Circuit and method for combining spad outputs
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
InventorsSarrah Moiz PATANWALA, Bruce RAE, Neale DUTTON
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Abstract
A combining network for an array of SPAD devices includes: synchronous sampling circuits, wherein each synchronous sampling circuit is coupled to an output of a corresponding SPAD device and is configured to generate a pulse or an edge each time an event is detected; and a summation circuit coupled to an output of each of the synchronous sampling circuits and configured to count a number of pulses or edges to generate a binary output value.
Claims15
A combining network for an array of single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) devices, comprising:
- a plurality of synchronous sampling circuits, each synchronous sampling circuit being coupled to an output of a corresponding SPAD device and being configured to generate an edge each time a detection event is detected;
- and
- a summation circuit coupled to an output of each of the synchronous sampling circuits and configured to count a number of edges to generate a binary output value.
A ranging device, comprising:
- an array of SPAD devices;
- a combining network comprising:
- a plurality of synchronous sampling circuits, each synchronous sampling circuit being coupled to an output of a corresponding SPAD device from the array of SPAD devices and being configured to generate an edge each time a detection event is detected;
- and
- a summation circuit coupled to an output of each of the synchronous sampling circuits and configured to count a number of edges to generate a binary output value;
- and
- a histogram generation circuit configured to accumulate count values generated by the summation circuits in a plurality of time bins.
A method of detecting events in a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array, the method comprising:
- generating, by a plurality of synchronous sampling circuits, an edge each time an event is detected at an output of a corresponding SPAD device of the SPAD array;
- and
- counting, by a summation circuit coupled to an output of each of the synchronous sampling circuits, a number of edges to generate a binary output value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.