×

High resolution, high frame rate, low power image sensor

  • US 9,952,323 B2
  • Filed: 04/07/2015
  • Issued: 04/24/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of detecting an optical event, the method comprising:

  • interrogating an object with a photonic interrogation beam;

    activating an array of pixels substantially concurrent with activation of the photonic interrogation beam, the pixels comprising avalanche photodiodes, a voltage bias level of avalanche photodiodes corresponding to pixel operation in one of Geiger mode and avalanche mode, wherein the array of pixels comprises a plurality of subsets;

    receiving a reflected beam from the interrogating the object, at the array;

    generating a signal corresponding to a location of incidence of the reflected beam on the array, the signal corresponding to at least one of a pixel array address and a time-of-flight (TOF) of the photonic interrogation beam and the reflected beam, wherein the generating the signal is based on the receiving the reflected beam by a pixel comprised by an active subset of the plurality of subsets, and wherein any detection of the reflected beam by a remainder of pixels comprised by the active subset is not included in the signal; and

    determining a distance to the object based upon the signal.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×