Control, control method and time-of-flight device

A control method for a time-of-flight device,

• the time-of-flight device including a light source configured to emit a modulated light signal and a time-of-flight sensor including a plurality of time-of-flight circuitries, each time-of-flight circuitry being configured to generate an avalanche signal representing a light detection event and to sample a first and a second demodulation signal applied to a first and a second input node, respectively, based on the avalanche signal to generate a first and a second output voltage representing distance information, the first and the second demodulation signal being phase shifted by 90° with respect to each other,
• wherein the control method comprises:
• controlling a timing of the first and second demodulation signal and a light emission of the light source;
• and
• controlling the time-of-flight sensor to acquire a first and a second frame, each frame including a digital representation of the first and the second output voltage of at least a part of the plurality of time-of-flight circuitries, wherein the first and second demodulation signal or the modulated light signal is phase shifted by 180° between the first and the second frame.

A time-of-flight device, comprising:

• a light source configured to emit a modulated light signal;
• a time-of-flight sensor including a plurality of time-of-flight circuitries, each time-of-flight circuitry being configured to generate an avalanche signal representing a light detection event and to sample a first and a second demodulation signal applied to a first and a second input node, respectively, based on the avalanche signal to generate a first and a second output voltage, respectively, representing distance information, the first and the second demodulation signal being phase shifted by 90° with respect to each other;
• and
• a control including circuitry configured to:
• control a timing of the first and second demodulation signal and a light emission of the light source;
• and
• control the time-of-flight sensor to acquire a first and a second frame, each frame including a digital representation of the first and the second output voltage of at least a part of the plurality of time-of-flight circuitries, wherein the first demodulation signal or the pulse-width modulated light signal is phase shifted by 180° between the first and the second frame.

A time-of-flight device, comprising:

• a light source configured to emit a modulated light signal;
• a time-of-flight sensor including:
• a plurality of time-of-flight circuitries, each time-of-flight circuitry including:
• a SPAD circuit configured to generate an event upon detection of a photon,
• a switch control circuit configured to generate, in response to the generated event, a first signal for sampling a demodulation signal and a second signal for including the sample into an average output,
• a first averaging demodulator, which has a first demodulation voltage applied at its input node, configured to sample the first demodulation signal in response to the first signal and to include the sample in its output voltage in response to the second signal to generate a first output voltage,
• a second averaging demodulator, which has a second demodulation voltage applied at its input node, configured to sample the second demodulation signal in response to the first signal and to include the sample in its output voltage in response to the second signal to generate a second output voltage,
• wherein the first and the second demodulation signal are phase shifted by 90° with respect to each other;
• and
• a control including circuitry configured to:
• control a timing of the first and second demodulation signal and a light emission of the light source,
• control the time-of-flight sensor to acquire a first and a second frame, each frame including a digital representation of the first and the second output voltages of at least a part of the plurality of time-of-flight circuitries, wherein the first and second demodulation signal or the modulated light signal is phase shifted by 180° between the first and the second frame.