A TOF ranging system based on a multi-phase correlation vector synthesis ranging method is presented. The method is a generalized expansion from conventional 2- or 4-phase correlations to arbitrary N-phase correlations in finding in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) signals of the reflected signal at the receiver, where N is an odd number greater than or equal to 3. The correlation vectors of the output of multi-phase correlators are processed by a zero-force synthesizer to produce optimal I and Q signals, from which the phase delay or ranging information is calculated. Embodiments disclose necessary components in realization of the method, such as half clock shifter, full clock shifter, dual edge reference pulse generator, and correlation integrator. The TOF ranging method enables the construction of finer and more accurate TOF systems like 3D imaging systems, 3D sonar imaging systems, or 3D touchless pointer systems.