Image sensor apparatus using shaded photodetector for time of flight determination
US9024245B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 13, 2012 |
| Grant date | May 5, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 21, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/77
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A unit pixel for an image sensor includes an accumulation circuit configured to generate an accumulated dark current by accumulating a charge corresponding to a dark current during a time of flight (TOF), the accumulation circuit being optically shaded to generate the dark current, an output voltage generation circuit configured to generate and output an output voltage corresponding to the TOF based on a charge corresponding to the accumulated dark current, a control circuit configured to control an operation of the output voltage generation circuit based on a light signal that is input to the unit pixel after being reflected by an object, the light signal being emitted by a light source, and an initialization circuit configured to initialize the accumulation circuit at a predetermined cycle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.