Patent ID: 11871132
Assignee: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 1:
2. The imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein each time-of-flight pixel cell includes:
a photosensor to sense photons reflected from the object; and
pixel support circuitry including:
charging control logic coupled to the photosensor to detect when the photosensor senses the photons reflected from the object, wherein the charging control logic is further coupled to receive timing signals representative of when light pulses are emitted from the light source to the object;
a controllable current source coupled to provide a charge current in response to a time of flight signal coupled to be received from the charging control logic, wherein the time of flight signal is representative of a time of flight of each one of the light pulses emitted from the light source until the photosensor senses a respective one of the photons reflected from the object;
a capacitor coupled to receive the charge current from the controllable current source in response to the time of flight signal, wherein a voltage on the capacitor is representative of a round trip distance to the object; and
a reset circuit coupled to reset the voltage on the capacitor after being charged a plurality number of times by the controllable current source in response to the time of flight signal.