US 12,146,965 B1
Autonomous gating selection to reduce noise in direct time-of-flight depth sensing
Augusto Ronchini Ximenes, Seattle, WA (US); and Michael Hall, Bellevue, WA (US)
Assigned to Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/100,912.
Application 18/100,912 is a continuation of application No. 16/826,209, filed on Mar. 21, 2020, granted, now 11,585,937.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/828,824, filed on Apr. 3, 2019.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 17/00 (2020.01); G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 7/483 (2006.01); G01S 7/4863 (2020.01); G01S 17/08 (2006.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 19/20 (2011.01); H04N 13/254 (2018.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 17/88 (2006.01); G04F 10/00 (2006.01); H04N 13/00 (2018.01); H04S 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 17/894 (2020.01) [G01S 7/483 (2013.01); G01S 7/4863 (2013.01); G01S 17/08 (2013.01); G02B 27/017 (2013.01); G02B 27/0172 (2013.01); G06F 3/011 (2013.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 19/20 (2013.01); H04N 13/254 (2018.05); G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 17/88 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0138 (2013.01); G04F 10/005 (2013.01); G06T 2219/2004 (2013.01); H04N 2013/0081 (2013.01); H04S 7/304 (2013.01); H04S 2400/11 (2013.01); H04S 2400/15 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging device comprising:
an array of pixels, each pixel of the array of pixels configured to capture light from a local area including portions of light reflected from one or more objects in the local area;
a plurality of switches coupled to a group of pixels of the array of pixels, each switch activated during a different time interval;
a plurality of aggregators, each aggregator coupled to a switch of the plurality of switches, an aggregator configured to sum current received from the group of pixels coupled to the aggregator by an activated switch coupled to the aggregator and to the group of pixels; and
a time to digital converter (TDC) coupled to the group of pixels by an additional switch and configured to generate a digital timestamp signal when the additional switch is activated.