Patent ID: 11971505
Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A device to detect a peak time interval, the device comprising:
a first counter configured to increment a first count each time a first-counter increment command is received, the first counter being configured to decrement the first count each time a first-counter decrement command is received;
a gate circuit configured to receive a photon-detection alert from a radiation-sensitive pixel each time a photon is detected by the radiation-sensitive pixel, the gate circuit comprising a first state wherein the gate circuit transmits the first-counter increment command to the first counter each time the photon-detection alert is received and the gate circuit comprising a second state wherein the gate circuit transmits the first-counter decrement command to the first counter each time the photon-detection alert is received; and
a decoder circuit configured to receive the first count from the first counter and configured to receive a timing signal that communicates an optical-emission time by an optical emitter wherein the decoder circuit is configured to deliver a control signal to the gate circuit that:
sets the gate circuit to the first state after passage of a first-state delay that is determined based on the first count and measured from the optical-emission time; and
sets the gate circuit to the second state after passage of a second-state delay that is determined based on the first count and measured from the optical-emission time.