Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Time-resolving sensor using shared PPD+SPAD pixel and spatial-temporal correlation for range measurement
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Application No.: US16134954Application Date: 2018-09-18
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Publication No.: US10397553B2Publication Date: 2019-08-27
- Inventor: Yibing Michelle Wang , Lilong Shi , Ilia Ovsiannikov
- Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicant Address: KR
- Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
- Current Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
- Current Assignee Address: KR
- Agency: Renaissance IP Law Group LLP
- Main IPC: H04N13/254
- IPC: H04N13/254 ; H04N5/3745 ; H04N5/369 ; G01S17/89 ; H04N5/378 ; G01S17/10 ; G01S7/486

Abstract:
A Time-of-Flight (TOF) technique is combined with analog amplitude modulation within each pixel in a pixel array using multiple Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) in conjunction with a single Pinned Photo Diode (PPD) in each pixel. A SPAD may be shared among multiple neighboring pixels. The TOF information is added to the received light signal by the analog domain-based single-ended to differential converter inside the pixel itself. The spatial-temporal correlation among outputs of multiple, adjacent SPADs in a pixel is used to control the operation of the PPD to facilitate recording of TOF values and range of an object. Erroneous range measurements due to ambient light are prevented by stopping the charge transfer from the PPD—and, hence, recording a TOF value—only when two or more SPADs in the pixel are triggered within a pre-defined time interval. An autonomous navigation system with multi-SPAD pixels provides improved vision for drivers under difficult driving conditions.
Public/Granted literature
- US20190020864A1 TIME-RESOLVING SENSOR USING SHARED PPD+SPAD PIXEL AND SPATIAL-TEMPORAL CORRELATION FOR RANGE MEASUREMENT Public/Granted day:2019-01-17
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