Fondazione Bruno Kessler

Alexander Bohli

Leonardo Gasparini

Nicola Massari

Matteo Perenzoni

David Stoppa

Michael Albert

Friedhelm Wiethege

Daniele Perenzoni

Ulrich Zwölfer

Kai Waslowski

Measuring device () suited to measure the distance (d) of a reference object (O), configured so that it performs a plurality of measuring operations (A) in succession and comprising emission means () suited to emit a light radiation (R), receiving means () comprising a sensitive area () which is sensitive to the light radiation (R) and which is provided with a number M of sensitive units (), each one of the sensitive units () being configured to generate an electrical signal (S), a first processing unit () comprising Nprocessing elements (), each one of said Nprocessing elements () being configured to receive the electrical signal (S) for determining the time of impact (t) of a photon (F) on the sensitive units () and for calculating the value of said distance (d). The measuring device () comprises a second processing unit () configured to receive the electrical signals (S), processing the electrical signals (S) in such a way as to select a number Nof sensitive units () impacted by the photons (F), associating each one of the Nsensitive units () to one of the Nprocessing elements (), in such a way that, at the moment of the successive measuring operation (A), the distance (d) is determined by each one of the Nsensitive units () selected.

Device for measuring a distance and method for measuring said distance

An optoelectronic sensor () for measuring a distance of an object () in accordance with a time of flight principle comprises a light transmitter () for transmitting a light signal (), a light receiver () for receiving the light signal () after reflection or remission by the object (), the light receiver () having a first plurality of pixel elements () each configured as an avalanche photo diode element biased with a bias voltage greater than a breakdown voltage and thus operated in a Geiger mode in order to trigger an avalanche event upon light reception, a distance measuring unit () having a second plurality of time of flight measuring units () connected to pixel elements () for determining a time of flight between transmission and reception of a light signal, the second plurality being less than the first plurality, switching means () for connecting selected pixel elements () to time of flight measuring units () in a one-to-one fashion, and a pixel selection unit () for determining pixel elements () to be connected by the switching means () based on an intensity measurement.

Optoelectronic sensor and method for measuring a distance

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Trento, Italy

Alexander Bohli