Plural anode time-of-flight sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823339-B2
Application number	US-97517410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2010
Priority date	Dec 21, 2010
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A time of flight (TOF) camera comprises a light source for illuminating an object with light and a plurality of light-sensitive pixels for collecting return image light reflected by the object. Further, each light-sensitive pixel of the TOF camera may comprise a photoelectric cathode for generating electrons responsive to return image light incident on the pixel and a plurality of anodes for collecting electrons generated at the photoelectric cathode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in a time-of-flight camera, comprising:
a hermetically sealed evacuated cavity formed in an insulating substrate;
a photoelectric cathode for generating electrons responsive to light incident on the time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in the time-of-flight camera; and
a plurality of anodes for collecting electrons generated at the photoelectric cathode and passing through the hermetically sealed evacuated cavity.

2. The time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in the time-of-flight camera of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of anodes are configured to, during a first collection phase, collect a first portion of the light incident on the time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel at a first anode of the time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel, and during a second collection phase, collect a second portion of the light incident on the time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel at a second anode of the time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel, the second collection phase immediately following the first collection phase.

3. The time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in the time-of-flight camera of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optically transparent component disposed above the hermetically sealed evacuated cavity; and
a seal for sealing the optically transparent component to the insulating substrate.

4. The time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in the time-of-flight camera of claim 3 , wherein the photoelectric cathode comprises a layer of photoelectric material deposited on an evacuated side of the optically transparent component.

5. The time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in the time-of-flight camera of claim 1 , wherein each anode is electrically connected with a respective collector circuit.

6. The time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in the time-of-flight camera of claim 5 , wherein each collector circuit electrically connected to a particular anode comprises:
a gate input node electrically connected with that particular anode for biasing that particular anode;
an amplifier electrically connected with the gate input node for amplifying current received at that particular anode;
an output node electrically connected to the amplifier for carrying current to a light collection module;
a selector node electrically connected to the amplifier and the output node for selectively switching current flow through the output node; and
a reset node for selectively resetting that particular anode.

7. The time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in the time-of-flight camera of claim 5 , wherein each collector circuit is electrically connected to a power supply configured to selectively activate each of the plurality of anodes individually.

8. The time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel in the time-of-flight camera of claim 5 , wherein the hermetically sealed evacuated cavity is formed on a first side of a silicon substrate, and wherein the collector circuits are formed on an opposite side of the silicon substrate, each collector circuit being electrically connected with a particular anode with an interconnect passing through a via.

9. A method for operating a time-of-flight camera, the method comprising:
emitting an image light pulse from a light source of the time-of-flight camera, the light source configured to illuminate an object with image light;
during a first collection phase, collecting a first portion of return image light at a first anode of a light-sensitive pixel, the return image light comprising image light reflected by the object;
during a second collection phase, collecting a second portion of the return image light at a second anode of the light-sensitive pixel;
normalizing the first and second portions of the return image light with a normalization factor; and
estimating a distance to the object based on one or more of the normalized first and second portions of the return image light.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second collection phase immediately follows the first collection phase.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising generating the normalization factor by:
emitting a normalization light pulse from the light source of the time-of-flight camera;
at one of the anodes of the light-sensitive pixel, collecting return normalization light; and
defining the normalization factor based on the return normalization light collected.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising collecting ambient light at a third anode of the light-sensitive pixel.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the third anode collects a first portion of the ambient light immediately before the first collection phase and a second portion of the ambient light immediately after the second collection phase.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein a start time for the first collection phase is based on a predetermined near end point of a distance range for the time-of-flight camera and wherein an end time for the second collection phase is based on a predetermined far end point of the distance range.

15. A time-of-flight camera, comprising:
a light source for illuminating an object with image light;
a plurality of time-of-flight light-sensitive pixels for collecting return image light reflected by the object, each time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel comprising:
a photoelectric cathode for generating electrons responsive to return image light incident on a corresponding time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel, and
a plurality of anodes for collecting electrons generated at the photoelectric cathode and passing through a hermetically sealed evacuated cavity between the photoelectric cathode and the plurality of anodes.

16. The time-of-flight camera of claim 15 , further comprising a light collection module configured to:
during a first collection phase, collect a first portion of the return image light at a first anode of a corresponding time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel; and
during a second collection phase, collect a second portion of the return image light at a second anode of the corresponding time-of-flight light-sensitive pixel, the second collection phase immediately following the first collection phase.

17. The time-of-flight camera of claim 16 , wherein a start time for the first collection phase is based on a predetermined near end point of a distance range for the time-of-flight camera and wherein an end time for a last collection phase is based on a predetermined far end point of the distance range.

18. The time-of-flight camera of claim 15 , further comprising a power supply configured to selectively activate each of the plurality of anodes individually.

19. The time-of flight camera of claim 16 , wherein each anode is electrically connected with a respective collector circuit, each collector circuit comprising:
a gate input node electrically connected with a particular anode for biasing that particular anode;
an amplifier electrically connected with the gate input node for amplifying current received at that particular anode;
an output node electrically connected to the amplifier for carrying current to the light collection module;
a selector node electrically connected to the amplifier and the output node for selectively switching current flow through the output node; and
a reset node for selectively resetting that particular anode.

Assignees

• Cohen David
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Cohen David

Classifications

• G01S7/4863

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

• G01S7/486 Primary

  Receivers · CPC title

• G01S7/4816

  of receivers alone · 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

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title