IP Library Granted Patent US 9,794,490
Granted Patent B2
US 9,794,490 · App. 14/399,608 · Granted Oct 17, 2017

Time of flight camera system with a data channel

Inventor: Bernd Damhofer (Wolfegg, DE)
Assignee: PMDTECHNOLOGIES AG
H04N5/2354G01S7/4811G01S17/89H04N5/2253H04N5/265H04L25/4915
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,794,490
App. No.
14/399,608
Granted
Oct 17, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light speed camera system, with a camera module, which has a light speed photo sensor, preferably based on mixed photo detection, having at least one reception pixel, and with an illumination module which has an illumination light source, wherein the illumination module and the camera module each have a transmission circuit which is formed in such a way that a first signal as a differential signal and a second signal as a modulated basic voltage can be transmitted between the camera module and illumination module via a differential signal line is provided.

Claims (9)

1. A time of flight (TOF) camera system, with a camera module which features a TOF photo sensor, on the basis of photonic mixing detection, with at least one reception pixel and with an illumination module which features an illumination light source, wherein:

the illumination module and the camera module respectively feature a transmission circuit which is configured such that a first signal is transmitted as a differential signal and another signal as a modulated basic voltage between the camera module and the illumination module via at least one difference channel,

the camera module and the illumination module are connected to each other via two difference channels,

wherein both transmission circuits only exhibit galvanic separations at interfaces for both difference channels, and the interfaces do not feature a galvanic separation for modulation and demodulation of the modulated basic voltage,

the transmission circuits are configured such that the basic voltage of both difference channels is modulated, and

the transmission circuit on a receiver side of the TOF camera system is configured such that a difference of the basic voltages of both difference channels is demodulated as a signal.

2. The TOF camera system according to claim 1 , wherein the interfaces for modulation and demodulation are connected via at least one resistance and/or an inductance with the difference channels.

3. A procedure to operate the TOF camera system according to claim 1 , wherein the first signal is provided for a transmission of data signals via one of the difference channels as the differential signal, and the another signal by modulation of the basic voltage (U CM1 , U CM2 ) of the one of the difference channels.

4. The procedure according to claim 3 , wherein the first and a second differential signal are transmitted, and the another signal is a third signal that is transmitted by modulated of the basic voltage of both difference channels.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2017
From: IFM ELECTRONIC GMBH
To: PMDTECHNOLOGIES AG
Reel/Frame 042161/0595 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: DAMHOFER, BERND
To: IFM ELECTRONIC GMBH
Reel/Frame 034179/0693 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2012 208 995 · May 29, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150116585A1 · Apr 30, 2015