Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Time-of-flight sensor readout circuit
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Application No.: US15870722Application Date: 2018-01-12
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Publication No.: US10306172B2Publication Date: 2019-05-28
- Inventor: Barry Thompson , Lawrence Albert Prather
- Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Applicant Address: US WA Redmond
- Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
- Current Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
- Current Assignee Address: US WA Redmond
- Agency: Alleman Hall Creasman & Tuttle LLP
- Main IPC: H04N5/378
- IPC: H04N5/378 ; H04N5/374 ; G01S7/486 ; H04N5/3745 ; H04N5/357 ; G01S17/10

Abstract:
A time-of-flight image sensor including a readout circuit is provided. The readout circuit may include a pixel array including multiple pixels. The pixel array may be configured to produce a pixel signal for each of one or more pixels over a series of timesteps. The pixel signal may include an illuminated value and a reset value. The readout circuit may further include a plurality of gain selection comparators configured to receive the pixel signal and select an amplifier gain value. The readout circuit may further include analog correlated double sampling circuitry. The readout circuit may further include a programmable gain amplifier configured to generate an amplified pixel signal from the pixel signal, which may be amplified at the selected amplifier gain value. The readout circuit may further include a plurality of analog-to-digital converters. Each of the analog-to-digital converters may have a common ramp generated by a global ramp generator.
Public/Granted literature
- US20190082132A1 TIME-OF-FLIGHT SENSOR READOUT CIRCUIT Public/Granted day:2019-03-14
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