Light receiving device, method of evaluating the same, and method of driving the same
AssigneeSony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
InventorSHUNSUKE SAKAZUME
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light receiving device includes: a pixel array unit that includes pixels that receive light; a first frequency generation unit; a time measurement unit that operates on the basis of a signal from the first frequency generation unit and outputs a digital code in accordance with a time difference between a timing of light emission from a light source and a timing of light reception by the pixels; a second frequency generation unit; and a selection unit that selectively supplies the time measurement unit with one of a signal from the pixels or a signal from the second frequency generation unit.
Claims10
A light receiving device comprising:
- a pixel array unit that includes pixels that receive light;
- a first frequency generation unit;
- a time measurement unit that operates on a basis of a signal from the first frequency generation unit and outputs a digital code in accordance with a time difference between a timing of light emission from a light source and a timing of light reception by the pixels;
- a second frequency generation unit;
- and
- a selection unit that selectively supplies the time measurement unit with one of a signal from the pixels or a signal from the second frequency generation unit.
A method of evaluating a light receiving device, the method using
- the light receiving device including:
- a pixel array unit that includes pixels that receive light;
- a first frequency generation unit;
- a time measurement unit that operates on a basis of a signal from the first frequency generation unit and outputs a digital code in accordance with a time difference between a timing of light emission from a light source and a timing of light reception by the pixels;
- a second frequency generation unit;
- and
- a selection unit that selectively supplies the time measurement unit with one of a signal from the pixels or a signal from the second frequency generation unit,
- and the method comprising:
- performing, in a state where the signal from the second frequency generation unit has been supplied to the time measurement unit in accordance with selection by the selection unit, an operation of outputting the digital code from the time measurement unit in accordance with the signal from the second frequency generation unit for a predetermined number of times;
- and
- evaluating a characteristic of the time measurement unit on a basis of a histogram created from the digital code output for a predetermined number of times.
A method of driving a light receiving device, the method using
- the light receiving device including:
- a pixel array unit that includes pixels that receive light;
- a first frequency generation unit;
- a time measurement unit that operates on a basis of a signal from the first frequency generation unit and outputs a digital code in accordance with a time difference between a timing of light emission from a light source and a timing of light reception by the pixels;
- a second frequency generation unit;
- and
- a selection unit that selectively supplies the time measurement unit with one of a signal from the pixels or a signal from the second frequency generation unit,
- and the method comprising:
- performing, in a state where the signal from the second frequency generation unit has been supplied to the time measurement unit in accordance with selection by the selection unit, an operation of outputting the digital code from the time measurement unit in accordance with the signal from the second frequency generation unit for a predetermined number of times;
- calculating a correction value on a basis of a histogram created from the digital code output for a predetermined number of times;
- and
- correcting, on a basis of the calculated correction value, a histogram created from a digital code output from the time measurement unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.