Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Eli Larry

Giora Yahav

Shlomo Felzenshtein

David Cohen

Sagi Katz

Asaf Pellman

Avishai Adler

Guy Gilboa

David Mandelboum

Avner Sander

Shlomo Felzeshtein

An embodiment of the invention provides apparatus for providing light pulses comprising a light source electrically connected to a low inductance configuration of electrodes for electrically connecting the light source to a power supply.

Light source module

Embodiments related to accumulating charge during multiple exposure periods in a time-of-flight depth camera are disclosed. For example, one embodiment provides a method including accumulating a first charge on a photodetector during a first exposure period for a first light pulse, transferring the first charge to a charge storage mechanism, accumulating a second charge during a second exposure period for the first light pulse, and transferring the second charge to the charge storage mechanism. The method further includes accumulating an additional first charge during a first exposure period for a second light pulse, adding the additional first charge to the first charge to form an updated first charge, accumulating an additional second charge on the photodetector for a second exposure period for the second light pulse, and adding the additional second charge to the second charge to form an updated second charge.

Accumulating charge from multiple imaging exposure periods

A 3D imager comprising two cameras having fixed wide-angle and narrow angle FOVs respectively that overlap to provide an active space for the imager and a controller that determines distances to features in the active space responsive to distances provided by the cameras and a division of the active space into near, intermediate, and far zones.

3D zoom imager

A method of controlling a photosensor having adjacent light sensitive pixels in which photocharge is generated in depletion zones of the pixels by light incident on the photosensor, comprising applying voltage to gate electrodes of the photopixels so that the depletion zone of one of the pixels extends into and lies under a portion of the depletion region of the other pixel.

Photosensor having enhanced sensitivity

An embodiment of the invention provides a camera comprising a photosurface having a substrate comprising photopixels and associated storage pixels and a controller that controls the photosurface to image a scene by maintaining a bias between the photopixels and their respective storage pixels at all times during an exposure period of the photosurface so that photocharge, substantially upon its generation in a photopixel by light from the scene incident on the photopixel moves towards the photopixel's storage pixel.

Fast gating photosurface

An embodiment of the invention provides a time of flight 3D camera comprising a photosensor having a plurality of pixels that generate and accumulate photoelectrons responsive to incident light, which photosensor is tiled into a plurality of super pixels, each partitioned into a plurality of pixel groups and a controller that provides a measure of an amount of light incident on a super pixel responsive to quantities of photoelectrons from pixel groups in the super pixel that do not saturate a readout pixel comprised in the photosensor.

Adaptive high dynamic range camera

An embodiment of the invention provides a camera comprising a photosurface that is electronically turned on and off to respectively initiate and terminate an exposure period of the camera at a frequency sufficiently high so that the camera can be used to determine distances to a scene that it images without use of an external fast shutter. In an embodiment, the photosurface comprises pixels formed on a substrate and the photosurface is turned on and turned off by controlling voltage to the substrate. In an embodiment, the substrate pixels comprise light sensitive pixels, also referred to as 'photopixels', in which light incident on the photosurface generates photocharge, and storage pixels that are insensitive to light that generates photocharge in the photopixels. In an embodiment, the photosurface is controlled so that the storage pixels accumulate and store photocharge substantially upon its generation during an exposure period of the photosurface.

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Beit She'an, Israel

Eli Larry