Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Method for operating a time-of-flight imager pixel
- Patent Title (中): 操作飞行时间成像器像素的方法
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Application No.: US11997046Application Date: 2006-07-04
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Publication No.: US07907257B2Publication Date: 2011-03-15
- Inventor: Laurent Lamesch , Jochen Landwehr
- Applicant: Laurent Lamesch , Jochen Landwehr
- Applicant Address: LU Luxembourg
- Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering S.A.
- Current Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering S.A.
- Current Assignee Address: LU Luxembourg
- Agency: Cantor Colburn LLP
- Priority: EP05106920 20050727
- International Application: PCT/EP2006/063836 WO 20060704
- International Announcement: WO2007/014818 WO 20070208
- Main IPC: G01C3/08
- IPC: G01C3/08

Abstract:
A time-of-flight imager pixel has a light-sensitive region, a first and a second integration gate associated with the light-sensitive region, a first and a second sense node, a first output gate arranged between the first integration gate and the first sense node and a second output gate arranged between the second integration gate and the second sense node, a method for operating such a pixel includes exposing the light-sensitive region to light so as to optically generate charge carriers; collecting the charge carriers alternatively under the first and second integration gates; adjusting voltages of the first and second output gates and the first and second integration gates, thereby transferring a first portion of the charge carriers from the first integration gate into the first sense node and a second portion from the second integration gate into the second sense node; calculating time-of-flight information based on the first and second portions of charge carriers. adjusting at least one voltage so as to transfer, if respectively the first and/or second integration gate is close to or in saturation, an amount of charge carriers form the first and/or second integration gate into the first and/or second sense node; and testing whether a voltage change exceeding a given threshold was thereby provoked in the first and/or second sense node.
Public/Granted literature
- US20090135404A1 METHOD FOR OPERATING A TIME-OF-FLIGHT IMAGER PIXEL Public/Granted day:2009-05-28
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