to change the shifter to an OFF state after the set light-emitting element is shifted to a state in which the set light-emitting element is able to emit light and before the ON state is transferred through all of the plurality of shift elements.

8 . A light source device comprising:

a light-emitting section including a plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting elements includes a light-emission control thyristor and a surface emitting element connected in series with the light-emission control thyristor;

a shifter configured to perform a shift operation, wherein the shifter includes a plurality of shift thyristors and either a plurality of coupling transistors or a plurality of coupling diodes, wherein the plurality of shift thyristors and the plurality of coupling transistors or coupling diodes are respectively connected to each other, and the plurality of light-emitting elements are connected to the shifter; and

a controller configured to cause the shifter to set, among the plurality of light-emitting elements, a light-emitting element which is to emit light by controlling a corresponding one of the plurality of shift thyristors to be turned ON, wherein the set light-emitting element is configured to be shifted to a state in which the set light-emitting element is able to emit light when the corresponding one of the plurality of shift thyristors is turned ON,

wherein the controller is further configured to change the shifter to an OFF state after the set light-emitting element is shifted to a state in which the set light-emitting element is able to emit light and before the set light-emitting element stops emitting light.

9 . The light source device according to claim 8 , wherein, while supplying of a light-emitting current to the set light-emitting element is about to stop, the controller is configured to turn ON the shifter again to set a light-emitting element which is to subsequently emit light.

10 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 1 ; and

a light receiver configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.

11 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 7 ; and

a light receiver configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.

12 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 2 ; and

a light receiver configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.

13 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 3 ; and

a light receiver configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.

14 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 8 ; and

a light receiver configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.

15 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 9 ; and

a light receiver configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.

16 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 4 ; and

a light receiver configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.

17 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 5 ; and

a light receiver that receives-configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.

18 . A measurement apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 6 ; and

a light receiver configured to receive light which is emitted from the light-emitting section of the light source device and which is reflected by a subject to be measured.