Optical sensor device and method for operating a time-of-flight sensor

1. An optical sensor device, comprising:

a pixel array having at least three pixels;

a first read-out node configured to provide first photo-generated charge carriers from the at least three pixels for read-out;

a second read-out node configured to provide second photo-generated charge carriers successively from one or more of the at least three pixels for read-out;

a first transfer gate configured to enable a read-out of a first pixel, of the at least three pixels, using the first read-out node;

a second transfer gate configured to disable a read-out of a second pixel, of the at least three pixels, via the first read-out node during the read-out of the first pixel;

a third transfer gate configured to disable a read-out of a third pixel, of the at least three pixels, via the first read-out node during the read-out of the first pixel; and

a controller configured to control the first transfer gate, the second transfer gate, and the third transfer gate to perform a successive read-out of the at least three pixels,

the optical sensor device being a time-of-flight sensor, and

each remaining pixel, of the at least three pixels, being disabled for read-out via the first read-out node when one of the at least three pixels is enabled for read-out via the first read-out node.

2. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor device is further configured to:

conduct a phase sensitive demodulation of the first photo-generated charge carriers.

3. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the first transfer gate is further configured to:

provide the first photo-generated charge carriers from a storage region of the first pixel to the first read-out node based on the first pixel being in a read-out mode; and

disable a transfer of the first photo-generated charge carriers from the storage region of the first pixel to the first read-out node based on the first pixel being in a sensing mode,

the storage region of the first pixel being configured to store the first photo-generated charge carriers of the first pixel.

4. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the second transfer gate is further configured to:

provide the first photo-generated charge carriers from a storage region of the second pixel to the first read-out node based on the second pixel being in a read-out mode; and

disable a transfer of the first photo-generated charge carriers from the storage region of the second pixel to the first read-out node based on the second pixel being in a sensing mode,

the storage region of the second pixel being configured to store the first photo-generated charge carriers of the second pixel.

5. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the first read-out node is further configured to:

provide the first photo-generated charge carriers from a first storage region of the first pixel; and

provide the first photo-generated charge carriers from a second storage region of the first pixel,

the second storage region being configured to store the first photo-generated charge carriers derived from an electromagnetic signal having a first phase, and

the first storage region being configured to store the first photo-generated charge carriers derived from the electromagnetic signal having a second phase.

6. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the one of the at least three pixels further comprises:

a control electrode configured to:

provide an electrical field into a conversion region of the optical sensor device such that an electromagnetic signal having a particular phase is converted into the first photo-generated charge carriers, and

provide the first photo-generated charge carriers to a storage region.

7. The optical sensor device of claim 6 , wherein the control electrode is a first control electrode;

wherein the electrical field is a first electrical field;

wherein the particular phase is a first phase;

wherein the storage region is a first storage region; and

wherein the one of the at least three pixels further comprises:

a second control electrode configured to:

provide a second electrical field into a conversion region of the optical sensor device such that an electromagnetic signal having a second phase is converted into the second photo-generated charge carriers, and

provide the second photo-generated charge carriers to a second storage region.

8. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

control a read-out of the one or more of the at least three pixels through the second read-out node.

9. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the first transfer gate such that the first transfer gate obtains a first electric potential based on the first pixel being in a read-out mode, and

control the first transfer gate such that the first transfer gate obtains a second electric potential based on the first pixel being in a sensing mode,

the first electric potential being different from the second electric potential.

10. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

control transfer gates of the at least three pixels such that a transfer of the first photo-generated charge carriers to the first read-out node is disabled for each remaining pixel, of the at least three pixels, based on the transfer of the first photo-generated charge carriers to the first read-out node being enabled for the one of the at least three pixels.

11. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least three pixels include transfer gates.

12. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a control electrode arranged at least partly covering a storage gate.

13. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein each remaining pixel, of the at least three pixels, are in a sensing mode when the one of the at least three pixels is enabled for read-out.

14. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the first transfer gate is further configured to:

provide the second photo-generated charge carriers from a storage region of the first pixel to the second read-out node based on the first pixel being in a read-out mode; and

disable a transfer of the second photo-generated charge carriers from the storage region of the first pixel to the second read-out node based on the first pixel being in a sensing mode,

the storage region of the first pixel being configured to store the second photo-generated charge carriers of the first pixel.

15. A method for operating a time-of-flight sensor, comprising:

providing, by a device via a first read-out node, first photo-generated charge carriers from a plurality of pixels for read-out,

the plurality of pixels including at least three pixels;

providing, by the device via a second read-out node, second photo-generated charge carriers successively from one or more of the plurality of pixels for read-out;

enabling, by a first transfer gate of the device, a read-out of a first pixel, of the plurality of pixels, using the first read-out node;

disabling, by a second transfer gate of the device, a read-out of a second pixel, of the plurality of pixels, via the first read-out node during the read-out of the first pixel;

disabling, by a third transfer gate of the device, a read-out of a third pixel, of the plurality of pixels, via the first read-out node during the read-out of the first pixel; and

controlling, by the device, the first transfer gate, the second transfer gate, and the third transfer gate to perform a successive read-out of the plurality of pixels,

each remaining pixel, of the plurality of pixels, being disabled for read-out via the first read-out node when one of the plurality of pixels is enabled for read-out via the first read-out node.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

conducting a phase sensitive demodulation of the first photo-generated charge carriers.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing the first photo-generated charge carriers from a storage region of the first pixel to the first read-out node based on the first pixel being in a read-out mode; and

disabling a transfer of the first photo-generated charge carriers from the storage region of the first pixel to the first read-out node based on the first pixel being in a sensing mode,

the storage region of the first pixel being configured to store the first photo-generated charge carriers of the first pixel.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing the second photo-generated charge carriers from a storage region of the second pixel to the second read-out node based on the second pixel being in a read-out mode; and

disabling a transfer of the second photo-generated charge carriers from the storage region of the second pixel to the second read-out node based on the second pixel being in a sensing mode,

the storage region of the second pixel being configured to store the second photo-generated charge carriers of the second pixel.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing an electrical field into a conversion region of the device such that an electromagnetic signal having a particular phase is converted into the first photo-generated charge carriers, and

providing the first photo-generated charge carriers to a storage region.

20. An optical sensor device, comprising:

a pixel array having at least three pixels;

a first read-out node configured to provide first photo-generated charge carriers from the at least three pixels for read-out;

a second read-out node configured to provide second photo-generated charge carriers from the at least three pixels for read-out,

the second photo-generated charge carriers being different from first the photo-generated charge carriers,

each pixel, of the at least three pixels, comprising a first transfer gate configured to provide the first photo-generated charge carriers from a first storage region of each of the at least three pixels to the first read-out node,

each pixel, of the at least three pixels, comprising a second transfer gate configured to provide the second photo-generated charge carriers from a second storage region of each of the at least three pixels to the second read-out node,

the first storage region being configured to store the first photo-generated charge carriers derived from an electromagnetic signal having a first phase, and

the second storage region being configured to store the second photo-generated charge carriers derived from the electromagnetic signal having a second phase; and

a controller configured to control transfer gates of the at least three pixels connected to the first read-out node such that when one of the at least three pixels connected to the first read-out node is enabled for read-out, remaining pixels, of the at least three pixels, connected to the first read-out node are disabled for read-out to perform a successive read-out of the at least three pixels connected to the first read-out node.