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US 12,474,451 B2Granted
Light reception device and distance measurement device
AssigneeSony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
InventorsOsamu Ozawa, Hayato Kamizuru
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Abstract
A light reception device comprises a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a photosensitive element configured to generate a signal in response to detection of a photon by the photosensitive element, wherein the plurality of pixels include a first pixel having a first sensitivity to detect a first photon incident on the first pixel and a second pixel having a second sensitivity to detect a second photon incident on the second pixel, wherein the second sensitivity is lower than the first sensitivity.
Claims19
A light reception device, comprising:
- a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a photosensitive element configured to generate a signal in response to detection of a photon,
- wherein the plurality of pixels include:
- a first pixel having a first photosensitive element including a first single photon avalanche diode (SPAD),
- a second pixel having a second photosensitive element including a second SPAD,
- a third pixel having a third photosensitive element including a third SPAD,
- wherein a light reception area of the first pixel is larger than a light reception area of the second pixel and a light reception area of the third pixel, and
- a fourth pixel having a fourth photosensitive element including a fourth SPAD,
- wherein a light reception area of the fourth pixel is larger than the light reception area of the second pixel and the light reception area of the third pixel,
- wherein the second pixel is disposed between the first pixel and the third pixel,
- wherein the third pixel is disposed between the second pixel and the fourth pixel and the first pixel, the second pixel, the third, pixel, and the fourth pixel are disposed along a first line.
7 more elements
A light reception system comprising:
- a light source configured to irradiate a measurement object with light;
- and
- a light reception device configured to receive light reflected by the measurement object, wherein the light reception device includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, the pixel array including:
- a first pixel having a first photosensitive element including a first single photon avalanche diode (SPAD),
- a second pixel having a second photosensitive element including a second SPAD,
- a third pixel having a third photosensitive element including a third SPAD, wherein a light reception area of the first pixel is larger than a light reception area of the second pixel and a light reception area of the third pixel, and
- a fourth pixel having a fourth photosensitive element including a fourth SPAD, wherein a light reception area of the fourth pixel is larger than the light reception area of the second pixel and the light reception area of the third pixel,
- wherein the second pixel and the third pixel are each disposed between the first pixel and the fourth pixel, and
- and the first pixel, the second pixel, the third, pixel, and the fourth pixel are disposed along a first line.
6 more elements
A method of operating a light reception system, the light reception system comprising a light source and a light reception device, the method comprising:
- using the light source to irradiate a measurement object with light;
- and
- detecting, using the light reception device, light reflected by the measurement object, wherein the light reception device includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, the pixel array including:
- a first pixel having a first photosensitive element including a first single photon avalanche diode (SPAD),
- a second pixel having a second photosensitive element including a second SPAD,
- a third pixel having a third photosensitive element including a third SPAD, wherein a light reception area of the first pixel is larger than a light reception area of the second pixel and a light reception area of the third pixel, and
- a fourth pixel having a fourth photosensitive element including a fourth SPAD, wherein a light reception area of the fourth pixel is larger than the light reception area of the second pixel and the light reception area of the third pixel,
- wherein the second pixel and the third pixel are each disposed between the first pixel and the fourth pixel, and
- the first pixel, the second pixel, the third, pixel, and the fourth pixel are disposed along a first line,
- wherein detecting the light reflected by the measurement object comprises detecting the reflected light using at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels.
7 more elements
A light reception device, comprising:
- a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a photosensitive element configured to generate a signal in response to detection of a photon, wherein the plurality of pixels include:
- a first pixel having a first photosensitive element including a first single photon avalanche diode (SPAD),
- a second pixel having a second photosensitive element including a second SPAD,
- a third pixel having a third photosensitive element including a third SPAD,
- a fourth pixel having a fourth photosensitive element including a fourth SPAD,
- wherein the first pixel is adjacent to the second pixel, the second pixel is adjacent to the third pixel, and the third pixel is adjacent to the fourth pixel,
- wherein the first pixel, the second pixel, the third, pixel, and the fourth pixel are disposed along a first line,
- wherein a light reception area of the third pixel is larger than the light reception area of the first, second and fourth pixel,
- wherein the second pixel is disposed between the first pixel and the third pixel, and
- wherein the third pixel is disposed between the second pixel and the fourth pixel, and
- wherein a dynamic range is increased by changing the thickness of a semiconductor layer of at least the light reception area of the first pixel, the light reception area of the second pixel, the light reception area of the third pixel, or the light reception area of the fourth pixel.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.