Image sensor with interleaved hold for single-readout depth measurement

US11506763B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

• Markus Dielacher · Graz, AT
• Martin Flatscher · Graz, AT
• Robert Lobnik · Graz, AT
• Hartwig Unterassinger · Graz, AT

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 31, 2018
• Grant date: Nov 22, 2022
• Expiry date: Apr 29, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S17/894
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Time-of-flight (TOF) systems and techniques whereby a first exposure obtains pixel measurements for a first subset of pixels of a pixel array, using a first reference signal. For a second exposure, the first subset of the pixels, e.g., every second line of the pixel array, are set to a “hold” state, so that values obtained from the first measurement are maintained. A second exposure using a second reference signal is performed for a second subset of the pixels. The first and second reference signals may have different phase shifts relative to a signal modulating an optical signal being measured. The result is an array of pixels in which the first and second subsets hold results of the first and second exposures, respectively. These pixel values can then be read out all at once, with certain calculations being performed directly as pixel values are read from the pixel array.