Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Ami Semiconductor Belgium Bvba

Ivan Koudar

Pavel Horsky

Tomas Suchy

Jan Ledvina

Marek Hustava

Dariusz Piotr Palubiak

Steven John Buckley

Salvatore Gnecchi

Jiri Kutej

An imaging system may include a silicon photomultiplier with single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The imaging system may be a LIDAR imaging system with LIDAR processing circuitry. To reduce memory requirements in the LIDAR processing circuitry, a dynamic resolution storage scheme may be used. The LIDAR processing circuitry may include autonomous dynamic resolution circuitry that receives input from a time-to-digital converter (TDC). The autonomous dynamic resolution circuitry may include a plurality of memory banks having different resolutions. Based on the magnitude of the input from the TDC, an appropriate memory bank may be selected. In parallel, an address encoder may select a memory bin based on the input from the TDC.

LIDAR system with dynamic resolution

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) imaging system may include a semiconductor device based on single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The LIDAR imaging system may also include a light source configured to emit light such that the semiconductor device is exposed to both ambient light and a reflected version of the laser light. Ambient light level detection circuitry may be included to determine a brightness of the ambient light based on an output signal from the semiconductor device. The ambient light level detection circuitry may include a plurality of comparators that receive different reference signals and are coupled to respective counters. The results from the counters may be used to determine the brightness of the ambient light in the scene. The determined brightness may then be used to discriminate between the ambient light and the reflected version of the light.

Imaging systems with single-photon avalanche diodes and ambient light level detection

Devices, systems, and methods for reducing sensing delays for a non-volatile memory reading circuit may include operations for pre-charging a plurality of bit lines coupling a memory array having multiple bit cells with a sensing amplifier. Upon receiving a read request identifying a given bit cell in the memory array, the addressed bit line is decoupled from a bias voltage. The addressed bit line corresponds to the given bit cell and is selected from the plurality of bit lines. With the decoupling from the bias voltage, the addressed bit lines are coupled to the sensing amplifier. After a sensing circuit delay, data stored in the given bit cell is provided to the sensing amplifier via the addressed bit lines coupled to the sensing amplifier. The data stored in the given bit cell may then be interpreted by the sensing amplifier and a corresponding data output signal is generated.

Non-volatile memory reading circuits and methods for reducing sensing delay periods

A semiconductor device may include a plurality of single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The semiconductor device may include sensing single-photon avalanche diodes that are sensitive to incident light and dark single-photon avalanche diodes that are shielded from incident light. The dark single-photon avalanche diodes may be used to measure one or more parameters for the semiconductor device such as breakdown voltage, dark count rate, and quench resistance. Processing circuitry may optimize a bias voltage for the semiconductor device based on information regarding one or more sensor parameters obtained using the dark single-photon avalanche diodes.

System with a SPAD-based semiconductor device having dark pixels for monitoring sensor parameters

In an embodiment, a transducer controller is configured to apply a damping signal to reduce energy stored in the transducer after the transducer has been driven with a drive signal to form a transmitted acoustic signal.

Transducer controller and method therefor

An illustrative controller embodiment includes: a transmitter that causes reverberation of a piezoelectric transducer; and a linear damping module that measures characteristics of the reverberation and tunes at least one of a shunt resistance and a shunt reactance for the piezoelectric transducer based on said characteristics. An illustrative sensor embodiment includes: a piezoelectric transducer; and a transducer controller coupled to the piezoelectric transducer to transmit pulses and receive echoes for measuring distances. The controller includes a linear damping module with: a shunt resistance; a shunt inductance; and an optional switch that couples the shunt resistance and shunt inductance in parallel to the piezoelectric transducer to damp reverberation of the piezoelectric transducer after said transmit pulses. The controller measures at least one characteristic of said reverberation and responsively tunes the shunt resistance or the shunt inductance.

Piezo transducer controller and method having adaptively-tuned linear damping

An illustrative sensor controller embodiment includes: a transmitter that drives an ultrasonic transducer to produce a transmit pulse; a receiver that derives a sensor signal from the transducer; and a core logic that detects a trigger signal on an event signaling line and responsively provides one or more error reporting bits on the event signaling line before driving the event signaling line based on the sensor signal. An illustrative embodiment of a sensor control method includes: detecting a trigger signal on an event signaling line; providing at least one status bit on the event signaling line in response to the trigger signal; and after providing the at least one status bit, driving the event signaling line based upon on a sensor signal from a transducer. The transducer may be a piezoelectric element for producing and sensing ultrasonic pulses, particularly for use in parking-assist sensors and systems.

Triggered-event signaling with digital error reporting

In one embodiment, a transducer controller is configured to form an integrated distance measuring and diagnostic cycle that includes measuring a decay time of a transducer and to selectively adjust a period of the transmitted signal responsively to a value of a reverberation period.

Method of forming a transducer controller and apparatus therefrom

In embodiments a circuit provides a circuit for use in detecting close proximity objects in an acoustic distance sensing system. The circuit produces a close proximity zone flag when the time after transmitting an acoustic distance sensing pulse corresponds to the defined close proximity range. The circuit can also include a time of flight counter for determining the time of flight of a received echo. The circuit can further produce a close proximity time if flight valid flag indicating that echoes are being received in close proximity time frame.

Semiconductor device and method of forming same for acoustic sensing of close proximity objects

In an embodiment a semiconductor device correlates a received signal with a known pattern. A correlation output is used as a basis for forming a confidence reference level. The confidence reference level and the correlation output are compared to identify a peak in the received signal indicating that a present signal state of the received signal contains the known pattern.

Semiconductor device and method of forming same for correlation detection

In one embodiment, an acoustic distance measurement system can dynamically adjust its measurement frequency to a frequency that is within a preselected bandwidth of the resonant frequency of an acoustic transducer used in making acoustic distance measurements.

Self-tuning acoustic measurement system

An integrated circuit includes a first configuration terminal, a second configuration terminal, a bus terminal, and an auto addressing circuit coupled to the first and second configuration terminals. The auto addressing circuit is responsive to a data pattern received at the first configuration terminal to assign a node address to an operational circuit, and subsequently to couple the first configuration terminal to the second configuration terminal. The integrated circuit is subsequently responsive to the node address when the node address is received.

Circuit and electronic module for automatic addressing

In one embodiment, an acoustic distance measurement system can use a modulation pattern to modulate a carrier wave. The modulated carrier wave may be transmitted to an acoustic transducer. An echo of the transmitted signal can be detected by correlating the received signal with the modulation pattern. Subsequent to detecting sufficient correlation between the received signal and modulation pattern, a distance determination can be made to determine the distance to the object that produced the received echo.

Acoustic distance measurement system having cross talk immunity

An echo detection circuit that detects an echo by detecting the magnitude of a digitally mixed representation of the received acoustic signal and reference sine and cosine signals. That magnitude is then compared against an echo threshold to verify the presence or absence of an echo signal. A low pass filter with a configurable cut-off frequency may be used to define the selectivity of the echo detector.

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Modrice, Czechia

Ivan Koudar