Ams Ag

Ams International Ag

Robert Kappel

Christian Mautner

Thomas Jessenig

Manfred Lueger

Daniele Perenzoni

Daniel Furrer

Nenad Lilic

Georg Röhrer

A sensor device is provided and includes an array of photodetectors. A readout circuit is connected to the array of photodetectors and provides dedicated readout paths for each photodetector in the array, respectively. Further, the readout circuit includes at least one control terminal. An array of time-to-digital converters is electrically connected to converter output terminals of the readout circuit. Depending on a control signal to be applied at the at least one control terminal, the readout circuit is arranged to electrically connect through the readout paths of photodetectors of a first subarray () to the converter output terminals of the readout circuit, respectively, thereby rendering the photodetectors of the first subarray active and photodetectors of a second subarray inactive.

Sensor device, sensor module, imaging system and method to operate a sensor device

Methods for detecting a time-of-flight include: emitting a light pulse toward a target; detecting a presence of light received at a light detector; obtaining a delay time between emitting the light pulse and detecting the presence of the light at the light detector; responsive to obtaining the delay time, (a) updating an overall intensity counter that counts a total number of delay times that have been obtained and (b) updating a delay time counter out of a plurality of different delay time counters, wherein each delay time counter counts a total number of delay times obtained that have a corresponding delay time value; and monitoring a threshold of each delay time counter to determine whether a threshold value is exceeded.

Time-of-flight to distance calculator

A time-of-flight arrangement () comprises a laser (), a laser driver (), a clock generator () that is coupled to the laser () via the laser driver (), a photodiode circuit () and a time-to-digital converter (). The photodiode circuit () comprises an avalanche photodiode (), a quenching circuit (), a diode node () and a readout circuit (). The quenching circuit () is coupled via the diode node () to the avalanche photodiode (). An input of the readout circuit () is connected to the diode node (). At least one of the clock generator () and the readout circuit () is coupled on its output side to the input side of the time-to-digital converter ().

Time-of-flight arrangement and method for a time-of-flight measurement

The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus for enabling an imaging sensor to perform Time-of-Flight measurements while requiring less histogram memory and in many cases less power consumption. A light source is operated to cause multiple light emissions and a coarse/estimated distance is determined based on a first echo received based on the first light emission. A histogram is saved and a fine distance is calculated from the coarse distance and data derived from the echo of a second light emission.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Robert Kappel