Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Systems and methods for biasing light detectors
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Application No.: US16696975Application Date: 2019-11-26
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Publication No.: US11378663B2Publication Date: 2022-07-05
- Inventor: Pierre-yves Droz , Vadim Gutnik
- Applicant: Waymo LLC
- Applicant Address: US CA Mountain View
- Assignee: Waymo LLC
- Current Assignee: Waymo LLC
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Mountain View
- Agency: McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP
- Main IPC: G01S7/4861
- IPC: G01S7/4861 ; G01J1/44

Abstract:
An example circuit includes a light detector and a biasing capacitor having (i) a first terminal that applies to the light detector an output voltage that can either bias or debias the light detector and (ii) a second terminal for controlling the output voltage. The circuit includes a first transistor connected to the second terminal of the biasing capacitor and configured to drive the output voltage to a first voltage level above a biasing threshold of the light detector and thereby biasing the light detector. The circuit includes a second transistor connected to the second terminal of the biasing capacitor and configured to drive the output voltage to a second voltage level below the biasing threshold of the light detector and thereby debiasing the light detector. The second voltage is a non-zero voltage that corresponds to a charge level of the biasing capacitor.
Public/Granted literature
- US20210156972A1 Systems and Methods for Biasing Light Detectors Public/Granted day:2021-05-27
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