US 11,894,851 B2
Signal generation apparatus for time-of-flight camera with suppressed cyclic error
Yohtaro Yasu, Kanagawa (JP); Takashi Kobayashi, Kanagawa (JP); and Nobuhiko Shigyo, Fukuoka (JP)
Assigned to Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, Kanagawa (JP)
Appl. No. 16/479,004
Filed by Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, Kanagawa (JP)
PCT Filed Oct. 25, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/039702
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 18, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/123830, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 27, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-245947 (JP), filed on Dec. 22, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0286083 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. H03K 5/131 (2014.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); H03K 5/04 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); H03K 5/00 (2006.01); H04N 23/50 (2023.01)
CPC H03K 5/131 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); H03K 5/04 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); H03K 2005/00058 (2013.01); H04N 23/555 (2023.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A signal generation apparatus comprising:
a first pulse generator configured to generate a pulse to be supplied to a light source that irradiates light upon a distance measurement target;
a second pulse generator configured to generate a pulse to be supplied to a pixel that receives the light reflected by the distance measurement target; and
a signal selection circuit configured to select a duty cycle of a signal to be outputted from the first pulse generator from between a first duty cycle and a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle, wherein the first pulse generator includes a main pulse generator and a sub pulse generator and wherein the sub pulse generator is configured to control the second duty cycle in response to a phase setting input.