公开(公告)号：US20210088662A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-25

申请号：US17016861

申请日：2020-09-10

Applicant: Melexis Technologies NV

Inventor： Andreas OTT

IPC: G01S17/36 ,  G01S7/4915 ,  G01S17/46

Abstract: An indirect time of flight range calculation apparatus (100) comprises a light source, a photonic mixer cell (102) that generates a plurality of output signals respectively corresponding to a first plurality of predetermined phase values (p1, p2, . . . , pm). A signal processing circuit (110, 124, 128, 146) is also provided to process the first plurality of electrical output signals in order to calculate a first vector and a first angle from the first vector. The photonic mixer (102) generates a second plurality of electrical output signals corresponding to a second plurality of predetermined phase values ([p1, p2, . . . , pm]+π/m). Each phase value of the second plurality of predetermined phase values is respectively offset with respect to each phase value of the first plurality of predetermined phase values by a predetermined phase offset value. The signal processing circuit (110, 124, 128, 146) processes the second plurality of electrical output signals in order to calculate a second vector, and de-rotates the second vector calculated and calculate a second angle from the de-rotated second vector before offsetting the second angle against the first angle, thereby generating a corrected output angle, which is used to calculate a range.

公开(公告)号：US20210239810A1

公开(公告)日：2021-08-05

申请号：US17160724

申请日：2021-01-28

Applicant: Melexis Technologies NV

Inventor： Andreas OTT

IPC: G01S7/4913 ,  G01S17/32 ,  G01S7/48

Abstract: An apparatus (100) comprises a light source that emits light modulated selectively at first and second modulation frequencies. A photonic mixer cell (102) generates and stores a plurality of electrical output signals respectively corresponding to phase offset values applied in accordance with an indirect time of flight technique and in respect of the selected modulation frequency. A signal processing circuit processes a first number of the electrical output signals at the first modulation frequency to calculate a first measurement phase angle (φ1) from a calculated first measurement vector, and a second number of the electrical output signals at the second modulation frequency to calculate a second measurement phase angle (φ2) from a second calculated measurement vector. A phase angle difference (Δφ) between the first and second measurement phase angles (φ1, φ2) is then calculated and a correction value (φcorr) applied to the phase angle difference (Δφ) to yield an extended range phase angle (φext) for calculating a range.

公开(公告)号：US20240159820A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-16

申请号：US18500249

申请日：2023-11-02

Applicant: Melexis Technologies NV

Inventor： Francois PIETTE ,  Cliff DE LOCHT ,  Axel FANGET ,  Andreas OTT ,  Andreas LAUTE ,  Thomas FREITAG

IPC: G01R31/28

CPC classification number: G01R31/2837 ,  G01R31/287

Abstract: A system for characterizing a transistor circuit which has a local minimum in its transfer characteristic by finding its local minimum. The system comprises: a bias voltage generator for generating a toggling signal; a multiplier configured for multiplying an electrical signal which is a function of the drain source current of the transistor circuit, with a waveform alternating between two predefined values synchronously with the toggling signal; a first integrator configured for integrating the electrical signal from the multiplier, and wherein if more integrators are present, linear combinations of output signals of the integrators are provided to the further integrators; a summator configured for summing the toggling signal and an integration signal and configured for outputting the sum to the gate of the transistor circuit.

公开(公告)号：US20220116075A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-14

申请号：US17496486

申请日：2021-10-07

Applicant: Melexis Technologies NV

Inventor： Andreas OTT ,  Federico D'ANIELLO ,  Thomas FREITAG ,  Andrea BASCHIROTTO

IPC: H04B3/54

Abstract: A transmitter device for transmission of data via DC power distribution lines includes a sequence generator arranged for receiving a raw data bit stream to be transmitted over a positive and a negative DC power distribution line and for deriving a switching sequence based on the raw data bit stream, and a circuit including one or more capacitors and a plurality of switches controllable with the switching sequence derived in the sequence generator. The circuit is arranged for injecting in the positive and negative DC power distribution lines symmetric displacement currents resulting from displacing charges on the one or more capacitors when the one or more capacitors are charged or discharged according to the switching sequence. The symmetric displacement currents give rise to changes in voltage of the same magnitude and opposite polarity on the positive and negative DC power distribution lines.

公开(公告)号：US20220066004A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-03

申请号：US17409968

申请日：2021-08-24

Applicant: Melexis Technologies NV

Inventor： Andreas OTT

IPC: G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S17/58

Abstract: A motion or saturation determination apparatus (100) comprising: a light source configured to emit light and an optoelectronic device (102) configured to receive an electromagnetic signal and to translate the signal to a plurality of electrical output signals corresponding to a plurality of predetermined phase offset values in accordance with an indirect time of flight measurement technique. A signal processing circuit (110, 116, 126, 132, 136) of the apparatus (100) is configured to process the electrical output signals to calculate a plurality of measurement vectors derived from the plurality of electrical signals. The vectors are in respect of a plurality of frequencies and comprise a first measurement vector for a fundamental harmonic frequency and a second measurement vector for a non-fundamental frequency. The circuit (110, 116, 126, 132, 136) is configured to calculate a scalar relating a first amplitude of the first vector to a second amplitude of the second vector, and to use the scalar to identify motion or saturation in respect of the optoelectronic device (102).

公开(公告)号：US20210173088A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-10

申请号：US17117303

申请日：2020-12-10

Applicant: Melexis Technologies NV

Inventor： Volodymyr SELIUCHENKO ,  Andreas OTT ,  Kyle LEGG

IPC: G01S17/894 ,  G01B11/26 ,  G01S17/46

Abstract: A phase angle error calculation apparatus (100) comprising a light source (102) that emits light according to an indirect time of flight (iToF) measurement technique. A photonic mixer cell (104) generates and stores a plurality of electrical output signals corresponding to a plurality of predetermined phase offset values. A signal processing circuit processes the electrical output signals according to the iToF measurement technique in order to calculate a reference vector and a reference phase angle therefrom. The output signals correspond to measurement at a first level of precision. The circuit processes a subset of output signals according to the iToF measurement technique and calculates a measurement vector and a measurement phase angle therefrom. The subset of the output signals corresponds to measurement at a second level of precision lower than the first level of precision. The circuit calculates a phase angle correction value using the reference phase angle and the measurement phase angle.

公开(公告)号：US20210173054A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-10

申请号：US17109356

申请日：2020-12-02

Applicant: Melexis Technologies NV

Inventor： Andreas OTT

IPC: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/36 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/497

Abstract: An optical range calculation apparatus (100) comprises a light source configured to emit light in accordance with an indirect time of flight measurement technique. A photonic mixer cell (102) is configured to generate and store a plurality of electrical output signals respectively corresponding to a plurality of predetermined phase offset values applied (112) in accordance with the indirect time of flight measurement technique. A signal processing circuit (110, 124) is configured to process the plurality of electrical output signals in accordance with the indirect time of flight measurement technique in order to calculate a measurement vector and a measured phase angle from the measurement vector. The signal processing circuit (110, 124) is configured to calculate a phase angle correction value using reference illumination data and to apply the calculated phase angle correction value in order to correct the measured phase angle, and the signal processing circuit is configured to calculate a range using the corrected measured phase angle.