Vehicle Lidar Sensor with Dual APD SPAD Phase Detection

The patent divides the sensor into multiple pixel groups, where each group shares common control circuits and processing resources. This segmentation allows parallel processing of distance measurements across different spatial regions while reducing the memory burden on each individual processing unit, as each unit only needs to handle a subset of the total pixel data.

The patent combines direct TOF measurement capability with indirect phase difference measurement in a single integrated sensor system. The direct measurement pixels provide accurate distance data for specific regions, while indirect measurement pixels provide additional spatial information. By merging these two measurement approaches, the system achieves high measurement precision without requiring every pixel to have full direct TOF processing capability, thus reducing overall device complexity.

Instead of improving spatial resolution through mechanical rotation in the temporal dimension, the patent uses multiple fixed sensor units arranged in a specific geometric configuration. This spatial arrangement allows the system to achieve wide viewing angle coverage and high spatial resolution simultaneously by capturing data from multiple fixed perspectives, eliminating the need for rotation mechanisms and their associated vibration problems.

The patent replaces the mechanical rotation system with an electronic multi-pixel approach. Rather than physically rotating a single sensor to change viewing angles, the system uses multiple fixed pixels or pixel groups that simultaneously capture data from different directions. This substitution of mechanical movement with a static multi-element array eliminates vibration-induced reliability issues while maintaining or improving spatial resolution.

The patent employs periodic modulation of the transmitted light signal and corresponds this with periodic sampling at the receiver. By using modulated light waves and synchronized periodic detection, the system can extract distance information through phase difference measurement over short time intervals. This periodic approach allows multiple measurements to be performed rapidly in sequence, improving productivity while maintaining precision through the cumulative statistical analysis of multiple periodic cycles.

The patent performs preliminary rough distance measurement using direct TOF method to establish a baseline distance value. Based on this preliminary information, the system then performs refined phase difference measurement only for regions where high precision is needed. This two-stage approach allows the system to quickly eliminate regions with simple distance characteristics and concentrate measurement resources only on complex regions, thereby improving overall measurement speed without sacrificing precision where required.