A distance image acquisition device includes a distance measurement sensor that detects a measurement light by transferring charges generated in a charge generation region in response to incidence of a measurement light reflected by a target object, to a charge accumulation region by using a transfer gate electrode. The charge generation region includes an avalanche multiplication region that causes avalanche multiplication. The control unit divides an entire distance range of a measurement target into the plurality of sections, controls the distance measurement sensor so as to perform measurements about a plurality of sections while varying a time difference between an emission timing of the measurement light by the light source and a transferring timing of the charges by the transfer gate electrode among the plurality of sections, and generates a distance image of the entire distance range based on the results of the measurements about the plurality of sections.

A computational pixel imaging device that includes an array of pixel integrated circuits for event-based detection and imaging. Each pixel may include a digital counter that accumulates a digital number, which indicates whether a change is detected by the pixel. The counter may count in one direction for a portion of an exposure and count in an opposite direction for another portion of the exposure. The imaging device may be configured to collect and transmit key frames at a lower rate, and collect and transmit delta or event frames at a higher rate. The key frames may include a full image of a scene, captured by the pixel array. The delta frames may include sparse data, captured by pixels that have detected meaningful changes in received light intensity. High speed, low transmission bandwidth motion image video can be reconstructed using the key frames and the delta frames.

Provided are an image sensor and a detection system using same, which belong to the field of semiconductor image sensors. The image sensor includes: a first substrate, wherein the first substrate at least includes a photoelectric unit for photoelectric conversion, and N signal transmission channels which are connected to the photoelectric unit, with N being greater than or equal to 1; and a second substrate, which includes N second charge storage units which correspond to the N transmission channels. The transmission channels receive control signals, electrically communicate the photoelectric unit and the second charge storage units, and transfer at least some photo-induced electrons, which are generated in the photoelectric unit, to the second charge storage units. The effect of miniaturization and high integration design of pixels is ensured by means of stacking two substrates; and by means of further providing charge storage units on both of the two substrates, the area of the peripheral region of the pixels can be used, the effect of a higher charge storage amount can be achieved, and the effects such as measurement accuracy can be ensured.

A sensing system. In some embodiments, the system includes a first imaging radio frequency receiver, a second imaging radio frequency receiver, a first optical beam combiner, a first imaging optical receiver, a second optical beam combiner, and an optical detector array. The first optical beam combiner may be configured to combine optical signals of the imaging radio frequency receivers. The second optical beam combiner may be configured to combine the optical signals of the imaging radio frequency receivers, and the optical signal of the first imaging optical receiver.

A depth obtaining component includes a laser driver array and a laser array. The laser array includes a plurality of lasers. The laser driver array includes one or more control units, and each control unit is configured to control selection of one or more lasers in the laser array. The one or more control units are disposed in a charge loop of the laser driver array. A laser corresponding to the control unit can be flexibly selected based on a first switch module and a capacitive module in the control unit. In this way, scanning laser emission of the laser array can be implemented based on the laser drive circuit, no scanning device such as a micro electro mechanical systems mirror needs to be additionally disposed, and circuit support can be provided for implementing a small-sized, power-efficient, and cost-effective optical transmit end.

A detection device of a light detection and ranging (lidar) device, a detection method, and a lidar device are provided. The detection device predicts the location of light spots of a reflected echo on a detector array, and reads electric signals of a subset of the photodetectors corresponding to the light spots. According to the detection method, the location on a detector array for light spots of a reflected echo is predicted according to a time of flight of a detection beam, a subset of the photodetectors corresponding to the light spots are activated, and their electric signals are read. All received light is detected, without increasing the receiving field of view, ambient light interference is suppressed, and the problem of shift of the light spots on a focal plane caused by optical path distortion is effectively solved.

A detection device of a light detection and ranging (lidar) device, a detection method, and a lidar device are provided. The detection device predicts the location of light spots of a reflected echo on a detector array, and reads electric signals of a subset of the photodetectors corresponding to the light spots. According to the detection method, the location on a detector array for light spots of a reflected echo is predicted according to a time of flight of a detection beam, a subset of the photodetectors corresponding to the light spots are activated, and their electric signals are read. All received light is detected, without increasing the receiving field of view, ambient light interference is suppressed, and the problem of shift of the light spots on a focal plane caused by optical path distortion is effectively solved.

A camera system. In some embodiments, the camera system includes a first laser, a camera, and a processing circuit connected to the first laser and to the camera. The first laser may be steerable, and the camera may include a pixel including a photodetector and a pixel circuit, the pixel circuit including a first time-measuring circuit.

A single photon counting sensor array includes one or more emitters configured to emit a plurality of pulses of energy, and a detector array comprising a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes one or more detectors, a plurality of which are configured to receive reflected pulses of energy that were emitted by the one or more emitters. A mask material is positioned to cover some but not all of the detectors of the plurality of pixels to yield blocked pixels and unblocked pixels so that each blocked pixel is prevented from detecting the reflected pulses of energy and therefore only detects intrinsic noise.

Compact optical sources and methods for producing short and ultrashort optical pulses are described. A semiconductor laser or LED may be driven with a bipolar waveform to generate optical pulses with FWHM durations as short as approximately 85 ps having suppressed tail emission. The pulsed optical sources may be used for fluorescent lifetime analysis of biological samples and time-of-flight imaging, among other applications.