Abstract: A coded pattern projector apparatus comprises a surface-emitting array of emitters comprising a plurality of emitters where each of the plurality of emitters generates one of a plurality of optical beams in response to an electrical drive signal applied to a respective electrical input of each of the plurality of emitters. A first optical element projects each the plurality of optical beams generated by the surface-emitting array of emitters. A second optical element collimates the plurality of optical beams in a first dimension and diverges the plurality of optical beams in a second dimension such that the plurality of optical beams form at least one stripe patterns. A controller has electrical outputs, each of the electrical outputs is connected to a respective electrical input of each of the plurality of emitters. The controller generates electrical drive signals that produce a coded stripe pattern.

Abstract: An optical imaging module used in portable devices is described. In order from an object side to an image side, the module comprises an aperture stop, a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface and a object-side surface being convex in a peripheral region; a third lens element with refractive power; a fourth lens element with refractive power having a convex image-side surface; a fifth lens element with positive refractive power having an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region and convex in a peripheral region; and wherein the optical imaging module used in the portable devices satisfies: 0.052 mm?D?0.082 mm, where D represents a maximum effective focus shifts range under all the defocus curves at 0.4 modulus of the OTF (optical transfer function).

Abstract: A coded pattern projector apparatus comprises a surface-emitting array of emitters comprising a plurality of emitters where each of the plurality of emitters generates one of a plurality of optical beams in response to an electrical drive signal applied to a respective electrical input of each of the plurality of emitters. A first optical element projects each the plurality of optical beams generated by the surface-emitting array of emitters. A second optical element collimates the plurality of optical beams in a first dimension and diverges the plurality of optical beams in a second dimension such that the plurality of optical beams form at least one stripe patterns. A controller has electrical outputs, each of the electrical outputs is connected to a respective electrical input of each of the plurality of emitters. The controller generates electrical drive signals that produce a coded stripe pattern.

Abstract: A VCSEL illuminator module includes a module forming a physical cavity having electrical contacts positioned on an inner surface of the module that feed through the module to electrical contacts positioned on an outer surface of the module. A VCSEL device is positioned on the inner surface module and includes electrical contacts that are electrically connected to the electrical contacts on the inner surface of the module. The VCSEL device generates an optical beam when current is applied to the electrical contacts. An optical element is positioned adjacent to an emitting surface of the VCSEL device and is configured to modify the optical beam generated by the VCSEL device.

Abstract: A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) includes a reflecting surface of the VCSEL. A gain region is positioned on the distributed Bragg reflector that generates optical gain. The gain region comprises a first and second multiple quantum well stack, a tunnel junction positioned between the first and second multiple quantum well stack, and a current aperture positioned on one of the first and second multiple quantum well stack. The current aperture confines a current flow in the gain region. A partially reflective surface and the reflective surface forming a VCSEL resonant cavity, wherein an output optical beam propagates from the partially reflecting surface.

Abstract: A lens assembly for portable devices comprises: an aperture stop, a plastic first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a plastic second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface and an object-side surface being concave in a peripheral region; a plastic third lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a plastic fourth lens element with positive refractive power having an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region and convex in a peripheral region; and an IR-cut filter (infrared-cut filter); wherein the RImin represents the minimum RI (relative illumination) of effective field and it satisfies the following relation: 0.36<RImin<0.65.

Abstract: An imaging lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element with positive refractive power, a second lens element with negative refractive power, a third lens element with positive refractive power. The first lens element has a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region. The second lens element has a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region, and at least one of its surfaces is aspheric. The object-side surface of the third lens element is convex in a paraxial region and concave in a peripheral region. The image-side surface of the third lens element is concave in a paraxial region. The object-side surface and image-side surface of the third lens element are both aspheric. The imaging lens assembly satisfies 0.062 mm<D<0.091 mm, where D represents the maximum effective focus shifts range under all the defocus curves at 0.4 modulus of the OTF (optical transfer function).

Abstract: An active pixel sensor comprising: a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel includes a light sensitive element and a transfer gate, and the plurality of pixels have at least one floating diffusion region; and a plurality of processing circuits associated with the plurality of pixels; wherein each processing circuit comprises a charge amplifier.

Abstract: A coded pattern projector apparatus comprises a surface-emitting array of emitters comprising a plurality of emitters where each of the plurality of emitters generates one of a plurality of optical beams in response to an electrical drive signal applied to a respective electrical input of each of the plurality of emitters. A first optical element projects each the plurality of optical beams generated by the surface-emitting array of emitters. A second optical element collimates the plurality of optical beams in a first dimension and diverges the plurality of optical beams in a second dimension such that the plurality of optical beams form at least one stripe patterns. A controller has a plurality of electrical outputs, each of the plurality of electrical outputs is connected to a respective electrical inputs of each of the plurality of emitters. The controller generating desired electrical drive signals that produce a desired coded stripe pattern.

Abstract: A lens assembly for portable devices comprises: an aperture stop, a plastic first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a plastic second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface and an object-side surface being concave in a peripheral region; a plastic third lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a plastic fourth lens element with positive refractive power having an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region and convex in a peripheral region; and an IR-cut filter(infrared-cut filter);wherein the RImin represents the minimum RI(relative illumination) of effective field and it satisfies the following relation: 0.36<RImin<0.65.

Abstract: An optical imaging module used in portable devices is described. In order from an object side to an image side, the module comprises an aperture stop, a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface and a object-side surface being convex in a peripheral region; a third lens element with refractive power; a fourth lens element with refractive power having a convex image-side surface; a fifth lens element with positive refractive power having an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region and convex in a peripheral region; and wherein the optical imaging module used in the portable devices satisfies: 0.052 mm?D?0.082 mm, where D represents a maximum effective focus shifts range under all the defocus curves at 0.4 modulus of the OTF (optical transfer function).

Abstract: A high efficiency optical ignition device is provided in a two-part compact and robust package to be mounted directly on an internal combustion engine chamber. The ignition device ignites a combustion fuel with a high intensity plasma generated by a high power laser beam from a solid state laser operable in Q-switched, or non-Q-switched mode for producing short or long pulses, respectively. Multiple pulses are generated, and duration and frequency of the laser beam pulses are controlled by controlling an optical pump module to pump the solid state laser. The optical pump module comprises a semiconductor laser, preferably a VCSEL device. One or more laser beams are precisely directed, each one to a desired location anywhere within the combustion chamber for more efficient and near complete burning of the combustion fuel. The robust packaging is well suited to withstand mechanical and thermal stresses of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A miniature structured light illuminator is provided. The miniature structured light illuminator uses a semiconductor surface emitting array including VCSEL or RC-LED array and an array of microlens elements to generate a wide range of structured light illumination patterns. The emission beam from a surface emitter array may be selectively directed, steered, focused or expanded, by applying a lateral displacement of the microlens array, such that centers of the emission beam and microlens array are misaligned. Emitted beams may be directed through small optical components to project the structured light pattern to a distant plane. The surface emitting arrays may be configured in addressable form to be activated separately for continuous or pulsed operation with very fast pulses having <100 ps risetime. A compact structured light illuminator module with projection optics is provided in very small physical size (˜6×6×3 mm3) suitable to configure in a handheld device.

Abstract: An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a pixel array, an analog-to-digital converter, and a processor. The analog-to-digital converter converts a black level reference signal and a pix signal from the pixel array into a first digital signal and a second digital signal, respectively. The processor obtains a black level reference value according to the first digital signal, and obtains a compensation coefficient according to the black level reference value, a maximum digital level of the analog-to-digital converter and a full signal range value. The processor obtains pix data according to the compensation coefficient, the black level reference value and the second digital signal.

Abstract: A new VCSEL design is presented to achieve high output power and high brightness with a strong selection of a linear polarization state in high speed pulsing operation. Higher output power is achieved by including multiple gain segments in tandem, in the gain region. To achieve single mode operation with high output power, an extended cavity three reflector design is presented. High degree of polarization selectivity is achieved by a linear grating deployed with the third reflector, such that lasing is allowed only in a preferred linear polarization state. A polarization selective reflector including a linear grating is designed to impart strong polarization selectivity for a preferred linear polarization state. The polarization selective reflector used as the third reflector in an extended cavity VCSEL device, exhibits strong polarization selection for a preferred linear polarization state during high speed pulsing including in the gain switching resonance regime.

Abstract: A set of VCSEL fabrication methods has been invented which enhance the performance and long time reliability of VCSEL devices and arrays of devices. Wafer bow caused by growing a large number of epitaxial layers required to fabricate VCSEL device generates strain and results in bowing/warping of the device wafer. The stress so generated is eliminated by applying a stress compensation layer on the substrate to a surface opposite to the epitaxial layer surface. New oxidation equipment designs and process parameters are described which produce more precision apertures and reduce stress in the VCSEL device. An ultrathin fabrication procedure is described which enables high power VCSELs to be made for high power operation at many different wavelengths. A low temperature electrical contacting process improves VCSEL long term reliability.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image sensor device including a substrate, a channel formed in the substrate, a photoelectric transfer region formed in the substrate located at one side of the channel, a voltage transfer region formed in the substrate located at the other side of the channel, a first gate dielectric layer formed on the substrate, a second gate dielectric layer formed on the substrate, wherein the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate dielectric layer have a joint above the channel, and the thickness of the first gate dielectric layer is thicker than that of the second gate dielectric layer, and a gate formed on the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate a is dielectric layer. The present invention also provides a method for fabricating the image sensor device.

Abstract: A sensing device may include a cholesteric crystal device including two optically transparent substrates; a liquid crystal having portions adapted for producing a plurality of optical states, said liquid crystal being arranged between the two optically transparent substrates; an optical sensor for changing optical states of respective portions of said liquid crystal to produce a range of respective optical states including all optical states produced by said liquid crystal ranging from one state to any combination of broadband reflection, tunable narrow band reflection, light scattering, and transparency in accordance with an amount of voltage applied across said cholesteric crystal device for changing optical states.

Abstract: A process to bond VCSEL arrays to submounts and printed circuit boards is provided. The process is particularly suited to large area thin and ultra-thin VCSEL arrays susceptible to bending and warping. The process integrates a flatness measurement step and applying appropriate combination of pressure prior to bonding the VCSEL array to the submount or a printed circuit using a vacuum flux-less bonding process. The process is very promising in making very good quality bonding between the VCSEL array and a submount or a printed circuit board. The process is applied to construct optical modules with improved flatness that may be integrated with other electronic components in constructing optoelectronic systems.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor comprising: a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel includes a light sensitive element and a transfer gate, and the plurality of pixels have at least one floating diffusion region; and a plurality of processing circuits associated with the plurality of pixels; wherein each processing circuit comprises a charge amplifier.