Abstract: A sensing system is designed to include a plurality of linear sensors, where these linear sensors are spaced apart, positioned or disposed in parallel on a substrate. These sensors are provided to detect respective distances towards a target from different planes so as to generate a plurality of 2D maps. A thin or coarse 3D map is then generated from these 2D maps to facilitate movements of a mobile robot employing the sensing system.

Abstract: Techniques of designing a sensing system for pseudo 3D mapping in robotic applications are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, an image system is designed to include at least two linear sensors, where these two linear sensors are positioned or disposed orthogonally. In one embodiment, the two linear sensors are a horizontal sensor and a vertical sensor. The horizontal sensor is used for the lidar application while the vertical sensor is provided to take videos, namely scanning the environment wherever the horizontal sensor misses. As a result, the videos can be analyzed to detect anything below or above a blind height in conjunction with the detected distance by the lidar.

Abstract: Designs of a sensor module with fewer number of pins are described. According to one aspect of the designs, a sensor module operates on a predefined number of clocks in a clock signal in contrast of rising or falling edges of clocks or pulses thereof commonly relied upon in a prior art sensor module, thus reducing considerably the requirements on the clock signals needed to support the sensor module. More importantly, the pins of the sensor module are far fewer than those in a prior art system. Subsequently, the complexity of supporting circuits for the sensor module in the sensor module of the present invention can be simplified.

Abstract: Designs of an anti-blooming sensing element or simply sensor are described. According to one aspect of the designs, each sensing element includes a photosensor, a pair of first and second circuits, a store device and a readout circuit. The first and second circuits, sandwiching the photosensor from a circuit perspective, are mirrored and balanced in impedance. The first circuit provides an inherent mechanism to discharge excessive charge accumulated on the photosensor before a predefined exposure time ends. Each of the two circuits includes two transistors.

Abstract: Techniques of designing an image sensor particularly useful in lidar applications are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, an image sensor is designed to take advantage of the architecture of CMOS sensor with correlated double sampling, or CDS, to avoid the sensing speed being halved in order to cancel background light interference. It is commonly known that a photosensor is read twice (i.e., first and second readouts) in CDS for removing the inherent noises from the photosensor itself. Instead of subtracting a pixel's dark or reference output level from an actual light-induced signal, a background image is managed to be captured before the second readout of the sensor and subtracted from an actual image, where the actual image is defined to include an target. As a result, the readout speed of an image sensor is maintained while the background light interference is removed.

Abstract: A focusing mechanism or module is designed to reduce the size of an optical lens-based focusing system that would be otherwise used in a portable device. According to one aspect of the present invention, the focusing mechanism includes a light guide with first and second sides. The light guide includes a plurality of light passages slanted inwardly formed evenly from the first side towards a center of the second side, wherein the light guide, disposed on top of the image sensor, collects a reflected light from a human body part and focuses the reflected light onto the image sensor, each of photosensors generates an proportional charge from the reflected light.

Abstract: A long-length industry camera image sensor (LICIS) is proposed for, expressed in X-Y-Z coordinates, converting a pixel line image (PLI) of length LPL along X-direction into a line image signal (LIS). The LICIS includes a full-width linear image sensor (FLIS) of length LIS along X-direction and displaced from the PLI along Z-direction by an imaging distance DIMG for converting an incident line image (ILI) impinging upon its FLIS top surface into the LIS. Where LIS is about equal to LPL. The LICIS also has a full-width linear rod lens (FLRL) of length LRL along X-direction and displaced from the PLI in Z-direction by a working distance DWKG. Where LRL is about equal to LPL and DWKG is selected such that the PLI gets focused by the FLRL into the ILI at the FLIS top surface with an imaging magnification factor of about 1:1.

Abstract: An areal active pixel image sensor (AAPS) with programmable row-specific gain is disclosed for converting hyper-spectral light image into video output signal (VOS). The AAPS includes: a) An areal active pixel sensor (APS) array each capable of photoelectrically converting and integrating an incident pixel light into a photoelectric signal through an integration time period TNT with a photoelectric signal gain GPE. b) A video output signal conditioner (VOSC), coupled to the APS array, for multiplexing and amplifying the photoelectric signals into the VOS with an electric signal gain GEE. c) The VOSC further programmably sets at least one of GPE and GEE to be row-specific. Consequently, the AAPS exhibits an overall photoelectric signal gain of GOA=GPE×GEE that is row-specific and it can compensate for image signal distortion caused by non-uniform spectral response of the APS elements during hyper-spectral imaging.

Abstract: A multi-lightguide document imaging device is proposed for scanning a document transported atop it. The device includes a line image sensor module having a top sensing area and built-in circuitry for converting an incident line image into video signal output; an intervening rod lens for focusing line image lights from the document onto the sensing area; a number or lightguides lightguide-j (j=1,2, . . . ,N) disposed below the document where each lightguide-j has its own built-in light sources, a transverse cross section spaced at a distance SPCj from the scan line an oriented angularly along a ?-coordinate so as to project a line-illumination aiming at the scan line; and an imager frame having a base for holding the line image sensor module, a multi-element support for holding the rod lens plus the lightguides and a scan line backing portion for backing the document.

Abstract: A sensor chip with an on-chip operational amplifier is described for the formation into a sensor array of a Contact Image Sensor (CIS) module. A number of extra on-chip bonding pads are provided which are electrically connected to the operational amplifier, the associated input resistor and the charge integration capacitor in a selective manner. A number of extra off-chip common conductor stripes are also provided on the substrate for the chip array. A set of wiring patterns are then used to selectively connect these on-chip bonding pads with their corresponding off-chip common conductor stripes resulting in a CIS module which provides both a variable gain of a selected single operational amplifier and an equivalent charge integration capacitance which is the summation of the capacitors from the individual sensor chips within the chip array. Additionally, the associated input resistors can be replaced with an MOS transistor whose control gate can be similarly programmed with the wiring pattern.

Abstract: This invention discloses an illumination device for use in image reading applications. The illumination device comprises a light guide and a light source attached to one end of the light guide, which consists of a rod-shaped body with two end light reflectors made of metal clips. The two lateral surfaces of the light guide causes total internal reflection of light rays impinging upon the surface from within the light guide. The curved top surface of the light guide serves the function of focusing. The narrow bottom surface along the light guide reflects the light with a series of highly reflective paint stripes of varying widths applied upon it. The light source comprises a plurality of light emitting elements and at least a center of the light emitting elements is placed along a normal line passing through a center of the reflection area when viewed in a longitudinal direction of the light guide.

Abstract: An image sensor system having very long Depth Of Focus (DOF) on the document plane and very short optical distance from the document plane to the image plane provides the advantages of both a lens reduction image sensor system and a contact type image sensor system. The inventive image sensor system thus provides a Long depth of Focus Contact type Image Sensor (Lf-cis) system that can be assembled in a compact and light weight module that is suitable for use in current image scanning systems (for example, flatbed type, paper feeder type, and handheld type). The invention also provides a compact and light weight flatbed type image scanning system. The CIS module may be modified such that two ends of the module higher than the rest of the module, a steel bracket holds the module and maintains the optical path in alignment, and a metal carriage having metal spring holds the module. The CIS module is self aligned to the bottom of the scanner glass.