Single chip red, green, blue, distance (RGB-Z) sensor

A CMOS-implementable sensor useable with a time-of-flight (TOF) system that includes an emitter that emits optical energy in an emitter optical path toward a target object, emitted said optical energy including a second spectral band comprising non-visible wavelengths, a fraction of which emitted said optical energy is reflected from said target object a distance Z away from said TOF system, said sensor detecting target object reflected optical energy components, including optical energy in a first spectral band comprising visible wavelengths an optical splitter disposed with respect to said emitter optical path to receive, incoming to said TOF system, reflected optical energy components in said first spectral band including, red, green, and blue components, to image said target object, and target object reflected optical energy components emitted by said emitter in said second spectral band to determine at least magnitude of said Z, said TOF system acquiring magnitude of said distance Z without a shutter, the sensor comprising:

• an optical splitter disposed with respect to said emitter optical path to receive, incoming to said TOF system, reflected optical energy components in said first spectral band and target object reflected optical energy components in said second spectral band, and to substantially pass optical energy components from one said spectral band and to substantially reflect optical energy components from the other said spectral band, said optical splitter thus receiving incoming optical energy reflected from external to said TOF system without receiving optical energy emitted by said emitter that has not been so reflected;
• an image sensor comprising image pixel detector diodes disposed on an integrated circuit (IC) substrate to detect components in said first spectral band that are output from said optical splitter, optical energy components in said first spectral band being detected by sensors disposed in a single plane relative to one another, and to output display data useable to display at least a portion of said target object;
• and
• a Z sensor comprising Z pixel detector diodes disposed on said IC substrate to detect components in said second spectral band that are output from said optical splitter and to output Z data useable to determine at least magnitude of said Z, said Z pixel detector diodes are interspersed among said image pixel detector diodes;
• wherein a plane of said IC substrate is parallel to an optic axis defined by components of said first spectral band and said second spectral band.

A CMOS-implementable sensor useable with a-time-of-flight (TOF) system that includes an emitter that emits optical energy in an emitter optical path toward a target object, emitted said optical energy including a second spectral band comprising non-visible wavelengths, a fraction of which emitted said optical energy is reflected from said target object a distance Z away from said TOF system, said sensor detecting target object reflected optical energy components, including optical energy in a first spectral band comprising visible wavelengths including red, green, and blue components, to image said target object, and target object reflected optical energy components emitted by said emitter in said second spectral band to determine at least magnitude of said Z, said TOF system acquiring magnitude of said distance Z without a shutter, the sensor comprising:

• an integrated circuit substrate having formed thereon image pixel detector diodes disposed with respect to said emitter optical path to receive and to detect, incoming to said TOF system, reflected optical energy components in said first spectral band including red, green, and blue components, and having formed thereon Z pixel detector diodes, interspersed among said image pixel detector diodes to detect target object reflected optical energy components in said second spectral band, said integrated circuit substrate so disposed thus receiving incoming optical energy reflected from external to said TOF system without receiving optical energy emitted by said emitter that has not been so reflected, a plane of said IC substrate being parallel to an optic axis defined by components of said first spectral band and said second spectral band;
• means for outputting image data from outputs of said image pixel detector diodes including red, green, and blue optical energy components, said image data useable to display at least a portion of said target object;
• means for outputting Z data from outputs of said Z pixel detector diodes, said Z data useable to determine at least magnitude of said Z.

A CMOS-implementable sensor useable to identify a target object with a time-of-flight (TOF) system that is carried by a motor vehicle and includes an emitter that emits optical energy in an emitter optical path toward said target object, emitted said optical energy including a second spectral band comprising non-visible wavelengths, a fraction of which emitted said optical energy is reflected from said target object a distance Z away from said TOF system, the CMOS-implementable sensor detecting target object reflected optical energy components including optical energy in a first spectral band comprising red, green, blue (RGB) visible wavelengths to image said target objects, and target object reflected optical energy components in said second spectral band to determine at least magnitude of said Z, said TOF system acquiring magnitude of said distance Z without a shutter, the CMOS implementable sensor comprising:

• means, disposed with respect to said emitter optical path to receive, incoming to said TOF system, reflected optical energy components in said first spectral band including red, green, and blue components, and target object reflected optical energy components in said second spectral band, for substantially passing optical energy components in one said spectral band and for substantially reflecting optical energy components in the other said spectral band, said means for substantially passing and for substantially reflecting so disposed thus receiving incoming optical energy reflected from external to said TOF system without receiving optical energy emitted by said emitter that has not been so reflected;
• an image sensor disposed on an integrated circuit (IC) substrate to detect first spectral band components including red, green, and blue components, output from said means for substantially passing and for substantially reflecting and to output image data useable to display at least a portion of said target object;
• a Z sensor disposed on said IC substrate to detect second spectral band components output by said means for substantially passing and for substantially reflecting and to output Z data useable to determine at least magnitude of said Z, a plane of said IC substrate being parallel to an optic axis defined by components of said first spectral band and said second spectral band;
• means for displaying an image from an output of said image sensor;
• means for determining, from an output of said Z sensor, at least one of (a) magnitude of said distance Z, (b) magnitude of ΔZ/Δt of said target object, and (c) approximate shape of at least a portion of said target object, and (d) approximate size of at least a portion of said target object;
• and
• means, coupled to an output of said means for determining, for augmenting information displayed on said image by carrying out at least one of (a) visually highlighting a portion of said image, (b) displaying a warning on said image, (c) sounding an acoustic alarm, (d) outputting a signal useable to sound a horn in said motor vehicle, and outputting a signal to activate brakes in said motor vehicle.