US 11,994,586 B2
Using time-of-flight and pseudo-random bit sequences to measure distance to object
Christian Mautner, Eindhoven (NL); Daniel Furrer, Eindhoven (NL); Daniele Perenzoni, Eindhoven (NL); and Robert Kappel, Eindhoven (NL)
Assigned to AMS AG, Premstaetten (AT)
Appl. No. 16/973,662
Filed by ams AG, Premstaetten (AT)
PCT Filed Jun. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/064419
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 9, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/243038, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 26, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/688,598, filed on Jun. 22, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0199802 A1, Jul. 1, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 17/08 (2006.01); G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 7/487 (2006.01); G01S 17/26 (2020.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 17/08 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4808 (2013.01); G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 7/487 (2013.01); G01S 17/26 (2020.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
an imaging sensor configured to perform a distance measurement;
a camera configured to obtain a 2-D image of an environment;
a memory;
a light source; and
control circuitry coupled to the imaging sensor, the camera, the memory and the light source, the control circuitry configured to cause a first light emission from the light source and a second light emission from the light source;
wherein the imaging sensor is configured to detect a first echo resulting from the first light emission being reflected by an object and to detect a second echo resulting from the second light emission being reflected by the object;
wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
determine, based on the first echo, an estimated distance to the object;
identify, within the second echo, data corresponding to the estimated distance;
generate a histogram using the identified data that corresponds to the estimated distance in combination with the 2-D image of the environment obtained from the camera; and
store the histogram in the memory.