Abstract: A LIDAR optical unit includes a photonic-integrated-circuit (PIC) affixed to a carrier. The PIC includes an input coupler and an array of output couplers, with a switchable optical network connecting the input coupler to different selected ones of the array of output couplers. A laser source is mounted to the PIC adjacent the input coupler such that laser light generated by the laser source is injected into the input coupler. An optical stack is mounted to the PIC adjacent the array of output couplers to receive laser light extracted from the switchable optical network by the array of output couplers. The optical stack includes an array of microlenses positioned so that a bottom surface thereof is mounted to the PIC, and an array of microprisms is stacked on the array of microlenses so that a bottom surface thereof is mounted to a top surface of the array of microlenses.

Abstract: In a ranging device, a characteristic setting unit is configured to extract, from one or more pieces of received-light information representing changes with time in amount of received light acquired by the light receiving unit, at least one of a received-light amount range and a light reception time range of pulsed light other than emitted light from the light emitting unit, as a specified range. A received-light integration unit is configured to generate integrated received-light information by integrating the received-light information on a time axis with emission timings matched over a plurality of light receptions. A distance calculation unit is configured to exclude or identify distance noise formed of pulsed waveforms arising from pulsed light other than the emitted light, using the specified range extracted by the characteristic setting unit, and calculate a distance to the object reflecting the emitted light.

Abstract: A spatial ultrasound modulator includes a signal line, an ultrasonic array, a pixel coder and an ultrasonic driver. The signal line includes a plurality of first conductive lines and a plurality of second conductive lines. The plurality of first conductive lines are arranged to be spaced apart from each other on a substrate. The plurality of second conductive lines are arranged to intersect the first conductive lines above the plurality of first conductive lines and to be spaced apart from each other. The ultrasonic array includes a plurality of ultrasonic generators. Each of the plurality of ultrasonic generators includes at least one capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) device. Each of the plurality of ultrasonic generators is superimposed on one of a plurality of pixels, which are intersection points of the plurality first conductive lines and the plurality of second conductive lines. Each of the plurality of ultrasonic generators generates a unit-ultrasonic wave.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a light emitter that includes: a first light emission region emitting light toward a first area and a second light emission region emitting light toward a second area different from the first area; a light receiver that includes a first light reception region receiving light reflected from the first area and a second light reception region receiving light reflected from the second area; and an acquisition unit that acquires information on the second area, in accordance with light reception results of the second light reception region that receives light reflected from the second area irradiated with the light emitted from the first light emission region.

Abstract: Methods and systems for ultrasound imaging and beamforming with a matrix array of transducer elements are provided. Receive signals of each transducer array element are amplified. The amplified receive signal of each transducer array element is digitized. A delay and weight are applied on the amplified and digitized receive signals. The amplified, digitized, delayed, and weighted receive signals are summed across all transducer elements of the matrix array to form a dynamically focused receive beam. An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is integrated with the matrix array of transducer elements performs such steps.

Abstract: In a ranging device, a characteristic setting unit is configured to extract, from one or more pieces of received-light information representing changes with time in amount of received light acquired by the light receiving unit, at least one of a received-light amount range and a light reception time range of pulsed light other than emitted light from the light emitting unit, as a specified range. A received-light integration unit is configured to generate integrated received-light information by integrating the received-light information on a time axis with emission timings matched over a plurality of light receptions. A distance calculation unit is configured to exclude or identify distance noise formed of pulsed waveforms arising from pulsed light other than the emitted light, using the specified range extracted by the characteristic setting unit, and calculate a distance to the object reflecting the emitted light.

Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus measures a distance to an object by irradiating emission light and detecting reflected light from the object onto which the emission light is irradiated. This apparatus includes a transmission window, a heater wire, and a flexible substrate that is provided in the transmission window. The flexible substrate includes: a surface-mounted-type electronic component; a land to which an electrode of the electronic component is electrically connected, and a conductive adhesive that is formed on the land and adheres the electrode of the electronic component and the land. When a longitudinal direction of a surface of the electronic component that opposes the land is a reference direction, a length along the reference direction of a contact surface between the land and the conductive adhesive is equal to or greater than twice a length along the reference direction of a mounting surface of the electrode of the electronic component.

Abstract: A handheld underwater sonar system comprising a housing and a sonar transducer housed within the housing. The sonar transducer is configured to generate a sonar signal emittable in a forward direction with respect to the housing. The sonar system additionally comprises a light source housed within the housing. The light source is configured to generate light emittable in the forward direction. The sonar system further comprises a trigger assembly associated with the housing. The trigger assembly is configured to selectively activate the sonar transducer or the light source.

Abstract: Method for determining a function state (FZ) of an ultrasonic sensor (2) for a vehicle (1), having the steps of: a) applying (S1) an electrical test signal (P) to the ultrasonic sensor (2); b) detecting (S2) an electrical response signal (A) from the ultrasonic sensor (2); c) determining (S3) a phase-frequency response (PF) comprising the phase angle (?) of the detected response signal (A) for the applied test signal (P) on the basis of an excitation frequency (f) of the applied test signal (P); d) comparing (S4) at least a first phase angle (P1) below and a second phase angle (P2) above a resonant frequency (R) in the determined phase-frequency response (PF) with a respective expected phase angle (PE1, PE2); e) correcting (S5) the determined phase-frequency response (PF) on the basis of the comparison; and f) determining (S6) the function state (FZ) on the basis of the corrected phase-frequency response (PFK).

Abstract: In an embodiment an acoustic transmission system includes a primary side having a transmitting unit configured to provide a transmit signal, a receiving unit configured to receive a received signal in response to the transmitted signal and an electroacoustic transducer configured to convert the transmit signal into an acoustic signal and an acoustic signal into the receive signal and a secondary side having a transponder configured to receive a receive signal and transmit a transmit signal and an electroacoustic transducer located between the primary side and the secondary side, the electroacoustic transducer having a medium permeable to acoustic signals.

Abstract: An emitter unit is designed to emit segments of electromagnetic radiation temporally offset to one another along a line. A detector includes a plurality of linearly situated detector channels. A first sequence and at least one second sequence of segments are emitted. The sequences differ at least with respect to a temporal distance between two successive segments. First signals and second signals are detected on the basis of segments of the first and second sequence reflected at objects and striking the detector. Signal strengths of first and second signals are added together in order to obtain sum signals for each detection channel. Signal strengths of the sum signals are compared with a predefinable threshold value and identified as real if they are greater than the predefinable threshold value.

Abstract: A receiver including a plurality of wave receivers that receive signals arriving from a predetermined direction, a plurality of detection units that is connected to at least some of the plurality of wave receivers and detect arrival times of signals received by a connected wave receivers, and a plurality of adjustment units that adjust a deviation between arrival times of the plurality of wave receivers based on arrival times or arrival directions of the plurality of detected signals.

Abstract: A sound wave processing device includes a transmission signal generation unit that generates a transmission signal for transmitting a sound wave, a received wave signal output unit that outputs a received wave signal based on receiving the sound wave, a correlation-convolution integral processing unit that performs correlation-convolution integral processing in parallel for each reference wave data, on the basis of the received wave signal and a plurality of reference wave data, and an own wave identification unit that determines whether or not the received sound wave is own wave, which is a reflected wave of the sound wave transmitted by the transmission signal generation unit, on the basis of a correlation-convolution integral value output from the correlation-convolution integral processing unit.

Abstract: A lidar system for detection of a gas comprises an optical transceiver for transmitting and receiving optical radiation. A method of operating the system comprises performing spatially scanned sensing measurements of the gas across a system field of view, and analyzing the sensing measurements to determine the presence and location of excess of the gas in the system field of view. Based on the determined location, an adjusted system field of view is determined and spatially scanned sensing measurements of the gas are performed across the adjusted system field of view to obtain sensing measurements at higher spatial resolution.

Abstract: A staging system has to be calibrated to determine a location of a horizontal pivot axis of a target frame. A stage calibration light beam is generated and reflected from a target frame mirror. The target frame is pivoted between first and second positions and the locations of the stage calibration light beam are detected. The locations of the stage calibration light beam provide a value representing an orientation of the target frame mirror relative to the horizontal pivot axis. The orientation of the target frame mirror is then adjusted based on the value so that the target frame mirror is more normal to the horizontal pivot axis.

Abstract: A wave transmission control device to control a transmitter to form a sound field in water includes processing circuitry to, when detection information is input from a sensor to detect an organism in water, determine a characteristic of the organism and a distribution state for every characteristic using the detection information, to acquire sound information based on the characteristic by referring to a database in which a characteristic of an organism and sound information are associated with each other, and to determine a sound output condition in such a manner that a distribution state changes from the distribution state which is set for the characteristic received before processing starts and to cause the transmitter to output a sound based on sound information using the output condition.

Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing, a securement feature, a noise generator, a receiver, and a processor. The housing can define an internal volume. The securement feature can be connected to at least a first side and a second side of the housing and can extend between the first side and the second side. The noise generator can be connected to the securement featured and be configured to generate a sound with a frequency. The receiver can be disposed within the internal volume and be configured to receive the sound. The processor can be disposed within the internal volume and in communication with the receiver, and be configured to process the sound and perform an operation.

Abstract: A system for the enhancement of sonar data is provided comprising one or more processors, a memory, and one or more sonar transducer assemblies configured to provide sonar data. The memory includes computer program code configured to, when executed, cause the processor(s) to receive the sonar data, with the sonar data providing information representative of an underwater environment around a watercraft. The computer program code is also configured to, when executed, cause the processor(s) to perform adaptive contrast image processing to adjust a brightness level or color of the sonar data at one or more locations and to form adjusted sonar data. Adaptive contrast image processing considers a distance of a location from a sonar transducer assembly of the one or more sonar transducer assemblies, a brightness level, color, water clarity, or depth associated with a location, an object type, or an orientation or surface properties of the object.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile device (AMD) may use an indirect time of flight (iTOF) sensor to acquire depth information about a physical space. This sensor may experience veiling glare in which multipath interference results in incorrect output of false objects that are not actually present in the physical space. A frame of depth data from the iTOF sensor is processed to determine if veiling glare may be present. A frame with possible veiling glare is then filtered at a pixel level to provide filtered depth data by removing or replacing depth data from pixels that may exhibit veiling glare. These pixels are determined to exhibit veiling glare by comparing their amplitude data with amplitude thresholds associated with an observed distance of that pixel and a specified error tolerance. The filtered data may then be used to operate the AMD.

Abstract: A method for operating an ultrasonic sensor is disclosed. The ultrasonic sensor includes a membrane and an exciter element for exciting the membrane and for detecting a vibration of the membrane. The method includes obtaining calibration data from a storage unit storing the calibration data. The calibration data includes information about a first frequency response of the ultrasonic sensor in a sending direction depending on a membrane excitation frequency at different membrane temperatures and information about a second frequency response of the ultrasonic sensor in a receiving direction depending on a membrane vibration frequency at different temperatures. The method also includes determining a current membrane temperature, determining a sensitivity of the ultrasonic sensor, and controlling an electric current provided to the exciter element and a gain of the ultrasonic sensor based on a difference between the determined sensitivity and a prestored sensitivity.