The present disclosure provides an imaging device capable of outputting a signal other than an event detection signal, such as a pixel signal at a gradation level. The imaging device has a stacked chip structure formed by stacking at least two semiconductor chips including a first-layer semiconductor chip and a second-layer semiconductor chip. The first-layer semiconductor chip has a pixel array unit in which an event pixel that outputs an event detection signal, and a distance measurement pixel are mixed. The second-layer semiconductor chip is provided with an analog front-end unit for an event pixel that processes the event detection signal and with an analog front-end unit for a distance measurement pixel that processes the signal from the light-receiving element, corresponding to each of the event pixel and the distance measurement pixel.

A light sensor includes an integrated circuit chip and a boost DC/DC converter. The integrated circuit chip supports an array of pixels, each pixel including a SPAD. The boost DC/DC converter delivers to the SPADs a bias potential capable of placing the SPADs in Geiger mode. The boost DC/DC converter includes an inductive element, a first switch, a second switch, and a circuit for controlling on/off switching of the first switch. The inductive element and the first and second switches are arranged outside of the integrated circuit chip while the control circuit forms part of the integrated circuit chip.

A light sensor includes an integrated circuit chip and a boost DC/DC converter. The integrated circuit chip supports an array of pixels, each pixel including a SPAD. The boost DC/DC converter delivers to the SPADs a bias potential capable of placing the SPADs in Geiger mode. The boost DC/DC converter includes an inductive element, a first switch, a second switch, and a circuit for controlling on/off switching of the first switch. The inductive element and the first and second switches are arranged outside of the integrated circuit chip while the control circuit forms part of the integrated circuit chip.

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for time-of-flight detection. There may be two or more photodetectors in a photodetector circuit that capture photon activity. There is logic that processes the responses of the photodetectors and returns the leading edge of the arrival of the first photon and the leading edge of the arrival of the last photon, if at least two photons are received during an overlapping pulse width.

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for time-of-flight detection. There may be two or more photodetectors in a photodetector circuit that capture photon activity. There is logic that processes the responses of the photodetectors and returns the leading edge of the arrival of the first photon and the leading edge of the arrival of the last photon, if at least two photons are received during an overlapping pulse width.

In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source, a receiver, and a controller. The light source is configured to emit an optical signal. The receiver is configured to detect a received optical signal that includes a portion of the emitted optical signal that is scattered by a surface of a target located a distance from the lidar system, where the surface is oriented at an angle of incidence with respect to the emitted optical signal. The receiver is further configured to produce an electrical signal corresponding to the received optical signal. The controller is configured to determine, based on the electrical signal, the angle of incidence of the surface of the target.

Disclosed is a single pass light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser method, including building a coarse histogram, detecting a first peak of laser pulses in the coarse histogram, determining whether the first peak height is greater than a first threshold and a location of the first peak is less than or equal to a second threshold, when determining that the first peak height is greater than the first threshold and the location of the first peak is less than or equal to the second threshold, building a fine histogram, and detecting a peak of laser pulses in the fine histogram, and when determining that the first peak height is less than or equal to the first threshold and the location of the first peak is greater than the second threshold, continuing the building of the coarse histogram, and detecting a second peak of the laser pulses in the coarse histogram.

Disclosed is a single pass light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser method, including building a coarse histogram, detecting a first peak of laser pulses in the coarse histogram, determining whether the first peak height is greater than a first threshold and a location of the first peak is less than or equal to a second threshold, when determining that the first peak height is greater than the first threshold and the location of the first peak is less than or equal to the second threshold, building a fine histogram, and detecting a peak of laser pulses in the fine histogram, and when determining that the first peak height is less than or equal to the first threshold and the location of the first peak is greater than the second threshold, continuing the building of the coarse histogram, and detecting a second peak of the laser pulses in the coarse histogram.

Circuits, methods, and apparatus that can reduce clock induced current and voltage transients and emissions in lidar pixel arrays. A pixel array can include an array of pixels, where at any given time, different pixels in the pixel array perform different tasks and are clocked by clock signals having different phases or delays relative to each other. This temporal dispersion of tasks and clock signals can spread clock induced current and voltage transients and emissions throughout a clock cycle, thereby reducing their maximum amplitude.

Circuits, methods, and apparatus that can reduce clock induced current and voltage transients and emissions in lidar pixel arrays. A pixel array can include an array of pixels, where at any given time, different pixels in the pixel array perform different tasks and are clocked by clock signals having different phases or delays relative to each other. This temporal dispersion of tasks and clock signals can spread clock induced current and voltage transients and emissions throughout a clock cycle, thereby reducing their maximum amplitude.