公开(公告)号：US12133011B1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-29

申请号：US18626926

申请日：2024-04-04

申请人： CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

发明人： Kazuya Kayama ,  Satoshi Omodani

IPC分类号： H04N5/351 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/931 ,  H04N25/771 ,  H04N25/773 ,  H04N25/78 ,  G01S17/89

CPC分类号： H04N25/773 ,  G01S7/4808 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/931 ,  H04N25/771 ,  H04N25/78 ,  G01S17/89

摘要： A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion unit configured to output a photon detection signal in response to an incidence of a photon, a counting unit configured to count the photon detection signal output from the photoelectric conversion unit, and a counting control unit configured to control a counting operation in the counting unit. The counting control unit is configured to reset a count value and restart the counting operation from an initial value, when a count value from a start of the counting operation to a first time is less than a first threshold value and a count value from the start of the counting operation to a second time after the first time is equal to or greater than a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value.

公开(公告)号：US12123950B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-22

申请号：US17394596

申请日：2021-08-05

申请人： Red Creamery LLC

发明人： Dmitriy Yavid

IPC分类号： G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/89

CPC分类号： G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865

摘要： A laser radar includes: a laser, an optical transmission system, a 1-dimensional array of photo-detectors, an optical reception system, and an electronic control system. The laser emits a wavelength of light, and the optical transmission system shapes the light into a beam, and scans the beam along a fan of transmission light paths toward a target. The photo-detectors are capable of time-of-arrival measurements and are sensitive to the wavelength of light. The optical reception system collects the laser light reflected from the target along a fan of reception light paths. The electronic control system synchronizes the scan of the beam with a respective time-of-arrival measurement from each of the photo-detectors, and analyzes the time-of-arrival measurements. The system is configured for all of the transmission light paths and all of the reception light paths to lie in one plane, with all of the reception light paths intersecting with at least one of the transmission light paths.

公开(公告)号：US20240345231A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-17

申请号：US18292575

申请日：2022-07-20

申请人： VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH

发明人： Jochen Schenk ,  Juergen Nies ,  Frank Selbmann ,  Johannes Appl ,  Heiko Hofmann

IPC分类号： G01S7/497 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/931

CPC分类号： G01S7/497 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/931

摘要： A method for operating an optical detection device provided for monitoring at least one monitoring region is disclosed. The method includes actuating at least one light-emitting element to transmit a light signal, receiving at least one reflected light signal using at least two monitoring regions of at least one receiver, and using at least one received light signal to determine at least on receive variable. The eye safety of the detection device is checked by configuring at least one of the receiving regions as a measurement receiving region and at least one of the receiving regions as a test region, generating at least one measurement receive variable that characterizes a quantity of light captured in one measurement time interval, and generating at least one test receive variable that characterizes a quantity of light captured in one test time interval.

公开(公告)号：US12117563B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-15

申请号：US17593435

申请日：2020-03-16

申请人： SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION

发明人： Ryota Watanabe ,  Takeshi Yamazaki ,  Sangman Han

IPC分类号： G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4863

CPC分类号： G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4863

摘要： The present technology relates to a light receiving device and a distance measuring module capable of improving sensitivity. A light receiving device includes a pixel array unit in which pixels each having a first tap detecting charge photoelectrically converted by a photoelectric conversion unit and a second tap detecting charge photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion unit are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix. The first tap and the second tap each have a voltage application unit that applies a voltage, the pixel array unit has a groove portion formed by digging from a light incident surface side of a substrate to a predetermined depth, and the groove portion is arranged so as to overlap at least a part of the voltage application unit in plan view. The present technology can be applied to a distance measuring sensor or the like of the indirect ToF scheme, for example.

公开(公告)号：US12111422B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-08

申请号：US18333074

申请日：2023-06-12

申请人： Waymo LLC

发明人： Pierre-Yves Droz ,  David Hutchison

IPC分类号： G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G02B5/00 ,  G02B6/08 ,  G02B19/00 ,  G02B27/09

CPC分类号： G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4813 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4818 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G02B5/003 ,  G02B5/005 ,  G02B6/08 ,  G02B19/0014 ,  G02B19/0076 ,  G02B27/0994

摘要： The present disclosure relates to limitation of noise on light detectors using an aperture. One example implementation includes a system. The system includes a lens that focuses light from a scene toward a focal plane. The system also includes an aperture defined within an opaque material. The system also includes a plurality of waveguides. A given waveguide of the plurality has an input end that receives a portion of light transmitted through the aperture, and guides the received portion toward an output end of the given waveguide. A cross-sectional area of the guided portion at the output end is greater than a cross-sectional area of the received portion at the input end. The system also includes an array of light detectors that detects the guided light transmitted through the output end.

公开(公告)号：US12096121B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-17

申请号：US18417282

申请日：2024-01-19

申请人： 4D Intellectual Properties, LLC

发明人： James E. Retterath

IPC分类号： H04N23/67 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/18 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S17/931 ,  H04N13/204 ,  H04N13/257 ,  H04N13/271 ,  H04N13/296

CPC分类号： H04N23/671 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/18 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S17/931 ,  H04N13/204 ,  H04N13/257 ,  H04N13/271 ,  H04N13/296 ,  H04N2213/005

摘要： Geiger mode photo diodes are solid state photodetectors that are able to detect single photons. Such Geiger mode photo diodes are also referred to as single-photon detectors (SPDs). An array of SPDs can be used as a single detector element in an active sensing system, but sensor systems based on SPD arrays have at least two shortcomings due to ambient light. First, solar background light can hamper the ability to accurately determine depth. Second, ambient light impacts the reflectivity precision because of challenges differentiating between reflected light and ambient light. Embodiments enable active sensors that remove the ambient signal from a sensor's optical input. Other embodiments produce sensor intensity values that have higher precision than typical SPD array devices. Further embodiments produce sensor depth values that have higher precision than typical SPD array devices.

公开(公告)号：US20240305907A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-12

申请号：US18272611

申请日：2022-01-13

申请人： HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

发明人： Keisuke UCHIDA ,  Munenori TAKUMI ,  Hisayoshi TAKAMOTO ,  Naoaki KATO ,  Katsuhiro NAKAMOTO ,  Mitsuhito MASE

IPC分类号： H04N25/705 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  H04N25/771

CPC分类号： H04N25/705 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  H04N25/771

摘要： A distance image acquisition apparatus includes a light source, an irradiation optical system, an imaging optical system, an imaging element, and a processing unit. The imaging element receives a light pulse output from the light source, reflected by an object, and passed through the imaging optical system on a light receiving surface. Each of a plurality of pixels on the light receiving surface includes a photodiode for generating charges by receiving light, and a charge accumulation portion for accumulating the charges generated in the photodiode. The processing unit commonly applies a control pattern to the plurality of pixels. The control pattern indicates a period in which the charges generated in the photodiode are accumulated in the charge accumulation portion. The processing unit acquires a distance image of the object based on an amount of charges generated in the photodiode and accumulated in the charge accumulation portion.

公开(公告)号：US12078728B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-03

申请号：US17244135

申请日：2021-04-29

申请人： SEMIKING LLC

发明人： Clifford Alan King ,  Anders Ingvar Aberg

IPC分类号： G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/02 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H04N5/33

CPC分类号： G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  H01L27/14625 ,  H01L31/02027 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H04N5/33

摘要： An image sensor array includes a substrate and a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes a single photon avalanche detector (SPAD), a quench device coupled to a respective SPAD and configured to quench an avalanche current, and time measurement circuitry configured to measure a time-of-flight of a photon. The SPAD has a trench coupled to the substrate and having a lattice mismatch with the substrate, and a substantially defect-free region coupled to the trench and configured to generate the avalanche current when the photon is detected in the defect-free region, wherein the trench and the defect-free region form an electrode. An imaging system includes an infrared laser configured to provide a pulse of light, and the image sensor array configured to receive the pulse from the infrared laser.

公开(公告)号：US12078727B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-03

申请号：US17066185

申请日：2020-10-08

申请人： Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG

发明人： Frank Gumbmann ,  Benedikt Simper ,  Gerhard Hamberger ,  Andreas Vonloesecke ,  Matthias Beer

IPC分类号： G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/00 ,  H01Q1/42

CPC分类号： G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/003 ,  H01Q1/42

摘要： An imaging system for material characterization of a sample is provided. Said imaging system comprises at least two imaging arrays configured to form at least one imaging array pair. In this context, the imaging system is configured to perform at least one reflection measurement with the aid of at least one imaging array. Furthermore, the imaging system is configured to perform at least one transmission measurement with the aid of the at least one imaging array pair. In addition to this, the imaging system is configured to determine material characteristics of the sample on the basis of the at least one reflection measurement and/or the at least one transmission measurement.

公开(公告)号：US12072448B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-27

申请号：US18236868

申请日：2023-08-22

申请人： Artilux, Inc.

发明人： Yun-Chung Na ,  Che-Fu Liang

IPC分类号： H01L27/146 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/894 ,  H01L29/161 ,  H01L31/103

CPC分类号： G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/894 ,  H01L27/14609 ,  H01L27/14629 ,  H01L27/14643 ,  H01L29/161 ,  H01L31/1037

摘要： An apparatus including a semiconductor substrate; an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons; one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, where the second control signal is different from the first control signal.