Increase depth resolution and depth accuracy in tof sensors by avoiding histogrammization

A method to determine a traveling time for a plurality of light pulses, the method comprising:

• transmitting a predetermined number N of light pulses and receiving returned light pulses Pi, each returned light pulse Pi being associated with a timestamp ti indicating a time between a transmission time of a corresponding light pulse and a time of arrival of the returned light pulse in which i=1, . . . , N and N>1;
• arranging the timestamps ti in a received chronological order;
• determining for each timestamp ti a number Ci of time stamps subsequent to the timestamp ti and within a predetermined time window TW after the timestamp ti;
• determining an index i for a maximum number Ci;
• and
• determining a traveling time for the plurality of light pulses as a timestamp ti having a same index as the maximum number Ci.

A method to determine a traveling time for a plurality of light pulses, the method comprising:

• transmitting a predetermined number N of light pulses and receiving returned light pulses Pi, each returned light pulse Pi being associated with a timestamp ti indicating a time between a transmission time of a corresponding light pulse and a time of arrival of the returned light pulse in which i=1, . . . , N and N>1;
• determining for each timestamp ti a number Ci of timestamps subsequent to the timestamp ti and within a predetermined time window TW after the timestamp ti;
• determining an index i for a maximum number Ci;
• and
• determining a traveling time for the plurality of light pulses as a timestamp ti having a same index as the maximum number Ci.