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公开(公告)号:US20220171036A1
公开(公告)日:2022-06-02
申请号:US17107313
申请日:2020-11-30
Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
Inventor: Pascal Mellot
IPC: G01S7/4865 , G01S7/487 , G01S17/10
Abstract: A method includes counting a first set of photons having times of flight that falls within a first time range and being detected during a first time period, determining a second time range based on the first set of photons, the second time range being smaller than the first time range, counting a second set of photons having times of flight that fall within the second time range and being detected during a second time period, and determining a third time range based on the second set of photons, the third time range being smaller than the second time range.
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公开(公告)号:US11120104B2
公开(公告)日:2021-09-14
申请号:US15886353
申请日:2018-02-01
Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED , STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS
Inventor: John Kevin Moore , Sam Lee , Pascal Mellot , Donald Baxter , Stuart McLeod , Kenneth Dargan
IPC: G06F17/18 , G01S7/4863 , G06F11/07 , G01S17/10 , G01S7/4865 , G01S7/487 , G01S7/497 , G01S7/481
Abstract: A method includes receiving a histogram output from a detector sensor, and calculating a median point of a pulse waveform within the histogram. The pulse waveform has an even probability distribution over at least one quantization step of the histogram around the median point. A corresponding apparatus can include a detector sensor and a co-processor coupled to the detector sensor.
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公开(公告)号:US11079270B2
公开(公告)日:2021-08-03
申请号:US16740676
申请日:2020-01-13
Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited , STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
Inventor: Jeffrey M. Raynor , Sophie Taupin , Jean-Jacques Rouger , Pascal Mellot
IPC: H01L27/146 , G01J1/42 , G01J1/44 , H01L23/58 , H01L27/144 , H01L31/02
Abstract: An optical sensor includes pixels. Each pixel has a photodetector and a semiconductor guard ring around the photodetector. The photodetector and the semiconductor guard ring are dimensioned so that a fill factor of the pixel is less than or equal to 50%.
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24.
公开(公告)号:US10989814B2
公开(公告)日:2021-04-27
申请号:US16236874
申请日:2018-12-31
Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
Inventor: Pascal Mellot
IPC: G01J1/44 , G01S17/894 , G01S7/4914 , G01S17/42 , G01S7/4863 , G01S17/931 , G01S7/4861
Abstract: A method for managing a dynamic range of an optical detection device illuminated by a modulated optical radiation, the method including: generating a detection signal from the modulated optical radiation; generating, based on the detection signal, a histogram including a plurality of histogram classes; comparing a chosen maximum value and a value of each histogram class of the plurality of histogram classes; and stopping a generation of the histogram in response to a determination that the value of any one of the plurality of histogram classes is equal to the maximum value.
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公开(公告)号:US20210096258A1
公开(公告)日:2021-04-01
申请号:US17024418
申请日:2020-09-17
Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS , STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
Inventor: Christopher Townsend , Pascal Mellot
Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of laser safety verification for a depth map sensor, comprising illuminating, during a first illumination phase, using a laser illumination system, a first cluster of one or more first pixels of a pixel array of the depth map sensor, while not illuminating a second cluster, different from the first cluster, of one or more second pixels of the pixel array of the depth map sensor; and detecting, during the first illumination phase, a level of illumination of the second cluster.
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26.
公开(公告)号:US20190285750A1
公开(公告)日:2019-09-19
申请号:US16289016
申请日:2019-02-28
Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
Inventor: Pascal Mellot
Abstract: A method, for determining the real distance separating an object and an optical detection system, includes, from several so-called reported distances respectively less than or equal to individual reference distances dependent respectively on modulation frequencies: in a first step, determining an initial deviation coefficient between the reported distances and incrementing the smallest of the reported distances with the corresponding individual reference distance; then in a second step, determining a current deviation coefficient between the current distances obtained in the preceding step and incrementing the smallest of the current distances with the corresponding individual reference distance; and in a third step, repeating the second step until all the current distances exceed a common reference distance greater than the individual reference distances.
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公开(公告)号:US10304877B2
公开(公告)日:2019-05-28
申请号:US15709791
申请日:2017-09-20
Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS , STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
Inventor: Pascal Mellot , Stuart McLeod , Bruce Rae , Marc Drader
IPC: H01L31/107 , H01L27/144 , G01S7/486 , G01S7/497 , H01L31/0216 , H01L27/146 , H01L27/148
Abstract: A circuit may include an array of single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) cells, each SPAD cell configured to be selectively enabled by an activation signal. The circuit may include a control circuit configured to selectively enable a subset of the array of SPAD cells based on a measured count rate of the array of SPAD cells.
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公开(公告)号:US20190101442A1
公开(公告)日:2019-04-04
申请号:US16151118
申请日:2018-10-03
Inventor: Pascal Mellot , Jean-Jacques Rouger
Abstract: A method of detecting ambient luminous radiation includes resetting and triggering a counter each time a photodiode illuminated by the ambient luminous radiation reaches a discharge threshold. The counter is then being clocked by a clock signal having a first frequency and delivering a counter output signal. The method further includes generating an AC signal representative of the ambient luminous radiation by converting, from digital to analog, a digital signal obtained from the counter output signal.
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公开(公告)号:US10241197B2
公开(公告)日:2019-03-26
申请号:US15938435
申请日:2018-03-28
Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
Inventor: Pascal Mellot
Abstract: A method includes preparing a first histogram from the emission of initial optical radiation and including at least one processing iteration performed at a rate of a clock signal having an internal period equal to a sub-multiple of the optical period a sensor signal and a reference signal. Successive iterations of histogram preparation are performed so that in each iteration a time shift of the initial optical radiation is provided by a first fraction of the internal period until at least one portion of the internal period is covered to obtain an additional histogram at the conclusion of each iteration. A numerical combination of the first histogram and additional histograms is performed to obtain a final histogram having a finer time granularity than that of the first histogram.
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公开(公告)号:US09927291B2
公开(公告)日:2018-03-27
申请号:US14727918
申请日:2015-06-02
Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
Inventor: Pascal Mellot
CPC classification number: G01J1/4204 , G01J1/18 , G01J1/42 , G01J1/44 , G01J2001/4426 , H04N1/00917
Abstract: The following steps are performed in connection with a photodiode circuit: a) resetting the photodiode circuit; b) determining when a photodiode voltage changes in response to illumination to reach a threshold; and c) updating a counter in response to the determination in step b). The steps a) to c) are repeated until an end of a measurement period is reached. The value of the counter at the end of the measurement period is then output to indicate an intensity of the illumination.
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