Ranging apparatus and ranging method

摘要

A first ranging apparatus includes a light-emitting unit for emitting a series of first through fourth modulated lights which have respective different time lengths from a reference time to respective time points at which the first through fourth modulated lights start being emitted, a light-detecting unit for detecting reflected lights from an object that is irradiated with the first through fourth modulated lights, and a calculating unit for calculating the distance up to the object based on the phase difference between the first through fourth modulated lights and the reflected lights. The light-emitting unit comprises a start time controller for controlling the time lengths. The light-detecting units samples the amounts of the reflected lights in exposure periods established at a constant cycle length from the reference time.