DE-102025135170-A1 - IMAGE ACTING DEVICE

Abstract

An image acquisition device comprises: a pulse signal generator that produces a first pulse signal with a first pulse width and a second pulse signal with a second pulse width; a laser pulse transmitter that transmits a first laser pulse based on the first pulse signal and a second laser pulse based on the second pulse signal; a reflected pulse receiver that receives a first reflected pulse when the first laser pulse is reflected by an object and receives a second reflected pulse when the second laser pulse is reflected by the object, and that generates first image data and second image data based on the reflected pulses; and a distance information generator that generates a first histogram based on the first image data, a second histogram based on the second image data, and distance information for the object based on a difference between the first histogram and the second histogram.

Inventors

• Da Hwan PARK
• Min Kyu Kim
• Han Sang KIM
• Gun Hee YUN
• YONG SEOP LEE
• Ji Ho LEE
• Hoe Sam Jeong

Assignees

• SK Hynix Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20250902

Priority Date

20241113

Claims (20)

1. Image acquisition device comprising: a pulse signal generator configured to generate a first pulse signal with a first pulse width and a second pulse signal with a second pulse width; a laser pulse transmitter configured to transmit a first laser pulse based on the first pulse signal and a second laser pulse based on the second pulse signal; a reflected pulse receiver configured to receive a first reflected pulse generated when the first laser pulse is reflected by an object and a second reflected pulse generated when the second laser pulse is reflected by the object, and to generate first image data and second image data based on the first reflected pulse and the second reflected pulse, respectively; and a distance information generator set up to generate a first histogram based on the first image data, to generate a second histogram based on the second image data, and to generate distance information for the object based on a difference between the first histogram and the second histogram.
2. Image acquisition device according to Claim 1 , further comprising a division signal generator configured to generate a plurality of division signals by dividing a plurality of clock signals; wherein the pulse signal generator is configured to: select a first division signal and a second division signal from the plurality of division signals based on a first pulse width control signal from a plurality of pulse width control signals; and generate the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal based on the first division signal and the second division signal.
3. Image acquisition device according to Claim 2 , wherein the pulse signal generator is set up to generate a variety of intermediate storage signals based on the first division signal and the second division signal and using a shift register.
4. Image acquisition device according to Claim 3 , wherein the pulse signal generator is set up to generate a first inverted intermediate signal by selecting a first intermediate signal from the plurality of intermediate signals according to the first pulse width control signal and inverting the first intermediate signal.
5. Image acquisition device according to Claim 4 , wherein the pulse signal generator is set up to generate the first pulse signal by performing a logical AND operation on the first inverted intermediate storage signal and a second pulse width control signal from the plurality of pulse width control signals.
6. Image acquisition device according to Claim 4 , further comprising a pulse width control configured to: generate a plurality of pulse width control signals; change the pulse width control signal among the plurality of pulse width control signals; and wherein the pulse signal generator is configured to select a second intermediate signal from the intermediate signals according to the modified first pulse width control signal and to invert the second intermediate signal to generate a second inverted intermediate signal.
7. Image acquisition device according to Claim 6 , wherein the pulse signal generator is set up to generate the second pulse signal by performing a logical AND operation on a second pulse width control signal and the second inverted buffer signal.
8. Image acquisition device according to Claim 6 , wherein the pulse width control is set up to modify the first pulse width control signal based on the distance information such that the first buffer signal is selected which first buffer signal has a larger phase difference with respect to a second pulse width control signal as the distance to the object increases.
9. Image acquisition device according to Claim 1 , wherein the pulse width control is set up to generate a variety of pulse width control signals which control the pulse signal generator on the basis of the distance information such that both the first pulse width and the second pulse width increase proportionally to the distance to the object.
10. Image acquisition device according to Claim 1 , wherein the distance information generator is set up to: calculate a difference between the first histogram and the second histogram; generate a difference histogram for a difference pulse which is a difference between the first reflected pulse and the second reflected pulse; and generate the distance information using time information corresponding to a peak count of the difference histogram.
11. Image acquisition device comprising: a laser pulse transmitter configured to send laser pulses; a reflected pulse receiver configured to receive reflected pulses generated when the laser pulses are reflected by an object; a timing information generator configured to generate, based on a first clock signal in a first phase, initial timing information indicating the time elapsed from a first time point to the time of reception of the reflected pulse, and secondary timing information indicating the time elapsed from a second time point following the first time point to the time of reception of the reflected pulse, based on the second clock signal in a second phase; and a distance information generator configured to generate histograms based on the initial timing information and the secondary timing information, and to generate distance information for the object based on the histograms.
12. Image acquisition device according to Claim 11 , wherein the distance information generator is set up to: generate a first preliminary histogram with the first time point as a starting point based on the first time information; and generate a second preliminary histogram with the second time point as a starting point based on the second time information.
13. Image acquisition device according to Claim 12 , wherein the distance information generator is set up to: generate a combined histogram by summing the first preliminary histogram and the second preliminary histogram; and generate distance information based on the combined histogram.
14. Image acquisition device according to Claim 13 , wherein the distance information generator is set up to generate the distance information using third time information corresponding to a bin with a count value of the combined histogram.
15. Image acquisition device according to Claim 11 , further comprising: a second clock signal selection device configured to select a third clock signal from the clock signals, wherein the time information generator generates the first time information, indicating a time elapsed from the first time point to the time of reception of the reflected pulse, based on the first clock signal and the third clock signal.
16. Image acquisition device according to Claim 15 , where the first clock signal and the third clock signal have a phase difference of 90 degrees.
17. Image processing device comprising: a division signal generator configured to generate division signals by dividing clock signals; a pulse width control configured to generate a first pulse width control signal and a second pulse width control signal; a first multiplexer configured to select one of the division signals based on the first pulse width control signal; a second multiplexer configured to select one of the inverted division signals obtained by inverting the division signals based on the first pulse width control signal; a shift register configured to select, based on the second pulse width control signal, a selected division signal and one from to generate intermediate signals from the selected inverted division signal; a third multiplexer configured to select one of the intermediate signals based on the first pulse width control signal; an inverter configured to invert the selected intermediate signal; an AND gate configured to output a pulse signal by performing a logical AND operation on the inverted intermediate signal and the second pulse width control signal; a laser pulse transmitter configured to send laser pulses based on the pulse signal; and a reflected pulse receiver configured to receive reflected pulses generated when the laser pulses are reflected by an object and to generate image data based on the reflected pulses.
18. Image acquisition device according to Claim 17 , wherein: the AND gate is configured to output a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal; the laser pulse transmitter is configured to send a first laser pulse based on the first pulse signal and to send a second laser pulse based on the second pulse signal; the reflected pulse receiver is configured to receive a first reflected pulse generated when the first laser pulse is reflected by the object and to receive a second reflected pulse generated when the second laser pulse is reflected by the object, and to generate first image data and second image data based on the first reflected pulse and the second reflected pulse, respectively; and the image acquisition device further comprising a distance information generator configured to generate a first histogram based on the first image data, to generate a second histogram based on the second image data, and to generate distance information for the object based on a difference between the first histogram and the second histogram.
19. Image acquisition device according to Claim 18 , wherein the pulse width control is set up to: modify the first pulse width control signal based on the distance information such that both a first pulse width of the first pulse signal and a second pulse width of the second pulse signal increase proportionally to a distance to the object.
20. Image acquisition device according to Claim 18 , wherein the distance information generator is set up to: calculate a difference between the first histogram and the second histogram; generate a difference histogram for a difference pulse which is a difference between the first reflected pulse and the second reflected pulse; and generate the distance information using time information corresponding to a peak count of the difference histogram.

Description

1. TECHNICAL AREA The present disclosure relates generally to an image recording device. 2. State of the art An image capture device is a device that captures optical images by converting light into electrical signals using a light-sensitive semiconductor material. With the development of the automotive, medical, computer, and communications industries, the demand for high-performance image capture devices is increasing in various fields such as smartphones, digital cameras, game consoles, the Internet of Things (IoT), robots, surveillance cameras, and medical microcameras. Recently, image capture devices have been actively used to capture color images and measure the distance to a captured target object. The Time-of-Flight (ToF) method is frequently employed, which directly or indirectly measures the time it takes for light to be reflected from the target object and return to the image capture device. SUMMARY According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an image acquisition device may comprise: a pulse signal generator configured to generate a first pulse signal with a first pulse width and a second pulse signal with a second pulse width; a laser pulse transmitter configured to send a first laser pulse based on the first pulse signal and to send a second laser pulse based on the second pulse signal; a reflected pulse receiver configured to receive a first reflected pulse generated when the first laser pulse is reflected by an object and a second reflected pulse generated when the second laser pulse is reflected by the object, and to generate first image data and second image data based on the first reflected pulse and the second reflected pulse, respectively; and a distance information generator that is set up to generate a first histogram based on the first image data, to generate a second histogram based on the second image data, and to generate distance information for the object based on a difference between the first histogram and the second histogram. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an image acquisition device may comprise: a laser pulse transmitter configured to send laser pulses; a reflected pulse receiver configured to receive reflected pulses generated when the laser pulses are reflected by an object; a timing information generator configured to generate first timing information, indicating the time elapsed from a first time point to the time of reception of the reflected pulse, based on a first clock signal in a first phase, and second timing information, indicating the time elapsed from a second time point following the first time point to the time of reception of the reflected pulse, based on the second clock signal in a second phase; and a distance information generator configured to generate histograms based on the first timing information and the second timing information, and to generate distance information for the object based on the histograms. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an image processing device may comprise: a division signal generator configured to generate division signals by dividing clock signals; a pulse width control configured to generate a first pulse width control signal and a second pulse width control signal; a first multiplexer configured to select one of the division signals based on the first pulse width control signal; a second multiplexer configured to select one of the inverted division signals obtained by inverting the division signals based on the first pulse width control signal; a shift register configured to generate buffer or latch signals based on the second pulse width control signal, a selected division signal, and a selected inverted division signal; and a third multiplexer configured to select one of the buffer signals based on the first pulse width control signal. an inverter configured to invert the selected buffer signal; an AND gate configured to output a pulse signal by performing a logical AND operation on the inverted buffer signal and the second pulse width control signal; a laser pulse transmitter configured to emit laser pulses based on the pulse signal to send; and a receiver for reflected pulses, which is set up to receive reflected pulses that are generated when the laser pulses are reflected by an object, and to generate image data based on the reflected pulses. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method may comprise generating a first pulse signal with a first pulse width and a second pulse signal with a second pulse width; transmitting a first laser pulse based on the first pulse signal and transmitting a second laser pulse based on the second pulse signal through an image acquisition device; generating first image data based on a first received reflected pulse reflected by an object; generating second image data based on a second received reflected pulse reflected by an object; and generating a first histogram based on the first image data, generating a secon