An electronic device includes a time of flight (ToF) sensor including a pixel array, a light source that emits light signals, and an optical device that projects the light signals to areas of an object which respectively correspond to a plurality of pixel blocks including pixels of the pixel array. Each of the pixels includes a plurality of taps each including a photo transistor, a first transfer transistor connected with the photo transistor, a storage element connected with the first transfer transistor, a second transfer transistor connected with the storage element, a floating diffusion area connected with the second transfer transistor, and a readout circuit connected with the floating diffusion area. An overflow transistor is disposed adjacent to the photo transistor and connected with a power supply voltage.

A laser includes a light source, a scanning unit, a receiving lens, a homogenizing unit, a light detection unit, and a processing unit. The light source is configured to output a laser beam. The scanning unit is configured to guide the laser beam to a specified region. The receiving lens is configured to converge an echo light signal formed through reflection of the laser beam. The homogenizing unit is configured to uniformly emit the converged echo light signal onto a photosensitive pixel of the light detection unit, which includes a plurality of photosensitive cells. The plurality of photosensitive cells are used to convert the received echo light signal into an echo electrical signal and are controlled by a plurality of gating circuits. The processing unit is configured to analyze an echo electrical signal output by the plurality of photosensitive cells in a gating period.

A laser includes a light source, a scanning unit, a receiving lens, a homogenizing unit, a light detection unit, and a processing unit. The light source is configured to output a laser beam. The scanning unit is configured to guide the laser beam to a specified region. The receiving lens is configured to converge an echo light signal formed through reflection of the laser beam. The homogenizing unit is configured to uniformly emit the converged echo light signal onto a photosensitive pixel of the light detection unit, which includes a plurality of photosensitive cells. The plurality of photosensitive cells are used to convert the received echo light signal into an echo electrical signal and are controlled by a plurality of gating circuits. The processing unit is configured to analyze an echo electrical signal output by the plurality of photosensitive cells in a gating period.

A lidar system having a lidar transmitter and lidar receiver that are in a bistatic arrangement with each other can be deployed in a climate-controlled compartment of a vehicle to reduce the exposure of the lidar system to harsher elements so it can operate in more advantageous environments with regards to factors such as temperature, moisture, etc. In an example embodiment, the bistatic lidar system can be connected to or incorporated within a rear view mirror assembly of a vehicle.

A lidar system having a lidar transmitter and lidar receiver that are in a bistatic arrangement with each other can be deployed in a climate-controlled compartment of a vehicle to reduce the exposure of the lidar system to harsher elements so it can operate in more advantageous environments with regards to factors such as temperature, moisture, etc. In an example embodiment, the bistatic lidar system can be connected to or incorporated within a rear view mirror assembly of a vehicle.

A method for measuring a distance between an object and an optical sensor by an illumination device and the optical sensor. A spatial position of a visible distance region in an observation region of the optical sensor is specified. A captured image of the visible distance region is captured by the optical sensor. A start image line and an end image line of the visible distance region are determined in the captured image. A base point image line is ascertained in the captured image as an image line with a shortest distance to the start image line in which the object can be detected. A distance from the object is ascertained by evaluating an image position of the base point image line relative to the start image line and the end image line while taking account of the spatial position of the visible distance region.

An optical sensing device includes a light source, which emits one or more beams of light pulses toward a target scene at respective angles about a transmit axis of the light source. A first array of single-photon detectors output electrical pulses in response to photons that are incident thereon. A second array of counters count the electrical pulses output during respective count periods by respective sets of one or more of the single-photon detectors. Light collection optics form an image of the target scene on the first array along a receive axis, which is offset transversely relative to the transmit axis, thereby giving rise to a parallax shift as a function of distance between the target scene and the device. Control circuitry sets the respective count periods of the counters, responsively to the parallax shift, to cover different, respective time intervals following each of the light pulses.

Structured light systems for three dimensional imaging are provided with a pulsed light source, an imaging sensor and an infrared band-pass filter to selectively pass filtered light to the imaging sensor, as well as a global shutter to control exposure of the imaging sensor to light.

A device for image gating using an array of reflective elements is provided herein. The device includes an array of reflective elements, wherein each one of the reflective elements is movable within a range of a plurality of tilt positions, wherein the array is located at an image plane of the device, wherein the array is perpendicular to an optical axis of the device. The device further includes a control unit configured to control the reflective elements such that in at least some of the tilt positions, the reflective elements reflect the radiant flux at said image plane, to one or more projection planes. A gradual rotation of the reflective elements along the plurality of tilt positions result in a gradual increase or decrease in the intensity of the image reflected from the array of reflective elements while maintaining the image integrity.

A gating camera divides a field of view in a depth direction into multiple ranges, and generates multiple slice images that correspond to the multiple ranges. An illumination apparatus emits probe light. A controller controls a timing of emission of the probe light L1 by the illumination apparatus and a timing of image capture by a first image sensor and a second image sensor. The controller controls the first image sensor and the second image sensor such that they receive reflected light from different respective ranges in response to one emission of the probe light from the illumination apparatus.