Patents Examined by Francis M. LeGasse, Jr.
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Patent number: 9363021Abstract: A receiver optical module to facilitate the assembling is disclosed. The receiver optical module includes an intermediate assembly including the optical de-multiplexer and the optical reflector each mounted on the upper base, and the lens and the PD mounted on the sub-mount. The latter assembly is mounted on the bottom of the housing; while, the former assembly is also mounted on the bottom through the lower base. The upper base is apart from the bottom and extends in parallel to the bottom to form a surplus space where the amplifying circuit is mounted.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2013Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Yasushi Fujimura, Fumihiro Nakajima
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Patent number: 9357149Abstract: An image sensor system has a first stitched image sensor part that has multiple image sensing pixels and pixel gates. The multiple pixel gates are connected together by a first line on the first stitched image sensor part, and said multiple pixel gates are controlled by a first control signal. A second stitched image sensor part also has multiple sensing pixels and pixel gates, and the multiple pixel gates are connected together by a second line on said second stitched image sensor part, and said multiple pixel gates on said second stitched image sensor part are controlled by the first control signal. A driver for the first control signal, wherein said driver includes a first part for controlling said multiple pixel gates of said first stitched image sensor part and said driver has a second part, also driven by the same first control signal, for controlling said multiple pixel gates of said second stitched image sensor part.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2013Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Forza Silicon CorporationInventors: Barmak Mansoorian, Daniel vanBlerkom, Loc Truong, David Estrada
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Patent number: 9341644Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensing device, including a laser arrangement configured to generate a light beam, a first waveguide configured to receive and output a first portion of the light beam, and a second waveguide having a section that is evanescently coupled to the first waveguide and configured to receive and output a second portion of the light beam. The section of the second waveguide is configured to be movable substantially parallel to the first waveguide, wherein a movement of the section of the second waveguide may be caused by an inertial change applied to the sensing device. The movement of the section may cause a detectable change in light intensity between the first and second portions of the light beam. Based on the detected change, the inertial change may be determined. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2013Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: David N. Hutchison, John Heck
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Patent number: 9341812Abstract: First and second amplifiers amplify a voltage value of a first signal and generate first and second amplified signals. Third and fourth amplifiers amplify the voltage value of a second signal and generate third and fourth amplified signals. A corrector corrects one of the first amplified signal and the second amplified signal based on a first correction function illustrating a relationship between the voltage value of the first amplified signal and the voltage value of the second amplified signal and generates one of a first corrected signal and a second corrected signal, and corrects one of the third amplified signal and the fourth amplified signal based on a second correction function illustrating a relationship between the voltage value of the third amplified signal and the voltage value of the fourth amplified signal and generates one of a third corrected signal and a fourth corrected signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2014Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATIONInventor: Shohei Udo
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Patent number: 9338383Abstract: Provided is a method for driving a solid-state imaging device. The solid-state imaging device including pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array of m columns in a horizontal scanning direction and n rows in a vertical scanning direction (n is an integer no less than 2 and m is a natural number). The method including ending a reset operation on pixels in an i-th row among the pixels when (i) a reset operation on pixels in an (i+1)-th row among the pixels is in progress or (ii) time elapsed from when the reset operation on the pixels in the (i+1)-th row is ended is less than one-frame capturing time, where i is an integer no less than 1 and no greater than (n?1).Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2013Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Motonori Ishii, Yoshihisa Kato
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Patent number: 9335251Abstract: An environmental sensor is disclosed. The environmental sensor includes a semiconductor substrate including a light sensor, a surface through which ambient light can pass to reach a light sensor and a light source operable to illuminate the surface, whereby at least some of the light from the light source is reflected by the surface onto the light sensor. The environmental sensor is operable to determine the presence of a fouling layer on the surface by comparing measurements of ambient light and reflected light by the at least one light sensor.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2013Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: NXP B.V.Inventors: Aly Aamer Syed, Manvi Agarwal
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Patent number: 9338376Abstract: As a reset transistor is turned on, an FD (Floating Diffusion) is reset to VDD and then stores charges transferred from a light receiving element. By a source-follower circuit formed by an amplifying transistor, a selection transistor and a current source, a voltage in accordance with a potential of FD is output to a data line. A second output circuit generates an output voltage VOUT in accordance with the potential of FD at an output node. Output transistors in output circuit are configured to generate a potential difference equivalent to the potential difference between FD and data line caused by the amplifying transistor and selection transistor, between data line and output node.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2013Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONInventor: Osamu Nishikido
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Patent number: 9329054Abstract: One aspect provides a system including a sensor adjustment component comprising: a memory device having adjustment information stored therein; signal source capable of producing a signal detectable by a sensor to be adjusted; and one or more processors; wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute program instructions to operate the signal source to produce a predetermined signal pattern detectable by a measurement component of the sensor to be adjusted; and wherein the predetermined signal pattern comprises the adjustment information. Other aspects are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2012Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: Hach CompanyInventors: David T. Crook, Areef A. Moin
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Patent number: 9331118Abstract: A photosensor has a masking layer having an opening over a central photodiode and a first adjacent photodiode, the first adjacent photodiode covered by the masking layer and located sufficiently near the central photodiode that at least some light admitted through the opening over the central photodiode reaches the first adjacent photodiode through the central photodiode. The photosensor also has a second adjacent photodiode; the second adjacent photodiode covered by the masking layer and located sufficiently near the first adjacent photodiode that at least some light admitted through the opening over the central photodiode is capable of reaching the second adjacent photodiode through the first adjacent photodiode. Circuitry is provided for reading the photodiodes and generating a blue, a green, and a red channel signal by processing signals read from the photodiodes.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2013Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Chin-Poh Pang
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Patent number: 9331293Abstract: A field effect transistor photodetector that can operate in room temperature includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, a channel to allow an electric current to flow between the drain and source electrodes, and a gate electrode to receive a bias voltage for controlling the current in the channel. The photodetector includes a light-absorbing material that absorbs light and traps electric charges. The light-absorbing material is configured to generate one or more charges upon absorbing light having a wavelength within a specified range and to hold the one or more charges. The one or more charges held in the light-absorbing material reduces the current flowing through the channel.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: NUtech VenturesInventors: Jinsong Huang, Yongbo Yuan
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Patent number: 9322777Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described for identifying, classifying, differentiating, etc., objects. For example a hyperspectral imaging system can include a dark-field module operably coupled to at least one of an optical assembly, a dark-field illuminator, and a hyperspectral imaging module. The dark-field module can include circuitry having one or more sensors operable to acquire one or more dark-field micrographs associated with scattered electromagnetic energy from an object interrogated by the dark-field interrogation stimulus. The hyperspectral imaging module can be operably coupled to the dark-field module, and can include circuitry configured to generate an angular-resolved and spectrally resolved scattering matrix based on the one or more dark-field micrographs of the object.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2012Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Tokitae LLCInventors: Michael C. Hegg, Benjamin K. Wilson
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Patent number: 9322675Abstract: An absolute encoder includes a scale having marks, a detector for detecting light modulated by some of the marks, and a processor. The marks include a first mark and at least two types of second marks. The first marks and the second marks are alternately arrayed. The processor specifies a signal range of a plurality of periods of output signals based on extrema of the output signals, obtains a data seq constituted by a plurality of quantized data based on based on a plurality of extrema, corresponding to the second marks, of the output signals within the signal range, obtains a phase based on periodic signals of the output signals within the signal range, and outputs data representing the absolute position based on the data sequence and the phase.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Takayuki Uozumi
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Patent number: 9322704Abstract: Composite active optical cables are provided. An active optical cable may include a plurality of optical fibers and one or more insulated electrical conductors. In some instances, the optical fibers may be positioned within a microtube. Additionally, in some instances, the electrical conductors may include stranded conductors. A jacket may also be formed around the optical fibers and the electrical conductors. A first optical to electrical converter may be positioned at a first end of the cable, and a second optical to electrical converter may be positioned at a distal end of the cable. Further, the conductors may be configured to carry a power signal from the first end of the cable to the distal end of the cable to power the second optical to electrical converter.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Superior Essex International LPInventor: Paul E. Neveux, Jr.
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Patent number: 9316536Abstract: A spatial frequency reproducing apparatus includes a light source, a first means for modulating a light emitted from the light source into two lights having different frequencies and separately irradiated adjacently, a second means for two-dimensionally scanning the two lights, a third means for irradiating an object under measurement with the two lights, a fourth means for receiving and converting into an electrical signal at least two or more divided lights from the object under measurement with a boundary line being interposed therebetween in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction separating the two lights, a fifth means for amplifying respective photoelectrically converted electrical signals while varying a degree of amplification according to frequencies thereof and generating a difference signal or a summation signal of the amplified signals, and a sixth means for obtaining a phase difference or an intensity difference of these signals to obtain a measurement value.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2014Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: ASTRODESIGN, INC.Inventors: Toshiharu Takesue, Shigeto Takeda, Nobuyuki Nishizawa, Tatsuho Arima, Shigeaki Suzuki
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Patent number: 9316534Abstract: A reconfigurable photonic integrated circuit focal plane array (RPIC-FPA) includes detectors and photonic integrated circuit coupled to the detectors that are configured to mix a return signal beam with local oscillator (LO) beams to produce a combined beam and direct the combined beam to the detectors. The LO beams have reconfigurable optical properties enabled by the RPIC-FPA. The LO beams are individually addressed to switch the detectors between a direct detection mode and various coherent detection modes based on adjustments to the optical properties of the LO beams. In the coherent detection mode, the controller is configured to mix the return signal beam with the LO beam having adjusted optical properties to produce the combined beam, and, in the direct detection mode, the controller is configured to disable the LO beams based on adjustments to the optical properties and to direct the return signal beam to the detectors without mixing.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2014Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Lockheed Martin Coherent Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Piotr Konrad Kondratko, Philip Gatt, John Glennon, Brian Carroll Redman, Paul Suni
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Patent number: 9313425Abstract: An image pickup device may include: an image capturing unit; a reference signal generation unit; a comparison unit that compares analog signals to the reference signal and ends the comparison process at a timing at which the reference signal satisfies a predetermined condition with respect to the analog signals; a clock generation unit; a latch unit that retains the low-order phase signal as a latch signal at a timing related to the end of the comparison process; a count unit that counts a signal related to one of the low-order phase signals and generates a high-order digital signal; a detection unit that generates a low-order digital signal by sequentially comparing logic states of a plurality of bits of the latch signal retained by the corresponding latch unit and encoding the latch signal; and an arithmetic unit that performs an arithmetic process.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2013Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventor: Yoshio Hagihara
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Patent number: 9305946Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, a plurality of signal processing units each corresponding to a column of the matrix, and a signal line. Each of the plurality of signal processing units includes a first capacitance and a second capacitance that hold a signal, a switch provided between the signal line and the first capacitance, a capacitance adjustment unit electrically connected to the second capacitance, and a connection unit configured to electrically connect the first capacitance provided to one of signal processing units to the second capacitance provided to another one of the signal processing units.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2013Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tatsuya Ryoki, Kazuki Ohshitanai
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Patent number: 9304035Abstract: An embodiment relates to a device comprising an optical pipe comprising a core and a cladding, the optical pipe being configured to separate wavelengths of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the optical pipe at a selective wavelength through the core and the cladding, wherein the core is configured to be both a channel to transmit the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength and an active element to detect the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength transmitted through the core. Other embodiments relate to a compound light detector.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2013Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: ZENA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Munib Wober, Thomas P. F. H. Wendling
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Patent number: 9304340Abstract: A method for measuring flicker value of a liquid crystal module and related device are proposed. The method includes: providing flicker images to a liquid crystal module; applying a measure unit to scan the liquid crystal module to convert luminance of the liquid crystal into voltage signals to obtain analog luminance signals of the liquid crystal module; receiving the analog luminance signals from the measure unit and converting the analog luminance signals of the measure unit into digital luminance signals; performing Fourier transformation of the digital luminance signals to obtain magnitude of specific frequency wave; obtaining flicker value of the liquid crystal module through the magnitude of specific frequency wave. By using the present invention, the common voltage signal applied on the liquid crystal module is adjusted based on the flicker value of the liquid crystal module measured in real time. Therefore quality of liquid crystal module products is raised.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2013Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., LtdInventors: Ye Dai, Chih-Tsung Kang
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Patent number: 9291497Abstract: In a sensor system including a plurality of photoelectric sensor units, a light projecting period arbitrarily determined in each type is provided and mutual interference is prevented between identical types. The sensor system includes the plurality of sensor units coupled by a connector unit while a signal can be transmitted. Each of the sensor units retains type information thereof, and sets a unique identification number by transmitting the signal to each other. Each sensor unit operates after a delay time determined according to the identification number thereof elapses with a synchronous signal as a starting point. The synchronous signal is transmitted with a predetermined period from the sensor unit having a specific identification number in the plurality of sensor units. The delay time of each sensor unit is determined such that an operating period is matched with a predetermined period determined in each piece of the type information.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: OMRON CORPORATIONInventors: Yusuke Iida, Koji Iguchi, Hideyuki Kishiba, Kiyohiko Gondo