Granted Patent B2

US 12,313,744 · App. 17/205,371 · Granted May 27, 2025

Inventor: Tomoaki Kawakami (Tochigi, JP)

Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

G01S17/931B60Q9/008B60T7/22G01S17/08G02B7/02G02B26/10B60T2201/022

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. An optical apparatus comprising:

a deflector configured to deflect illumination light from a light source unit so as to scan an object by being driven, and configured to deflect reflected light from the object, the illumination light being light before it is incident on the object;

a light guide configured to guide part of the illumination light from the light source unit to the deflector, another part to a first light receiving element, and the reflected light from the object via the deflector to a second light receiving element; and

an optical element having an optical surface provided between the light guide and the first light receiving element,

wherein the optical surface tilts or is eccentric to a principal ray of the illumination light, and

wherein an optical path of the illumination light from the light guide to the deflector is fixed.

2. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical element has a flat plate shape, and the optical surface tilts to the principal ray.

3. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical element includes a lens, and the optical surface is eccentric to the principal ray.

4. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide transmits the part of the illumination light, reflects the other part of the illumination light, and reflects the reflected light from the deflector.

5. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide includes an optical element having a flat plate shape.

6. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide includes an optical element having a flat plate shape, and an optical element having a plurality of optical surfaces that are unparallel to each other.

7. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a diffuser configured to diffuse the illumination light reflected by the optical element.

8. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an absorber configured to absorb the illumination light reflected by the optical element.

9. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second light receiving elements are different types of light receiving elements.

10. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an optical system configured to guide the illumination light from the deflector to the object and to guide the reflected light from the object to the deflector.

11. The optical apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein an optical axis of the optical system intersects with a deflection surface of the deflector, and

wherein an incident point of the principal ray of the illumination light on the deflection surface and an intersection of the optical axis and the deflection surface are spaced from each other.

12. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a light receiving surface of the first light receiving element tilts to the principal ray of the illumination light.

13. An in-vehicle system comprising an optical apparatus according to claim 1 , and configured to determine a likelihood of a collision between a vehicle and an object based on distance information of the object obtained by the optical apparatus.

14. The in-vehicle system according to claim 13 , further comprising a control device configured to output a control signal that generates a braking force in the vehicle when determining that the collision is likely.

15. The in-vehicle system according to claim 13 , further comprising a warning device configured to warn a driver of the vehicle when determining that the collision is likely.

16. The in-vehicle system according to claim 13 , further comprising an informing device configured to inform information on the collision between the vehicle and the object.

17. A mobile apparatus comprising an optical apparatus according to claim 1 , and configured to hold and move the optical apparatus.

18. The optical apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the optical element is a dimming element,

wherein the light guide includes a plurality of optical surfaces, which respectively guide at least one of the illumination light and the reflected light, and

wherein the plurality of optical surfaces are unparallel to each other and respectively tilt to the principal ray of the illumination light and the reflected light.

19. The optical apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the plurality of the optical surfaces include a first surface, where the illumination light enters, a second surface, which passes part of the illumination light, reflects another part of the illumination light, and reflects the reflected light from the deflector, and a third surface, which guides the another part of the illumination light to the first light receiving element.

20. An optical apparatus comprising:

a deflector configured to deflect illumination light from a light source unit so as to scan an object by being driven, and configured to deflect reflected light from the object, the illumination light being light before it is incident on the object; and

a light guide configured to guide part of the illumination light from the light source unit to the deflector, another part to a first light receiving element, and the reflected light from the object via the deflector to a second light receiving element,

wherein a light receiving surface of the first light receiving element tilts to a principal ray of the illumination light, and

wherein an optical path of the illumination light from the light guide to the deflector is fixed.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (33)