US 12,013,461 B2
3D time of flight camera
Matthias Heinz, Waldkirch (DE); Simon Braun, Waldkirch (DE); Alexander Emperle, Waldkirch (DE); and Thomas Dieng, Waldkirch (DE)
Assigned to SICK AG, Waldkirch (DE)
Filed by SICK AG, Waldkirch (DE)
Filed on Jun. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/850,330.
Claims priority of application No. 102021116651.9 (DE), filed on Jun. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0413155 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 17/894 (2020.01); G01S 17/42 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); H04N 13/207 (2018.01); H04N 13/296 (2018.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); H04N 23/74 (2023.01)
CPC G01S 17/894 (2020.01) [G01S 17/42 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); H04N 13/207 (2018.05); H04N 13/296 (2018.05); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); H04N 23/74 (2023.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A 3D time-of-flight camera, comprising:
an illumination unit (2) that emits light pulses during an illumination phase (Bp);
an image sensor (3) that generates images from the light pulses reflected from an object;
a switching controller (4) that controls current to the illumination unit (2), the switching controller (4) being operable in a continuous and a discontinuous mode (CCM; DCM); and
a control unit (5) designed to activate and deactivate the continuous mode (CCM) of the switching controller (4) as a function of the illumination phase (Bp) of the illumination unit (2),
wherein, before a start of the illumination phase (Bp), the control unit switches the switching controller to the continuous mode (CCM), so that at the start of the illumination phase (Bp) of the illumination unit, a full current is available for the illumination unit to ensure sufficient and stable illumination for a capture of the images by the image sensor, and after the end of the illumination phase (Bp), the control unit switches the switching controller to the discontinuous mode (DCM), so as to decrease power dissipation of the switching controller to enable high image acquisition rate with simultaneous low energy consumption of a camera.