The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Mar. 07, 2023

Filed:

Oct. 26, 2020
Applicant:

Analog Devices International Unlimited Company, Limerick, IE;

Inventors:

Jonathan Ephraim David Hurwitz, Edinburgh, GB;

David Neil, Edinburgh, GB;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01S 5/042 (2006.01); H01S 5/02325 (2021.01); H01S 5/02345 (2021.01); H01S 5/02355 (2021.01); H03K 17/687 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01S 5/0428 (2013.01); H01S 5/02325 (2021.01); H01S 5/02345 (2021.01); H01S 5/02355 (2021.01); H03K 17/6871 (2013.01);
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a light source system suitable for use in a time of flight camera. The light source system includes a light source, such as a laser, and a driver arranged to supply a drive current to the light source to turn the light source on to emit light. The driver includes two transistors coupled to the light source in series, such that when both transistors are turned on, a drive circuit is completed, current flows and the light source turns on. A very short pulse of light emission may be achieved efficiently by switching one of the transistors to the on-state to complete the drive circuit and a short time later turning off the other transistor in order to break the drive circuit. In this way, a pulse of light in the order of less than 1 nanosecond or less than 500 picoseconds may be achieved.


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