Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to acquiring aligned geographic coordinates of a vertical position. In one aspect, a vertical navigation system includes a light source to generate a source beam; a beam splitter to generate a first and a second source references derived from the source beam; a hollow retroreflector to produce a first and a second vertical references derived from the first and the second source references; an attitude sensor to capture a plurality of reference stars and to measure a first set of angles for the first vertical reference and a second set of angles for the second vertical reference, the first set of angles and the second set of angles are relative to the plurality of reference stars; and a processor to produce the aligned geographical coordinates using the first set of angles, the second set of angles, a gravity vector measurement and a time signal.

Abstract: A foreign object debris (FOD) detection system for a gas turbine engine comprises a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor assembly. The LiDAR sensor assembly is configured to scan a pre-determined volume within an inlet of the gas turbine engine. The inlet may be defined by a nacelle of the gas turbine engine. The LiDAR sensor assembly may comprise a single transceiver, a transmitter and a receiver, a plurality of transmitters and a receiver, or a plurality of receivers and a transmitter.

Abstract: An optoelectronic system includes a transmit side and a receive side. The transmit side and the receive side each include an oversampled phase locked loop configured to receive a decimated system clock signal. Each phase-locked loop is configured to output a high frequency sampling clock signal that, in the case of the transmit side, may be leveraged to generate an arbitrary current waveform that, in turn, can be delayed by a delay-locked loop before being applied to a current-controlled light emitting element. The receive side can generate a clock signal at the same high frequency as the transmit side and can be configured to trigger a reset of the transmit side so that the high frequency clock signals between the transmit and receive sides are synchronized.

Abstract: A laser alignment system is used to align an output fiber with a fiber laser, for example, when coupling a feeding fiber to a process fiber using a beam coupler or switch. The alignment system includes a laser alignment apparatus that is coupled at a first end to the output fiber and at a second end to a beam dump/power meter. The alignment apparatus defines a light passage and a light capture chamber along the light passage. When light is not aligned into the core of the output fiber, at least a portion of the light passing out of the output fiber will be captured by the light capture chamber and detected by a photodetector in optical communication with the light capture chamber. By monitoring the readings of the photodetector, the output fiber may be properly aligned with the laser light from the fiber laser.

Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a housing, a front cover defining a front side of the portable electronic device, a display stack below the front cover and comprising a plurality of display layers configured to produce a graphical output in a display region of the display stack, the graphical output visible through the front cover, and a light sensor module positioned at least partially within the housing and coupled to the display stack in the display region. The light sensor module may be configured to receive ambient light passing through the front cover and through the plurality of display layers and, while a blanking interval is positioned over the light sensor module, produce an output corresponding to the received ambient light, the portable electronic device configured to determine an ambient light value based at least in part on the output from the light sensor module.

Abstract: There is provided an optical system comprising a light conduit. The light conduit comprises a first light pipe, a second light pipe, and a first bridge to mechanically couple the first light pipe to the second light pipe. The first light pipe has a first inlet to receive a first input light signal and a first outlet to emit at least a portion of the first input light signal to form a first output light signal. Moreover, the second light pipe has a second inlet to receive a second input light signal and a second outlet to emit at least a portion of the second input light signal to form a second output light signal. Furthermore, the first bridge has a first end mechanically coupled to the first light pipe and a second end mechanically coupled to the second light pipe.

Abstract: A pyranometer is provided which can measure the precise amount of solar radiation/solar irradiance continuously and stably while suppressing the generation of dew or frost by a simple configuration even in changing external environment. A pyranometer includes: a housing having an opening, and having thermal conductivity; a dome provided at the opening, and having light transmittance; a sensor part provided in an internal space formed by the housing and the dome, and for measuring an intensity of a sunlight made incident through the dome; and a heat generating element provided heat conductably to a part of the housing, opposite to the opening across the internal space.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of avalanche diodes formed within the semiconductor substrate, the plurality of avalanche diodes including a first avalanche diode and a second avalanche diode, and a trench structure formed between the first avalanche diode and the second avalanche diode in a plan view. Each of the avalanche diodes includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type. A contact plug for supplying a potential to the second semiconductor region of the first avalanche diode is formed, and the contact plug is provided at a position where the contact plug overlaps with the trench structure in a plan view.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: plural photodiodes formed in different depths in a unit pixel area of a substrate; and plural vertical transistors formed in the depth direction from one face side of the substrate so that gate portions for reading signal charges obtained by photoelectric conversion in the plural photodiodes are formed in depths corresponding to the respective photodiodes.

Abstract: In an embodiment a method for measuring ambient light includes successively synchronizing optical signal acquisition phases with extinction phases of a disruptive light source, wherein the disruptive light source periodically provides illumination phases and the extinction phases, accumulating, in each acquisition phase, photo-generated charges by at least one photosensitive pixel comprising a pinned photodiode, transferring the accumulated photo-generated charges to an integration node and integrating, for each pixel, the transferred charges on the integration node during a series of the successive acquisition phases.

Abstract: A solar tracker assembly is provided which includes a support column, a torque tube or torsion beam connected to the support column, a mounting mechanism attached to the torque tube or torsion beam, a drive system connected to the torque tube or torsion beam, and a spring counter-balance assembly connected to the torque tube or torsion beam. An exemplary spring counter-balance assembly comprises a bearing housing and a bushing disposed within the bearing housing and configured to be slideably mounted onto the torque tube or torsion beam, and one or more compressible cords made of a flexible material. The compressible cords are located between the bushing and the bearing housing and provide damping during rotational movement of the solar tracker assembly. An exemplary spring counter-balance assembly is provided including at least one top bracket and at least one bottom bracket, at least one spring, a damper, and a bracket.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a diffractive grating configured to receive multiple output beams from an array of laser sources. The apparatus also includes one or more optical elements configured to receive, direct, and focus multiple zeroth-order light beams, where the zeroth-order light beams include portions of the output beams reflected off the diffractive grating. The apparatus further includes a detector configured to receive the zeroth-order light beams from at least one of the one or more optical elements and process the zeroth-order light beams to generate diagnostic information.

Abstract: An optical filter, a sensor device including the optical filter, and a method of fabricating the optical filter are provided. The optical filter includes one or more dielectric layers and one or more metal layers stacked in alternation. The metal layers are intrinsically protected by the dielectric layers. In particular, the metal layers have tapered edges that are protectively covered by one or more of the dielectric layers.

Abstract: Aspects of embodiments pertain to a sensing systems configured to receive scene electromagnetic (EM) radiation comprising a first wavelength (WL1) range and a second wavelength (WL2) range. The sensing system comprises at least one spectral filter configured to filter the received scene EM radiation to obtain EM radiation in the WL1 range and the WL2 ranges; and a self-adaptive electromagnetic (EM) energy attenuating structure. The self-adaptive EM energy attenuating structure may comprise material that includes nanosized particles which are configured such that high intensity EM radiation at the WL1 range incident onto a portion of the self-adaptive EM energy attenuating structure causes interband excitation of one or more electron-hole pairs, thereby enabling intraband transition in the portion of the self-adaptive EM energy attenuating structure by EM radiation in the WL2 range.

Abstract: A serpentine delay-line waveguide feeding an array of grating couplers can be fabricated in a silicon photonic chip, or tile, with the grating couplers emitting light at an angle that varies with wavelength and delay between the couplers imparted by the waveguide. The beam-steering tile can be used to transmit or receive light from a scene. The tile can be arrayed with one or more other tiles for bistatic radar-lidar operation. A tile in the array may transmit probe and frequency-shifted reference beams, while another tile may receive a return at a heterodyne frequency giving a range to the scene. The pitch of the serpentine delay line may be different for transmitting and receiving tiles to suppress returns from unwanted directions. Pairs of phase-cohered tiles may illuminate a spot in the scene with fringe patterns, producing oscillating returns that can be processed to form a high-resolution sub-image by Fourier synthesis.

Abstract: An optical module includes a housing, and a main circuit board, an optical transmitting assembly, an optical receiving assembly, and an electrical connector that are disposed inside the housing. The optical transmitting assembly includes at least two sets of lasers, a transmitting-end optical assembly, and a transmitting-end optical fiber receptacle. The optical receiving assembly includes at least two sets of photoelectric detectors, a receiving-end optical assembly, and a receiving-end optical fiber receptacle. The electrical connector electrically connects the optical transmitting assembly and the optical receiving assembly to the main circuit board.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an optical sensor assembly. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an embodiment of the optical sensor assembly is provided. The optical sensor assembly includes a plurality of optical fibers, wherein one ends of the plurality of optical fibers are configured in a row, and the other ends of the plurality of optical fibers are stacked in at least two rows, such that a width of a first surface formed by the one ends of the plurality of optical fibers is greater than a width of a second surface formed by the other ends of the plurality of optical fibers, and the optical sensor assembly further includes a sensor connector optically coupled with the second surface. And the sensor connector can be separated from the first surface and configured inside the electronic device.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electronic device. The electronic device includes: a shell, a display panel, the display panel or the shell including a light-transmitting area, an ambient light sensor, an infrared transmitter and a light guiding piece. The light guiding piece includes a light incident end and a light emitting end, the light incident end being configured to face the light-transmitting area, and the light emitting end being configured to face the ambient light sensor and the infrared transmitter.

Abstract: A SPIM-microscope (Selective Plane Imaging Microscope) having a y-direction illumination light source and a z-direction detection light camera. An x-scanner generates a sequential light sheet by scanning the illumination light beam in the x-direction. The SPIM-microscope has an illumination optics having a zoom optics provided in a beam path of the illumination light beam, the zoom optics being adapted to change the focal length of the illumination light beam and adapted to detect a larger area of the object by sequentially detecting sequences of images along the y-direction that have an increased resolution along the z-direction. An image processing unit combines these sequences of images by image stitching into one large overall image.

Abstract: An example embodiment includes a playback device comprising a wireless communications interface including a wireless (e.g., a radio frequency (RF) antenna), a capacitive sensor comprising an electrode that is coupled to the RF antenna, one or more processors, and a data storage having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the playback device to perform operations. The operations include operating the playback device in a first power state, detecting that an object is in proximity to the capacitive sensor, and in response to detecting the object, adjusting operation of the playback device from the first power state to a second power state.