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US 11,081,611 B2Granted
Photodetector architectures for efficient fast-gating comprising a control system controlling a current drawn by an array of photodetectors with a single photon avalanche diode
AssigneeHi LLC
InventorsBruno Do Valle, Ryan Field, Jacob Dahle, Rong Jin, Sebastian Sorgenfrei
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Abstract
An exemplary system includes an array of photodetectors and a control system. Each photodetector of the array of photodetectors may include a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and a fast-gating circuit configured to arm and disarm the SPAD. The control system is configured to control a current drawn by the array of photodetectors.
Claims37
A system comprising:
- an array of photodetectors comprising a first photodetector comprising:
- a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and
- a fast-gating circuit configured to arm and disarm the SPAD;
- and
- a control system for controlling a current drawn by the array of photodetectors.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- an array of photodetectors comprising a first photodetector comprising:
- a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD),
- a fast-gating circuit configured to arm and disarm the SPAD;
- and
- a control system comprising a plurality of switches connected in parallel to the SPAD, the control system configured to control an amount of current drawn by the array of photodetectors by controlling the plurality of switches to control a slew rate of the fast-gating circuit.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- an array of photodetectors comprising a first subset of photodetectors and a second subset of photodetectors, the first subset of photodetectors including a first photodetector comprising:
- a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and
- a fast-gating circuit configured to arm and disarm the SPAD;
- a plurality of voltage sources including a first voltage source and a second voltage source;
- and
- a control system configured to control an amount of current drawn by the array of photodetectors, wherein
- the plurality of voltage sources are configured to gate a gating transistor of the fast-gating circuit,
- the first subset of photodetectors is connected to the first voltage source,
- the second subset of photodetectors is connected to the second voltage source, and
- the control system is configured to control an amount of current drawn by selectively arming the first subset and the second subset of photodetectors.
7 more elements
A system comprising:
- an array of photodetectors comprising a first photodetector comprising:
- a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and
- a fast-gating circuit configured to arm and disarm the SPAD;
- and
- a control system configured to control an amount of current drawn by the array of photodetectors by abstaining from disarming the SPAD during one or more measurement time periods.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- an array of photodetectors comprising a first photodetector comprising:
- a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD),
- a fast-gating circuit configured to arm and disarm the SPAD;
- and
- a control system comprising a timer coupled to a gating transistor of the fast-gating circuit, the timer configured to disarm the SPAD subsequent to the SPAD detecting a photon until a particular point in time relative to a light pulse, the control system configured to control an amount of current drawn by the array of photodetectors by controlling the timer.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.