Optoelectronic modules and methods for operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10746544-B2
Application number	US-201716073168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

An optoelectronic module includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform operations for calibrating the optoelectronic module and collecting distance data with the optoelectronic module. Methods for calibrating and collecting distance data include using an optoelectronic module with the non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes the aforementioned instructions. In some instances, a first target is highly reflective, and a second target is highly absorbing.

First claim

What is claimed, is:

1. A method for operating an optoelectronic module including a transmission channel and a collection channel, the optoelectronic module operable to transmit light from the transmission channel and receive light in the collection channel, the method comprising:
transmitting light from the transmission channel to a first target at a first distance;
receiving light in the collection channel reflected from the first target at the first distance;
converting the received light into a first signal A;
saving the first signal A to a non-transitory computer-readable medium as a first vector A;
transmitting light from the transmission channel to a second target at a second distance;
receiving light in the collection channel reflected from the second target at the second distance;
converting the received light into a second signal B;
saving the second signal B to the non-transitory computer-readable medium as a second vector B;
positioning a transmissive element between the transmission and collection channels and the first and second targets;
transmitting light from the transmission channel to the transmissive element and the first target at the first distance;
receiving in the collection channel light reflected from the first target and light reflected from the transmissive element;
converting the received light into a third signal C;
saving the third signal C to the non-transitory computer-readable medium as a third vector C;
transmitting light from the transmission channel to the transmissive element and the second target at the second distance;
receiving in the collection channel light reflected from the second target and light reflected from the transmissive element;
converting the received light into a fourth signal D;
saving the fourth signal D to the non-transitory computer-readable medium as a fourth vector D;
recalling the first vector A and the third vector C from the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
performing an operation on the first vector A and the third vector C, the operation including dividing the magnitude of the third vector C by the magnitude of the first vector A, and equating a scalar transmission factor T to the square root of the quotient;
saving the scalar transmission factor T to the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
recalling the second vector B and the scalar transmission factor T from the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
performing an operation on the second vector B and the scalar transmission factor T, the operation including multiplying the second vector B by the square of the scalar transmission factor T, and equating a modified fourth vector M to the product;
saving the modified fourth vector M to the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
recalling the fourth vector D and the modified fourth vector M from the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
performing an operation on the fourth vector D and the modified fourth vector M, the operation including subtracting the modified fourth vector M from the fourth vector D, and equating a cross-talk vector V to the difference; and
saving the cross-talk vector V to the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a cross-talk-corrected object vector Q, the method comprising:
transmitting light from the transmission channel to the transmissive element and an object at an object distance;
receiving light in the collection channel light reflected from the object at the object distance and light reflected from the transmissive element;
converting the received light into an object signal;
saving the object signal to a non-transitory computer-readable medium as an object vector O;
recalling the cross-talk vector V and the object vector O from the non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
performing an operation on the cross-talk vector V and the object vector O, the operation including subtracting the cross-talk vector V from the object vector O, the difference being the cross-talk corrected object vector Q.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising saving the cross-talk-corrected object vector Q to a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining the distance between the optoelectronic module and the object from the phase of the cross-talk-corrected object vector Q.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first target is reflective to the light transmitting from the transmission channel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second target is absorptive to the light transmitting from the transmission channel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light transmitted by the transmission channel is intensity modulated, and the collection channel includes an array of demodulation pixels operable to demodulate intensity modulated light received by the collection channel.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for operating an optoelectronic module, comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform operations including:
transmitting light from a transmission channel to a first target at a first distance;
receiving light in a collection channel reflected from the first target at the first distance;
converting the received light into a first signal A;
saving the first signal A to the non-transitory computer-readable medium as a first vector A;
transmitting light from the transmission channel to a second target at a second distance;
receiving light in the collection channel reflected from the second target at the second distance;
converting the received light into a second signal B;
saving the second signal B to the non-transitory computer-readable medium as a second vector B;
transmitting light from the transmission channel to a transmissive element positioned between the transmission and collection channels and the first and second targets;
transmitting light from the transmission channel to the first target at the first distance;
receiving in the collection channel light reflected from the first target and light reflected from the transmissive element;
converting the received light into a third signal C;
saving the third signal C to the non-transitory computer-readable medium as a third vector C;
transmitting light from the transmission channel to the transmissive element and the second target at the second distance;
receiving in the collection channel light reflected from the second target and light reflected from the transmissive element converting the received light into a fourth signal D;
saving the fourth signal D to the non-transitory computer-readable medium as a fourth vector D;
recalling the first vector A and the third vector C from the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
performing an operation on the first vector A and the third vector C, the operation including dividing the magnitude of the third vector C by the magnitude of the first vector A, and equating a scalar transmission factor T to the square root of the quotient;
saving the scalar transmission factor T to the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
recalling the second vector B and the scalar transmission factor T from the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
performing an operation on the second vector B and the scalar transmission factor T, the operation including multiplying the second vector B by the square of the scalar transmission factor T, and equating the modified fourth vector M to the product;
saving the modified fourth vector M to the non-transitory computer-readable medium;
recalling the fourth vector D and the

Assignees

• Ams Sensors Singapore Pte Ltd
• Ams Sensors Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Miguel Sànchez Javier
• Vaello Paños Miguel Bruno

Classifications

• G01S7/497 Primary

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G01S17/36

  with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal · CPC title

• G01S17/894

  Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar · CPC title

• G01C3/10 Primary

  using a parallactic triangle with variable angles and a base of fixed length in the observation station, e.g. in the instrument · CPC title

• G01S7/4873

  by deriving and controlling a threshold value · CPC title