Patent ID: 11876346
Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 16:
17. A method of operating a time of flight sensor, the method comprising:
activating a laser emitting diode of a laser emitting circuit of the time of flight sensor using duty cycling of a switch circuit to turn the laser emitting diode on and off;
detecting reflected laser energy emitted by the laser emitting diode using a photodiode of the time of flight sensor;
storing activation energy from an on-period of the duty cycling in an inductive circuit element of the laser emitting circuit;
charging a first capacitive circuit element of the laser emitting circuit during an off-period energy transfer phase;
storing energy from an off-period ringing phase of the duty cycling in the inductive circuit element, the first capacitive circuit element, and a second capacitive circuit element of the laser emitting circuit; and
recycling the stored activation energy to activate the laser diode in a subsequent on-period, wherein the subsequent on-period begins when energy is still oscillating in the inductive circuit element and first and second capacitive circuit elements and a voltage across the switch circuit is minimized.