3D time-of-flight camera and method

A 3D time-of-flight method for acquiring information about a scene, in particular for acquiring depth images of a scene, information about phase shifts between a reference signal and incident radiation of a scene or environmental information about the scene, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating and emitting, by an electromagnetic radiation source, electromagnetic radiation for illuminating said scene,
• detecting electromagnetic radiation reflected from said scene by a radiation detector comprising one or more pixels, in particular an array of pixels, wherein said one or more pixels individually detect electromagnetic radiation reflected from said scene, wherein a pixel comprises two or more detection units each detecting samples of a sample set of two or more samples,
• evaluating, by evaluating circuitry, said sample sets of said two or more detection units and generating, by generating circuitry, scene-related information from said sample sets, wherein said step of evaluating comprises the sub-steps of:
• rectifying a subset of samples of said sample sets by use of a predetermined rectification operator defining a correlation between samples detected by two different detection units of a particular pixel, and
• determining an information value of said scene-related information from said subset of rectified samples and the remaining samples of the sample sets.

A processor for use in a 3D time-of-flight camera for acquiring information about a scene, in particular for acquiring depth images of a scene, information about phase shifts between a reference signal and incident radiation of a scene or environmental information about the scene, said 3D time-of-flight camera comprising a radiation source that generates and emits electromagnetic radiation for illuminating said scene, and a radiation detector that detects electromagnetic radiation reflected from said scene, said radiation detector comprising one or more pixels, in particular an array of pixels, wherein said one or more pixels individually detect electromagnetic radiation reflected from said scene, wherein a pixel comprises two or more detection units each detecting samples of a sample set of two or more samples, said processor being operable to evaluate said sample sets of said two or more detection units and generates scene-related information from said sample sets, wherein said processor comprises:

• a rectification circuitry that rectifies a subset of samples of said sample sets by use of a predetermined rectification operator defining a correlation between samples detected by two different detection units of a particular pixel, and
• information value calculator circuitry that determines an information value of said scene-related information from said subset of rectified samples and the remaining samples of the sample sets.

A processing method for use in a 3D time-of-flight method for acquiring information about a scene, in particular for acquiring depth images of a scene, information about phase shifts between a reference signal and incident radiation of a scene or environmental information about the scene, said 3D time-of-flight method comprising the steps of generating and emitting electromagnetic radiation for illuminating said scene, and detecting electromagnetic radiation reflected from said scene by a radiation detector comprising one or more pixels, in particular an array of pixels, wherein said one or more pixels individually detect electromagnetic radiation reflected from said scene, wherein a pixel comprises two or more detection units each detecting samples of a sample set of two or more samples, said processing method being operable for evaluating said sample sets of said two or more detection units and generating scene-related information from said sample sets, wherein said processing method comprises the steps of:

• rectifying, by rectifying circuitry, a subset of samples of said sample sets by use of a predetermined rectification operator defining a correlation between samples detected by two different detection units of a particular pixel, and
• determining, by determining circuitry, an information value of said scene-related information from said subset of rectified samples and the remaining samples of the sample sets.