US 11,754,442 B2
Light-receiving apparatus with cycle setting according to photon count determinations
Hongbo Zhu, Tokyo (JP); Kazuki Hizu, Kanagawa (JP); Takafumi Takatsuka, Kanagawa (JP); Yusuke Oike, Kanagawa (JP); Jun Ogi, Kanagawa (JP); and Yoshiaki Tashiro, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, Kanagawa (JP)
Appl. No. 17/428,408
Filed by Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, Kanagawa (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 6, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/009871
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 4, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/179928, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-041786 (JP), filed on Mar. 7, 2019; and application No. 2020-038225 (JP), filed on Mar. 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0155153 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. G01J 1/44 (2006.01); G01J 11/00 (2006.01); H03K 23/58 (2006.01); H01L 31/02 (2006.01); G02B 5/20 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 1/44 (2013.01) [G01J 11/00 (2013.01); H01L 31/02027 (2013.01); H03K 23/58 (2013.01); G01J 2001/448 (2013.01); G02B 5/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light-receiving apparatus, comprising:
a counting unit configured to measure a detection number of times that represents the number of times incidence of a photon to a light-receiving element has been detected within an exposure period and to output a counted value;
a time code generating unit configured to set a cycle of updating time information in accordance with an elapsed time during the exposure period, the cycle being one of a plurality of cycles respectively corresponding to illumination categories; and
an acquiring unit configured to acquire the time information indicating a time at which the counted value reaches a threshold before the exposure period elapses.