Range detector device with estimated spread value and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10222456-B2
Application number	US-201615143874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2016
Priority date	May 2, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A range detector device may include a pulsed light source configured to emit pulsed light to an object, a detector configured to receive reflected pulsed light from the object, and a processor cooperating with the pulsed light source and the detector. The processor may be configured to generate a measured range value to the object, and generate an estimated statistical value for a spread of possible range values based upon a characteristic of the pulsed light source.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A range detector device comprising:
a pulsed light source configured to emit pulsed light to an object;
a detector configured to receive reflected pulsed light from the object; and
a processor cooperating with said pulsed light source and said detector, said processor configured to
generate a measured range value to the object, and
generate an estimated statistical value for a spread of possible range values based upon a self-interference characteristic and at least one characteristic of said pulsed light source.

2. The range detector device of claim 1 wherein the estimated statistical value comprises an estimated standard deviation of the measured range value.

3. The range detector device of claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic of said pulsed light source comprises an effective pulse width and a pulse width multiplier.

4. The range detector device of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to generate the estimated statistical value further based upon an ambient light characteristic.

5. The range detector device of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to generate the estimated statistical value further based upon a total number of received photons in the reflected pulsed light.

6. The range detector device of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to selectively set a pulse width characteristic of said pulsed light source based upon the estimated statistical value.

7. The range detector device of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to generate the estimated statistical value without generating a plurality of measured range values.

8. The range detector device of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises a single photon avalanche photodiode (SPAD) array; and wherein said pulsed light source comprises a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

9. A range detector device comprising:
a pulsed light source configured to emit pulsed light to an object;
a detector configured to receive reflected pulsed light from the object; and
a processor cooperating with said pulsed light source and said detector, said processor configured to
generate a measured range value to the object,
generate an estimated standard deviation for a spread of possible range values based upon a self-interference characteristic and at least one characteristic of said pulsed light source and without generating a plurality of measured range values, and
selectively set a pulse width characteristic of said pulsed light source based upon the estimated standard deviation.

10. The range detector device of claim 9 wherein the at least one characteristic of said pulsed light source comprises an effective pulse width and a pulse width multiplier.

11. The range detector device of claim 9 wherein said processor is configured to generate the estimated standard deviation further based upon an ambient light characteristic.

12. The range detector device of claim 9 wherein said processor is configured to generate the estimated standard deviation further based upon a total number of received photons in the reflected pulsed light.

13. The range detector device of claim 9 wherein said detector comprises a single photon avalanche photodiode (SPAD) array; and wherein said pulsed light source comprises a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

14. A method for determining a range to an object, the method comprising:
operating a pulsed light source to emit pulsed light to the object;
operating a detector to receive reflected pulsed light from the object;
generating a measured range value to the object; and
generating an estimated statistical value for a spread of possible range values based upon a self-interference characteristic and at least one characteristic of the pulsed light source.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the estimated statistical value comprises an estimated standard deviation of the measured range value.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one characteristic of the pulsed light source comprises an effective pulse width and a pulse width multiplier.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the generating of the estimated statistical value is further based upon an ambient light characteristic.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the generating of the estimated statistical value is further based upon a total number of received photons in the reflected pulsed light.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising selectively setting a pulse width characteristic of the pulsed light source based upon the estimated statistical value.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the generating of the estimated statistical value is without generating a plurality of measured range values.

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Mcleod Stuart
• Baxter Donald
• Lee Sam

Classifications

• G01S7/4808 Primary

  Evaluating distance, position or velocity data · CPC title

• G01S7/483

  Details of pulse systems · CPC title

• G01S7/497

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G01S7/484

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S17/10

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) · CPC title