Ams Sensors Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Ams International Ag

Heptagon Micro Optics Pte. Ltd.

Miguel Bruno Vaello Paños

Stephan Beer

Bernhard Buettgen

David Stoppa

Michael Lehmann

Bassam Hallal

Daniel Pérez Calero

Jim Lewis

Cassian Strässle

Jens Kubacki

Hartmut Rudmann

Florin Cutu

Javier Miguel Sánchez

Michael Kiy

Radoslaw Marcin Gancarz

Bryant Hansen

Daniel Furrer

Christian Tang-Jespersen

James Patrick Long

Markus Rossi

Gözen Köklü

Manfred Lueger

Daniele Perenzoni

Liming Chen

Thomas Jessenig

Ian Kenneth Mills

Doug Nelson

Sophie Godé

Ioannis Tolios

Javier Miguel Sànchez

Mitchell Sterling Martin

Kang Seok Joo

Qiang Zhang

Pablo Jesus Trujillo Serrano

In an example implementation, a first light measurement is obtained using a photodetector of a sensor module. The first light measurement corresponds, at least in part, to ambient light in an environment of the sensor module. Modulated light is generated using a light source of the sensor module, and a second light measurement is obtained using the photodetector of the sensor module. The second light measurement corresponds, at least in part, to modulated light reflected from an object toward the photodetector. A distance between the sensor module and the object is estimated, using an electronic control device, based on the first measurement, the second light measurement, and the modulated light.

Time-of-flight measurement with background light correction

Illuminator modules having improved safety features are described. In some implementations, light to be emitted from a module is produced by a light source, and light reflected by an optical component disposed over the light source is detected by a photodetectors. A distribution of the reflected light detected by the photodetectors is monitored, and an optical output power of the light source is regulated if it is determined, based on the monitored distribution of light, that an unsafe level of light may be emitted from the module.

Light emitting module including enhanced eye-safety feature

A method for operating a 3D sensor system includes by an array of pixels of an imaging sensor of the 3D sensor system, generating first image data representative of reflected light from an environment, the image data having a first resolution. The method includes by processing circuitry of the 3D sensor system, generating second image data based on the first image data, the second image data having a second resolution less than the first resolution; and by the processing circuitry of the imaging sensor, determining that the second image data indicates that an object is present in the environment. The method includes responsive to the determining, providing the first image data from the 3D sensor system to one or more processors configured to generate a three-dimensional image of the environment based on the first image data.

Presence detection in time of flight sensing systems

A method of using an optical TOF module to determine distance to an object. The method includes acquiring signals in the TOF module indicative of distance to the object, using a first algorithm to provide an output indicative of the distance to the object based on the acquired signals, using at least one second different algorithm to provide an output indicative of the distance to the object based on the acquired signals, and combining the outputs of the first and at least one second algorithms to obtain an improved estimate of the distance to the object. In some implementations, each of the first and at least one second algorithms further provides an output representing a respective confidence level indicative of how accurately distance to the object has been extracted by the particular algorithm.

Time-of-flight module and method to determine distance to object

An apparatus includes a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor system that has an illuminator operable to emit pulses of light toward an object outside the apparatus. The illuminator is operable in a first mode in which the illuminator emits pulses having a first width and a second mode in which the illuminator emits pulses having a second width longer than the first width. The TOF sensor system further includes a photodetector operable to detect light produced by the illuminator and reflected by the object back toward the apparatus. An electronic control device is operable to control emission of light by the illuminator and is operable to estimate a distance to the object based on a time elapsed between an emission of one or more of the pulses by the illuminator and detection of the reflected light by the photodetector.

Optical ranging system having multi-mode operation using short and long pulses

A method for operating a time-of-flight sensor system includes by an array of pixels of a time-of-flight sensor of the time-of-flight sensor system, generating signal data representative of reflected light from an environment; generating an intensity representation of an object in the environment based on the signal data representative of the reflected light from the environment; determining that the intensity representation indicates that an object in the environment includes a target object; and responsive to the determining, generating a three-dimensional representation of the environment based on the data representative of the reflected light.

Three dimensional imaging with intensity information

An optoelectronic module including a light emitter to generate light to be emitted from the module; a plurality of spatially distributed light sensitive elements arranged to detect light from the emitter that is reflected by an object outside the module; and one or more dedicated spurious-reflection detection pixels.

Optoelectronic modules operable to recognize spurious reflections and to compensate for errors caused by spurious reflections

An optoelectronic module including a light emitter to generate light to be emitted from the module, a plurality of spatially distributed light sensitive elements arranged to detect light from the emitter that is reflected by an object outside the module, and one or more dedicated spurious-reflection detection pixels.

The current disclosure describes a stereo imaging system that is configured to use Time-of-Flight ('Tof') techniques to aid in stereoscopic image processing. One process disclosed uses ToF to aid in identifying the same elements (e.g., pixel clusters) in stereo image pairs by narrowing down search areas for matching. Another process uses ToF to aid in identifying the same elements in stereo image pairs where there a small amount texture making it difficult to find a match.

Using time-of-flight techniques for stereoscopic image processing

The present disclosure describes calibration methods for optoelectronic modules with active illumination, such as 3D ranging systems. Calibration methods include determining cross-talk calibration parameters for an optoelectronic module having an emitting channel and a receiving channel where the optoelectronic module is operable to demodulate modulated light incident on the receiving channel. Cross-talk calibration parameters are saved to a readable storage medium and recalled during distance measurements to an object or objects in a scene.

Optical crosstalk calibration for ranging systems

This disclosure is directed to methods for acquiring distance data using optical ranging systems. Optical ranging systems include one or more reference pixels and one or more object pixels. The methods employ operations for optimizing reference-pixel integration times and object-pixel integration times such that accurate distance data can be collected.

Acquisition of distance data with optical ranging systems

A distance acquisition method comprising: initializing an optical ranging system, the optical ranging system including a plurality of pixels operable to covert incident light to electrical charges; collecting electrical charges with the plurality of exposed pixels over an integration time, each pixel collecting electrical charges with an amplification and a sensitivity; correlating the electrical charges collected in each pixel to an exposure value for each pixel, the exposure value corresponding to being adequately exposed, over-exposed, or under-exposed; identifying each exposure value for each pixel as being either valid or invalid, wherein a valid exposure value corresponds to an adequately exposed pixel and an invalid exposure value corresponds to an over-exposed or under-exposed pixel; totalling the number of valid exposure value pixels; totalling the number invalid exposure value pixels; determining an exposure ratio, the ratio being the number of pixels with valid exposure values divided by the number of pixels with invalid exposure values; totalling the number of over-exposed pixels; totalling the number of under-exposed pixels; determining an invalid exposure ratio, the invalid exposure ratio being the number of over-exposed pixels divided by the number of under-exposed pixels; and determining an average valid exposure value, the average valid exposure value being the average of the valid exposure values. The method additionally comprises: using the exposure ratio, the invalid exposure ratio and the average valid exposure to optimise the integration time; using the exposure value for each pixel to optimise the amplification and sensitivity for each pixel; and determining distance data from electrical charges collected from at least one of the plurality of pixels.

Enhanced distance data acquisition

An optoelectronic module includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform operations for calibrating the optoelectronic module and collecting distance data with the optoelectronic module. Methods for calibrating and collecting distance data include using an optoelectronic module with the non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes the aforementioned instructions. In some instances, a first target is highly reflective, and a second target is highly absorbing.

Optoelectronic modules and methods for operating the same

Optoelectronic modules () are operable to distinguish between signals indicative of reflections from an object of interest and signals indicative of a spurious reflection. Various modules are operable to recognize spurious reflections by means of dedicated spurious-reflection detection pixels () and, in some cases, also to compensate for errors caused by spurious reflections.

The present disclosure describes imaging techniques and devices having improved autofocus capabilities. The imaging techniques can include actively illuminating a scene and determining distances over the entire scene and so that a respective distance to each object or point in the scene can be determined. Thus, distances to all objects in a scene (within a particular range) at any given instant can be stored. A preview of the image can be displayed so as to allow a user to select a region of the scene of interest. In response to the user's selection, the imager's optical assembly can be adjusted automatically, for example, to a position that corresponds to optimal image capture of objects at the particular distance of the selected region of the scene.

Growing community of inventors

Zurich, Switzerland

Miguel Bruno Vaello Paños