Distance Measurement Device Using Hardware Segmentation for Low Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices such as smartphones face challenges with high power consumption and processing speed limitations when performing distance measurement using indirect Time of Flight (ToF) methods, leading to increased heat generation and reduced usability.
Innovation Solution
A distance measurement device comprising multiple semiconductor elements, including a light-reception section, a distance calculation section, and a signal processing section, where the signal processing is performed using a bypass circuit and digital circuits to calculate distance information from phase signals, allowing for high-speed and low-power processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If distance measurement is performed using indirect ToF method with DSP software processing, then distance measurement functionality is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the software-based DSP processing approach with a dedicated hardware circuit system. The circuit includes a light-reception section that performs photoelectric conversion, a distance calculation section that computes distance information from phase signals, and a signal processing section that handles further processing. This hardware substitution eliminates the need for intensive software processing on power-consuming DSPs, thereby significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining distance measurement functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the signal processing function into separate dedicated sections: a light-reception section for photoelectric conversion, a distance calculation section for computing distance from phase signals, and a signal processing section for additional processing. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized independently and operates in parallel, improving processing efficiency and reducing overall power consumption compared to monolithic software processing.
2Measurement precision
If distance measurement is performed using indirect ToF method with DSP software processing, then distance measurement functionality is achieved, but processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software processing with dedicated hardware circuits that perform photoelectric conversion and distance calculation operations simultaneously and in parallel. The hardware circuit processes signals at the physical level rather than through software instructions, achieving significantly higher processing speeds suitable for real-time distance measurement applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous photoelectric conversion and distance calculation operations through dedicated hardware circuits that process signals without interruption. The light-reception section continuously converts optical signals to electrical signals, and the distance calculation section continuously computes distance information from phase signals, eliminating the batch processing nature of software DSP operations and enabling real-time continuous measurement.
3Measurement precision
If DSP performs high-load signal processing, then distance measurement is completed, but heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the high-power DSP processor with a dedicated hardware circuit system that performs signal processing at the circuit level. This substitution dramatically reduces the computational load and power consumption, thereby minimizing heat generation. The circuit-based approach processes signals directly without requiring the high-power processing capabilities that cause excessive heat output in DSP-based systems.
4Temperature
If frame rate is decreased to reduce processing load, then heat generation is reduced, but measurement time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based frame rate control with hardware-level parallel processing capabilities. The dedicated circuit processes multiple distance measurement operations simultaneously and continuously, achieving high processing throughput without requiring high frame rates. This hardware acceleration enables fast measurement completion while maintaining low power consumption, eliminating the trade-off between frame rate and processing load that plagues software-based systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and fast distance measurement with reduced power consumption, improving the performance and usability of mobile devices by offloading processing from DSPs to more capable semiconductor elements.
Implementation Method 1
a first light-reception section that receives light and performs photoelectric conversion to generate an electric signal
Implementation Method 2
the distance calculation section may calculate the distance information from a time difference between a timing at which a light-emitting section emits light and a timing at which the first light-reception section receives light
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a distance measurement device capable of performing signal processing such as distance measurement with high speed and low power consumption.A distance measurement device includes: a first semiconductor element including a first light-reception section that receives light and performs photoelectric conversion to generate an electric signal; a second semiconductor element including a distance calculation section that performs calculation of distance information regarding a distance to an object on the basis of the electric signal; and a third semiconductor element including a signal processing section that performs predetermined information processing on the basis of an output signal of the distance calculation section.