Circuit and method for controlling a spad array
AssigneesSTMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
InventorsPascal Mellot, Stuart McLeod, Bruce Rae, Marc Drader
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit may include an array of single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) cells, each SPAD cell configured to be selectively enabled by an activation signal. The circuit may include a control circuit configured to selectively enable a subset of the array of SPAD cells based on a measured count rate of the array of SPAD cells.
Claims21
A circuit comprising:
- a plurality of photodiode cells, each photodiode cell having an enable input and an output;
- a first circuit having a plurality of inputs, each input of the first circuit coupled to the respective output of each photodiode cell of the plurality of photodiode cells;
- and
- a controller having an input coupled to the output of the first circuit and a plurality of outputs, each output of the controller coupled to the respective enable input of each photodiode cell of the plurality of photodiode cells, the controller configured to selectively enable a subset of the plurality of photodiode cells based on the output of the first circuit.
A method comprising:
- receiving outputs of each single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) cell of a plurality of SPAD cells;
- generating an output signal based on the received outputs of each SPAD cell;
- and
- selectively enabling a subset of the plurality of SPAD cells based on the generated output signal, wherein a first SPAD cell of the plurality of SPAD has lower sensitivity than a second SPAD cell of the plurality of SPAD cells.
A single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) device comprising:
- a light source;
- a target array of target SPAD cells, each target SPAD cell having an enable input and an output;
- and
- a first circuit comprising
- a second circuit having a plurality of inputs, each input of the first circuit coupled to the respective output of each target SPAD cell, and
- a first control circuit having an input coupled to the output of the second circuit and a plurality of outputs, each output of the first control circuit coupled to the respective enable input of each target SPAD cell, the first control circuit configured to selectively enable a subset of the target SPAD cells of the target array of target SPAD cells based on the output of the second circuit.
A circuit comprising an array of single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) cells, each SPAD cell of the array of SPAD cells having an enable input and an output, the array of SPAD cells having a first subset of SPAD cells and a second subset of SPAD cells, the second subset of SPAD cells being non-overlapping with the first subset of SPAD cells, wherein each SPAD cell of the first subset of SPAD cells comprises a shield and a photosensitive zone at least partially covered by the shield, the SPAD cells of the first subset of SPAD cells having a lower sensitivity to light than SPAD cells of the second subset of SPAD cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.