Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus are described. In one embodiment, the apparatus is an optical navigation circuit. In particular, the optical navigation circuit may be part of an optical navigation device. The optical navigation circuit includes an image sensor, dynamic reconfiguration logic, and a digital signal processor. The image sensor includes a pixel array to generate a plurality of electrical signals corresponding to incident light at the pixel array. The dynamic reconfiguration logic is coupled to the image sensor. The dynamic reconfiguration logic is configured to receive the plurality of electrical signals from the pixel array and to generate a plurality of reconfigured electrical signals based on the plurality of electrical signals from the pixel array. The digital signal processor is coupled to the dynamic reconfiguration logic. The digital signal processor is configured to receive the plurality of reconfigured electrical signals from the dynamic reconfiguration logic.

Abstract: A system and method for performing optical navigation uses scattered light to produce frames of image data to estimate displacement with respect to a target surface. The scattered light is produced from an illumination beam of light emitted along a first optical axis onto the target surface. The illumination beam of light also produces a specularly reflected beam of light along a second optical axis. The scattered light about a third optical axis, which is offset by a predefined angle with respect to the second optical axis, is received at an image sensor array to produce the frames of image.

Abstract: A sensor senses an environmental condition. The sensor includes a film bulk acoustic resonator that includes a layer of material that causes resonant frequency and/or quality factor shifts of the film bulk acoustic resonator in response to changes in the environmental condition. The environmental condition may be relative humidity and the layer of material may be a moisture absorptive material.

Abstract: A wafer-level device fabrication process forms standing structures around emitting areas of multiple VCSELs. The standing structures can be shaped to hold ball lenses or other optical elements for respective VCSELs or can include platforms on which optical elements are formed. Ball lenses that are attached to the standing structures either during chip-level or wafer-level processes fit into the standing structures and are automatically aligned. Wafer level fabrication of optical elements can align the optical elements with accuracies associated with photolithographic processes. The optical elements can be formed using a molding or replication process, a printing method, or surface tension during a reflow of lithographically formed regions.

Abstract: A system and method for performing optical navigation uses scattered light to produce frames of image data to estimate displacement with respect to a target surface. The scattered light is produced from an illumination beam of light emitted along a first optical axis onto the target surface. The illumination beam of light also produces a specularly reflected beam of light along a second optical axis. The scattered light about a third optical axis, which is offset by a predefined angle with respect to the second optical axis, is received at an image sensor array to produce the frames of image.

Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus are described. In one embodiment, the apparatus is an optical navigation circuit. In particular, the optical navigation circuit may be part of an optical navigation device. The optical navigation circuit includes an image sensor, dynamic reconfiguration logic, and a digital signal processor. The image sensor includes a pixel array to generate a plurality of electrical signals corresponding to incident light at the pixel array. The dynamic reconfiguration logic is coupled to the image sensor. The dynamic reconfiguration logic is configured to receive the plurality of electrical signals from the pixel array and to generate a plurality of reconfigured electrical signals based on the plurality of electrical signals from the pixel array. The digital signal processor is coupled to the dynamic reconfiguration logic. The digital signal processor is configured to receive the plurality of reconfigured electrical signals from the dynamic reconfiguration logic.

Abstract: An optoelectronic system for measuring fluorescence or luminescence emission decay, including (a) a light source being a light emitting diode, a semiconductor laser or a flash tube; (b) a first integrated circuit comprising at least one circuit causing the light source to emit light pulses towards a sample which causes a fluorescence or luminescence emission from the sample; (c) a photodiode detecting the emission; (d) a second integrated circuit comprising a detection analysis system determining information about the sample by analyzing decay of the detected emission; and (e) an enclosure enclosing the light source, the first integrated circuit, the second integrated circuit and the photodiode.

Abstract: A sensor senses an environmental condition. The sensor includes a film bulk acoustic resonator that includes a layer of material that causes resonant frequency and/or quality factor shifts of the film bulk acoustic resonator in response to changes in the environmental condition. The environmental condition may be relative humidity and the layer of material may be a moisture absorptive material.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an inertia sensing system, an optical motion sensing system, and a processing system. The inertia sensing system generates inertial data indicative of movement in relation to an inertial reference frame. The optical motion sensing system generates optical data from received light. The processing system determines movement measures from the inertial data. The processing system also select one of an in-motion output state and a motionless output state based on the optical data. During the in-motion output state, the processing system produces an output corresponding to the movement measures. During the motionless output state, the processing system produces an output indicative of zero motion regardless of the inertial data.

Abstract: A wafer-level device fabrication process forms standing structures around emitting areas of multiple VCSELs. The standing structures can be shaped to hold ball lenses or other optical elements for respective VCSELs or can include platforms on which optical elements are formed. Ball lenses that are attached to the standing structures either during chip-level or wafer-level processes fit into the standing structures and are automatically aligned. Wafer level fabrication of optical elements can align the optical elements with accuracies associated with photolithographic processes. The optical elements can be formed using a molding or replication process, a printing method, or surface tension during a reflow of lithographically formed regions.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element is positioned in an optical path between a coherent light source and a surface. The diffractive optical element is designed to disperse the light across one or more spots on the surface in a manner designed to create speckle patterns having substantially uniform intensities.

Abstract: A surface sensing system including at least two sensors located on the end of the same optical fiber. The sensors are configured such that they exhibit resonant frequencies or Q-factors that are distinguishable from each other, where the Q-factor is defined as the resonant frequency divided by the resonance spectrum at full-width half maximum (FWHM). Because the sensors have distinguishable resonant frequencies or Q-factors and are located on the end of the same optical fiber, they can be monitored in parallel with little or no optical interference.

Abstract: The optical wavelength standard comprises a diffraction grating having a diffractive surface, an input arrangement and an output optical arrangement. The input optical arrangement is located to illuminate the diffractive surface of the diffraction grating with incident light at an angle of incidence at which absorption of the incident light at a resonance wavelength generates surface plasmons. The output optical arrangement is located to receive the incident light specularly reflected from the diffractive surface of the diffraction grating as reflected light. The reflected light includes an absorption line at the resonance wavelength. The absorption line provides the wavelength reference. The resonance wavelength is defined by the angle of incidence and the physical characteristics of the diffraction grating. A desired resonance wavelength can be obtained by appropriately defining the angle of incidence and the physical characteristics of the diffraction grating.

Abstract: An optical imaging system and method for achieving a large depth of field without decreasing the relative aperture of an imaging lens. The imaging system has a light source for sequentially illuminating an object to be imaged with light of different ones of a plurality of wavelengths, and an imaging lens that has a focal length that varies with the wavelength of the light that illuminates the object. For each wavelength of light by which the object is illuminated, the imaging lens will image a different object plane onto an image receiving unit, and the image receiving unit will capture one well-focused, high resolution image of the object.

Abstract: Selective area stamping of optical elements may be performed to make multiple micro-optic components on one or two sides of a substrate may be fabricated using a batch process. The presence of molding material may be controlled on the substrate through the use of gaps.

Abstract: The optical waveguide device comprises two optical waveguides and an optical coupler extending between the adjacent ends of the waveguides. The optical coupler comprises material that includes a waveguide region. The waveguide region has a shape defined by overlapping cones of light emitted from the ends of the optical waveguides. In the optical alignment method, first and second optical waveguides are axially aligned, leaving a gap between their adjacent ends. The gap is filled with material having a refractive index capable of being increased by exposing the material to light. The material is exposed to conical beams of light emitted from the adjacent ends of the waveguides. Exposing the material increases the refractive index of the material in a region in which the beams of light overlap. The resulting refractive index difference prevents light from diverging as it propagating across the gap between adjacent ends of the optical waveguides.

Abstract: An encoded patterned microbead of polymeric material capable of linking to a ligand molecule, a process for fabricating patterned microbeads, a reader to read the patterned microbead, and methods to produce the patterned microbead are disclosed. A unique identifier is written to the encoded patterned microbead according to one of several well-known techniques. A reader of the present invention, as well as conventional readers, read the encoded patterned microbeads.

Abstract: An apparatus for coupling light from a light source into an optical waveguide having an entrance aperture for receiving light to be transmitted by the waveguide. The entrance aperture has a numerical aperture that may vary over the aperture. The apparatus includes an optical element that conditions the light from the light source and a diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element generates a plurality of light spots from the light source. The light from each light spot enters the entrance aperture of the waveguide at a different point on the entrance aperture. Each of the light spots has a numerical aperture that is less than the numerical aperture of the entrance aperture at the point on the entrance aperture at which the light from that light spots enters the entrance aperture.

Abstract: An apparatus for coupling light from a light source into an optical waveguide having an entrance aperture for receiving light to be transmitted by the waveguide. The entrance aperture has a numerical aperture that may vary over the aperture. The apparatus includes an optical element that conditions the light from the light source and a diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element generates a plurality of light spots from the light source. The light from each light spot enters the entrance aperture of the waveguide at a different point on the entrance aperture. Each of the light spots has a numerical aperture that is less than the numerical aperture of the entrance aperture at the point on the entrance aperture at which the light from that light spots enters the entrance aperture.

Abstract: The hologram card generates a hologram image in response to an illumination light beam. The hologram card comprises a substrate of a first plastic material having a first refractive index. The substrate has a contoured surface. The contoured surface is formed to include localized topological features constituting a diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element is structured to generate a hologram image when illuminated by the illumination light beam. The hologram card also comprises a protective layer of a second plastic material having a second refractive index that differs from the first refractive index by less than 0.2. The protective layer covers the contoured surface of the substrate. The protective layer is chemically bonded to, and directly contacts, at least the topological features constituting the diffractive optical element.