Abstract: Where a person is being photographed, for example, both light from the person located at closer range and light from the background located farther away enter the photodetector elements. Where the contrast of the background is high, the rate at which the information from the background contributes to the focus detection becomes larger, which hinders accurate focus detection with regard to the person. In this case, the focus detection device divides a predetermined focus area into smaller areas and detects focus condition in each smaller area.

Abstract: A coadunate emitter/detector assembly for use with fiber optics. A housing has a socket for receiving an end face of a fiber optic or thin bundle of fiber optics. A detector is mounted in the socket for receiving light from a portion of the end face. An emitter is mounted close to the detector for directing light into another portion of the end face. The detector can respond to changes in the light received, which is generally varied by a device at the opposite end of the fiber optic that reflects more or less of the emitter generated light back to the detector. A condensing lens may be placed between the emitter and the fiber optic end face to maximize emitted light that enters the fiber optic. The emitter and detector may be placed in a single plain with a light barrier between them, may be stacked or may be axially spaced. The emitter may be located in a can with upstanding walls to reduce light scatter.

Abstract: A wafer is brought into focus with a projection optical system, and a wafer mark on the wafer is also brought into focus with an off-axis alignment sensor highly accurately according to an automatic focusing process. First, a deviation of the surface of the wafer from an image plane of the projection optical system is measured by an oblique-incidence main AF sensor. For measuring the position of the wafer mark with an imaging device of an alignment system, part of a focusing ray of light from the wafer passes through an optical system, which is not telecentric, composed of an AF relay system and a half beam shield plate, and is detected by the imaging device, whereupon an image of a focusing mark projected onto the wafer is formed on the imaging device. The position of the image of the focusing mark on the imaging device is calibrated on the basis of the deviation which has been measured by the oblique-incidence main AF sensor.

Abstract: Random access charge transfer devices are provided in which it is possible to simultaneously read electric charge that is stored within each detection element (pixel) that is in one of any desired combination of columns and that is also in one of any desired combination of rows. It is also possible to simultaneously read electric charge stored within each detection element or pixel in at least one selected column or row. In addition, it is possible to simultaneously cause injection of some or all of the electric charge stored in each detection element in one of any desired combination of columns and also in one of any desired combination of rows, or to simultaneously cause injection of some or all of the electric charge stored in each detection element in at least one selected column or row.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for detecting pulses of light energy from at least two fields of view. A first detector having a first bias detects a pulse received at a first point in time. A second detector having a second bias, different from the first bias, detects a pulse received at a second point in time. A processor compares an output of the first detector with a first threshold to produce a signal representing receipt of a pulse from a first field of view. The processor also compares an output of the second detector with a second threshold, different from the first threshold, to produce a signal representing receipt of a pulse from a second field of view. Because the detectors are biased with different biases, the detected pulses are easily distinguished. Thus, multiple fields of view can be detected without complex hardware. The detectors can be biased with opposite polarities so that background noise is cancelled out.

Abstract: An apparatus providing the capability to scan media at different resolutions is presented. The apparatus comprises an image area which is disposed between scanner lid and a scanner base, the lid is pivotally attached to the base to provide easy access to the image area. A light source resides within the scanner lid. Two separate light paths are provided, the first fight path is reflected off opaque targets, through the lid before entering the base and onto an array of photosensitive devices. The second light path is passed through transparent media, into the base and onto the array. First and second focusing lenses are provided, each for a light path. The focusing lenses provide two separate magnifications which yield two separate resolutions.

Abstract: An optically coupled device is composed of input and output sides. The input side includes a light-emitting element while the output side includes: an element for driving; a light-receiving element for receiving light from the light-emitting element to turn on the element for driving; and a resistance element having a positive or negative temperature-coefficient and connected in series with the light-receiving element. By the above configuration, the optically coupled device by itself is constructed to prevent rush-current from occurring and to the device itself from being excessively heated due to excessive current.

Abstract: An image sensor which includes an integral color filter array and a method of making such sensor is disclosed. The sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having an overlying support layer with an optically planar surface, a plurality of spaced image pixels formed in the substrate; and an array of contiguous color filter elements overlying the planar surface whose top surfaces are coplanar and which have no overlap of color filter material between adjacent color filter elements.

Abstract: An optical transducer, wherein the output end of a light transmitting optical fiber or fiber bundle and the input end of a light receiving optical fiber or fiber bundle are fixed angularly adjacent an effective light receiving area of a movable light reflecting member. The light transmitting optical fiber directs a beam of light from a source onto the light reflecting area at a predetermined angle and the light receiving optical fiber is connected with light detection device for receiving at least a portion of the reflected light and detecting the intensity of the reflected light. Upon acceleration or vibration, the movable light reflecting member moves relative to the output and input ends of the optical fibers such that the movement of its effective light reflecting area varies the intensity of the reflected light and the intensity of the reflected light received by the light receiving optical fiber corresponds approximately logarithmically to the amount of movement of the light reflecting member.

Abstract: A device intended to measure the torque. transmitted by a rotating shaft S1. This device has no physical connection with measured shafts. It employs a laser beam S, S' and a retroreflector RM of which the plane mirrors M1 and M2 are mounted on the torsional shaft S4 and transfer shaft S5 respectively or any other optical system, and it displays the torsion or torque as a function of angular displacement of the laser beam S' It may be used to determine the torque of either stationary or rotating shafts.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring distances along single or multiple paths using fiber optics. The system uses a broadband optical source and broadband sensors. The lengths of one or more measurement paths are obtained with respect to the known length of a reference path. In one embodiment of the invention, two oscillators are used, producing signals, e.g., pulse trains, at slightly different frequencies (F1 and F2). The pulse train at F1 propagates through the fiber optic paths, and then is multiplied by the signal at F2, producing a time-expanded version of the original pulse at a frequency .vertline.F1-F2.vertline.. In a second embodiment, the phase shift of the light signals is measured at multiple frequencies, rather than at just a single frequency. When the light signals from the different measurement optical fibers are combined, the resultant net phase shift is a nonlinear function of both the lengths of the measurement optical fibers and the modulation frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combining several laser systems, forming a ganged laser assembly and measuring and correcting vertical and horizontal displacements, and reducing spot size variations. The combined laser beams are scanned in a bow-tie path on a continuously moving medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ancillary module 7 for making spatially resolved measurements of the focus volume of a light beam focussed by a microscope objective 4. The light beam is especially a laser beam. The invention includes a carrier assembly having a glass plate 8 and sleeves (9, 10) mounted thereon. A piezoelectric scanning tube 12 is held on the sleeves (9, 10) essentially perpendicularly to the glass plate 8. The scanning tube 12 operates to move an optical near-field probe 13a in three mutually perpendicular directions. The optical near-field sensor is preferably a glass fiber 13 which has a tip 13a at one end thereof. This tip 13a scans the laser focus volume. At the other end of the glass fiber 13, either a photodiode 14 is provided with which the light coupled into the glass fiber is detected or a corresponding light detector can be adapted by means of an interface. The two sleeves (9, 10) are displaceable relative to each other for coarsely positioning the scanning tube 12.

Abstract: A photo interrupter which features at least one transmission element and at least one receiver element separated by an optical transmission path. To ensure a flexible structure with variable characteristics, the photo interrupter features a modular structure comprised of two joinable housing parts. In order to reduce production costs and simplify the production process, the housing parts of the photo interrupter respectively feature one carrier unit each which is designed as a panel of a mounting strip, as well as at least one semiconductor device located on the carrier unit, and a housing body forming the two side surfaces of the photo interrupter, which housing body--in a first partial area of the carrier unit containing the semiconductor device(s)--encloses the carrier unit; at least one semiconductor device of the one housing part will be a transmission element, and at least one semiconductor device of the other housing part will be a receiver element.

Abstract: An encoder including a scale and a light source for illuminating the scale, and a sensing device displaceable relative to the scale in a measuring direction for generating measuring signals, with the sensing device including a transparent carrier provided with a scanning grating, photosensors for converting a position-dependent modulated light into electrical scanning signals defining the measuring signals, and strip conductors provided on a surface of the transparent carrier for forming an electrical connection with the photosensors.

Abstract: A tunable filter module which can automatically make the center wavelength in the passband coincident with the center wavelength of a signal light beam according to variations in wavelength of the signal light beam. The tunable filter module includes a beam splitting mechanism for splitting an incident signal light beam into a first beam undeviated, a second beam deflected to one side of the first beam; and a third beam deflected to another side of the first beam, and a multilayer film filter located so as to transmit the first, second, and third beams. A first photodetector is located so as to detect the second beam, and a second photodetector is located so as to detect the third beam. A comparator is connected to the first and second photodetectors to compare outputs from the first and second photodetectors and output a differential signal indicative of the difference between these outputs.

Abstract: Fiber optic grating and etalon based fiber sensor systems are described that include an all solid state demodulation system with no moving parts. This demodulation system is based on using interference patterns generated by reflections from fiber gratings or etalons and measurements using an optical detector array. This demodulation system is applied to dual overlaid fiber optic gratings that have been written onto noncircularly symmetric birefringent optical fibers. These fiber grating based sensors may be used to measure transverse strain, longitudinal strain and temperature at a single location simultaneously and their nonsymmetric nature allows accurate placement and alignment of the strain sensing axes in materials.

Abstract: A device for counting the number of and determining the direction of travel of articles being conveyed, particularly articles of clothing, hanging on hangers provided with hanger hooks. Each hanger hook has a stem that is conducted through a light barrier connected with a counting and evaluating unit. The light barrier has at least two receivers that are spaced apart vertically in a plane and consist, in each case, of two sensors which operate independent of each other. The sensors are separated by a small distance. With this device, counting of the hangers is possible regardless of their position and, in particular, erroneous counting due to crossed hangers is excluded.

Abstract: Circuitry for sensing a relatively large number of events, and outputting to processing circuitry only those events which have two characteristics: (1) a magnitude above a preselected threshold level, and (2) a rate of change greater than a preselected background rate of change. Logic circuitry is used to assign any event which has the desired characteristics to an available output channel. Subtracter circuitry causes the background to be subtracted from the sensing input, in order to limit the output to non-background events.

Abstract: A fingerprint image input apparatus comprises a plane light source for irradiating light having a two-dimensional light distribution and an approximately even luminance, a two-dimensional image sensor capable of allowing the light to pass through, and an optical part for guiding light from the plane light source, having passed the two-dimensional image sensor, to a finger and guiding light reflected at the finger to the photoelectric converting element. The two-dimensional image sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form. A bias power source for supplying a bias voltage to the individual pixels, a scanning circuit for outputting a scan signal to the pixels and a first detecting circuit for detecting photoelectric data signals from the pixels are connected to those pixels via bias lines, scan lines and data lines.