# US 11,443,447 B2 · Three-dimensional camera system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,447 B2 - Document ID: US11443447B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/894,705 - Filed: 2020-06-05 - Published: 2021-10-21 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-17 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yibing Michelle Wang; Kwang Oh Kim; Lilong Shi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443447B2 ## CPC - G06T 7/521: from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light - H04N 13/271: wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps - G01S 7/4816: {of receivers alone} - G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning} - G01S 7/4863: Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates - G01S 7/4865: Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak (peak detection in noise, signal conditioning G01S7/487) - G01S 17/48: Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves - G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders - G01S 17/894: Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar - H04N 13/254: in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects - G06T 2207/10028: Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds - G06T 2207/10152: Varying illumination - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A camera system, comprising: a first laser; a camera; and a processing circuit connected to the first laser and to the camera, the first laser being steerable, the camera comprising a pixel connected to a readout line, the pixel comprising a photodetector and a pixel circuit, the pixel circuit comprising a sensing circuit connected between the photodetector and the readout line to output a signal corresponding to light detected by the photodetector to a node between the sensing circuit and the readout line, and a first time-measuring circuit comprising a digital converter circuit connected to the node to output a time of flight measurement according to a pulse of light detected by the photodetector, wherein a readout circuit is connected to the readout line to receive the signal from the pixel circuit via the readout line, and wherein the first time-measuring circuit is connected between the node and the readout circuit via a separate line different from the readout line to provide the output of the digital converter circuit to the readout circuit via the separate line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, wherein the first time-measuring circuit has a precision of 10 ns. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, wherein: the digital converter circuit comprises a time to digital converter circuit, and the pixel circuit further comprises a register for storing a count generated by the time to digital converter circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The camera system of claim 3, wherein the time to digital converter circuit comprises a counter, the counter being configured to start counting upon receipt of start trigger, and, upon receipt of a detection pulse from the photodetector, to store a count value in the register. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, wherein the digital converter circuit comprises a time to charge converter circuit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit is connected between the photodetector and the first time-measuring circuit, the sensing circuit comprising an amplifier and a comparator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, wherein the first laser is steerable in one dimension and configured to produce line illumination. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, wherein the first laser is steerable in two dimensions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, wherein the first time-measuring circuit has a precision of 1 ns. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured: in a first mode, to cause the first laser to scan; and in a second mode, to cause the first laser to produce a flash having a rising edge with a duration of at most 100 ns. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The camera system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is configured: to measure a distance to a first object using triangulation; to determine that the first object is more distant than a threshold distance; to cause the first laser to illuminate the first object with the flash; and to measure a distance to the first object using a direct time of flight measurement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, further comprising a second laser, wherein the processing circuit is configured: to scan the first laser and to measure a distance to a first object using triangulation; to determine that the first object is more distant than a threshold distance; to cause the second laser to illuminate the first object with the flash; and to measure the distance to the first object using a direct time of flight measurement. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The camera system of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is configured to configure the photodetector and the first time-measuring circuit to be gated with a time gate, the time gate enabling detection within a range of times including a time corresponding to the distance measured using triangulation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, comprising an array of pixels including the pixel, the array of pixels comprising a plurality of columns. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The camera system of claim 14, further comprising a second time-measuring circuit connected to a column of the plurality of columns, wherein: the column comprises the pixel, and the second time-measuring circuit has a precision of 100 ns. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The camera system of claim 15, further comprising a pulse-lengthening circuit connected between the photodetector and the second time-measuring circuit. ### Claim 17 A method for measuring positions with a camera system, the camera system comprising: a first laser; and a camera, the camera comprising a pixel connected to a readout line, the pixel comprising a photodetector and a pixel circuit, the pixel circuit comprising a sensing circuit connected between the photodetector and the readout line to output a signal corresponding to light detected by the photodetector to a node between the sensing circuit and the readout line, and a first time-measuring circuit comprising a digital converter circuit connected to the node to output a time of flight measurement according to a pulse of light detected by the photodetector, the first time-measuring circuit having a precision of 10 ns, the method comprising: illuminating a first object with the first laser; measuring a distance to the first object using triangulation according to the signal; determining that the first object is more distant than a threshold distance; illuminating the first object with a flash; and measuring the distance to the first object using a direct time of flight measurement according to the output of the digital converter circuit, wherein a readout circuit is connected to the readout line to receive the signal from the pixel circuit via the readout line, and wherein the first time-measuring circuit is connected between the node and the readout circuit via a separate line different from the readout line to provide the output of the digital converter circuit to the readout circuit via the separate line. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the camera system further comprises a second laser, and the illuminating of the first object with a flash comprises illuminating the first object with a flash from the second laser. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein: the first laser is steerable, and the illuminating of the first object with the first laser comprises illuminating the first object with the first laser while performing a scan with the first laser. ### Claim 20 A camera system, comprising: a first laser; a camera; and means for processing connected to the first laser and to the camera, the first laser being steerable, the camera comprising a pixel connected to a readout line, the pixel comprising a photodetector and a pixel circuit, the pixel circuit comprising a sensing circuit connected between the photodetector and the readout line to output a signal corresponding to light detected by the photodetector to a node between the sensing circuit and the readout line, and a first time-measuring circuit comprising a digital converter circuit connected to the node to output a time of flight measurement according to a pulse of light detected by the photodetector, the first time-measuring circuit having a precision of 10 ns, wherein a readout circuit is connected to the readout line to receive the signal from the pixel circuit via the readout line, and wherein the first time-measuring circuit is connected between the node and the readout circuit via a separate line different from the readout line to provide the output of the digital converter circuit to the readout circuit via the separate line. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The camera system of claim 1, further comprising a second time-measuring circuit connected to the readout line, and configured to receive the signal from the sensing circuit, wherein the first time-measuring circuit has a first precision, and the second time-measuring circuit has a second precision different from the first precision.