IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0353245
(2006-02-14)
|
등록번호 |
US-7501628
(2009-03-10)
|
우선권정보 |
EP-05101069(2005-02-14) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Charbon,Edoardo
- Niclass,Cristiano
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne EPFL
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
17 |
초록
Transducer (24, 240, 241) for reading information stored 1n an optical record carrier (1), comprising at least one solid-state single photon detector, for example a single photon avalanche diode (24) for acquisition of a 2D or 3D image of at least a portion of the optical record carrier.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A transducer for reading bits of information stored in an optical record carrier, comprising an array of solid-state single photon detector (SPDs) for acquisition of an image of at least a portion of said record carrier, wherein a plurality of single photon detectors in
The invention claimed is: 1. A transducer for reading bits of information stored in an optical record carrier, comprising an array of solid-state single photon detector (SPDs) for acquisition of an image of at least a portion of said record carrier, wherein a plurality of single photon detectors in said array are simultaneously used for determining a value of each bit of information. 2. The transducer of claim 1, wherein said single photon detector is a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD). 3. The transducer of claim 2, said SPAD being a CMOS based SPAD. 4. The transducer of claim 3, comprising a read-out circuit at the output of said SPAD for processing signal delivered by said SPAD, said read-out circuit being mounted on a monolithic integrated circuit with said SPAD. 5. The transducer of claim 3, further comprising: a read-out circuit at the output of said SPAD for processing signal delivered by said SPAD, an electronic discrimination circuit, for discriminating between pulses emitted from active spatial locations of said optical carrier from pulses produced by scattering and/or noise said read-out circuit and said electronic discrimination circuit being both mounted on a monolithic integrated circuit with said SPAD. 6. The transducer of claim 3, wherein detection of a single bit in said optical record carrier is based on signal output by a plurality of adjacent SPADs. 7. The transducer of claim 3, wherein detection of a single bit in said optical record carrier is based on signals delivered by a filter, without waiting for any SPAD to saturate. 8. The transducer of claim 1, comprising delay measurement means for detecting a time-of-flight of photons received from said optical record carrier. 9. The transducer of claim 8, said delay measurement means comprising time-to-digital converters. 10. A transducer for reading information stored in an optical record carrier, said transducer comprising: at least one solid-state single photon detector (SPD) for acquisition of an image of at least a portion of said optical record carrier; and an electronic discrimination circuit at the output of said SPAD, for discriminating between pulses emitted from active spatial locations of said optical carrier from pulses produced by scattering and/or noise. 11. The transducer of claim 10, said electronic discriminating circuit being arranged so as to produce a signal with a first value when a large number of photons is received during a time interval, and a signal with a different value when the number of photons received is not sufficient to maintain said SPAD in saturation during said interval. 12. The transducer of claim 11, said electronic discriminating circuit being mounted on a monolithic integrated circuit with said SPAD. 13. The transducer of claim 11, said electronic discriminating circuit comprising a programmable digital filter. said read-out circuit and said electronic discrimination circuit being both mounted on a monolithic integrated circuit with said SPAD. 14. A single photon detector based storage system, comprising: an optical record carrier storing information having bits, a transducer with an array of solid-state single photon detectors (SPDs) for acquisition of an image of at least a portion of said record carrier, an electronic circuit for retrieving information from said image, wherein a plurality of single photon detectors in said array are simultaneously used for determining a value of each bit of information. 15. The storage system of claim 14, wherein said single photon detectors are single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). 16. The storage system of claim 15, further comprising: a light source for producing a light beam on said optical record carrier, an optical system for focusing light received from said optical record carrier on the active area of said single photon detector. 17. The storage system of claim 16, wherein said optical record carrier stores data across multiple layers in depth. 18. The storage system of claim 17, said light source being arranged so as to focus a beam of light in a specific 3D volume of said optical record carrier. 19. The storage system of claim 14, wherein data is recorded in said optical record carrier as fluorescence generating volumes. 20. The storage system of claim 14, wherein said optical record carrier is made up of a photochromic polymer material, wherein bits are written in the volume of said optical record carrier at predetermined spatial locations, and wherein recorded bits are read by fluorescence when excited by photons emitted by a light source. 21. The storage system of claim 20, wherein said single photon detector detects photons emitted by fluorescence at said spatial locations when said locations are excited by a light source. 22. The storage system of claim 14, wherein said locations are spread across several layers in said optical record carrier. 23. The storage system of claim 14, further comprising: an electronic discrimination circuit, for discriminating between pulses received from said optical carrier that are emitted from active spatial locations from pulses produced by scattering and/or noise. 24. The storage system of claim 23, further comprising a tracking system for controlling the motor driving said optical record carrier, said tracking system being commanded by the output of said electronic circuit. 25. The storage circuit of claim 24, wherein detection of single bits is based on signal output by a plurality of SPADs in an array. 26. The storage circuit of claim 24, wherein detection of single bits is based on signals delivered by a filter before saturation of said SPADs. 27. An optical disk reader based on single photon detector, comprising: a transducer with an array of one solid-state single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) for delivering digital pulses when photons are received from said optical disk, a spatial and/or temporal filter for detecting one bit when digital pulses delivered by said SPADs fulfill predefined spatial and/or temporal conditions, whereas the detection of each bit depends on digital pulses delivered by a plurality of the SPADs. 28. A method for reading data from an optical record carrier storing bits, wherein the bits are recorded in said optical carrier at predetermined spatial locations in several layers, comprising the steps of: illuminating at least a portion of said optical record carrier with a light source; receiving on at feast one solid-state single photon detector photons emitted by fluorescence when said spatial locations are excited by said light source; discriminating at the output of said single photon detector between signal produced by said spatial locations and signal produced by scattering and/or noise. 29. The method of claim 28, said single photon detector comprising one single photon avalanche diode (SPAD). 30. The method of claim 29, said discriminating step comprising: distinguishing between time intervals when said SPAD saturates and time intervals where said SPAD does not saturate. 31. A transducer for reading information stored in an optical record carrier, comprising at least one solid-state single photon detector (SPD) for acquisition of an image of at least a portion of said record carrier, and delay measurement means for detecting a time-of-flight of photons received from said optical record carrier. 32. A single photon detector based storage system, comprising: an optical record carrier, a transducer with at least one solid-state single photon detector (SPD) for acquisition of an image of at least a portion of said record carrier, an electronic circuit for retrieving information from said image, and delay measurement means for detecting a time-of-flight of photons received from said optical record carrier.
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