Time-of-flight sensor and system

1 . A time-of-flight system, comprising:

an illumination source,

a time-of-flight camera having a time-of-flight sensor, including:

a light sensing circuitry for detecting light and outputting light sensing signals; and

a logic circuitry for processing the light sensing signals from the light sensing circuitry, wherein the logic circuitry includes a sequencer circuitry and a register circuitry, wherein the register circuitry includes multiple registers for storing data which are derived on the basis of the light sensing signals and wherein the sequencer circuitry is adapted to select at least a first set of registers of the register circuitry and a second set of registers of the register circuitry for dynamically providing a first type of frames based on the selected first set of registers and a second type of frames based on the selected second set of registers, wherein first type frames and second type frames are generated in a defined sequence of frames, and

a host circuitry connected via a bus to the time-of-flight camera, wherein the host circuitry is configured to configure the sequencer circuitry

wherein the first type of frames is configured for providing data for a first mode and the second type of frames is configured for providing data for a second mode;

wherein the first mode is measured range mode;

wherein the second mode is signal-to-noise ratio mode; and

wherein the time-of-flight sensor is configured to obtain the data for the measured range mode to determine a measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and an object and subsequently obtain the data for the signal-to-noise ratio mode to adjust the measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and the object.

2 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination source is adapted to be driven in a first operation mode associated with the first mode and in a second operation mode associated with the second mode.

3 . The time-of-flight system of claim 2 , wherein the first operation mode is at least one of a spotted illumination mode, a zone illumination mode and a uniform illumination mode and the second mode is at least one of a full-field illumination mode.

4 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 , wherein the generation of second type frames is started in response to a trigger event.

5 . The time-of-flight system of claim 4 , wherein one second type frame is generated in response to the trigger event.

6 . The time-of-flight system of claim 4 , wherein the second type frame is periodically generated.

7 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 , wherein the second type frames are generated periodically, according to a predetermined pattern, or randomly.

8 . The time-of-flight system of claim 1 , wherein using the signal-to-noise ratio mode results in an improved distance accuracy over using a non-signal-to-noise ratio mode.

9 . The time-of-flight system of claim 8 , wherein

the signal-to-noise ratio mode can be requested in real time.

10 . A time-of-flight sensor, comprising:

a light sensing circuitry for detecting light and outputting light sensing signals; and

a logic circuitry for processing the light sensing signals from the light sensing circuitry, wherein the logic circuitry includes a sequencer circuitry and a register circuitry, wherein the register circuitry includes multiple registers for storing data which are derived on the basis of the light sensing signals and wherein the sequencer circuitry is adapted to select at least a first set of registers of the register circuitry and a second set of registers of the register circuitry for dynamically providing a first type of frames based on the selected first set of registers and a second type of frames based on the selected second set of registers, wherein first type frames and second type frames are generated in a defined sequence of frames

wherein the first type of frames is configured for providing data for a first mode and the second type of frames is configured for providing data for a second mode

wherein the first mode is measured range mode;

wherein the second mode is signal-to-noise ratio mode; and

wherein the time-of-flight sensor is configured to obtain the data for the measured range mode to determine a measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and an object and subsequently obtain the data for the signal-to-noise ratio mode to adjust the measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and the object.

11 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 10 , wherein the sequencer circuitry includes a memory for storing sequence configurations, the sequence configurations determining the first and second set of registers and a defined sequence for the generation of the defined sequence of frames.

12 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 11 , wherein the sequence configurations are divided in a first part and in a second part, wherein the first part defines at least one of: number of types of frames, location of frames in the sequence of frames, trigger for first and second type of frames, and wherein the second part defines the first and second sets of registers.

13 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 12 , wherein the first part is stored in a first part of the memory and the second part is stored in a second part of the memory.

14 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 10 , wherein the sequencer circuitry is programmable.

15 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 10 , further comprising a multiplexer and a bus-interface, wherein the bus-interface and the sequencer circuitry are connected via the multiplexer to the register circuitry.

16 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 10 , further comprising a controller configured to generate the defined sequence of frames on the basis of the selected first and second sets of registers.

17 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 10 , wherein the sequencer circuitry sets the register circuitry according to the selected first and second sets of registers.

18 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 10 , wherein the first type of frames is configured for providing time-of-flight data and the second type of frames is configured for providing enhanced sensor data.

19 . The time-of-flight sensor of claim 10 , wherein using the signal-to-noise ratio mode results in an improved distance accuracy over using a non-signal-to-noise ratio mode.

20 . A time-of-flight system, comprising:

a time-of-flight camera having a time-of-flight sensor, including:

a light sensing circuitry for detecting light and outputting light sensing signals; and

a logic circuitry for processing the light sensing signals from the light sensing circuitry, wherein the logic circuitry includes a sequencer circuitry and a register circuitry, wherein the register circuitry includes multiple registers for storing data which are derived on the basis of the light sensing signals and wherein the sequencer circuitry is adapted to select at least a first set of registers of the register circuitry and a second set of registers of the register circuitry for dynamically providing a first type of frames based on the selected first set of registers and a second type of frames based on the selected second set of registers, wherein first type frames and second type frames are generated in a defined sequence of frames, and

a host circuitry connected via a bus to the time-of-flight camera, wherein the host circuitry is configured to configure the sequencer circuitry

wherein the first type of frames is configured for providing data for a first mode and the second type of frames is configured for providing data for a second mode;

wherein the first mode is motion robustness mode;

wherein the second mode is signal-to-noise ratio mode; and

wherein the time-of-flight sensor is configured to obtain the data for the motion robustness mode to determine a measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and an object and subsequently obtain the data for the signal-to-noise ratio mode to adjust the measured distance between the time-of-flight sensor and the object.