公开(公告)号：US20230412934A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-21

申请号：US18460743

申请日：2023-09-05

Applicant: TOPPAN Inc.

Inventor： Yu OOKUBO ,  Tomohiro NAKAGOME ,  Kunihiro HATAKEYAMA ,  Hiroshige GOTO ,  Satoshi TAKAHASHI ,  Yasuyuki HITSUOKA

IPC: H04N25/20 ,  H04N25/62 ,  H04N25/77

CPC classification number: H04N25/20 ,  H04N25/62 ,  H04N25/77

Abstract: A range imaging device includes a light source unit that emits light pulses to a measurement space; a light-receiving unit including a photoelectric conversion element that generates charge according to light incident from the space, a pixel circuit including charge storage units in which the charge is integrated in a frame cycle, and a pixel drive circuit that performs switching operation of transfer transistors to distribute the charge to the storage units for integration at integration timing synchronizing with emission of the pulses; and a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance between object in the space and the light-receiving unit based on charge determined by a first charge integrated in each storage unit. The calculation unit calculates the distance by subtracting a second charge from each first charge, the second charge being noise charge as an integrated charge other than the charge distributed and integrated by the switching operation.

公开(公告)号：US20240022833A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-18

申请号：US18355978

申请日：2023-07-20

Applicant: TOPPAN Inc.

Inventor： Kunihiro HATAKEYAMA ,  Tomohiro NAKAGOME

IPC: H04N25/705

CPC classification number: H04N25/705

Abstract: A range imaging device includes a light source unit, a light-receiving unit that includes pixel driving circuit and a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and charge storage units, a storage unit that stores table information in which electric charge ratios are associated with corresponding distances to an object, and a range image processing unit that determines a measured distance to an object using the table information and the amounts of electric charge accumulated in the charge storage units. The range image processing unit calculates the electric charge ratio based on the amounts of electric charge accumulated in the charge storage units, acquires the corresponding distance associated with the calculated electric charge ratio from the table information, and determines the measured distance using the acquired corresponding distance.

公开(公告)号：US20230366990A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-16

申请号：US18356267

申请日：2023-07-21

Applicant: TOPPAN Inc.

Inventor： Kunihiro HATAKEYAMA ,  Satoshi TAKAHASHI

IPC: G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4865

CPC classification number: G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4865

Abstract: A range imaging device includes a light-receiving unit including at least one pixel circuit including a photoelectric conversion element that generates charge in response to incident light, N (N≥3) charge storage units that integrate charge in a frame cycle, and transfer transistors, and a pixel drive circuit that causes the transfer transistors to distribute charge to the charge storage units with integration timing synchronizing with light pulses, a light source unit that emits light pulses; a range image processing unit that calculates a distance to an object based on integrated charges, and a measurement control unit that calculates a thinning time of not integrating charge, according to integrated charge in the charge storage units, the distance, and intensity of the incident light. The measurement control unit controls integration of charge with a thinning time set in a measurement zone corresponding to the distance from the light-receiving unit.

公开(公告)号：US20230333218A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-19

申请号：US18340932

申请日：2023-06-26

Applicant: TOPPAN Inc.

Inventor： Kunihiro HATAKEYAMA ,  Tomohiro NAKAGOME

IPC: G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/89

CPC classification number: G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: A range imaging apparatus includes a light source unit that emits light pulse to a measurement space, a light receiver including pixels and a pixel driver circuit, and a range image processor that determines a measurement distance to a subject placed in the space. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion device that generates electric charge corresponding to incident light and charge accumulators that store the electric charge, the circuit distributes and stores the charge to each accumulator at a predetermined point in time synchronized with emission of the pulse, the processor acquires waveform information indicating degree of distortion of waveform of rectangular signal having distorted waveform, corrects, based on the information, charge amounts each indicating an amount of the electric charge stored when the waveform has no distortion, and determines the distance using the charge amounts, and the signal is used in signal processing performed until the distance is determined.

公开(公告)号：US20220146684A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-12

申请号：US17586447

申请日：2022-01-27

Applicant: BROOKMAN TECHNOLOGY, INC. ,  TOPPAN INC.

Inventor： Tomoyuki AKAHORI ,  Yu OOKUBO ,  Kunihiro HATAKEYAMA ,  Satoshi TAKAHASHI

IPC: G01S17/894 ,  H04N5/235 ,  H04N5/225 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: A light source unit that emits a light pulse, a light receiving unit that includes pixels each including a photoelectric conversion device generating electric charge according to incident light and a plurality of electric charge accumulating units accumulating the electric charge and a pixel driving circuit that distributes the electric charge to the electric charge accumulating units of the pixels to be accumulated therein at a predetermined accumulation timing synchronized with the emission of the light pulse, and a distance image processing unit that measures the distance to a subject present in the measurement space on the basis of amounts of electric charge accumulated in the electric charge accumulating units are included, and the distance image processing unit includes a timing control unit that controls the accumulation timing in accordance with a measurement mode set in advance in accordance with a range of distances that are measurement targets.