Time-to-digital converter and method therefor
AssigneeFastree 3D BV
InventorsPriyanka Kumar, Robert Staszewski, Edoardo Charbon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Time-to-digital converter system including: an event detector configured for detecting an event and generating an event detection signal upon detection of the event; and a time-to-digital converter coupled or connectable to the event detector and including a fine resolution part configured for counting fine time intervals, organized such that the fine resolution part is activated in response to the event detection signal and deactivated in response to a reference clock. 3D imager including an array of pixels, with in each pixel such a time-to-digital converter system, and further including a reference clock generator.
Claims33
1-32. (canceled)
A time-to-digital converter system comprising:
- an event detector configured for detecting an event and generating an event detection signal upon detection of the event;
- a time-to-digital converter coupled to the event detector and comprising a fine resolution part configured for counting fine time intervals, organized such that the fine resolution part is activated in response to the event detection signal and deactivated in response to a reference clock.
A method for time-to-digital conversion comprising the steps of:
- a) detecting an event by means of an event detector and thereby generating an event detection signal;
- b) providing the event detection signal to a time-to-digital converter which comprises a fine resolution part;
- c) using the event detection signal to activate the fine resolution part and subsequently counting fine time intervals by means of the fine resolution part;
- d) deactivating the fine resolution part by means of a reference clock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.