With Plural Diverse Test Or Art Patents (Class 356/72)
  • Patent number: 10627338
    Abstract: A camera-based photoacoustic remote sensing system (C-PARS) for imaging a subsurface and deep structures in a sample, has an excitation beam configured to generate ultrasonic signals in the sample at an excitation location; an interrogation beam incident on the sample at the excitation location, a portion of the interrogation beam returning from the sample that is indicative of the generated ultrasonic signals; a camera to map the returning portion of the interrogation beam over the entire field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: illumiSonics Inc.
    Inventors: Parsin Haji Reza, Roger Zemp
  • Patent number: 10598562
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a natural gas leak detection system generates display content including indicators of remote and local potential leak source areas situated on a map of an area of a gas concentration measurement survey performed by a vehicle-borne device. The remote area may be shaped as a wedge extending upwind from an associated gas concentration measurement point. The local area graphically represents a potential local leak source area situated around the gas concentration measurement point, and having a boundary within a predetermined distance (e.g. 10 meters) of the gas concentration measurement point. The local area may be represented as a circle, ellipse, or other shape, and may include an area downwind from the measurement point. Size and/or shape parameters of the local area indicator may be determined according to survey vehicle speed and direction data, and/or wind speed and direction data characterizing the measurement point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Picarro Inc.
    Inventors: David Steele, Chris W. Rella, Sze M. Tan, Aaron Van Pelt
  • Patent number: 10591515
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide a non-contact current measurement system which operates to measure alternating current flowing through an insulated wire without requiring galvanic contact with the insulated wire. The measurement system may include a magnetic field sensor that is selectively positionable proximate an insulated wire under test. In operation the magnetic field sensor detects a magnetic field generated by the current flowing in the insulated wire. Using an adjustable clamp assembly, the measurement system provides control over the mechanical positioning of the insulated wire relative to the magnetic field sensor to ensure consistent measurements. The non-contact current measurement system may determine information relating to the physical dimensions (e.g., diameter) of the insulated wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Fluke Corporation
    Inventors: Ricardo Rodriguez, David L. Epperson, Ronald Steuer, Jeffrey Worones
  • Patent number: 10593180
    Abstract: A smoke alarm has a housing with a heating device for heating walls of the housing to a temperature above the dew point. The heating device has at least one heating light emitting diode (LED). The heating LED has an opening angle for the emission of light, which opening angle leads to an irradiated area of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Diehl Aviation Gilching GmbH
    Inventors: Karl Albrecht Hopfe, Jan Boris Philipp
  • Patent number: 10571250
    Abstract: Problem: To provide a device, system, method, and program able to easily measure retroreflective coefficients using a commercially available mobile terminal having an imaging unit. Resolution Means: A device is provided that has an imaging unit for capturing an image of a target object, an observation angle acquiring unit for acquiring an observation angle determined by a positional relationship between the imaging unit, a light source for emitting light for capture and the target object, an entrance angle acquiring unit for acquiring an entrance angle of light emitted for capture incident on the target object, a converting unit for converting image data of an image to a luminance value of the target object using capture information of the image, and a calculating unit for calculating a value of a retroreflective coefficient of the target object based on an illuminance value and the luminance value of the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Fumio Karasawa, Andreas M. Geldmacher, Guruprasad Somasundaram
  • Patent number: 10569105
    Abstract: A method is described, including acquiring, using a camera, an image of a radiation beam incident on a phantom, the radiation beam being emitted by a radiation source. The method further includes determining a beam pointing offset based on the image and calibrating a position of the radiation source based on the beam pointing offset. A calibration system is described including the phantom, the camera, and a processing device. A phantom having an X-ray luminescent material is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Accuray Incorporated
    Inventors: Warren Kilby, Petr Jordan, John Noll, Calvin Maurer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10564019
    Abstract: The invention is a gas flowmeter that produces precise flow measurements at low-flowrate ranges (for example, between 0.25 mL/min to 5,000 mL/min). It uses an infrared (“IR”) beam to detect the passing of a gas bubble through a liquid within a glass column. A “broken” beam is detected by the microcontroller for each passing of a bubble. This ability to allow the IR beam to be broken exactly at the passing of a bubble is made possible by the slit-over-slit design at the sides of the glass column and the column holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: University of Louisiana at Lafayette
    Inventors: Dhan Lord B. Fortela, Kyle S. Farmer, Nicholas S. Marcil, Wayne W. Sharp
  • Patent number: 10488260
    Abstract: A compact, portable Raman spectrometer makes fast, sensitive standoff measurements at little to no risk of eye injury or igniting the materials being probed. This spectrometer uses differential Raman spectroscopy and ambient light measurements to measure point-and-shoot Raman signatures of dark or highly fluorescent materials at distances of 1 cm to 10 m or more. It scans the Raman pump beam(s) across the sample to reduce the risk of unduly heating or igniting the sample. Beam scanning also transforms the spectrometer into an instrument with a lower effective safety classification, reducing the risk of eye injury. The spectrometer's long standoff range automatic focusing make it easier to identify chemicals through clear and translucent obstacles, such as flow tubes, windows, and containers. And the spectrometer's components are light and small enough to be packaged in a handheld housing or housing suitable for a small robot to carry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Pendar Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Romain Blanchard, Peili Chen, Masud Azimi, Tobias Mansuripur, Kalyani Krishnamurthy, Arran M. Bibby, Fred R. Huettig, III, Gokhan Ulu, Greg Vander Rhodes
  • Patent number: 10451546
    Abstract: We present here systems and methods for generating a heterodyne signal using the naturally occurring chirp of a pulsed single-mode laser. The electrical square-wave pulse used to drive the laser heats the laser cavity, causing the laser frequency to change or chirp during the emission of the optical pulse. This chirped optical pulse can be split into a chirped signal pulse that interacts with a sample and a chirped reference pulse that interferes with the chirped signal pulse on a detector to produce a heterodyne modulation whose instantaneous phase and amplitude depend on the sample's dispersion and absorption, respectively. The chirp is reproducible, so the heterodyne modulation, instantaneous phase, and/or instantaneous amplitude can be average over many measurements, either with multiple pulses from the same laser or multiple pulses from different lasers, each emitting at a different wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Pendar Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Romain Blanchard, Tobias Mansuripur
  • Patent number: 10445880
    Abstract: Methods for label-free characterization of untagged molecules within a biological sample in-situ. The untagged molecules may be constituent of extracellular vesicles, and are excited in the biological sample with at least one wavelength band of light derived from a single stream of optical pulses. Light emitted by the untagged molecules by SHG, THG, 2PAF and 3PAF processes is detected. Separate measures of the biological sample corresponding to light emitted by the untagged molecules in each of the SHG, THG, 2PAF and 3PAF processes are derived. On that basis, normal extracellular vesicles may be differentiated from extracellular vesicles associated with a tumor on the basis of a specified signature of characteristics of images of SHG, THG, 2PAF and 3PAF processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Stephen A. Boppart, Haohua Tu, Sixian You, Yuan Liu
  • Patent number: 10418289
    Abstract: A method performed by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes calculating, by a processor of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, 3 standard deviations of process condition measurements obtained at a predetermined interval from log information of processing of substrates that have been correctly processed, calculating at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit for anomaly detection based on the calculated 3 standard deviations, and detecting an anomaly in the processing of the substrates based on the at least one of the upper limit and the lower limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ogi, Hiroaki Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 10401300
    Abstract: A defect observation method for observing a defect on a sample detected by another inspection device with a scanning electron microscope including the steps of: optically detecting the defect using the position information for the defect: illuminating the sample including the defect with an illumination intensity pattern having periodic intensity variation in two dimensions by irradiating a plurality of illumination light beams onto the surface of the sample while phase modulating the light beams in a single direction and successively moving the light beams in small movements in a direction different from the single direction, imaging the surface of the sample that is illuminated by the illumination intensity pattern having periodic intensity variation in two dimensions and includes the defect detected by the other inspection device, and detecting the defect detected by the other inspection device from the image obtained through the imaging of the surface of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yuko Otani, Yuta Urano, Toshifumi Honda
  • Patent number: 10405401
    Abstract: A luminaire comprising: at least one light source arranged to emit light to illuminate an outdoor environment of the luminaire; at least one sensor, each of the at least one sensor arranged to provide a sensor output signal; a control module arranged to receive the sensor output signal from each of the at least one sensor and configured to communicate with a component of the luminaire based on the at least one sensor output signal; and a precipitation detection module arranged to receive the at least one sensor output signal and configured to detect occurrence of precipitation in the outdoor environment based on the at least one sensor output signal and control the light emitted from the at least one light source based on said detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Ruben Rajagopalan, Harry Broers
  • Patent number: 10382684
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a sensor controller and a distance calculator. The sensor controller acquires a target image and a first reference image. The point spread function (PSF) of the target image is point-asymmetric, and the PSF of the first reference image being point-symmetric. The image sensor receives light having passed through a filter region that changes PSFs for sensor images of at least one kind into point-asymmetric forms, and then generates the target image for which a PSF has been changed into a point-asymmetric form by the filter region, and the first reference image that is not the target image. The distance calculator calculates the distance to an object captured in the target image and the first reference image, in accordance with the correlations each between an image obtained by convoluting a blur kernel to the target images and the first reference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yusuke Moriuchi, Nao Mishima
  • Patent number: 10366276
    Abstract: An information processing device which processes information regarding a 3D model corresponding to a target object, includes a template creator that creates a template in which feature information and 3D locations are associated with each other, the feature information representing a plurality of 2D locations included in a contour obtained through a projection of the prepared 3D model onto a virtual plane based on a viewpoint, and the 3D locations corresponding to the 2D locations and being represented in a 3D coordinate system, the template being correlated with the viewpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alex Levinshtein, Guoyi Fu
  • Patent number: 10355446
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electromagnetic radiation source to produce single mode operation having an optimized side-mode suppression ratio over a set of wavelengths within a prescribed temporal profile. The electromagnetic radiation source is configured to output electromagnetic radiation at a given wavelength based upon parameters. The method includes determining a set of parameter combinations that satisfy a condition for a desired set of wavelengths and a minimum side mode suppression ratio over the range of wavelengths. The set of parameter combinations define sub-paths for nearly arbitrary transitions from one wavelength to another wavelength. Combinations of select sub-paths provide a multivariate path for transitioning over the range of wavelengths. The method also includes controlling the semiconductor laser to emit electromagnetic radiation over the range of wavelengths by traversing the multivariate path in a desired manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: INSIGHT PHOTONIC SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jason Ensher, Christopher Wood, Michael Minneman
  • Patent number: 10340128
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a manufacturing apparatus for an integrated circuit device includes an etching treatment unit, a sensor, and a control unit. The etching treatment unit etches a stacked body including an alternately arranged plurality of films having different compositions. The sensor detects light intensity in the etching. The control unit acquires data concerning a temporal change in the light intensity detected by the sensor and performs control of the etching based on a time interval of a plurality of extreme values of the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yazawa
  • Patent number: 10312050
    Abstract: Disclosed is a holder device for an electron microscope, which efficiently collects light emitted when electrons collide with a sample inside the electron microscope and is selectively usable in various electron microscopes since it can be easily attached to and detached from the electron microscopes. The holder device includes a frame; a sample support block configured to be supported on the frame and comprising a sample mounting portion to support an edge of a sample; a mirror unit configured to comprise an upper mirror and a lower mirror respectively arranged above and below the sample and reflect light radiating from the sample, which is mounted to the sample mounting portion and to which an electron beam is emitted, in a predetermined direction; a condensing lens configured to condense light from the mirror unit on a predetermined target; and an optical fiber configured to collect light from the condensing lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: SNU R&DB Foundation
    Inventors: Young Woon Kim, Sung Dae Kim
  • Patent number: 10273619
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance and a method operating a laundry treating appliance having a dye sensor configured to output a signal indicative of the amount of dye within liquid in the treating chamber, a controller having a memory in which is stored a set of executable instructions including at least one user-selectable cycle of operation, and a user interface operably coupled with the controller and providing an input and output function for the controller and provide information related to a dye release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Farhad Ashrafzadeh, Claudio Civanelli, Sarah E. Ihne
  • Patent number: 10215626
    Abstract: A measurement wafer device for measuring radiation intensity and temperature includes a wafer assembly including one or more cavities. The measurement wafer device further includes a detector assembly. The detector assembly includes one or more light sensors. The detector assembly is further configured to perform a direct or indirect measurement of the intensity of ultraviolet light incident on a surface of the wafer assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Mei Sun, Earl Jensen, Kevin O'Brien
  • Patent number: 10175384
    Abstract: A probe is provided that contacts the inner surface of the casing or other production tubing and imparts energy to the surface at the contact point, for example as heat energy or mechanical energy. Energy is imparted around the circumference of the casing, and a fiber optic distributed sensor located on the outer surface of the casing is used to measure and record the energy that it receives while the probe is moved to impart energy around the circumference. A record of energy versus position of the probe around the circumference can be obtained, from which maxima in the detected energy measurements can then be found. The position around the circumference which gave the maximum measurement should be the position at which the optical fiber of the fiber optic distributed sensor is located. In addition, an ultrasonic arrangement is also described, that relies on ultrasonic sound to provide detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Silixa, LTD.
    Inventors: Mahmoud Farhadiroushan, Tom Parker
  • Patent number: 10134570
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for reducing chamber instability while processing a semiconductor substrate. One method includes an operation for identifying a first recipe with steps having an operating frequency equal to the nominal frequency of a radiofrequency (RF) power supply. Each step is analyzed with the nominal frequency, and the analysis determines if any step produces instability at the nominal frequency. The operating frequency is adjusted, for one or more of the steps, when the instability in the one or more steps exceeds a threshold. The adjustment acts to find an approximate minimum level of instability. A second recipe is constructed after the adjustment, such that at least one of the steps includes a respective operating frequency different from the nominal frequency. The second recipe is used to etch the one or more layers disposed over the substrate in the semiconductor processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventor: Arthur Sato
  • Patent number: 10132753
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of determining a measure of a density of markers in a sample, and an apparatus arranged for performing said method. In particular said method comprising the steps of: irradiating an illumination region of the sample with light, wherein the markers present in the illumination region of the sample emit fluorescence light in response to the irradiation with light, detecting an intensity of the fluorescence light from a detection region of the sample, comprising at least a part of said the illumination region, irradiating an area within said detection region of the sample with a focused charged particle beam to deposit a dose of charged particles in said area, and determining a measure of the density of markers in said area using a change of the detected intensity of the fluorescence light as a function of the deposited dose of charged particles in said area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: DELMIC B.V.
    Inventors: Jacob Pieter Hoogenboom, Pieter Kruit
  • Patent number: 10036699
    Abstract: An imaging flow cytometry apparatus and method which allows registering multiple locations across a cell, and/or across multiple flow channels, in parallel using radio-frequency-tagged emission (FIRE) coupled with a parallel optical detection scheme toward increasing analysis throughput. An optical source is modulated by multiple RF frequencies to produce an optical interrogation beam having a spatially distributed beat frequency. This beam is directed to one or more focused streams of cells whose responsive fluorescence, in different frequencies, is registered in parallel by an optical detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Bahram Jalali, Eric Diebold, Brandon Buckley
  • Patent number: 10031061
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods that enable improved accuracy for quantitative particle counting in a flowing liquid stream. The methods of the present invention utilize the real-time measurement of flow rates and flow rate control through feedback mechanisms to improve quantification, and this improved quantification translates to more accurate particle counting. In certain embodiments, particles being counted are biological particles in a liquid sample, such as viruses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: IntelliCyt Corporation
    Inventors: Kathy L. Rowlen, Matthew Ferris
  • Patent number: 10031074
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for calibrating integrated computational elements. One method includes measuring with a spectrometer sample interacted light comprising spectral data derived from one or more calibration fluids at one or more calibration conditions, the one or more calibration fluids circulating in a measurement system, programming a virtual light source based on the spectral data, simulating the spectral data with the virtual light source and thereby generating simulated fluid spectra corresponding to the spectral data, conveying the simulated fluid spectra to the one or more ICE and thereby generating corresponding beams of optically interacted light, and calibrating the one or more ICE based on the corresponding beams of optically interacted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Gao, David L. Perkins, Michael T. Pelletier, Dingding Chen
  • Patent number: 9970876
    Abstract: A dual source system and method includes a high power laser used to determine elements in a sample and a lower power device used to determine compounds present in the sample. An optical subsystem directs photons from a sample to a detector subsystem after laser energy from the laser strikes the sample along an optical path. After energy from the device strikes the sample protons are directed to the detector subsystem along the same optical path. The detector subsystem receives photons after laser energy from the laser strikes the sample and provides a first signal, and receives photons after energy from the device strikes the sample and provides a second signal. A controller subsystem pulses the high power laser and processes the first signal to determine elements present in the sample, energizes the lower power device and processes the second signal to determine compounds present in the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: SciAps, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Sackett
  • Patent number: 9970815
    Abstract: A LIBS analyzer and method includes a laser configured to produce a plasma on a sample at a focal point on the sample and a spectrometer responsive to radiation emitted from the plasma and configured to produce an output spectrum. A detector is positioned to detect low intensity pre-firing radiation produced by the laser and reflected off the sample from the focal point. The intensity of the low intensity pre-firing radiation is compared to a predetermined minimum and the laser pump sequence is halted if the intensity of the low intensity pre-firing radiation is less than the predetermined minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: SciAps, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Day, Donald W. Sackett
  • Patent number: 9967051
    Abstract: An optical communication amplification system may include a number of amplification stages for an optical signal that includes a first optical wavelength band signal portion and a second optical wavelength band signal portion. Each amplification stage may separate the first optical wavelength band signal portion from the second optical wavelength band signal portion. The separated first optical wavelength band signal portion is amplified using one or more first optical wavelength band amplifiers and the separated second optical wavelength band signal portion are amplified using one or more second optical wavelength band amplifiers. The amplified first optical wavelength band signal portion is filtered and a reflected portion of the first optical wavelength band signal portion may be used to provide energy to the one or more second optical wavelength band amplifiers to increase the power or gain of the separated second optical wavelength band signal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS SUBSEA COMMUNICATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Sheng Zhang, Maxim A. Bolshtyansky, Dmitri Foursa
  • Patent number: 9952098
    Abstract: A spectrometer comprises a plurality of isolated optical channels comprising a plurality of isolated optical paths. The isolated optical paths decrease cross-talk among the optical paths and allow the spectrometer to have a decreased length with increased resolution. In many embodiments, the isolated optical paths comprise isolated parallel optical paths that allow the length of the device to be decreased substantially. In many embodiments, each isolated optical path extends from a filter of a filter array, through a lens of a lens array, through a channel of a support array, to a region of a sensor array. Each region of the sensor array comprises a plurality of sensor elements in which a location of the sensor element corresponds to the wavelength of light received based on an angle of light received at the location, the focal length of the lens and the central wavelength of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: VERIFOOD, LTD.
    Inventors: Damian Goldring, Dror Sharon, Guy Brodetzki, Amit Ruf, Menahem Kaplan, Sagee Rosen, Omer Keilaf, Uri Kinrot, Kai Engelhardt, Ittai Nir
  • Patent number: 9952140
    Abstract: Methods and systems for small angle CD metrology with a small spot size are introduced to increase measurement sensitivity while maintaining adequate throughput necessary for modern semiconductor manufacture. A small angle CD metrology system includes a small angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) subsystem combined with a small angle spectroscopic reflectometry system, both operated at small angles of incidence. The small angle SE subsystem is configured to operate in a complete Mueller Matrix mode to further improve measurement sensitivity. The small angle CD metrology system includes an objective having all reflective surfaces in the light path. In some embodiments, the all-reflective objective is a Schwartzschild objective having an axicon mirror element to further reduce measurement spot size. In some embodiments, the small angle CD metrology system includes a dynamic aperture subsystem to isolate specific ranges of angles of incidence and azimuth for improved measurement sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Haiming Wang, Shankar Krishnan
  • Patent number: 9948394
    Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses and methods of power optimization in VLC positioning are disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile device may include image sensors configured to receive visible light communication signals, a memory configured to store the visible light communication signals, and a transceiver configured to receive positioning assistance data of a venue, and a controller configured to: decode one or more light fixtures within a field of view of the mobile device to obtain corresponding light fixture identifications, determine a motion of the mobile device with respect to the one or more light fixtures based on the light fixture identifications and the positioning assistance data of the venue, and switch the image sensors of the mobile device to a reduced duty cycle state based on the motion of the mobile device with respect to the one or more light fixtures within the field of view of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: QUACOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Suresh Kumar Bitra, Meghna Agrawal
  • Patent number: 9939362
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods and apparatus for detecting properties of heterogeneous samples, including detecting properties of particles or fluid droplets in industrial processes. Embodiments disclosed include a particle characterization method, comprising: providing a fluid containing suspended particles; causing at least a first subset of the suspended particles to flow past a first two-dimensional array detector (24); illuminating the first subset of suspended particles as they flow past the first two-dimensional array detector (24) in the fluid; acquiring a plurality of images of the first subset of particles as they flow past the first two-dimensional array detector (24) in the fluid; and automatically counting the particles in the images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Malvern Instruments Limited
    Inventors: E. Neil Lewis, John McCaffrey, Vishal Patil, Kenneth Haber
  • Patent number: 9915790
    Abstract: The fiber inspection microscope and power measurement system for inspecting an endface of an optical fiber at an angle-polished connector generally has: a mating interface for receiving the angle-polished connector, the endface causing a mean propagation direction of light exiting the optical fiber at endface to be tilted relative to an imaging path of the system; a converging element to be optically coupled to the endface and being configured to receive the tilted light and to redirect the tilted light toward the imaging path of the fiber inspection microscope system; and a power detection assembly optically coupled to the converging element, the power detection assembly being configured to detect an optical power associated with the tilted light redirected by the converging element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: EXFO INC.
    Inventor: Robert Baribault
  • Patent number: 9900194
    Abstract: An integrated receiver supports adaptive receive equalization. An incoming bit stream is sampled using edge and data clock signals derived from a reference clock signal. A phase detector determines whether the edge and data clock signals are in phase with the incoming data, while some clock recovery circuitry adjusts the edge and data clock signals as required to match their phases to the incoming data. The receiver employs the edge and data samples used to recover the edge and data clock signals to note the locations of zero crossings for one or more selected data patterns. The pattern or patterns may be selected from among those apt to produce the greatest timing error. Equalization settings may then be adjusted to align the zero crossings of the selected data patterns with the recovered edge clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Palmer
  • Patent number: 9887019
    Abstract: Systems and methods for eliminating multi-path errors from atomic inertial sensors are provided. In certain embodiments, a system for performing atom interferometry includes a vacuum cell containing multiple atoms and a first plurality of lasers configured to trap the atoms within the vacuum cell. The system further includes a second plurality of lasers configured to impart momentum to the atoms and direct the atoms down multiple paths, wherein a primary path in the multiple paths has a first and second component that converge at a converging point, wherein a diverging part of the primary path in which the first and second components are diverging is asymmetrical with respect to a converging part of the primary path in which the first and second components are converging, such that only the first and second components converge at the converging point wherein other paths do not converge at the converging point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Compton, Karl D. Nelson, Chad Fertig
  • Patent number: 9885706
    Abstract: The present invention covers the integration and utility of accelerometer features into a clinical analysis system. For example, measurement of dynamic acceleration and orientation of a blood-testing instrument with respect to Earth's gravitational field may be used to determine reliability of a test procedure and optionally to provide corrective elements thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Abbott Point of Care Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Vandersleen, Pierre Emeric, Paul Wasserman, Narendra Soman, Graham Davis, Cary Miller
  • Patent number: 9885660
    Abstract: A wide-field interferometric microscope comprising: A specimen holder, for holding a specimen at an analysis location; An illuminator, for illuminating the specimen with input radiation, so as to cause it to emit fluorescence light; A pair of projection systems, arranged at opposite sides of said analysis location, to collect at least a portion of said fluorescence light and direct a corresponding pair of light beams into a respective pair of inputs of an optical combining element, where they optically interfere; A detector arrangement, for examining output light from said combining element, wherein: The illuminator is configured to produce a standing wave of input radiation at the analysis location The detector arrangement comprises exactly two interferometric detection branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Rainer Daum, Xaver Voegele
  • Patent number: 9734992
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus performs a stable and accurate matching operation with high reproducibility in a power modulation process of modulating of a high frequency power to be supplied into a processing vessel in a pulse shape. In the plasma processing apparatus, an impedance sensor 96A provided in a matching device performs a dual sampling averaging process on a RF voltage measurement value and an electric current measurement value respectively obtained from a RF voltage detector 100A of a voltage sensor system and a RF electric current detector 108A of an electric current sensor system by sampling-average-value calculating circuits 104A and 112A and by moving-average-value calculating circuits 106A and 114A. Thus, an update speed of a load impedance measurement value outputted from the impedance sensor 96A can be matched well with a driving control speed of a motor in a matching controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, DAIHEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norikazu Yamada, Toshifumi Tachikawa, Koichi Nagami, Satoru Hamaishi, Koji Itadani
  • Patent number: 9654707
    Abstract: The image processing apparatus performs an image process on a first image produced by image capturing. The apparatus includes: a memory storing coefficient data containing coefficients to be used in an approximation function to approximate a PSF of an image capturing optical system, and a processor performs the image process. The processor produces an approximated point spread function by using the coefficient of the coefficient data corresponding to an optical state of the optical system in the image capturing and two of a pixel pitch of an image sensor, a kernel size of a filter to be used for a sharpening process on the first image and number of taps of the filter; produce the filter by using the approximated PSF; and produce a second image that is a sharpened image by applying the filter to the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Oniki, Koshi Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 9651424
    Abstract: A LIBS analyzer and method includes a laser configured to produce a plasma on a sample at a focal point on the sample and a spectrometer responsive to radiation emitted from the plasma and configured to produce an output spectrum. A detector is positioned to detect low intensity pre-firing radiation produced by the laser and reflected off the sample from the focal point. The intensity of the low intensity pre-firing radiation is compared to a predetermined minimum and the laser pump sequence is halted if the intensity of the low intensity pre-firing radiation is less than the predetermined minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SciAps, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Day, Donald W. Sackett
  • Patent number: 9632211
    Abstract: A method for detecting a precipitation particle, and a precipitation sensor, especially a hail sensor, which includes an impact body, a transducer for registering vibrations caused by impact of at least one precipitation particle on the impact body, and a device for evaluating the electrical signals generated by the transducer. The evaluation device is provided for the purpose of separately evaluating the signals generated by the transducer in successive measurement time intervals after impact to determine the kinetic energy of the precipitation particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: HOCHSCHULE FÜR TECHNIK UND WIRTSCHAFT DES SAARLANDES
    Inventors: Martin Löffler-Mang, Dominik Schön
  • Patent number: 9625374
    Abstract: An optical sensor system includes a source module and a detection module. The source module includes a source housing unit having a source window member and a source shielding member. The source module emits a detection signal through the source window member. The detection module includes a detection housing unit having a detection window member and a detection shielding member. The detection module is spaced apart from the source module. The detection module detects the detection signal emitted from the source module at the detection window member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Seongsik Chang, Henryk Birecki, Krzysztof Nauka
  • Patent number: 9568459
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining for determining asphaltene onset pressure of a formation fluid are described herein. The method includes the following processes: (a) transmitting light through a sample of the formation fluid; (b) decreasing pressure of the sample; (c) detecting intensity of the transmitted light during depressurization; (d) identifying a change in intensity of the transmitted light during depressurization; (e) increasing pressure of the sample to a fixed pressure; and (f) detecting intensity of the transmitted light at the fixed pressure and at an equilibrated light intensity. Processes (a) to (f) are repeated for a number of different fixed pressures. The asphaltene onset pressure of the formation fluid sample can be determined using (i) the intensity of the transmitted light during each depressurization and (ii) the intensity of the transmitted light at each of the different fixed pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew T. Sullivan, Christopher Harrison, Shunsuke Fukagawa, Elizabeth Smythe, John Meier
  • Patent number: 9571728
    Abstract: A stable combined image is generated from a plurality of image signals having parallax and obtained at different focal positions. An image acquisition apparatus includes an image-acquisition optical system that collects light from a subject; an image acquisition element that acquires an image of the light collected by the image-acquisition optical system; a micro-lens array having an array of multiple micro-lenses arranged such that each micro-lens covers multiple pixels of the image acquisition element; and a focal-length changing section that is disposed at a pupil position of the image-acquisition optical system and that spatially changes a focal length so as to focus light passing therethrough at a plurality of different focal positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Sambongi, Ikutoshi Fukushima
  • Patent number: 9506742
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for photoacoustic tomography of a sample, deformations on a measurement surface of the sample being measured as a function of location and time, the deformations resulting from the absorption of a pulsed excitation radiation on at least one spectrally addressable target structure in the sample interior while emitting thermomechanical pressure waves in the direction of the measurement surface, and the measured deformations being fed to a reconstruction method for determining the position of the target structure in the sample interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Medizinisches Laserzentrum Lubeck GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Horstmann, Ralf Brinkmann
  • Patent number: 9470521
    Abstract: A detector system is described. The detector system includes imaging optics having a focal plane, and an electromagnetic radiation (EMR) detector. The EMR detector is arranged to receive EMR from the imaging optics, and has a detector axis perpendicular to the focal plane. The EMR detector has a plurality of detector regions arranged progressively along the detector axis. The detector regions are arranged to respectively detect EMR imaged from progressively different object distances from the imaging optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. Brown
  • Patent number: 9470616
    Abstract: A pipette instrument 100 carrying interrogation circuitry 132 adapted to interrogate a data signal received from a removable instrumented pipette tip 114. The pipette 100 includes a microprocessor and memory 130 that can be programmed to perform data collection procedures. User controls typically include a start button 108, and a track wheel 110. A display device 112 can present device options through one or more menu, and show data resulting from one or more test result. The pipette can interrogate particles carried by a fluid flowing through a tip 114 by detecting either of or both of Coulter principle phenomena, and Stokes-shift phenomena.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: E.I. SPECTRA, LLC
    Inventors: Harold E. Ayliffe, Michael E. McGinnis, Curts S. King
  • Patent number: 9429678
    Abstract: Apparatus, computer readable media, and computer programs for managing an intelligent field, are provided. An exemplary apparatus can include, for example, a computer configured to perform the operations of receiving well instrument data, processing the data, detecting a missing or faulty data period, applying a rule set and logics, estimating values for the missing or faulty data, validating the estimated values, and inserting the data in the data period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Abdel Nasser Abitrabi, Fahad Al-Ajmi
  • Patent number: 9423272
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide for a method for obtaining an inertial measurement. The method includes obtaining multiple contiguous high sample rate readings during a time period from a conventional inertial sensor. Non-contiguous low sample rate reading of accumulated motion are also obtained over the time period from an atomic inertial sensor. One or more observable errors are estimated for the conventional inertial sensor based on comparing the low sample rate reading to the multiple high sample rate readings. A compensated hybrid reading is determined by compensating the high sample rate readings for the one or more observable errors based on the estimating of the one or more observable errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. Fall, Barton McJunkin, Mitchell Novack