公开(公告)号：US11585908B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-21

申请号：US16843191

申请日：2020-04-08

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Noriyuki Ozaki ,  Teiyu Kimura ,  Kenta Azuma ,  Takehiro Hata

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/487 ,  H01L31/107 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/4863

Abstract: A plurality of photodetectors form a light receiving group, and a plurality of the light receiving groups form one pixel. A light receiving array is provided with one or more of such pixels. The photodetectors each output a pulse signal in response to irradiation of a photon. A measuring unit is provided for each of the plurality of light receiving groups. The measuring unit generates time information representing an elapsed time from an irradiation timing input from outside and light quantity information acquired at each of one or more timings identified from the time information, in accordance with the pulse signal output from the light receiving group. The number of the photodetectors outputting the pulse signal among the plurality of photodetectors belonging to the light receiving group is used as the light quantity information.

公开(公告)号：US20200018832A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-16

申请号：US16584093

申请日：2019-09-26

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Kenta Azuma ,  Noriyuki Ozaki ,  Shinji Kashiwada ,  Teiyu Kimura ,  Isamu Takai ,  Hiroyuki Matsubara ,  Mitsuhiko Ohta ,  Shigeyoshi Hiratsuka

IPC: G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/10 ,  H01L31/107

Abstract: A photodetector includes plural detectors. Each of the plural detectors has a single photon avalanche diode (hereinafter referred to as SPAD) which responds to incidence of a photon. The plural detectors include at least a first detector and a second detector. The SPAD has a recovery time period until the SPAD reaches a next photon-responsive state, in response to the SPAD responding to the incidence of the photon. The recovery time period of the SPAD in the first detector is different from the recovery time period of the SPAD in the second detector.

公开(公告)号：US12189057B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US18471185

申请日：2023-09-20

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Noriyuki Ozaki ,  Mitsuhiro Kiyono ,  Teiyu Kimura ,  Shinji Kashiwada

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01C3/06 ,  G01J1/44 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: An optical distance measuring device includes: a light source unit that irradiates a measurement region with irradiation light; a light receiving unit that has a light receiving surface including a plurality of light receiving elements capable of receiving reflected light from a range including the measurement region corresponding to irradiation with the irradiation light and outputs a signal corresponding to a light receiving state of the reflected light for each of the light receiving elements; and a measurement unit that measures a distance to an object in the measurement region by using the signal outputted from the light receiving unit. The light receiving unit has a function of selecting a light receiving element that outputs the signal so that a light receiving position at which the reflected light is received is variable, and the light receiving unit changes the light receiving position to a plurality of positions with respect to a position of the reflected light.

公开(公告)号：US11422241B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-23

申请号：US16584093

申请日：2019-09-26

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Kenta Azuma ,  Noriyuki Ozaki ,  Shinji Kashiwada ,  Teiyu Kimura ,  Isamu Takai ,  Hiroyuki Matsubara ,  Mitsuhiko Ohta ,  Shigeyoshi Hiratsuka

IPC: H01L31/107 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: A photodetector includes plural detectors. Each of the plural detectors has a single photon avalanche diode (hereinafter referred to as SPAD) which responds to incidence of a photon. The plural detectors include at least a first detector and a second detector. The SPAD has a recovery time period until the SPAD reaches a next photon-responsive state, in response to the SPAD responding to the incidence of the photon. The recovery time period of the SPAD in the first detector is different from the recovery time period of the SPAD in the second detector.

公开(公告)号：US11977156B2

公开(公告)日：2024-05-07

申请号：US16997182

申请日：2020-08-19

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Teiyu Kimura ,  Isamu Takai

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G06T7/50

CPC classification number: G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G06T7/50 ,  G06T2207/20072

Abstract: An optical distance measuring device includes: a light source unit; a light receiving unit that includes a plurality of light receiving elements; an addition unit that adds the number of pulse signals; a histogram generation unit that generates a histogram that records the addition value for each time of flight; a peak detection unit that determines a distance value from the time of flight corresponding to the peak; an image generation unit that generates signal intensity image data and distance image data; a low signal intensity element detection unit that detects a low signal intensity element from the elements of the signal intensity image data; and an image correction unit that corrects a distance value recorded in a target element corresponding to the low signal intensity element in accordance with a distance value of at least one other element in the elements of the distance image data.

公开(公告)号：US11422240B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-23

申请号：US16582290

申请日：2019-09-25

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Kenta Azuma ,  Noriyuki Ozaki ,  Shinji Kashiwada ,  Teiyu Kimura ,  Isamu Takai ,  Hiroyuki Matsubara

IPC: G01S7/486 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  H01L31/107 ,  G01S17/74

Abstract: A light detector is provided to include a light receiving array having a plurality of light receivers respectively outputting pulse signals upon incidence of photons. A delay setting value is set which is used to adjust a time interval from when the pulse signals are output from the light receiving array to when a response number, which is a specified number of the light receivers outputting the pulse signals, is acquired.

公开(公告)号：US11411130B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-09

申请号：US16598295

申请日：2019-10-10

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Kenta Azuma ,  Noriyuki Ozaki ,  Shinji Kashiwada ,  Teiyu Kimura ,  Isamu Takai ,  Hiroyuki Matsubara ,  Mitsuhiko Ohta ,  Shigeyoshi Hiratsuka

IPC: H01L31/107 ,  G01J1/44 ,  H01L27/144 ,  H01L31/02 ,  G01T1/24 ,  G01T1/208 ,  G01T1/20

Abstract: A photodetector includes: a photoreceptor provided with a SPAD that is configured to respond to incidence of a photon, and as the response of the SPAD, configured to output a pulse signal; and a pulse rate control circuit configured to control sensitivity of the photoreceptor to have a pulse rate as the number of pulse signals outputted per unit time from the photoreceptor to be a set value set in advance, (i) in a set range including the set value, (ii) in a set range of the set value or more, or (iii) in a set range of the set value or less.

公开(公告)号：US12270945B2

公开(公告)日：2025-04-08

申请号：US17344417

申请日：2021-06-10

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Teiyu Kimura ,  Kenichi Yanai ,  Shinji Kashiwada ,  Yoshihide Tachino

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484

Abstract: An optical ranging device includes a light emitting section provided with a semiconductor laser element having a light emitting region whose length in a first direction is more than that in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The device measures the distance to an object based on the time from light emission from the light emitting section to reception of the light by a light receiving section. A plurality of light emitting regions may be provided in the light emitting section such that they are separated in the second direction and abut or partially overlap each other in the first direction so that the light emitting regions are continuous in the first direction.

公开(公告)号：US11668826B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-06

申请号：US16584033

申请日：2019-09-26

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Takehiro Hata ,  Noriyuki Ozaki ,  Teiyu Kimura ,  Kenta Azuma ,  Shinji Kashiwada

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  H01L31/0232 ,  G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/481

CPC classification number: G01S17/10 ,  G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  H01L31/02327

Abstract: A light reception array unit receives light irradiated from an irradiation unit and reflected from an object, and outputs in parallel a pulse signal respectively output from a plurality of light reception units. A timer unit measures an elapsed time since an input of an irradiation timing signal. A response acquisition unit acquires a number of responses, which is a number of the light reception units outputting the pulse signal, at each fixed cycle timing, and outputs an adjusted number of responses obtained by subtracting a bias value from the number of responses or dividing the number of responses by the bias value. An address of a memory is associated with a timer value measured by the timer unit. A histogram generation unit integrates and stores, in a memory address specified from a timer value, the adjusted number of responses as data at that address.

公开(公告)号：US11585907B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-21

申请号：US16597109

申请日：2019-10-09

Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION

Inventor： Noriyuki Ozaki ,  Teiyu Kimura ,  Kenta Azuma ,  Takehiro Hata

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/487 ,  H01L31/107 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/4863

Abstract: A plurality of photodetectors form a light receiving group, and a plurality of the light receiving groups form one pixel. A light receiving array is provided with one or more of such pixels. The photodetectors each output a pulse signal in response to irradiation of a photon. A measuring unit is provided for each of the plurality of light receiving groups. The measuring unit generates time information representing an elapsed time from an irradiation timing input from outside and light quantity information acquired at each of one or more timings identified from the time information, in accordance with the pulse signal output from the light receiving group. The number of the photodetectors outputting the pulse signal among the plurality of photodetectors belonging to the light receiving group is used as the light quantity information.