Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Stmicroelectronics (research & Development) Limited

Xiaoyong Yang

Rui Xiao

Cheng Peng

Neale Dutton

Arnaud Deleule

Kevin Channon

Dominique Paul Barbier

Duncan Hall

Frederic Morestin

Chang Myung Ryu

Sankalp Dayal

Kalyan-Kumar Vadlamudi-Reddy

Darin K Winterton

James Kath

Jean-Marc Tessier

Riu Xiao

A time of flight range detection device includes a laser configured to transmit an optical pulse into an image scene, a return single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array, a reference SPAD array, a range detection circuit coupled to the return SPAD array and the reference SPAD array, and a laser driver circuit. The range detection circuit in operation determines a distance to an object based on signals from the return SPAD array and the reference SPAD array. The laser driver circuit in operation varies an output power level of the laser in response to the determined distance to the object.

Adaptive laser power and ranging limit for time of flight sensor

A robotic device including one or more proximity sensing systems coupled to various portions of a robot body. The proximity sensing systems detect a distance of an object about the robot body and the robotic device reacts based on the detected distance. The proximity sensing systems obtain a three-dimensional (3D) profile of the object to determine a category of the object. The distance of the object is detected multiple times in a sequence to determine a movement path of the object.

Robotic device with time-of-flight proximity sensing system

An electronic device includes a depth sensor and an inertial measurement unit. The electronic device detects a presence of the user of the electronic device by analyzing a combination of inertial sensor signals from the inertial measurement unit and depth sensor signals from the depth sensor.

System and method for detecting human presence based on depth sensing and inertial measurement

Disclosed herein is a system for detecting rotational speed and early failures of an electronic device. The system includes a rotating disk affixed to a rotating shaft of the electronic device. The rotating disk has projections extending from its periphery. A time of flight ranging system determines distance to the projections extending from the rotating disk. Processing circuitry determines a rotational speed of the rotating shaft from the determined distances to the projections extending from the rotating disk, and detects whether the electronic device is undergoing an early failure from the determined distances to the projections extending from the rotating disk. Rotational speed is determined from the time between successive peaks in the determined distances, and early failures (for example, due to wobble of the shaft) are determined where the peaks vary unexpectedly in magnitude.

Time of flight based rotary speed sensor with early fault detection

The present disclosure provides a device and method for depth sensing by utilizing the combination of a ranging sensor and an image sensor. The ranging sensor can accurately detect distance measurement from an object. The image sensor can take images with high resolution of the object. By combining each sensor data from the ranging sensor and the image sensor, accurate depth information with high resolution of the object may be obtained. A structured light having patterned shapes are used in conjunction with the ranging sensor to receive reflected patterned shapes of the object. These reflected patterned shapes are used to analyze distance measurements associated with the specific patterned shapes. These distance measurements from both the ranging sensor and the image sensor is aligned and combined to generate an accurate depth map with high resolution using a processor of an electronic device including the ranging sensor and the image sensor.

Depth sensing with a ranging sensor and an image sensor

An image projection device, such as a pico projector or LCD projector, includes image projection circuitry configured to generate a light beam having a power. The image projection circuitry projects the light beam onto and focuses the light beam on a projection surface located an imaging distance from the image projection circuitry. A time-of-flight sensor is configured to sense the imaging distance between the image projection circuitry and the projection surface and to generate an imaging distance signal indicating the sensed imaging distance. Control circuitry is coupled to the image projection circuitry and to the time-of-flight sensor and is configured to adjust the power and the focus of the light beam based upon the imaging distance signal.

Time of flight sensing for brightness and autofocus control in image projection devices

A user identification based control system includes a time of flight ranging sensor configured to sense a distance to a person, where the time of flight ranging sensor is positioned so the sensed distance is a function of a height of the person. Processing circuitry is coupled to the time of flight ranging sensor and configured to identify the person based upon sensed distance and to generate control signals to control peripheral components based upon the identity of the person. The time of flight ranging sensor may also be used to sense speed of the person for identification purposes. In general, the time of flight ranging sensor is positioned a known height over a surface on which the person is present, such as in the doorway or on a ceiling of a room.

Time of flight user identification based control systems and methods

A method includes sensing through time-of-flight measurements a distance of an object from an electronic device, sensing motion of the electronic device, sensing acoustic signals received by the electronic device, and detecting the presence of a human proximate the electronic device based on the sensed distance, motion and acoustic signals. Access to the electronic device is controlled based on whether a human is detected as being present.

Human presence detection

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method of authenticating a user's face with a ranging sensor. The ranging sensor includes a time of flight sensor and a reflectance sensor. The ranging sensor transmits a signal that is reflected off of a user and received back at the ranging sensor. The received signal can be used to determine distance between the user and the sensor, and the reflectance value of the user. With the distance or the reflectivity, a processor can activate a facial recognition process in response to the distance and the reflectivity. A device incorporating the ranging sensor according to the present disclosure may reduce the overall power consumed during the facial authentication process.

Facial authentication systems and methods utilizing time of flight sensing

The present disclosure is directed to a method and system for scanning an object or environment with a ranging sensor. The method involves rotating a ranging sensor around a rotation reference point and associating the distances measured with the ranging sensor with rotation measurements from a rotation sensor fixed to the ranging sensor. The associated data is used to populate a data plot or data table to be used to generate three-dimensional models.

Time of flight based 3D scanner

An electronic device includes a time-of-flight sensor configured to sense a distance between the electronic device and at least one object proximate the electronic device. Processing circuitry is coupled to the time-of-flight sensor and controls access to the electronic device based on the sensed distance. The electronic device may include a digital camera that the processing circuitry controls to perform facial or iris recognition utilizing the sensed distance from the time-of-flight sensor.

Time of flight sensing for providing security and power savings in electronic devices

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method of determining a movement of a user's head with a ranging sensor. The ranging sensor transmits a ranging signal that is reflected off of a user's shoulder and received back at the ranging sensor. The received ranging signal can be used to determine distance between the user's head and the user's shoulder or to determine the reflectivity of the user's shoulder. With the distance or the reflectivity, a processor can be used to determine movement of the user's head. Furthermore, a multiple zone ranging sensor or multiple ranging sensors can be used to detect the user's shoulder in different spatial zones.

Time-of-flight head movement measurement for wearable device

A method and apparatus for determining space occupancy and performing volumetric measurement of a transportation system using a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor array are provided. In the method and apparatus, the TOF sensor array, which is mounted in a transportation system and includes a plurality of TOF sensors, outputs a plurality of distance measurements made by the plurality of TOF sensors, respectively. In the method and apparatus, a map of one or more objects positioned in the transportation system is generated based on the plurality of distance measurements. The map is output for display to a user by a display.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Xiaoyong Yang