Time of flight-based systems operable for ambient light and distance or proximity measurements

• US 10,295,657 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ams Sensors Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Ams Sensors Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Buettgen, Bernhard, Geiger, Jens, Kiy, Michael, Chidley, Oliver, Rossi, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faye, Mamadou
• Application Number:
  US15/689,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/36 with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/4975 of sensor obstruction by, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating, e.g. by reflection measurement on front-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/481 Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/483 Details of pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating

Abstract

A time of flight-based system is operable for ambient light measurements. A method of operation includes detecting, in at least one active demodulation detection pixel, a first particular wavelength and generating amplitude data of the first particular wavelength; and detecting, in at least one spurious reflection detection pixel, a second particular wavelength and generating amplitude data of the second particular wavelength. In a computational device that stores spectrum data corresponding respectively to a plurality of different ambient light source types, an ambient lighting condition is determined based on the amplitude data of the first particular wavelength, the amplitude data of the second particular wavelength and the spectrum data of a particular one of the ambient light source types associated with the amplitude data of the first particular wavelength and the amplitude data of the second particular wavelength.

Claims

1. A time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system comprising:

at least one active demodulation detection pixel operable to detect a first particular wavelength, and being further operable to generate amplitude data of the first particular wavelength;

at least one spurious reflection detection pixel operable to detect a second particular wavelength, and being further operable to generate amplitude data of the second particular wavelength;

outputs of the at least one active demodulation detection pixel and the at least one spurious reflection detection pixel being communicatively coupled to a computational device;

the computational device including a computer storage medium storing spectrum data that corresponds, respectively, to a plurality of different ambient light source types, wherein the amplitude data of the first particular wavelength and the amplitude data of the second particular wavelength are associated with spectrum data of a particular one of the ambient light source types,

wherein the computational device is operable to identify the particular one of the ambient light source types based on a ratio of the amplitude data of the first and second particular wavelengths and based on the stored spectrum data.

2. The time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system of claim 1 further including a component, wherein the computational device is operable to modify the component based on the identified one of the ambient light source types.

3. The time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system of claim 1 wherein the computational device includes a component, wherein the computational device is operable to modify the component based on the identified one of the ambient light source types.

4. The time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system of claim 3 wherein the component of the computational device is a display screen.

5. The time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system of claim 4 wherein the computational device is operable to modify at least one of brightness or color temperature of the display screen based on the identified one of the ambient light source types.

6. The time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system of claim 1 wherein the at least one active demodulation detection pixel and the at least one spurious reflection detection pixel are operable to generate at least one of distance data or proximity data.

7. The time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system of claim 1 further including a first spectral filter disposed such that the first particular wavelength of the electromagnetic system is incident on the at least one active demodulation detection pixel, and further including a second spectral filter disposed such that the second particular wavelength of the electromagnetic system is incident on the at least one spurious reflection detection pixel.

8. The time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system of claim 7 wherein the first particular wavelength is 940 nm and the second particular wavelength is 660 nm.

9. The time-of-flight-based optoelectronic system of claim 1 further including:

a first light source operable to generate modulated electromagnetic radiation of the first particular wavelength; and

a second light source operable to generate modulated electromagnetic radiation of the second particular wavelength.

10. A method comprising:

detecting, in at least one active demodulation detection pixel, a first particular wavelength and generating amplitude data of the first particular wavelength;

detecting, in at least one spurious reflection detection pixel, a second particular wavelength and generating amplitude data of the second particular wavelength;

identifying, in a computational device that stores spectrum data corresponding respectively to a plurality of different ambient light source types, a particular one of the ambient light source types based on a ratio of the amplitude data of the first particular wavelength and the amplitude data of the second particular wavelength and based on the stored spectrum data.

11. The method of claim 10 including modifying a component based on the identified one of the ambient light source types.

12. The method of claim 10 including modifying a component of the computational device based on the identified one of the ambient light source types.

13. The method of claim 10 including modifying a display screen of the computational device based on the identified one of the ambient light source types.

14. The method of claim 10 including modifying at least one of brightness or color temperature of the display screen based on the identified one of the ambient light source types.