Patents by Inventor Bahram Afshari
Bahram Afshari has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9874774Abstract: Methods and apparatus for testing operation of a single or multiple tunable active optical device(s) operated by one or more driving electrodes are described. Test methods and apparatus are provided for device testing without necessarily requiring direct physical contact with the driving electrodes. Testing subjects devices to incident light along an optical path and to an external electric field applied to the device producing a dipolar charge distribution within the electrodes, causing the device to operate. The effect of device operation on incident light is optically sensed. The sensed effect is analyzed to identify device defects. Test methods and apparatus are provided for testing multiple unsingulated devices during fabrication employing a strip contact structure having contact strips connected to multiple devices and extending to wafer edges, such that singulating devices leaves portions of the strip contact structure exposed on device dice edges providing electrical contacts in use.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2015Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: LENSVECTOR INC.Inventors: Bahram Afshari, Karen Asatryan, Peter P Clark, Tigran Galstian, Michael J. Nystrom, Vladimir Presniakov, Sergei Yakovenko, Armen Zohrabyan
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Patent number: 9239479Abstract: A tunable liquid crystal optical device is described. The optical device has an electrode arrangement associated with a liquid crystal cell and includes a hole patterned electrode, wherein control of the liquid crystal cell depends on electrical characteristics of liquid crystal optical device layers. The optical device further has a circuit for measuring said electrical characteristics of the liquid crystal optical device layers, and a drive signal circuit having at least one parameter adjusted as a function of the measured electrical characteristics. The drive signal circuit generates a control signal for the electrode arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2011Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: LENSVECTOR INC.Inventors: Behzad Khodadad, Michael J. Nystrom, Bahram Afshari, Karen Asatryan, Tigran Galstian
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Publication number: 20150346524Abstract: Methods and apparatus for testing operation of a single or multiple tunable active optical device(s) operated by one or more driving electrodes are described. Test methods and apparatus are provided for device testing without necessarily requiring direct physical contact with the driving electrodes. Testing subjects devices to incident light along an optical path and to an external electric field applied to the device producing a dipolar charge distribution within the electrodes, causing the device to operate. The effect of device operation on incident light is optically sensed. The sensed effect is analyzed to identify device defects. Test methods and apparatus are provided for testing multiple unsingulated devices during fabrication employing a strip contact structure having contact strips connected to multiple devices and extending to wafer edges, such that singulating devices leaves portions of the strip contact structure exposed on device dice edges providing electrical contacts in use.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventors: Bahram AFSHARI, Karen ASATRYAN, Peter P. CLARK, Tigran GALSTIAN, Michael J. NYSTROM, Vladimir PRESNIAKOV, Sergei YAKOVENKO, Armen ZOHRABYAN
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Patent number: 9140920Abstract: Methods and apparatus for testing operation of a single or multiple tunable active optical device(s) operated by one or more driving electrodes are described Test methods and apparatus are provided for device testing without necessarily requiring direct physical contact with the driving electrodes Testing subjects devices to incident light along an optical path and to an external electric field applied to the device producing a dipolar charge distribution within the electrodes, causing the device to operate The effect of device operation on incident light is optically sensed The sensed effect is analyzed to identify device defects Test methods and apparatus are provided for testing multiple unsingulated devices during fabrication employing a strip contact structure having contact strips connected to multiple devices and extending to wafer edges, such that singulating devices leaves portions of the strip contact structure exposed on device dice edges providing electrical contacts in use.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2010Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: LensVector, Inc.Inventors: Bahram Afshari, Karen Asatryan, Peter P. Clark, Tigran Galstian, Michael J. Nystrom, Vladimir Presniakov, Sergei Yakovenko, Armen Zohrabyan
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Patent number: 8891006Abstract: A wafer level camera module can be easily connected to a host device via mounting surface contacts. The module includes an electrically controllable active optical element and a flexible printed circuit that provides electrical connection between the optical element and surface conductors on a mounting surface of the module. The surface conductors can be a group of solder balls, and the module can have another group of solder balls that make connection to another electrical component of the module, such as an image sensor. All of the solder balls can be coplanar in a predetermined grid pattern, and all of the components of the device can be surrounded by a housing such that the camera module is an easily mounted ball grid array type package.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2011Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: LensVector, Inc.Inventors: Bahram Afshari, John Toor, Samuel Wennyann Ho
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Patent number: 8854527Abstract: An electrically controllable optical lens apparatus makes use of fixed lenses and an active optical element together in a lens enclosure. The enclosure may be a barrel structure that is easily mounted to a camera device having an image sensor. The active optical element, such as a tunable liquid crystal lens, receives an electrical signal from the camera device via electrical conductors integral with the lens enclosure that provide electrical pathways between the active element on the interior of the enclosure and surface contacts on the camera device. The enclosure may be a two-piece structure, and the electrical conductors may be attached to either piece of the structure. The lens enclosure may also be threaded for attachment to the camera device. The electrical conductors may also use spring loaded contact portions or molded interconnect devices.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2010Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Lensvector, Inc.Inventors: Bahram Afshari, John Toor, Samuel Wennyann Ho, Peter Clark
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Publication number: 20130250197Abstract: A tunable liquid crystal optical device is described. The optical device has an electrode arrangement associated with a liquid crystal cell and includes a hole patterned electrode, wherein control of the liquid crystal cell depends on electrical characteristics of liquid crystal optical device layers. The optical device further has a circuit for measuring said electrical characteristics of the liquid crystal optical device layers, and a drive signal circuit having at least one parameter adjusted as a function of the measured electrical characteristics. The drive signal circuit generates a control signal for the electrode arrangement.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2011Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: LENSVECTOR INC.Inventors: Behzad Khodadad, Michael J. Nystrom, Bahram Afshari, Karen Asatryan, Tigran Galstian
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Publication number: 20130033673Abstract: Methods and apparatus for testing operation of a single or multiple tunable active optical device(s) operated by one or more driving electrodes are described Test methods and apparatus are provided for device testing without necessarily requiring direct physical contact with the driving electrodes Testing subjects devices to incident light along an optical path and to an external electric field applied to the device producing a dipolar charge distribution within the electrodes, causing the device to operate The effect of device operation on incident light is optically sensed The sensed effect is analyzed to identify device defects Test methods and apparatus are provided for testing multiple unsingulated devices during fabrication employing a strip contact structure having contact strips connected to multiple devices and extending to wafer edges, such that singulating devices leaves portions of the strip contact structure exposed on device dice edges providing electrical contacts in use.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2010Publication date: February 7, 2013Applicant: LENSVECTOR, INC.Inventors: Bahram Afshari, Karen Asatryan, Peter P. Clark, Tigran Galstian, Michael J. Nystrom, Vladimir Presniakov, Sergei Yakovenko, Armen Zohrabyan
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Publication number: 20120200764Abstract: A focus free camera module uses fixed lenses within a housing that are combined with an electrically controllable active optical element, such as a tunable liquid crystal lens. The fixed lenses provide a desired amount of optical power, but the manufacturing tolerances of the module are insufficient to ensure a proper focus of an image on an image sensor. The active optical element is therefore used to compensate for any variations in the optical power to achieve the desired focus. To ensure an effective compensation, the module may be constructed so that, when the variation in optical power due to manufacturing tolerances is at a maximum, the desired focus is achieved when the active optical element is at zero optical power. All other variations may then be compensated by adjusting the active optical element to increase its optical power.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2010Publication date: August 9, 2012Applicant: LENSVECTOR INC.Inventors: Bahram Afshari, John Toor, Peter P Clark, Samuel Wennyann Ho
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Publication number: 20120140101Abstract: A wafer level camera module can be easily connected to a host device via mounting surface contacts. The module includes an electrically controllable active optical element and a flexible printed circuit that provides electrical connection between the optical element and surface conductors on a mounting surface of the module. The surface conductors can be a group of solder balls, and the module can have another group of solder balls that make connection to another electrical component of the module, such as an image sensor. All of the solder balls can be coplanar in a predetermined grid pattern, and all of the components of the device can be surrounded by a housing such that the camera module is an easily mounted ball grid array type package.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2011Publication date: June 7, 2012Applicant: LENSVECTOR, INC.Inventors: Bahram AFSHARI, John Toor, Samuel Wennyann Ho
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Publication number: 20120092543Abstract: An electrically controllable optical lens apparatus makes use of fixed lenses and an active optical element together in a lens enclosure. The enclosure may be a barrel structure that is easily mounted to a camera device having an image sensor. The active optical element, such as a tunable liquid crystal lens, receives an electrical signal from the camera device via electrical conductors integral with the lens enclosure that provide electrical pathways between the active element on the interior of the enclosure and surface contacts on the camera device. The enclosure may be a two-piece structure, and the electrical conductors may be attached to either piece of the structure. The lens enclosure may also be threaded for attachment to the camera device. The electrical conductors may also use spring loaded contact portions or molded interconnect devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2010Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: LENSVECTOR INC.Inventors: Bahram Afshari, John Toor, Samuel Wennyann Ho, Peter Clark
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Patent number: 7983556Abstract: A novel digital camera module includes an image capture device, a lens unit including a body, a housing including an opening for receiving the lens unit and positioning the lens unit with respect to the image capture device, and a contaminant trap formed by an isolated annular space between the lens unit and the opening of the housing. In a particular embodiment, the opening of the housing includes surfaces having at least two different perimeters, the smaller of which slidably engages the outer surface of the lens unit. The contaminant trap collects and contains any contaminants before they reach vulnerable components such as the image capture device and/or other optical components within the camera module.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2007Date of Patent: July 19, 2011Assignee: Flextronics AP LLCInventors: Lothar R. Westerweck, Albert John Y. Chua, Bahram Afshari, Dennis R. Berube, John W. Toor, Elaine B. Bogue
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Patent number: 7773876Abstract: A novel digital camera module includes an image capture device, a lens unit, a housing including an opening for receiving the lens unit and positioning the lens unit with respect to the image capture device, and a boot coupled the lens unit and the housing. In a particular embodiment, the boot includes an upper end and a lower end, each of which has a different outer perimeter. In another particular embodiment, a portion of the inner surface of the boot remains free of contact from the outer surface of the lens unit. In another particular embodiment, the lower end of the boot extends beyond the lower end of the lens unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2007Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Flextronics AP LLCInventors: Lothar R. Westerweck, Albert John Y. Chua, Bahram Afshari
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Publication number: 20080159734Abstract: A novel digital camera module includes an image capture device, a lens unit, a housing including an opening for receiving the lens unit and positioning the lens unit with respect to the image capture device, and a boot coupled the lens unit and the housing. In a particular embodiment, the boot includes an upper end and a lower end, each of which has a different outer perimeter. In another particular embodiment, a portion of the inner surface of the boot remains free of contact from the outer surface of the lens unit. In another particular embodiment, the lower end of the boot extends beyond the lower end of the lens unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2007Publication date: July 3, 2008Inventors: Lothar R. Westerweck, Albert John Y. Chua, Bahram Afshari
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Publication number: 20080152339Abstract: A novel digital camera module includes an image capture device, a lens unit including a body, a housing including an opening for receiving the lens unit and positioning the lens unit with respect to the image capture device, and a contaminant trap formed by an isolated annular space between the lens unit and the opening of the housing. In a particular embodiment, the opening of the housing includes surfaces having at least two different perimeters, the smaller of which slidably engages the outer surface of the lens unit. The contaminant trap collects and contains any contaminants before they reach vulnerable components such as the image capture device and/or other optical components within the camera module.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2007Publication date: June 26, 2008Inventors: Lothar R. Westerweck, Albert John Y. Chua, Bahram Afshari, Dennis R. Berube, John W. Toor, Elaine B. Bogue
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Patent number: 7329861Abstract: An integrally packaged imaging module includes an integrated circuit (IC), including an image sensing device formed on a semiconductor substrate, and wafer level packaging enclosing the IC. The wafer level packaging includes a transparent enclosure portion adapted to permit image acquisition of an image by the image sensing device over a desired range of wavelengths, and a first spacing structure providing a cavity between an inner surface of the transparent enclosure portion and the image sensing device. A depth of the cavity is configurable along an axis perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate to control a distance between an outer surface of the transparent enclosure portion and the image sensing device.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2003Date of Patent: February 12, 2008Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Guolin Ma, Bahram Afshari
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Patent number: 7129459Abstract: A wire-bondable image sensor having an integral contaminant shadowing reduction structure is described. In one aspect, an image sensor includes a substrate that has a side supporting at least one imaging area and at least one wirebonding area. Light detectors are constructed and arranged to receive light through the imaging area. Bond pads are exposed in the wirebonding area for connecting to respective bond wires. A contaminant shadowing reduction structure on the imaging area has an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging area and separated from the imaging area by a distance of at least 300 ?m. The contaminant shadowing reduction structure is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor. Methods of making the above-mentioned image sensor also are described.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2004Date of Patent: October 31, 2006Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Guolin Ma, Bahram Afshari, Jason Hartlove
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Publication number: 20060138304Abstract: A wire-bondable image sensor having an integral contaminant shadowing reduction structure is described. In one aspect, an image sensor includes a substrate that has a side supporting at least one imaging area and at least one wirebonding area. Light detectors are constructed and arranged to receive light through the imaging area. Bond pads are exposed in the wirebonding area for connecting to respective bond wires. A contaminant shadowing reduction structure on the imaging area has an exposed contaminant displacement surface over the imaging area and separated from the imaging area by a distance of at least 300 ?m. The contaminant shadowing reduction structure is substantially transparent to radiation within an operative wavelength range specified for the image sensor. Methods of making the above-mentioned image sensor also are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2004Publication date: June 29, 2006Inventors: Guolin Ma, Bahram Afshari, Jason Hartlove
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Publication number: 20050077458Abstract: An integrally packaged imaging module includes an integrated circuit (IC), including an image sensing device formed on a semiconductor substrate, and wafer level packaging enclosing the IC. The wafer level packaging includes a transparent enclosure portion adapted to permit image acquisition of an image by the image sensing device over a desired range of wavelengths, and a first spacing structure providing a cavity between an inner surface of the transparent enclosure portion and the image sensing device. A depth of the cavity is configurable along an axis perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate to control a distance between an outer surface of the transparent enclosure portion and the image sensing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2003Publication date: April 14, 2005Inventors: Guolin Ma, Bahram Afshari
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Patent number: 5585671Abstract: A flip-chip IC package (10) provides a thermally-conductive lid (20) attached to a backside of the chip (12) by a die attach layer (18) of a predetermined thickness range. A rim (22), preferably KOVAR iron-nickel alloy, is formed on the lid (20) with a depth (44) less than a sum (42) of a thickness of the chip, the interconnects (16), and a minimum final thickness (40) of the die attach layer (18) by a predetermined margin (46). An initial thickness of thermally-filled epoxy is applied to the backside of the chip and a layer of lid attach epoxy (24) is applied to the rim of the lid in a thickness sufficient to span the predetermined margin. The lid is floated on the die attach layer (18) with the rim of the lid surrounding the chip and floating on the lid attach material. The lid is clamped against the chip with a force sufficient to compress the die attach material to a predetermined thickness in a range less than the initial thickness and not less than the minimum final thickness (40).Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1994Date of Patent: December 17, 1996Inventors: Voddarahalli K. Nagesh, Kim H. Chen, Cheng-Cheng Chang, Bahram Afshari, Jacques Leibovitz