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US 11,913,831 B2Granted
Optical sensor and method of operating an optical sensor
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
InventorsNeale Dutton, John Kevin Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical sensor includes at least one photodetector configured to be reverse biased at a voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage by an excess bias voltage. At least one control unit is configured to adjust the reverse bias of the at least one photodetector. A method of operating an optical sensor is also disclosed.
Claims19
An optical sensor, comprising:
- a first photodetector configured to be reverse biased at a first voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage of the first photodetector by a first excess bias voltage;
- a second photodetector configured to be reverse biased at a second voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage of the second photodetector by a second excess bias voltage different from the first excess bias voltage, the second excess bias voltage being varied during a shot cycle of a photoemitter;
- and
- a third photodetector configured to be reverse biased at a third voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage of the third photodetector by a third excess bias voltage, the third excess bias voltage being different from the first excess bias voltage and the second excess bias voltage, the third excess bias voltage being varied during the shot cycle of the photoemitter, wherein the second excess bias voltage is varied from a first value to a second value during a first portion of the shot cycle of the photoemitter, and the third excess bias voltage is varied from a third value to a fourth value during a second portion of the shot cycle of the photoemitter.
1 more element
An optical sensor comprising:
- a first photodetector, wherein a first terminal of the first photodetector is coupled to a first voltage supply node;
- a first control circuit comprising a first pull down circuit and a first pull up circuit, wherein the first pull down circuit is coupled between a second terminal of the first photodetector and a first reference voltage node, wherein the first reference voltage node is configured to be coupled to a first reference voltage that varies during a shot cycle of a photoemitter, wherein the first pull up circuit is coupled between the second terminal of the first photodetector and a second voltage supply node;
- a second photodetector, wherein a first terminal of the second photodetector is coupled to the first voltage supply node;
- and
- a second control circuit comprising a second pull down circuit and a second pull up circuit, wherein the second pull down circuit is coupled between a second terminal of the second photodetector and a second reference voltage node, wherein the second reference voltage node is configured to be coupled to a second reference voltage that varies during the shot cycle of the photoemitter, wherein the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage are configured to vary differently during the shot cycle of the photoemitter, wherein the second pull up circuit is coupled between the second terminal of the second photodetector and the second voltage supply node.
2 more elements
A method of operating an optical sensor, the method comprising:
- reverse biasing a first photodetector of the optical sensor above a first breakdown voltage of the first photodetector by a first excess bias voltage;
- reverse biasing a second photodetector of the optical sensor above a second breakdown voltage of the second photodetector by a second excess bias voltage, wherein reverse biasing the second photodetector comprises varying the second excess bias voltage from a first value to a second value during a first portion of a shot cycle of a photoemitter of the optical sensor;
- and
- reverse biasing a third photodetector of the optical sensor above a third breakdown voltage of the third photodetector by a third excess bias voltage, the third excess bias voltage being different from the first excess bias voltage and the second excess bias voltage, wherein reverse biasing the third photodetector comprises varying the third excess bias voltage from a third value to a fourth value during a second portion of the shot cycle of the photoemitter.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.