Stmicroelectronics (research & Development) Limited

Stmicroelectronics (grenoble 2) Sas

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Neale Dutton

John Kevin Moore

Bruce Rae

Denise Lee

Robert K Henderson

Xiaoyong Yang

Sarrah Moiz Patanwala

Jeffrey M Raynor

Stuart McLeod

Nicolas Moeneclaey

Graeme Storm

Kevin Channon

Mohammed Al-Rawhani

Jerome Andriot-Ballet

Pascal Mellot

Christopher Townsend

Jeff Raynor

Francescopaolo Mattioli Della Rocca

Alexios Alexandropoulos

Steven Collins

Ellen Couper

Aravind Venugopalan Nair Jalakumari

Salvatore Gnecchi

Kasper Buckbee

Elisa Lacombe

Elsa Lacombe

Aravind Venugopalan Nair Jalajakumari

Ivelina Hristova

Jérôme Andriot-Ballet

A time-of-flight system includes an emitter-circuit generating and directing pulses of light toward a target, and a receiver-circuit including a photodetector coupled between a bias node and a sensing node to detect pulses that have reflected off the target, a comparison circuit comparing a sense voltage at the sensing node to a reference, a timing measurement circuit measuring elapsed time between generation of a given pulse and detection thereof after reflection off the target, and a programmable current sink that sinks a current from the sensing node equal to a portion of a photocurrent generated by the photodetector due to detection of ambient light. A timing-generation circuit synchronizes generation of the pulses and measurement of elapsed time by the timing circuit. A processor adjusts a magnitude of the current sunk from the sensing node based upon output of the comparison circuit when the emitter circuit is deactivated.

Quantum film direct time of flight sensor circuit for low cost short wave infrared operation

In an embodiment, a method includes: receiving a first plurality of digital codes from a time-to-digital converter (TDC); generating a coarse histogram from the first plurality of digital codes; detecting a peak coarse bin from the plurality of coarse bins; after receiving the first plurality of digital codes, receiving a second plurality of digital codes from the TDC; and generating a fine histogram from the second plurality of digital codes based on the detected peak coarse bin, where a fine histogram depth range is narrower than a coarse histogram depth range, where a lowest fine histogram depth is lower or equal to a lowest coarse peak depth, and where a highest fine histogram depth is higher or equal to a highest coarse peak depth.

Time to digital converter

An imaging device includes a sensor array with a number of pixels. In an embodiment, the imaging device can be operated by capturing a first low-spatial resolution frame using a subset of pixels of the sensor array and then capturing a second low-spatial resolution frame using the same subset of pixels of the sensor array. A first depth map is generated using raw pixel values of the first low-spatial resolution frame and a second depth map is generated using raw pixel values of the second low-spatial resolution frame. The first depth map can be compared to the second depth map to determine whether an object has moved in a field of view of the imaging device.

Pixel circuit and method of operating the same in an always-on mode

Disclosed herein is an array of pixels. Each pixel includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and a transistor circuit. The transistor circuit includes a clamp transistor configured to clamp an anode voltage of the SPAD to be no more than a threshold clamped anode voltage, and a quenching element in series with the clamp transistor and configured to quench the anode voltage of the SPAD when the SPAD is struck by an incoming photon. Readout circuitry is coupled to receive the clamped anode voltage from the transistor circuit and to generate a pixel output therefrom, the threshold clamped anode voltage being below a maximum voltage rating of transistors forming the readout circuitry.

Anode sensing circuit for single photon avalanche diodes

A system-on-a-chip (SOC) within a package includes a reference generator, a matching circuit, a programmable current generator, a PWM controller, an overvoltage/undervoltage detector receiving a high voltage from a third output pad, a multiplexer passing an input signal to a second output pad, and a SPAD receiving the high voltage. Switching circuitry includes a first switch between the reference generator and an input of the programmable current generator, a second switch between the input of the current generator and the output of the matching circuit, a third switch between the reference generator and an input of the matching circuit, a fourth switch between an output of the current generator and a tap of a ladder within the overvoltage/undervoltage detector, a fifth switch between an output of the current generator and the first output pad, and a sixth switch between the output of the PWM controller and the first output pad.

Reconfigurable high voltage generation circuit for SPAD sensors

A laser diode driver circuit includes a first pair of contacts and connectors coupled to an anode of the laser diode. An inductance of each of the first pair of contacts and connectors is the same. A second pair of contacts and connectors are coupled to a cathode of the laser diode. An inductance of each of the second pair of contacts and connectors is the same. The laser diode driver circuit also includes current driving circuitry.

Apparatus for compensating parasitic impedance for integrated circuits

In an embodiment, a method includes: resetting respective count values of a plurality of analog counters to an initial count value, each analog counter of the plurality of analog counters corresponding to a histogram bin of a time-of-flight (ToF) histogram; after resetting the respective count values, receiving a plurality of digital addresses from a time-to-digital converter (TDC); during an integration period, for each received digital address, selecting one analog counter based on the received digital address, and changing the respective count value of the selected one analog counter towards a second count value by a discrete amount, where each analog counter has a final count value at an end of the integration period; and after the integration period, determining an associated final bin count of each histogram bin of the ToF histogram based on the final count value of the corresponding analog counter.

ToF system

In some embodiments, a ToF sensor includes an illumination source module, a transmitter lens module, a receiver lens module, and an integrated circuit that includes a ToF imaging array. The ToF imaging array includes a plurality of SPADs and a plurality of ToF channels coupled to the plurality of SPADs. In a first mode, the ToF imaging array is configured to select a first group of SPADs corresponding to a first FoV. In a second mode, the ToF imaging array is configured to select a second group of SPADs corresponding to a second FoV different than the first FoV.

Multiple fields of view time of flight sensor

An optical sensor includes at least one photodetector configured to be reverse biased at a voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage by an excess bias voltage. At least one control unit is configured to adjust the reverse bias of the at least one photodetector. A method of operating an optical sensor is also disclosed.

Optical sensor and method of operating an optical sensor

A depth map sensor includes a first array of first pixels, each first pixel having a first photodetector associated with a pixel circuit that comprises a plurality of first bins for accumulating events. A clock source is configured to generate a plurality of phase-shifted clock signals. A first circuit has a plurality of first output lines coupled to the first array of first pixels. The first circuit is configured to receive the plurality of phase-shifted clock signals. The first circuit includes a first block and a second block. The first block is configured to propagate the plurality of phase-shifted clock signals to the second block during a first period determined by a first enable signal and the second block configured to select to which of the plurality of first output lines each of the plurality of phase-shifted clock signals is applied.

Depth map sensor with bin rotation

In an embodiment, a method includes: receiving a first plurality of digital codes from a time-to-digital converter (TDC); TDC; generating a coarse histogram from the first plurality of digital codes; detecting a peak coarse bin from the plurality of coarse bins; after receiving the first plurality of digital codes, receiving a second plurality of digital codes from the TDC; and generating a fine histogram from the second plurality of digital codes based on the detected peak coarse bin, where a fine histogram depth range is narrower than a coarse histogram depth range, where a lowest fine histogram depth is lower or equal to a lowest coarse peak depth, and where a highest fine histogram depth is higher or equal to a highest coarse peak depth.

A method can be used for controlling pixel scanning within a range detector. A spatially controllable point light source generates a first series of light source pulses associated with a first spatial direction. The first series of light source pulses are generated during a first time period. The spatially controllable point light source generates a second series of light source pulses associated with a second spatial direction. The second series of light source pulses are generated during a second time period that overlaps with the first time period so that the second series of light source pulses are started during the first series of light source pulses.

Apparatus and method for controlling system timing within a LIDAR system

A ToF sensor includes an array of pixels having first and second subsets of pixels, first and second pluralities of TDCs, a routing bus having first and second pluralities of bus drivers, and a controller configured to: when the first subset of pixels is active and the second subset of pixels is not active, control the first plurality of bus drivers to route events from half of the pixels of the first subset to the first plurality of TDCs and control the first and second pluralities of bus drivers to route events from the other half of the pixels of the first subset to the second plurality of TDCs, and when the first subset of pixels is not active and the second subset of pixels is active, control the first plurality of bus drivers to route events from the second subset of pixels to the first plurality of TDCs.

Routing for DTOF sensors

A sensor has plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns with row control circuitry for controlling which one of said rows is activated and column control circuitry for controlling which of said pixels in said activated row is to be activated. The column circuitry has memory configured to store information indication as to which of the pixels are defective, wherein each of the pixels has a photodiode and a plurality of transistors which control the activation of the photodiode. A first transistor is configured to be controlled by a column enable signal while a second transistor is configured to be controlled by a row select signal.

Image sensor including photodiode array comprising a first transistor coupled to a photodiode to receive a column enable signal and a second transistor coupled to the photodiode to receive a column disable signal

A combining network for an array of SPAD devices includes: synchronous sampling circuits, wherein each synchronous sampling circuit is coupled to an output of a corresponding SPAD device and is configured to generate a pulse or an edge each time an event is detected; and a summation circuit coupled to an output of each of the synchronous sampling circuits and configured to count a number of pulses or edges to generate a binary output value.

Growing community of inventors

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Neale Dutton