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:
Aug. 04, 2026

Filed:

Jul. 19, 2021
Applicant:

Stmicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited, Marlow, GB;

Inventors:

Bruce Rae, Edinburgh, GB;

Neale Dutton, Edinburgh, GB;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01C 3/08 (2006.01); H03K 19/17764 (2020.01); H03K 19/20 (2006.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H03K 19/17764 (2013.01); H03K 19/20 (2013.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01);
Abstract

An electronic device includes a time-of-flight unit with a laser emitting ranging light toward a scene, and a detector detecting ranging light reflected from the scene. The detector includes photodetection regions of macropixels. Each macropixel includes photodiodes, and OR logic circuitry receiving outputs of photodiodes as input and generating a detection signal. Each macropixel has output combining logic, and selection circuitry selectively passing the detection signal to the output combining logic or to output combining logic of a neighboring macropixel. The output combining logic has inputs coupled to the selection circuitry and the selection circuitry of the neighboring macropixel, and generates an output signal by logically combining outputs of the selection circuitry and the selection circuitry of the neighboring macropixel. Timing circuitry determines distances to points of the scene from elapsed time between emitting the ranging light and detecting of ranging light reflected from the scene by the photodetection regions.


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