Qualcomm Incorporated

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Pictos Technologies, Inc.

Biay-Cheng Hseih

Jhy-Jyi Sze

Shou-Gwo Wuu

Todor Georgiev Georgiev

Kalin Mitkov Atanassov

Sergiu Radu Goma

Jian Jim Ma

Jiafu Luo

Micha Galor Gluskin

Wen-Yu Sun

Zheng-wu Li

Hasib Ahmed Siddiqui

Various embodiments are directed to a device including an infrared phase detection autofocus (PDAF) sensor. The device may include a projector configured to transmit a source light onto a scene. The device may include the infrared PDAF sensor configured to receive reflections of the source light off of objects within the scene. The infrared PDAF sensor may include a first set of pixels including focus pixels. The device may include a processor coupled to the infrared PDAF sensor and a memory. The processor may be configured to generate first depth data based on the received reflections of the source light. The processor may be configured to generate second depth data based on signals generated from corresponding pairs of the focus pixels. The processor may be configured to generate combined depth data based on the first depth data and the second depth data.

Phase detection autofocus sensor apparatus and method for depth sensing

Techniques and systems are provided for high resolution time-of-flight (ToF) depth imaging. In some examples, an apparatus includes a projection system including one or more light-emitting devices, each light-emitting device being configured to illuminate at least one portion of an entire field-of-view (FOV) of the projection system. The entire FOV includes a plurality of FOV portions. The apparatus also includes a receiving system including a sensor configured to sequentially capture a plurality of images based on a plurality of illumination reflections corresponding to light emitted by the one or more light-emitting devices. Each image of the plurality of images corresponds to one of the plurality of FOV portions. An image resolution associated with each image corresponds to a full resolution of the sensor. The apparatus further includes a processor configured to generate, using the plurality of images, an increased resolution depth map associated with the entire FOV.

High resolution time-of-flight depth imaging

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to depth sensing using a device. An example device includes a light projector configured to project light in a first and a second distribution. The first and the second distribution include a flood projection when the device operates in a first mode and a pattern projection when the device operates in a second mode, respectively. The example device includes a receiver configured to detect reflections of light projected by the light projector. The example device includes a processor connected to a memory storing instructions. The processor is configured to determine first depth information based on reflections detected by the receiver when the device operates in the first mode, determine second depth information based on reflections detected by the receiver when the device operates in the second mode, and resolve multipath interference (MPI) using the first depth information and the second depth information.

Resolving multipath interference using a mixed active depth system

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to depth sensing using a device. An example device includes a first light projector configured to project light towards a second light projector configured to project light towards the first light projector. The example device includes a reflective component positioned between the first and second light projectors, the reflective component configured to redirect the light projected by the first light projector onto a first portion of a scene and to redirect the light projected by the second light projector onto a second portion of the scene, and the first and second portions of the scene being adjacent to one another and non-overlapping relative to one another. The example device includes a receiver configured to detect reflections of redirected light projected by the first and second light projectors.

Wide-angle 3D sensing

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an image sensor. An example apparatus includes an image sensor including one or more pixels. Each pixel of the one or more pixels includes a photodetector, and the photodetector includes a photosensitive surface including germanium. In some implementations, the photodetector includes a photodiode including an intrinsic silicon layer doped with germanium or including germanium crystals. The intrinsic layer may be between a p&#x2212; layer and an n&#x2212; layer not including germanium. The intrinsic layer may be configured to absorb photons of the light received at the intrinsic layer. The light may include one or more reflections of an emitted light for active depth sensing. For example, the emitted light may be frequency modulated and having a first wavelength for indirect time-of-flight depth sensing. Sampling circuits may generate voltages indicating a phase difference between the emitted light and a reflection of the emitted light.

Active depth sensing image sensor

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatuses for sensing a scene. In one aspect, a device may illuminate the scene using a sequence of two or more periods. Each period may include a transmission portion during which a plurality of light pulses are emitted onto the scene. Each period may include a non-transmission portion corresponding to an absence of emitted light. The device may receive, during each transmission portion, a plurality of light pulses reflected from the scene. The device may continuously accumulate photoelectric charge indicative of the received light pulses during an entirety of the sequence. The device may transfer the accumulated photoelectric charge to a readout circuit after an end of the sequence.

3D active depth sensing with laser pulse train bursts and a gated sensor

A high dynamic range solid state image sensor and camera system are disclosed. In one aspect, the solid state image sensor includes a first wafer including an array of pixels, each of the pixels comprising a photosensor, and a second wafer including an array of readout circuits. Each of the readout circuits is configured to output a readout signal indicative of an amount of light received by a corresponding one of the pixels and each of the readout circuits includes a counter. Each of the counters is configured to increment in response to the corresponding photosensor receiving an amount of light that is greater than a photosensor threshold. Each of the readout circuits is configured to generate the readout signal based on a value stored in the corresponding counter and a remainder stored in the corresponding pixel.

High dynamic range solid state image sensor and camera system

Various embodiments are directed to an image sensor that includes a first sensor portion and a second sensor portion. The second sensor portion may be positioned relative to the first sensor portion such that the second sensor portion may initially detect light entering the image sensor, and some of that light passes through the second sensor portion and may be detected by the first sensor portion. In some embodiments, one more optical filters may be disposed within the image sensor. The one or more optical filters may include at least one of a dual bandpass filter disposed above the second photodetector or a narrow bandpass filter disposed between the first photodetector and the second photodetector.

Solid state image sensor with on-chip filter and extended spectral response

Various embodiments are directed to a light pipe. The light pipe may include a channel within a substrate of an image sensor. The channel may be formed by a plurality of layers. The plurality of layers may include a first layer and a second layer. The second layer may be spaced apart from the first layer along an axis of the channel.

Metal mesh light pipe for transporting light in an image sensor

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for folded optic stereoscopic imaging, wherein a number of folded optic paths each direct a different one of a corresponding number of stereoscopic images toward a portion of a single image sensor. Each folded optic path can include a set of optics including a first light folding surface positioned to receive light propagating from a scene along a first optical axis and redirect the light along a second optical axis, a second light folding surface positioned to redirect the light from the second optical axis to a third optical axis, and lens elements positioned along at least the first and second optical axes and including a first subset having telescopic optical characteristics and a second subset lengthening the optical path length. The sensor can be a three-dimensionally stacked backside illuminated sensor wafer and reconfigurable instruction cell array processing wafer that performs depth processing.

Folded optic passive depth sensing system

Various embodiments are directed to an image sensor that includes a first sensor portion and a second sensor portion coupled to the first sensor portion. The second sensor portion may be positioned relative to the first sensor portion so that the second sensor portion may initially detect light entering the image sensor, and some of that light passes through the second sensor portion and is be detected by the first sensor portion. In some embodiments, the second sensor portion may be configured to have a thickness suitable for sensing visible light. The first sensor portion may be configured to have a thickness suitable for sensing IR or NIR light. As a result of the arrangement and structure of the second sensor portion and the first sensor portion, the image sensor captures substantially more light from the light source.

Solid state image sensor with extended spectral response

Certain aspects relate to imaging systems and methods for manufacturing imaging systems and image sensors. The imaging system includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, the pixels configured to generate a charge when exposed to light and disposed on a first layer. The imaging system further includes a plurality of pixel circuits for reading light integrated in the pixels coupled thereto, each of the plurality of pixel circuits comprising one or more transistors shared between a subset of the plurality of the pixels, the one or more transistors disposed on a second layer different than the first layer. The imaging system further includes a plurality of floating diffusion nodes configured to couple each of the plurality of pixels to the plurality of pixel circuits.

Solid state image sensor with enhanced charge capacity and dynamic range

One innovation includes an IR sensor having an array of sensor pixels to convert light into current, each sensor pixel of the array including a photodetector region, a lens configured to focus light into the photodetector region, the lens adjacent to the photodetector region so light propagates through the lens and into the photodetector region, and a substrate disposed with photodetector region between the substrate and the lens, the substrate having one or more transistors formed therein. The sensor also includes reflective structures positioned between at least a portion of the substrate and at least a portion of the photodetector region and such that at least a portion of the photodetector region is between the one or more reflective structures and the lens, the one or more reflective structures configured to reflect the light that has passed through at least a portion of the photodetector region into the photodetector region.

System and method to extend near infrared spectral response for imaging systems

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for full well capacity extension. For example, a storage capacitor included in the pixel readout architecture can enable multiple charge dumps from a pixel in the analog domain, extending the full well capacity of the pixel. Further, multiple reads can be integrated in the digital domain using a memory, for example DRAM, in communication with the pixel readout architecture. This also can effectively multiply a small pixel's full well capacity. In some examples, multiple reads in the digital domain can be used to reduce, eliminate, or compensate for kTC noise in the pixel readout architecture.

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Irvine, CA, United States of America

Biay-Cheng Hseih