Patent ID: 11950010
Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A light detecting device comprising:
an avalanche photodiode having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the avalanche photodiode being coupled to a first potential;
a current source configured to supply a current from a second potential to the avalanche photodiode and to perform passive quenching;
an output circuit coupled to the second terminal of the avalanche photodiode and configured to output a light reception signal;
a pulse generation circuit configured to output a pulse signal based on the light reception signal;
a transistor disposed between the second terminal and a third potential; and
a switch configured to selectively limit the current based on the pulse signal,
wherein an output of the pulse generation circuit is coupled to both a gate of the transistor and the switch, wherein the avalanche photodiode, the switch, and the current source are directly connected in series between the first potential and the second potential, and wherein the switch is interposed between the second terminal of the avalanche photodiode and the current source.