LiDAR Receiver Column Circuits for High-Resolution FPS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LiDAR devices face inefficiencies due to wasted pixels in the receiver caused by the limited number of readout integrated circuits, leading to reduced performance as the resolution increases.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a receiver with multiple column circuits connected through independent channels for each column of the pixel array, allowing for alternate operation of sensors and utilization of time-to-digital converters to generate time-of-flight and intensity data, thereby optimizing pixel usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the resolution (number of pixels) of the receiver is increased, then the measurement precision is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to wasted pixels from limited ROIC channels
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver is divided into multiple column circuits, each handling a subset of columns through independent channels. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple pixel columns simultaneously, enabling high-resolution detection while maintaining high frame rates by dividing the processing load across multiple independent processing paths
Solution Approach 2:
Each column circuit is designed to be multi-functional, capable of processing signals from multiple different pixel columns through channel switching. The column circuits can alternatively operate different columns of the pixel array, making the processing resources universal and adaptable to various resolution requirements without wasting pixels
2Measurement precision
If the number of pixels in the receiver is increased, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases due to more ROIC channels required
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pixel columns are merged into a single column circuit processing path through channel switching. Instead of requiring one dedicated ROIC channel per pixel column, multiple columns share common processing resources via time-multiplexed channel switching, significantly reducing the total number of ROIC channels needed while maintaining full resolution capability
Solution Approach 2:
The column circuits dynamically switch between processing different columns of the pixel array based on control signals. This dynamic channel switching allows the system to adaptively allocate processing resources, enabling high-resolution operation with fewer physical channels by temporally multiplexing the processing paths across different column groups
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
This approach enhances the frames per second (FPS) performance by up to two times without compromising the device's overall performance.
Implementation Method 1
a histogram method which accumulates multiple measurement values (interframes) to obtain single time-of-flight (ToF) result (one frame)
Implementation Method 2
a receiver configured to receive a reflected laser light signal that is returned from being reflected by the target
Data Source
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AI summary
A light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) device according to the present disclosure includes a transmitter configured to transmit a laser light signal towards a target and a receiver configured to receive a reflected laser light signal that is returned from being reflected by the target. The receiver includes a plurality of column circuits connected to sensors in the receiver through N (where N is a natural number equal to or greater than two) independent channels for each column of a pixel array corresponding to the sensors in the receiver.