US 12,405,376 B2
SPAD image sensor
Kwang Oh Kim, Cerritos, CA (US); Yibing Michelle Wang, Temple City, CA (US); Chunji Wang, Pasadena, CA (US); and Hongyu Wang, San Gabriel, CA (US)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., (KR)
Filed by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Oct. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/499,857.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/226,157, filed on Jul. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0030480 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 7/4861 (2020.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); G04F 10/00 (2006.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01)
CPC G01S 17/10 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4861 (2013.01); G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G04F 10/005 (2013.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system, comprising:
a Single Photo Avalanche Diode (SPAD) array comprising at least one pixel read group that outputs a detection event signal in response to a light pulse that is incident on the at least one pixel read group, the at least one pixel read group comprising two or more SPAD units; and
a read group (RG) channel coupled to the at least one pixel read group, the RG channel comprising:
a detection circuit configured to analyze a first intensity signal of a first SPAD unit of the at least one pixel read group in relation to a second intensity signal of a second SPAD unit of the at least one pixel read group, and
a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to generate timestamp information based on a result of analyzing the first intensity signal in relation to the second intensity signal, the RG channel further configured to store the timestamp information in an accumulator bin of a histogram circuit corresponding to a value of the timestamp information using hardwired addressing based on the value of the timestamp information.