New Collision Avoidance System By Melexis and Based on SoftKinetic Technology to be Demonstrated at The International Motor Show in Frankfurt (IAA)

The cost-effective and robust solution detects and avoids collisions with obstacles around the vehicle. SoftKinetic’s DepthSense optical ranging technology provides the Melexis’ automotive customer with unique sensing capabilities, versatility, integration possibilities and cost competitiveness.

Time Of Flight General Description
Melexis develops camera sensors with Time Of Flight pixels that allow 3-dimensional imaging with high resolution and accuracy. The sensor technology is developed in standard CMOS, allowing systems to achieve very high integration levels at low cost. Possible applications for this type of sensor include collision avoidance, gesture detection and parking assistance.

An optical Time-Of-Flight (TOF) range sensor is a system that measures the time for light to travel between 2 points in space. As the speed of light is constant it allows measurement of the distance between those 2 points. Several well-known methods exist to perform this type of measurement.

The principle of operation:
• A light source illuminates the scene with modulated NIR (near infrared) light.
• The NIR light source and the sensor typically operate in sync at modulation frequencies of 20 MHz.
• The time delay of the light traveling from the light source to objects in the scene and back to the sensor results in a phase delay of the detected light with respect to the reference signal.
• The sensor detects the reflected NIR light, both in amplitude and in phase.
• The sensor translates this phase delay into an electrical output signal for each pixel.

The heart of our optical Time Of Flight sensor is made by SoftKineticTM. The technology called DepthSenseTM is a patented standard CMOS compatible optical detector described as a Current Assisted Photonic Demodulator (CAPD). The principal advantage of DepthSense compared to other range sensor technologies is the combination of high sensitivity and low noise. DepthSense has been licensed to our partner SoftKinetic, further advances and developments are a product of the close collaboration between SoftKinetic and Melexis. Melexis integrates DepthSense into its automotive applications.

Melexis is highly specialized in the design and production of mixed signal ICs and optical sensors for consumer and automotive applications. In order to meet the needs of the automotive market, Melexis has developed specific know-how to achieve high dynamic range and sunlight robust sensors.

Evaluation kit EVK75301

To demonstrate our unique Time-Of-Flight sensor capabilities, Melexis has developed a state of the art 3D ranging camera evaluation kit. The EVK75301 evaluation kit is offered to interested customers for evaluating interior and exterior automotive applications.
The kit contains:
• A camera module containing the 80 x 60 MLX75301 Time-Of-Flight sensor in a metal housing and a C-type lens mount to allow the use of different lens systems and optics.
• Two illumination units including the light sources (NIR LEDs) and their driving circuits.
• Software and Drivers (Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux)
• Cables and power supply
• Documentation

Time Of Flight Features and Benefits
Very high sensitivity from DepthSenseTM technology, by SoftKineticTM
Excellent dynamic range
Excellent robustness against sun and ambient light
Standard CMOS technology, automotive qualified