A Spadbased Hybrid Timeofflight Image Sensor With Pwm And Nonlinear Spatiotemporal Coincidence

• doi: 10.1109/TCSI.2025.3550273
• title: A SPAD-Based Hybrid Time-of-Flight Image Sensor With PWM and Non-Linear Spatiotemporal Coincidence
• publisher: IEEE
• isbn:
• issn: 1558-0806
• rank: 909
• access_type: LOCKED
• content_type: Early Access Articles
• abstract: This paper presents an image sensor system based on single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) utilizing a hybrid time-of-flight (ToF) method, which achieves an imaging resolution of 64×128 based on a hybrid scanning system. The primary components of the image sensor system include a 16 × 8 SPADs array fabricated using 130nm CMOS technology, along with 128 passive quenching circuits and 128 pulse shaping circuits within the pixels, a digital signal processing (DSP) circuit implemented on the FPGA, and a laser driving circuit with adjustable pulse width. The laser pulse width can be adaptively modified according to the bin size of the partial histogram, thereby improving the signal-to-background light ratio (SBR) and reducing measurement jitter. The DSP incorporates a hybrid partial histogram (HPH) algorithm based on both direct time-of-flight (DToF) and indirect time-of-flight (IToF), along with a non-linear spatiotemporal coincidence detection (NSCD) circuit. The proposed HPH algorithm significantly reduces the storage resource requirements for histograms, eliminating the need for in-pixel time-to-digital converter (TDC). Each pixel’s histogram requires only 180 bits of storage resource. Moreover, the IToF algorithm effectively enhances the system’s measurement precision. The NSCD significantly improves the sensor’s background noise suppression and weak echo detection capabilities. Experimental results indicate that, under a background light intensity of 60 Klux, the image sensor can measure distances up to 60 m, with a measurement precision less than 1 cm.
• article_number: 10933587
• pdf_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10933587
• html_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10933587/
• abstract_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10933587/
• publication_title: IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers
• conference_location:
• conference_dates:
• publication_number: 8919
• is_number: 4358591
• publication_year: 2025
• publication_date:
• start_page: 1
• end_page: 10
• citing_paper_count: 0
• citing_patent_count: 0
• download_count: 55
• insert_date: 20250319
• index_terms:
  • ieee_terms:
    • Circuits
    • Histograms
    • Image sensors
    • Single-photon avalanche diodes
    • Pulse measurements
    • Pulse width modulation
    • Background noise
    • Autonomous vehicles
    • Spatiotemporal phenomena
    • Measurement by laser beam
  • author_terms:
    • SPAD
    • hybrid partial histogram
    • IToF
    • pulse width modulation
    • non-linear spatiotemporal coincidence detection
  • dynamic_index_terms:
    • Pulse Width
    • Pulsewidth Modulation
    • Image Sensor
    • Camera Sensor
    • Spatiotemporal Coincidence
    • Background Noise
    • Ambient Noise
    • Laser Pulse
    • Measurement Precision
    • Precise Measure
    • Digital Signal Processing
    • Noise Suppression
    • Noise-canceling
    • Active Noise Control
    • Storage Resources
    • Processing Circuit
    • Coincidence Detection
    • Suppression Capability
    • Single-photon Avalanche Diode
    • Time-to-digital Converter
    • Laser Pulse Width
    • High-resolution
    • Spatial Resolution
    • Count Data
    • Count Values
    • Precise Control
    • Measurement Window
    • Adaptive Adjustment
    • Time-correlated Single-photon Counting
    • TCSPC
    • Gallium Nitride
    • Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
    • Driver Assistance Systems
    • Compressive Measurements
    • Measurement Interval
    • Cycles Of Exposure
    • Maximum Count
    • Cumulative Values
• authors:
  • Author Name: Dong Li
    Affiliation: School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37089270461
    ID: 37089270461
    Order: 1
    Author Affiliations:
    • School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Peixuan Li
    Affiliation: School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37089794968
    ID: 37089794968
    Order: 2
    Author Affiliations:
    • School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Jin Hu
    Affiliation: School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37085868293
    ID: 37085868293
    Order: 3
    Author Affiliations:
    • School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Xiayu Wang
    Affiliation: School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37088569637
    ID: 37088569637
    Order: 4
    Author Affiliations:
    • School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Rui Ma
    Affiliation: School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37086336477
    ID: 37086336477
    Order: 5
    Author Affiliations:
    • School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Zhangming Zhu
    Affiliation: School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37407461600
    ID: 37407461600
    Order: 6
    Author Affiliations:
    • School of Integrated Circuits, Key Laboratory of Analog Integrated Circuits, Xidian University, Xi’an, China

Image Sensor

• sensor_type: CMOS
• resolution: 64x128
• dynamic_range: Not specified
• pixel_size: 16 µm x 8.5 µm
• dark_current: Not specified

Optical Data

• focal_length: Not specified
• aperture: Not specified
• field_of_view: Not specified
• distortion: Not specified

Performance Metrics

• sensitivity: 5.26%@905nm

Applications & Benefits

• cell_imaging: Particularly in wearable optical biosensors such as photoplethysmography (PPG) and in autonomous driving, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and smart logistics
• benefits: High sensitivity, high resolution, and high integration enabling digital imaging in various applications.

Supporting Organizations

• supported_by: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Science and Technology Major Project, Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities, and Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi

Manuscript Details

• publication_date: 2025-03-06

Relevancy Score

• score: 8
• missing_fields:
  • dynamic_range
  • dark_current
  • focal_length
  • aperture
  • field_of_view
  • distortion
  • frame_rate
  • signal_to_noise_ratio
  • shutter_speed
  • power_consumption
  • noise

Processed JSON Filename

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