Time-to-digital converter arrangement

Abstract

Time-to-digital converter arrangement having a first and a second time-to-digital converters. The first one is configured to determine the existence or nonexistence of an event in a recurring first measurement window. The second one is configured to determine the existence or nonexistence of the event in a recurring second measurement window. A temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event.

Claims

1. A Time-to-digital converter arrangement, comprising: a first time-to-digital converter configured to determine an existence or nonexistence of an event in a recurring first measurement window; a second time-to-digital converter configured to determine the existence or the nonexistence of the event in a recurring second measurement window, wherein a temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event, wherein a runtime is to be calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}},\mathrm{or}$ further comprising a calculating unit configured to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset when the number of counted measurement windows differs between the first and second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset and a second offset when the number of measurement windows of the third time-to-digital converter differs from the second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or wherein the second measurement window is started shifted by the first offset compared to the first measurement window or wherein all measurement windows are started shifted by the respective offset and an incremental shift takes place by means of their respective offset or wherein feeding the event to the second time-to-digital converter is shifted by a first offset and wherein a shifting takes place incrementally or wherein their runtime is calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+1-\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}$ wherein t is the runtime, m is a number of counted time windows up to a stop signal, n is a number of time-to-digital converters, k.sub.fine is a number of counted fine steps and ΔT.sub.TDC is the duration of a time window.

2. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 1 comprising at least a third time-to-digital converter configured to determine the existence or nonexistence of the event in a recurring third measurement window, wherein a temporal relation of the third measurement window with respect to detecting the event is time-shifted by a second offset compared to a temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the event, and time-shifted by the first and the second offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event.

3. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the first and the second offset or all of the offsets are the same.

4. The time-to-digital converter according to claim 2, wherein the second and the third time-to-digital converter is used for interpolating the measurement windows; and wherein interpolation takes place by means of the second converter when the number of measurement windows differs between the first and the second time-to-digital converter and wherein interpolation takes place by means of the third converter when the number of measurement windows differs between the second and the third time-to-digital converter.

5. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 2, wherein feeding the event to the third time-to-digital converter is shifted by the first and second offset.

6. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second measurement window and the first, the second and the third measurement window and wherein all of the measurement windows are of the same length.

7. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second time-to-digital converter or each time-to-digital converter is connected to a counter configured to count the number of time windows up to the existence or the no-longer-existence of the event per converter.

8. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the counter is configured to count the number of time windows between start and end, wherein the end is defined by the existence or no-longer-existence of the event.

9. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an interpolated measurement value is acquired when the number of counted measurement windows between the first and the second time-to-digital converter, between the second and the third time-to-digital converter or between increments of successive time-to-digital converters is different.

10. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the second time-to-digital converter is used for interpolating the measurement windows; and wherein interpolation takes place when the number of counted measurement windows differs between the first and the second time-to-digital converter.

11. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the event is fed to every time-to-digital converter.

12. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 1, wherein all time-to-digital converters or the first and the second time-to-digital converters are started simultaneously.

13. A time-to-digital Time to digital converter arrangement comprising: a first time-to-digital converter configured to determine an existence or nonexistence of an event for a first frame in a recurring first measurement window and an existence or nonexistence of the respective event for at least a second frame in a recurring second measurement window; wherein a temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the respective event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event, wherein a runtime is to be calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}},\mathrm{or}$ further comprising a calculating unit configured to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset when the number of counted measurement windows differs between the first and second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset and a second offset when the number of measurement windows of the third time-to-digital converter differs from the second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or wherein the second measurement window is started shifted by the first offset compared to the first measurement window or wherein all measurement windows are started shifted by the respective offset and an incremental shift takes place by means of their respective offset or wherein feeding the event to the second time-to-digital converter is shifted by a first offset and wherein a shifting takes place incrementally or wherein their runtime is calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+1-\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}$ wherein t is the runtime, m is a number of counted time windows up to a stop signal, n is a number of time-to-digital converters, k.sub.fine is a number of counted fine steps and ΔT.sub.TDC is the duration of a time window.

14. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the second frame follows the first frame in time.

15. The time-to-digital converter arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the first time-to-digital converter is configured to determine an existence or nonexistence of a further respective event for at least a third frame in a recurring third measurement window.

16. A measurement system, comprising: a time-to-digital converter arrangement, comprising: a first time-to-digital converter configured to determine an existence or nonexistence of an event in a recurring first measurement window; a second time-to-digital converter configured to determine the existence or the nonexistence of the event in a recurring second measurement window, wherein a temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event, as well as a CMOS sensor, a silicon photo multiplier, an avalanche diode or another detector for detecting an event, wherein a runtime is to be calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}},\mathrm{or}$ further comprising a calculating unit configured to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset when the number of counted measurement windows differs between the first and second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset and a second offset when the number of measurement windows of the third time-to-digital converter differs from the second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or wherein the second measurement window is started shifted by the first offset compared to the first measurement window or wherein all measurement windows are started shifted by the respective offset and an incremental shift takes place by means of their respective offset or wherein feeding the event to the second time-to-digital converter is shifted by a first offset and wherein a shifting takes place incrementally or wherein their runtime is calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+1-\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}$ wherein t is the runtime, m is a number of counted time windows up to a stop signal, n is a number of time-to-digital converters, k.sub.fine is a number of counted fine steps and ΔT.sub.TDC is the duration of a time window.

17. A method for time-to-digital conversion, comprising: determining an existence or nonexistence of an event associated to a recurring first measurement window by means of a first time-to-digital converter; determining the existence or nonexistence of the event associated to a second recurring measurement window by means of a second time-to-digital converter, wherein a temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event wherein a runtime is to be calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}},\mathrm{or}$ further comprising a calculating unit configured to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset when the number of counted measurement windows differs between the first and second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset and a second offset when the number of measurement windows of the third time-to-digital converter differs from the second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or wherein the second measurement window is started shifted by the first offset compared to the first measurement window or wherein all measurement windows are started shifted by the respective offset and an incremental shift takes place by means of their respective offset or wherein feeding the event to the second time-to-digital converter is shifted by a first offset and wherein a shifting takes place incrementally or wherein their runtime is calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+1-\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}$ wherein t is the runtime, m is a number of counted time windows up to a stop signal, n is a number of time-to-digital converters, k.sub.fine is a number of counted fine steps and ΔT.sub.TDC is the duration of a time window.

18. A method for time-to-digital conversion, comprising: determining, by means of a first time-to-digital converter, an existence or nonexistence of an event for a first frame in a recurring first measurement window; and determining, by means of a first time-to-digital converter, an existence or nonexistence of the respective event for at least a second frame in a recurring second measurement window; wherein a temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the respective event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event wherein a runtime is to be calculated based on the following formula: $t=.Math.m+\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}.Math..Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}};\mathrm{or}$ further comprising a calculating unit configured to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset when the number of counted measurement windows differs between the first and second time-to-digital converter to acquire the runtime, or to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset and a second offset when the number of measurement windows of the third time-to-digital converter differs from the second time-to-digital converter to acquire the runtime; or wherein the second measurement window is started shifted by the first offset compared to the first measurement window or wherein all measurement windows are started shifted by the respective offset; and wherein an incremental shift takes place by means of their respective offset; or wherein feeding the event to the second time-to-digital converter is shifted by the first offset and wherein a shifting takes place incrementally; or wherein the runtime is calculated based on the following formula $t=.Math.m+1-\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}.Math..Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}},$ wherein t is the runtime, m is a number of counted time windows up to a stop signal, n is a number of time-to-digital converters, k.sub.fine is a number of counted fine steps and ΔT.sub.TDC is the duration of a time window.

19. A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method for time-to-digital conversion, the method comprising: determining an existence or nonexistence of an event associated to a recurring first measurement window by means of a first time-to-digital converter; determining the existence or nonexistence of the event associated to a second recurring measurement window by means of a second time-to-digital converter, wherein a temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event, when said computer program is run by a computer, wherein a runtime is to be calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}},\mathrm{or}$ further comprising a calculating unit configured to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset when the number of counted measurement windows differs between the first and second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset and a second offset when the number of measurement windows of the third time-to-digital converter differs from the second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or wherein the second measurement window is started shifted by the first offset compared to the first measurement window or wherein all measurement windows are started shifted by the respective offset and an incremental shift takes place by means of their respective offset or wherein feeding the event to the second time-to-digital converter is shifted by a first offset and wherein a shifting takes place incrementally or wherein their runtime is calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+1-\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}$ wherein t is the runtime, m is a number of counted time windows up to a stop signal, n is a number of time-to-digital converters, k.sub.fine is a number of counted fine steps and ΔT.sub.TDC is the duration of a time window.

20. A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method for time-to-digital conversion, the method comprising: determining, by means of a first time-to-digital converter, an existence or nonexistence of an event for a first frame in a recurring first measurement window; and determining, by means of a first time-to-digital converter, an existence or nonexistence of the respective event for at least a second frame in a recurring second measurement window; wherein a temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the respective event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event, when said computer program is run by a computer, wherein a runtime is to be calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}},\mathrm{or}$ further comprising a calculating unit configured to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset when the number of counted measurement windows differs between the first and second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or to multiply the number of measurement windows of the first time-to-digital converter with the duration per measurement window and to add the first offset and a second offset when the number of measurement windows of the third time-to-digital converter differs from the second time-to-digital converter to acquire a runtime, or wherein the second measurement window is started shifted by the first offset compared to the first measurement window or wherein all measurement windows are started shifted by the respective offset and an incremental shift takes place by means of their respective offset or wherein feeding the event to the second time-to-digital converter is shifted by a first offset and wherein a shifting takes place incrementally or wherein their runtime is calculated based on the following formula: $t=\left[m+1-\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}$ wherein t is the runtime, m is a number of counted time windows up to a stop signal, n is a number of time-to-digital converters, k.sub.fine is a number of counted fine steps and ΔT.sub.TDC is the duration of a time window.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the present invention will be detailed subsequently referring to the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic block circuit diagram of a time-to-digital converter arrangement according to a basic embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2a is a schematic illustration for illustrating the start timing at a delayed start according to embodiments;

(4) FIG. 2b is a schematic illustration of the stop timing at a delayed start according to embodiments;

(5) FIG. 3a is a schematic illustration of a start timing at a delayed stop according to further embodiments;

(6) FIG. 3b is a schematic illustration of the stop timing at a delayed stop according to further embodiments;

(7) FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a time-to-digital converter arrangement according to another basic embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Before embodiments of the present invention will be discussed below with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that equal elements and structures are provided with the same reference numbers such that the description of the same is inter-applicable or inter-exchangeable.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a time-to-digital converter arrangement 10 having a first time-to-digital converter 12a, as well as a second time-to-digital converter 12b. Both can be essentially identical and can each have an internal clock. This clocking can, for example, be realized by a ring oscillator or the same. This clock is illustrated by the time windows A, B, C in the time-to-digital converter 12a and A′, B′ and C′ in the time-to-digital converter 12b, respectively. Each of the time-to-digital converters 12a and 12b is configured to determine the respective time window A, B or C and A′, B′ and C′, respectively, to which a respective signal S is fed. This can, for example, take place by a simple count or the like.

(10) The signal S can, for example, be a light signal reflection signal or response signal received by means of a sensor 18, e.g. an avalanche diode. When it is assumed that the respective clock of the time-to-digital converter 12a or 12b is started when emitting an excitation signal, a time period between emitting the excitation signal and receiving the response signal S can be determined by counting or determining the respective clock. However, the temporal resolution is defined by the length ΔT.sub.TDC (according to A or B or C or A′ or B′ or C′).

(11) Since two time-to-digital converters 12a and 12b are provided in the converter arrangement 10, the second time-to-digital converter 12b can be used for interpolation. For this, however, the time windows A′, B′ and C′ are shifted compared to the feeding of the signal S. This can either take place in that the periodically recurring time windows A, B′, C′ are time-shifted by ΔT compared to the time windows A, B and C. In that way, a relation between the time windows A′, B′ and C′ of the second time-to-digital converter 12b changes compared to a relation of the time window A, B and C of the first time-to-digital converter 12a to the signal S.

(12) When, as illustrated herein, the signal S is fed (is fed simultaneously) to the two time-to-digital converters 12a and 12b (wherein the periodically recurring signal of the time-to-digital converter 12b is started delayed by ΔT), the first time-to-digital converter 12a will determine that the signal S is included in the time window B, and the second time-to-digital converter 12b will determine that the signal S is included in the time window A′. Merely from the information of the time-to-digital converter 12a it can only be determined that the runtime of the signal S (runtime between emitting the excitation signal and receiving the response signal S by means of the receiver 18) has to be somewhere between the runtime defined by the duration A and the runtime defined by A B. When consulting the information generated by the time converter 12b, it can also be determined that the signal runtime is, at maximum, the duration of the time window A′+ΔT.

(13) When it is assumed, according to embodiments, that the duration A, B and C as well as the duration A′, B′ and C′ are all identical and ΔT is, for example, 0.5A, the response signal will be received somewhere between 1.0 to 1.5 times of the duration.

(14) As a result, temporal interpolation by the time offset ΔT is possible.

(15) In the n TDCs running in parallel, it is essential that the same are started or stopped in a temporally delayed manner, so that temporal interpolation between the same is possible. For a TDC resolution of ΔT.sub.TDC, the n TDCs each have to be started or stopped delayed from one another by a certain temporal delay ΔT

(16) $\begin{array}{cc}\Delta T=\frac{\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}}{n}.& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

(17) Here, the sum of all delays of the TDCs corresponds exactly to the resolution of the individual TDC, such that n times the temporal resolution results. The exact temporal position can be detected based on the change between two TDCs, wherein one TDC has just counted a clock and the next TDC has just not counted that clock anymore. In that way, the fine time resolution can be determined at the transition.

(18) As already indicated above, there are two options of operating the TDC structure 10 and the delay ΔT. On the one hand, all TDCs can be started together and stopped in a delayed manner, or the same can be started in a delayed manner and stopped together. Which of the methods is appropriate can be decisive, depending on the application, however, it plays no part for the accuracy of the temporal resolution.

(19) With reference to FIG. 2a, an embodiment with delayed start and common stop of the TDC will be discussed (comparable to the simplified variation of FIG. 1). FIG. 2a shows the periodic time windows 0x00 to 0x04 for n different time-to-digital converters. The same are each temporally offset by ΔT=ΔT.sub.TDC/n. The runtime of each time window is identical, namely ΔT.sub.TDC. All time-to-digital converters are started in a delayed manner by the start signal ST. In FIG. 2b, the stop signal for the respective time-to-digital converters is illustrated associated to the individual time windows.

(20) For this variation, the n TDCs are each started delayed by the time ΔT according to (1), wherein the start of the first TDC corresponds to the intended start signal ST. All TDCs are stopped together with the intended stop signal S. The resulting combinations of the fine time interpolations will be illustrated in the following table.

(21) TABLE-US-00001 Fine Step k.sub.fine 0 1 2 3 4 . . . n − 1 TDC 1 m m m m m m TDC 2 m − 1 m m m m m TDC 3 m − 1 m − 1 m m m m TDC 4 m − 1 m − 1 m − 1 m m m TDC 5 m − 1 m − 1 m − 1 m − 1 m m . . . . . . TDC n m − 1 m − 1 m − 1 m − 1 m − 1 . . . m

(22) The same illustrates the course of the TDC counter for a delayed start. Thus, the exact runtime t for (2) can be calculated:

(23) $\begin{array}{cc}t=\left[m+\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}& \left(2\right)\end{array}$

(24) As already indicated, ΔT.sub.TDC is the temporal resolution, n the number of used time-to-digital converters, m the number of time windows counted by means of the first time-to-digital converter and k.sub.fine, the position in the above illustrated table where the respective transition has taken place during the count.

(25) Thus, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the start of the n TDCs takes place in a delayed manner, as illustrated schematically in the timing diagram of FIG. 2a. Therefore, each TDC receives its own start signal. The start signals each start the TDC with a counter setting of 0, which is incremented by 1 after ΔT.sub.TDC. By the delayed start, part of the TDCs lag behind by one counter reading at any time as illustrated in FIG. 2b. Based on the number of TDC that have not reached the counter reading of the first TDC, temporal interpolation can take place and, hence increased resolution can be obtained.

(26) The same principle can be obtained with a common start and delayed stop of the TDCs. The timing diagram for a delayed start for the start signal is illustrated in FIG. 3a, while the timing diagram for the delayed stop is illustrated in FIG. 3b. As shown based on the timing diagram of FIG. 3a, all TDCs are started simultaneously by the start signal S and incremented together beginning with the counter reading 0. In order to also realize temporal interpolation with this constellation, the TDCs are stopped delayed by ΔT (cf. formula 1), This is shown in FIG. 3b based on the delayed stop signals S. Here, the stop signal S of the first TDC corresponds to the true stop signal (feeding time of the signal S). Based on the number of TDCs having incremented a counter reading, temporal interpolation can take place, as will be discussed below. Again, it is the case that some TDCs count the number of time windows m as it has taken place at least between start ST and stop S. In the variation illustrated herein, this is at least the TDC 1 as shown by the following table.

(27) TABLE-US-00002 Fine Step k.sub.fine 0 1 2 3 4 . . . n − 1 TDC 1 m m m m m m TDC 2 m + 1 m m m m m TDC 3 m + 1 m + 1 m m m m TDC 4 m + 1 m + 1 m + 1 m m m TDC 5 m + 1 m + 1 m + 1 m + 1 m m . . . . . . TDC n m + 1 m + 1 m + 1 m + 1 m + 1 . . . m

(28) Based on the transition between a TDC counting m and a TDC counting m+1 (i.e. a different number of counted time windows), the fine step can be determined. With this fine step k.sub.fine, the runtime can be determined exactly as follows:

(29) $\begin{array}{cc}t=\left[m+1-\frac{k_{\mathrm{fine}}}{n}\right].Math.\Delta T_{\mathrm{TDC}}& \left(3\right)\end{array}$

(30) In summary, it has to be stated that for this second variation the n TDCs are all started together with the intended start signal ST, wherein the intended stop signal S of the first TDC is stopped directly and the further TDCs are stopped delayed by ΔT (cf. formula 1). By this delay, interpolation can be obtained.

(31) Here, it should be noted that delays existing anyway due to the signal line or by artificially introduced delays for the stop signal S or the start signal ST have no influence on the discussed method, but only represent a shift or a constant delay.

(32) With reference to FIG. 4, a further variation will be explained. Here, a TDC 12a of the arrangement 10′ is used. By means of a sensor 18, the signal S is determined at different times (cf. S′ or S″) in the individual frames 20a, 20b and 20c. It is assumed that the measured runtime, i.e. the distance between start ST and stop S does not change during the n frames 20a, 20b and 20c.

(33) There are again two variations for inserting a respective delay into the evaluation. According to a first variation, the signal S (of, frame 20a) can be fed directly to the time-to-digital converter 12a, here during the time window B, while the signal S′ of the second frame 20b is fed to the same converter offset by ΔT and the signal S″ of the frame 20c is fed offset by a further ΔT, i.e. 2ΔT compared to the signal S. Here, offset means with respect to the respective frame when sequential frames 20a, 20b and 20c are assumed. Also, the signals S, S′, and S″ are not identical, but correspond to each other, i.e. such that S is the response signal to ST, while S′ is the response signal to ST′, and S″ is the response signal to ST″. This offset feeding represents the same principle as the embodiment with the delayed stop, cf. FIGS. 3a and 3b, such that the above-discussed evaluation principle can be applied.

(34) According to a further variation, obviously, the start can be delayed per frame 20a, 20b and 20c, such that the time for digital converter 12a then has differently shifted frames. Here. the evaluation can be compared to the embodiment of FIGS. 2a and 2b.

(35) Therefore, with this embodiment of FIG. 4, interpolation is possible by a delay by ΔT=ΔT.sub.roc/n across several frames, wherein n is the number of added frames.

(36) In the following, different variations or embodiments of the sensor 18 or, all in all, the field of application of the above embodiments will be discussed. Apart from the stated embodiment of an integrated CMOS sensor, the presented method can also be realized by means of silicon photo multipliers (SIPM) or avalanche diodes, integrated or distributed with discrete components, or as a pure computer program. The method can also be used in 3D hybrid integration by means of wafer-to-wafer, chip-to-wafer or chip-to-chip bonding with associated readout combinatorics and in different technologies like CMOS or III-V semiconductors of different structural sizes. Apart from the stated applications in the automotive field, the method can also be applied to further fields of usage, such as medical technology, analytics or avionics.

(37) Although some aspects have been described in the context of an apparatus, it is obvious that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method, such that a block or device of an apparatus also corresponds to a respective method step or a feature of a method step. Analogously, aspects described in the context of a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or detail or feature of a corresponding apparatus. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by a hardware apparatus (or using a hardware apparatus), such as a microprocessor, a programmable computer or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, some or several of the most important method steps may be performed by such an apparatus.

(38) An inventively encoded signal, such as an audio signal or a video signal or a transport current signal can be stored on a digital memory medium or can be transferred on a transfer medium, such as a wireless transfer medium or a wired transfer medium, such as the internet.

(39) The inventive encoded audio signal can be stored on a digital memory medium or can be transferred on a transfer medium, such as a wireless transfer medium or a wired transfer medium, for example, the Internet.

(40) Depending on certain implementation requirements, embodiments of the invention can be implemented in hardware or in software. The implementation can be performed using a digital storage medium, for example a floppy disk, a DVD, a Blu-Ray disc, a CD, an ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM or a FLASH memory, a hard drive or another magnetic or optical memory having electronically readable control signals stored thereon, which cooperate or are capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system such that the respective method is performed. Therefore, the digital storage medium may be computer readable.

(41) Some embodiments according to the invention include a data carrier comprising electronically readable control signals, which are capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system, such that one of the methods described herein is performed.

(42) Generally, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a computer program product with a program code, the program code being operative for performing one of the methods when the computer program product runs on a computer.

(43) The program code may, for example, be stored on a machine readable carrier.

(44) Other embodiments comprise the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein, wherein the computer program is stored on a machine readable barrier.

(45) In other words, an embodiment of the inventive method is, therefore, a computer program comprising a program code for performing one of the methods described herein, when the computer program runs on a computer.

(46) A further embodiment of the inventive method is, therefore, a data carrier (or a digital storage medium or a computer-readable medium) comprising, recorded thereon, the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. The data carrier, the digital storage medium, or the computer-readable medium are typically tangible or non-volatile.

(47) A further embodiment of the inventive method is, therefore, a data stream or a sequence of signals representing the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. The data stream or the sequence of signals may, for example, be configured to be transferred via a data communication connection, for example via the Internet.

(48) A further embodiment comprises a processing means, for example a computer, or a programmable logic device, configured to or adapted to perform one of the methods described herein.

(49) A further embodiment comprises a computer having installed thereon the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein.

(50) A further embodiment in accordance with the invention includes an apparatus or a system configured to transmit a computer program for performing at least one of the methods described herein to a receiver. The transmission may be electronic or optical, for example. The receiver may be a computer, a mobile device, a memory device or a similar device, for example. The apparatus or the system may include a file server for transmitting the computer program to the receiver, for example.

(51) In some embodiments, a programmable logic device (for example a field programmable gate array, FPGA) may be used to perform some or all of the functionalities of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor in order to perform one of the methods described herein. Generally, the methods are performed by any hardware apparatus. This can be a universally applicable hardware, such as a computer processor (CPU) or hardware specific for the method, such as ASIC.

(52) The apparatuses described herein may be implemented, for example, by using a hardware apparatus or by using a computer or by using a combination of a hardware apparatus and a computer.

(53) The apparatuses described herein or any components of the apparatuses described herein may be implemented at least partly in hardware and/or software (computer program).

(54) The methods described herein may be implemented, for example, by using a hardware apparatus or by using a computer or by using a combination of a hardware apparatus and a computer.

(55) The methods described herein or any components of the methods described herein may be performed at least partly by hardware and/or by software.

(56) While this invention has been described in terms of several advantageous embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and compositions of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.