US 12,332,386 B2
Optical time of flight sensor for navigation systems in robotic applications
Yichang Wang, Suzhou (CN); Karthik Rajagopal Ganapathy, Allen, TX (US); and Raja Reddy Patukuri, Telangana (IN)
Assigned to Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US)
Filed by Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/343,159.
Application 18/343,159 is a continuation of application No. 16/663,016, filed on Oct. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,733,360.
Application 16/663,016 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CN2019/089971, filed on Jun. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0341528 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01)
CPC G01S 7/4865 (2013.01) [B25J 9/163 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
10. A system, comprising:
a photosensor; and
a controller configured to:
cause a particular photoemitter from a first, a second and a third photoemitters to transmit a modulated light signal, wherein the first photoemitter is at a first height and the second photoemitter is at a second height and the third photoemitter is at a third height, the second height is lower than the first height and the third height is lower than the second height;
cause the photosensor to receive a reflected light signal;
determine a first depth map for a scene based on the modulated light signal from the first photoemitter and the corresponding reflected light signal;
determine a second depth map for the scene based on the modulated light signal from the second photoemitter and the corresponding reflected light signal; and
determine a third depth map for the scene based on the modulated light signal from the third photoemitter and the corresponding reflected light signal.