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:
Sep. 26, 2023

Filed:

Oct. 28, 2021
Applicant:

Omnivision Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Inventors:

Andreas Suess, San Jose, CA (US);

Zheng Yang, San Jose, CA (US);

Assignee:

OmniVision Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H01L 27/148 (2006.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H04N 25/71 (2023.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 25/75 (2023.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); H01L 27/14612 (2013.01); H01L 27/14831 (2013.01); H04N 25/745 (2023.01);
Abstract

A time-of-flight sensor includes a pixel array of pixel circuits. A first subset of the pixel circuits is illuminated by reflected modulated light from a portion of an object. A second subset of the pixel circuits is non-illuminated by the reflected modulated light. Each pixel circuit includes a floating diffusion that stores a portion of charge photogenerated in a photodiode in response to the reflected modulated light. A transfer transistor transfers the portion of charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion in response to modulation by a phase modulation signal. A modulation driver block generates the phase modulation signal and is coupled to a light source that emits the modulated light to the portion of the object. The modulation driver block synchronizes scanning the modulated light emitted by the light source across the object with scanning of the first subset of the pixel circuits across the pixel array.


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