US 12,259,499 B2
Light detector and distance measurement device
Hiroshi Kubota, Yokohama Kanagawa (JP); and Nobu Matsumoto, Ebina Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo (JP); and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Tokyo (JP); and TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Mar. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/200,087.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-149923 (JP), filed on Sep. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0075037 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/4863 (2020.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4863 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4816 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light detector comprising:
a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting each other in a pixel area on a substrate, the pixels each including at least one sensor;
a control section; and
a shift circuit, wherein
the control section is configured to:
turn, to an on state, a first subset of the pixels corresponding to a first partial pixel area in the pixel area based on first coordinate information of the pixel area in the first direction; and
turn, to an on state, a second subset of the pixels corresponding to a second partial pixel area in the pixel area based on second coordinate information of the pixel area in the first direction, the second coordinate information being different from the first coordinate information,
a first tilt of the first partial pixel area in the first direction with respect to the second direction differs from a second tilt of the second partial pixel area in the first direction with respect to the second direction,
the plurality of pixels include:
a first pixel and a second pixel that are adjacent to each other in the second direction; and
a third pixel and a fourth pixel that are adjacent to the second pixel in the first direction;
the shift circuit is configured to:
in a case where the first subset of the pixels is turned on, couple the first pixel to a first one of the second to fourth pixels, the first one of the second to fourth pixels being aligned with the first tilt with respect to the first pixel; and
in a case where the second subset of the pixels is turned on, couple the first pixel to a second one of the second to fourth pixels, the second one of the second to fourth pixels being aligned with the second tilt with respect to the first pixel.