Time-of-light-based systems using reduced illumination duty cycles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299218-A1
Application number	US-201415038260-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Time-of-flight (TOF) based systems using light pulse compression are described and, in some cases, can help increase demodulation contrast. Further, light pulse shaping techniques are described that, in some cases, can help reduce phase non-linearity and distance-calculation errors. The techniques can be used, for example, in measurement systems, as well as imaging systems in which a time-of-flight and/or distance information is obtained. The time-of-flight and/or distance information can be used to reconstruct and display a three-dimensional image of a scene. The light compression techniques also can be used to provide reference signals.

First claim

1 . A time-of-flight system comprising:
a light source operable to emit light toward a target; a detector array operable to detect light signals reflected by the target; and a control unit coupled to the light source to modulate the light source such that the light source emits light pulses having a duty cycle of less than 50%, wherein the control unit also is coupled to the detector array and is operable to coordinate modulation of the light source with sampling of pixels in the detector array so as to provide synchronous demodulation.

2 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 further including a processor operable to obtain signals from the detector array indicative of the detected light signals, wherein the processor is operable to determine time-of-flight or distance information to the target based on the signals from the detector array.

3 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate an output of the light source such that the light pulses emitted by the light source have a compression of at least 1.2.

4 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate an output of the light source such that the light pulses emitted by the light source have a compression in a range of 1.4-1.7.

5 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate an output of the light source such that the light pulses emitted by the light source have a compression in a range of 1.5-1.6.

6 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate an output of the light source such that the light pulses emitted by the light source have a duty cycle of about 33.3%.

7 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate an output of the light source such that the light pulses emitted by the light source exhibit exponential decay.

8 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate an output of the light source such that the light pulses emitted by the light source are substantially symmetrical.

9 . The time-of-flight system of claim 8 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate an output of the light source such that rising and falling edges of the light pulses emitted by the light source have a similar shape.

10 . The time-of-flight system of claim 8 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate an output of the light source such that rise and fall times of the light pulses emitted by the light source are similar.

11 . A method comprising:
controlling a light source to emit light pulses having a duty cycle of less than 50%; detecting, at an array of demodulation pixels, light signals reflected by a target; sampling the signals from the demodulation pixels; and determining a time-of-flight or distance to the target based on the sampled signals.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the light pulses emitted by the light source have a compression of at least 1.2.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the light pulses emitted by the light source have a compression in a range of 1.4-1.7.

14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the light pulses emitted by the light source have a compression in a range of 1.5-1.6.

15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the light pulses emitted by the light source have a duty cycle of about 33.3%.

16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the light pulses are substantially symmetrical.

17 . The method of claim 11 including coordinating modulation of the light source with sampling of pixels in the detector array so as to provide synchronous demodulation.

18 . A time-of flight system comprising:
a light source operable to emit light pulses toward a target; a detector array operable to detect light signals reflected by the target at a wavelength of light emitted by the light source, the detector array including demodulation pixels; a control unit coupled to the light source and to the detector array, the control unit configured to coordinate modulation of the light source with sampling of the pixels so as to provide synchronous demodulation; the control unit further configured to modulate the light source so as produce light pulses having a duty cycle sufficiently small that the demodulation pixels have a demodulation contrast of at least 90%.

19 . The time-of-flight system of claim 18 wherein the demodulation pixels are 2-tap pixels.

20 . The time-of-flight system of claim 18 wherein the control unit is configured to modulate the light source so as produce light pulses having a duty cycle sufficiently small that the demodulation pixels have a demodulation contrast of at least 95%.

Assignees

• Heptagon Micro Optics Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Lehmann Michael

Classifications

• G01S7/484 Primary

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S17/10

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

• G01S7/4863

  Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates · CPC title

• G01S7/4911

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S7/4865

  Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak (peak detection in noise, signal conditioning G01S7/487) · CPC title