Ams Sensors Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Heptagon Micro Optics Pte. Ltd.

Ams Sensors Asia Pte. Ltd.

Stephan Beer

Miguel Bruno Vaello Paños

Bernhard Buettgen

Michael Lehmann

Bassam Hallal

Daniel Pérez Calero

Jim Lewis

Daniel Furrer

Jens Kubacki

David Stoppa

Gözen Köklü

Radoslaw Marcin Gancarz

Sophie Godé

Sophie GodÉ

Miguel Bruno Vaello PAÑOS

PÉREZ Daniel Calero

We disclose a method of measuring a distance to or from a target, the method comprising: operating an emitter to generate a first pulsed signal and a second pulsed signal in a field of view of the emitter in which a target may be present, the first pulsed signal having a first pulse frequency and the second pulsed signal having a second pulse frequency, the first pulse frequency being different from the second pulse frequency; operating a detector to detect signals for a pre-determined duration after said first pulsed signal is generated and for a pre-determined duration after said second pulsed signal is generated; storing said detected signals in a memory spanning a period of the first pulsed signal and a period of the second pulsed signal, respectively; using the detected signals to identify a portion of the first pulsed signal reflected by the target and a portion of the second pulsed signal reflected by the target; determining a first virtual distance based on a difference between a reference signal and the detection of the portion of the first pulsed signal reflected by the target; determining a second virtual distance based on a difference between the reference signal and the detection of the portion of the second pulsed signal reflected by the target; and determining the distance to the target based on a virtual difference corresponding to a difference between the first virtual distance and the second virtual distance.

Method of measuring a distance from a target

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

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.

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.

An optoelectronic module operable to acquire distance data and spectral data includes an array of demodulation pixels and an array of spectral filters. The demodulation pixels can possess an intrinsic wavelength-dependent sensitivity, wherein the intrinsic wavelength-dependent sensitivity can be offset by an intensity balancing micro-lens array in some cases. In some cases, the intrinsic wavelength-dependent sensitivity can be offset by a combined filter array, while in other cases the intrinsic wavelength-dependent sensitivity can be offset by an intensity balancing filter array. Still in other cases, the demodulation pixels can be operable in such as to offset the intrinsic wavelength-dependent sensitivity.

Optoelectronic modules for the acquisition of spectral and distance data

The present disclosure describes optical imaging and optical detection modules that include sensors such as time-of-flight (TOF) sensors. Various implementations are described that, in some instances, can help reduce the amount of optical cross-talk between active detection pixels and reference pixels and/or can facilitate the ability of the sensor to determine an accurate phase difference to be used, for example, in distance calculations.

Optical imaging modules and optical detection modules including a time-of-flight sensor

An imaging device, including a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate, comprises a focal plane array of pixel cells. Each one of the pixel cells includes a gate overlying a region of the substrate operable to convert incident radiation into charge carriers. The pixel also includes a CMOS readout circuit including at least one output transistor in the substrate. The pixel further includes a charge coupled device section on the substrate adjacent the gate, the charge coupled device section including a sense node to receive charge carriers transferred from the region of the substrate beneath the gate. The sense node is coupled to the output transistor. The pixel also includes a reset switch coupled to the sense node. The pixel's charge coupled device section has a buried channel region. The pixel also includes one or more bias enabling switches operable to enable a bias voltage to be applied to the gate. At least one of the reset switch or the one or more bias enabling switches is formed in the buried channel region.

Time-of-fight pixel including in-pixel buried channel transistors

The present disclosure describes quantum dot film based demodulation structures and optical ranging systems including an array of QDF demodulation structures.

Growing community of inventors

Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Stephan Beer