Light receiving device with controllable sensitivity and spatial information detecting apparatus with charge discarding device using the same
US7138646B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 21, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 31, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/894
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A spatial information detecting apparatus using an intensity-modulated light has a photoelectric converter for receiving a light provided from a space, into which a light intensity-modulated by a predetermined modulation signal is being irradiated, and generating amounts of electric charges corresponding to an intensity of received light; charge discarding portion having an electrode for removing dispensable charges from the electric charges generated by the photoelectric converter according to a voltage applied to the electrode; charge storage portion for storing signal charges from the electric charges generated by the photoelectric converter; control circuit for controlling the voltage applied to the electrode at a timing synchronized with a period of the modulation signal to change a ratio of the signal charges stored in the charge storage portion to the electric charges generated by the photoelectric converter; charge ejector for outputting the signal charges from the charge storage portion; and an analyzer for determining spatial information from an output of the charge ejector. According to this apparatus, since the dispensable charges are previously removed from the electri…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.