US 11,774,563 B2
Time-of-flight module and method to determine distance to object
Stephan Beer, Jona (CH); Ioannis Tolios, Jona (CH); David Stoppa, Jona (CH); Qiang Zhang, Jona (CH); Pablo Jesus Trujillo Serrano, Jona (CH); Ian Kenneth Mills, Jona (CH); Miguel Bruno Vaello Paños, Jona (CH); Bryant Hansen, Jona (CH); Mitchell Sterling Martin, Jona (CH); and Doug Nelson, Jona (CH)
Assigned to ams International AG, Jona (CH)
Appl. No. 16/769,231
Filed by ams International AG, Jona (CH)
PCT Filed Nov. 30, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/083159
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 2, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/110447, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 13, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/594,067, filed on Dec. 4, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0156976 A1, May 27, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); G01S 17/48 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4865 (2013.01) [G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G01S 17/48 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of using an optical time-of-flight (TOF) module to determine distance to an object, the method comprising:
emitting radiation by an optical emitter;
acquiring signals by a TOF sensor indicative of distance to the object, wherein acquiring signals comprises detecting radiation reflected by the object, and wherein the TOF sensor comprises an array of single photon avalanche diodes on a single substrate, the array of single photon avalanche diodes comprising a first set of single photon avalanche diodes and a second set of single photon avalanche diodes;
performing a first measurement of the detected radiation by the first set of single photon avalanche diodes, wherein during the first measurement only the first set of single photon avalanche diodes is enabled;
producing a first histogram corresponding to the first measurement;
performing a second measurement of the detected radiation by the second set of single photon avalanche diodes, wherein during the second measurement only the second set of single photon avalanche diodes is enabled;
producing a second histogram corresponding to the second measurement;
using a first algorithm to provide an output indicative of the distance to the object based on the acquired signals;
using at least one second different algorithm to provide an output indicative of the distance to the object based on the acquired signals;
wherein at least one of the first and second algorithms comprises detecting parallax shift of the radiation reflected by the object and comparing the first and second histograms; and
combining the outputs of the first and at least one second algorithms to obtain an improved estimate of the distance to the object.