Patent ID: 11962900
Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 8:
9. A mobile device comprising:
a first camera having a first field of view (FoV);
a second camera having a second FoV;
a first light source configured to project light towards a scene;
a second light source configured to project light towards the scene;
a first transmitter (TX) lens, wherein the first light source is configured to project light through the first TX lens;
a second transmitter TX lens, wherein the second light source is configured to project light through the second TX lens;
a time of flight (ToF) imaging array configured to measure distances to objects in the scene, the ToF imaging array comprising:
a plurality of photodetectors, and
a plurality of ToF channels coupled to the plurality of photodetectors, wherein:
in a first mode, the ToF imaging array is configured to select a first group of photodetectors from the plurality of photodetectors, the first group of photodetectors corresponding to the first FoV, and measure distances to objects in the scene corresponding to the first FoV, wherein the plurality of ToF channels are configured to transmit ToF data corresponding to the first FoV, and
in a second mode, the ToF imaging array is configured to select a second group of photodetectors from the plurality of photodetectors, the second group of photodetectors being different than the first group of photodetectors and corresponding to the second FoV having a different size than the first FoV, and measure distances to objects in the scene corresponding to the second FoV, wherein the ToF imaging array is configured to turn off a third group of unselected photodetectors of the plurality of photodetectors before the ToF imaging array measures distances to objects in the scene corresponding to the second FoV, and wherein the plurality of ToF channels are configured to transmit ToF data corresponding to the second FoV; and

a receiver (RX) lens, wherein the ToF imaging array is configured to receive photons through the RX lens.