Patents Examined by Euncha P. Cherry
  • Patent number: 11740454
    Abstract: In one inventive concept, a method for etching an optic includes obtaining a microemulsion, where the microemulsion includes a continuous oil phase, a surfactant system comprising at least one surfactant, and water, submerging at least a portion of the optic in the microemulsion, and agitating by ultrasonication the microemulsion for etching the optic submerged therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Salmaan H. Baxamusa, John Adams, Paul Ehrmann, Ted Laurence, Marlon G. Menor, Kathleen I. Schaffers
  • Patent number: 11733511
    Abstract: A mirror device includes a support portion, a movable portion, and a pair of torsion bars disposed on both sides of the movable portion on a first axis. The movable portion includes a frame-shaped frame connected to the pair of torsion bars and a mirror unit disposed inside the frame. The mirror unit is connected to the frame in each of a pair of connection regions located on both sides of the mirror unit in a direction parallel to a second axis. A region other than the pair of connection regions in a region between the mirror unit and the frame is a space. An outer edge of the mirror unit and an inner edge of the frame are connected to each other so that a curvature in each of the pair of connection regions is continuous when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first and the second axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Daiki Suzuki, Takuma Osaki
  • Patent number: 11726313
    Abstract: A directable light beam handling device for use in optical communication contains is provided that contains a rotation mechanism with a rotatable ring of soft magnetic material encircling a path of the beam from a beam expander. A mirror or prism being coupled to the rotatable ring is rotated with the ring. The ring includes an array of soft magnetic ridges, forming elevations extending from a surface of the ring. At least three electromagnets are used to drive rotation of the ring around the beam axis. Each electromagnets comprises a soft magnetic yoke, having poles at a first and second end portion of the yoke. The pole at the first end portion faces said surface of the ring, the first end portion having ridges elevated from the yoke in the direction towards the ring, in parallel with the ridges of the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
    Inventor: Stefan Kuiper
  • Patent number: 11707919
    Abstract: Certain example embodiments relate to electric, potentially-driven shades usable with insulating glass (IG) units, IG units including such shades, and/or associated methods. In such a unit, a dynamic shade is located between the substrates defining the IG unit, and is movable between retracted and extended positions. The dynamic shade includes on-glass layers including a transparent conductor and an insulator or dielectric film, as well as a shutter. The shutter includes a resilient polymer, a conductor, and optional ink. Holes, invisible to the naked eye, may be formed in the polymer. Those holes may be sized, shaped, and arranged to promote summertime solar energy reflection and wintertime solar energy transmission. The conductor may be transparent or opaque. When the conductor is reflective, overcoat layers may be provided to help reduce internal reflection. The polymer may be capable of surviving high-temperature environments and may be colored in some instances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Guardian Glass, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Blush, Timothy J. Frey, Rudolph H. Petrmichl
  • Patent number: 11709354
    Abstract: A micromechanical mirror device, a mirror system, and a method for producing a micromechanical mirror device are disclosed. The mirror device comprises a first mirror element, which is flat, and a second mirror element, which is flat. The first and second mirror elements are arranged substantially plane-parallel. An intermediate space between the first and second mirror elements has a lower index of refraction than one or both of the first mirror element and second mirror element. The first and second mirror elements are locally spaced apart from each other by at least one support structure. The support structure overlaps with the first and second mirror elements in an axial direction, which is perpendicular to the first and second mirror elements. The support structure includes a material that is different from a material from which one or both of the first and second mirror elements are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Huber, Marc Schmid, Reinhold Roedel, Christoph Schelling, Christoph Daniel Kraemmer
  • Patent number: 11703678
    Abstract: A method includes forming a first aluminum silicon layer on a metal layer and forming a titanium nitride layer (or other titanium-based layer) on a surface of the aluminum-silicon layer opposite the metal layer. The method further includes etching the titanium nitride layer to create a titanium nitride pad and forming a torsion hinge in the metal layer. The titanium nitride pad is on the torsion hinge. The method also includes depositing a sacrificial layer over the torsion hinge and titanium nitride pad, forming a via in the sacrificial layer from a surface of the sacrificial layer opposite the torsion hinge to the titanium nitride pad, depositing a metal mirror layer on a surface of the sacrificial layer opposite the torsion hinge and into the via, and removing the sacrificial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Lucius M. Sherwin, Jesse Yuan, Noppawan Boorananut
  • Patent number: 11698571
    Abstract: An optical system is provided and includes a light-sensing element, a reflecting unit and a first driving assembly. The reflecting unit includes a reflecting surface, configured to receive an incident light and to reflect a reflecting light. The reflecting light travels into the light-sensing element. The first driving assembly is configured to control the reflecting unit to move along a first axis direction from a first position to a second position, so as to adjust a focus position of the reflecting light on the light-sensing element, wherein the reflecting surface in the first position is parallel to the reflecting surface in the second position, and a distance between a center of the reflecting unit in the first position and the center of the reflecting unit in the second position is not zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: TDK TAIWAN CORP.
    Inventors: Chao-Chang Hu, Chih-Wei Weng, Cheng-Kai Yu
  • Patent number: 11698538
    Abstract: A multipass scanner usable e.g. in a near-eye display is disclosed. The multipass scanner scans a light beam angularly, forming an image in angular domain. The multipass scanner includes a light source, a tiltable reflector, and a multipass coupler that couples light emitted by the light source to the tiltable reflector, receives the reflected light and couples it back to the tiltable reflector to double the scanning angle. Then, the multipass coupler couples the light reflected at least twice from the tiltable reflector to an exit pupil of the scanner. A pupil-replicating waveguide disposed at the exit pupil of the scanner extends the image in angular domain. Multiple reflections of the light beam from the tiltable reflector enable one to increase the angular scanning range and associated field of view of the display without having to increase the angular scanning range of the tiltable reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Wheelwright, Weichuan Gao, Babak Amirsolaimani, Ying Geng
  • Patent number: 11686824
    Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein refer to using LiDAR systems that uses a rotating polygon with a multi-facet mirror. Such multi-facet galvanometer mirror arrangements generate a point map that has reduced curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Innovusion, Inc.
    Inventors: Micah Ledbetter, Junwei Bao, Rui Zhang, Yimin Li
  • Patent number: 11681140
    Abstract: Mirror control circuitry operates to control a movable mirror. The mirror control circuitry includes drive circuitry for providing a drive signal to the movable mirror, and a processor. The processor causes the drive circuitry to generate the drive signal so as to have pulses with leading edges occurring an offset period of time after a maximum opening angle of the movable mirror and trailing edges occurring an offset period of time before a zero crossing of the movable mirror. The processor may sample a mirror sense signal from the movable mirror at times at which a derivative of capacitance of the movable mirror with respect to time is zero, and then perform an action based upon the samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd
    Inventors: Sivan Kinstlich, Offir Duvdevany
  • Patent number: 11681141
    Abstract: A MEMS device is obtained by forming a temporary biasing structure on a semiconductor body, and forming an actuation coil on the semiconductor body, the actuation coil having at least one first end turn, one second end turn and an intermediate turn arranged between the first and the second end turns and electrically coupled to the first end turn through the temporary biasing structure. In this way, the intermediate turn is biased at approximately the same potential as the first end turn during galvanic growth, and, at the end of growth, the actuation coil has an approximately uniform thickness. At the end of galvanic growth, portions of the temporary biasing structure are selectively removed to electrically separate the first end turn from the intermediate turn and from a dummy biasing region adjacent to the first end turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Roberto Carminati, Sonia Costantini, Riccardo Gianola, Linda Montagna, Francesca Maria Carla Carpignano
  • Patent number: 11681121
    Abstract: In an optical device, a movable unit includes a main body portion, a frame portion that surrounds the main body portion with a predetermined interval from the main body portion, and a plurality of connection portions which connect the main body portion and the frame portion to each other. A width of each of the connection portions is larger than an interval between the main body portion and the frame portion, and is smaller than a distance from a connection position with each of the connection portions in the frame portion to any of a connection position with each of a pair of first torsion support portions and a connection position with each of a pair of second torsion support portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Sugimoto, Tomofumi Suzuki, Kyosuke Kotani
  • Patent number: 11681142
    Abstract: [Object] To provide (i) a two-lens optical system, (ii) a beam combining module, (iii) a projector, and (iv) a method for assembling a two-lens optical system each of which allows for an improved lens positioning sensitivity [Means to Attain the Object] A two-lens optical system (100) includes a first lens (1) for use in collimation adjustment, the first lens being configured to move along only an optical axis of light emitted from a light source; and a second lens (2) for use in beam steering, the second lens being configured to move along only two axes perpendicular to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Peter John Roberts, Noriaki Fujii, Shin Itoh
  • Patent number: 11680338
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for an upper reflector assembly for use in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, an upper reflector assembly for use in a process chamber includes a reflector mounting ring; and upper reflector plate coupled to the reflector mounting ring and having an upper surface and lower surface, wherein the lower surface includes a plurality of linear channels extending substantially parallel to each other across the lower surface, and wherein the upper reflector plate includes air cooling slots extending from the upper surface to the lower surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Burrows, Shu-Kwan Danny Lau, Zhiyuan Ye
  • Patent number: 11675184
    Abstract: A light deflector includes a movable unit having a reflective surface, an elastic member that supports the movable unit in a tiltable manner about a tilting axis, and a supporter that supports the elastic member. The elastic member has a first connection segment whose rigidity changes continuously, and is connected to the movable unit at the first connection segment. The rigidity changes continuously between the elastic member and the movable unit via the first connection segment. The elastic member includes a linear segment having a substantially fixed width, the elastic member has a second connection segment that is provided between the linear segment and the supporter and that connects the linear segment and the supporter, a width of the second connection segment gradually increases toward the supporter, and a maximum width of the first connection segment is greater than a maximum width of the second connection segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 11675160
    Abstract: An apparatus that extends a field-of-view (FOV) of a camera of a camera device. For instance, the apparatus may include a frame and a visor. The frame may include a first side portion, a second side portion, a top portion, a bottom portion, and an opening for receiving a front of the camera device. The visor may include a first support that extends from the first side member, a second support that extends from the second side member, and a transverse member that extends between the first support and the second support. When the apparatus is attached to the camera device, the traverse member is located at least partly within the FOV of the camera. Additionally, the traverse member includes a mirror that reflects light from below and just in front of the camera device to the camera. This way, the FOV of the camera includes the area below and just in front of the camera device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew J. England
  • Patent number: 11675185
    Abstract: An actuator device includes: a support portion; a movable portion; a first connection portion connecting the movable portion to the support portion on a first axis so that the movable portion is swingable around the first axis; and a first wiring provided on the first connection portion. The first wiring includes a first main body formed of a metal material having a Vickers hardness of 50 HV or more. The first main body includes a first surface facing the first connection portion and a second surface other than the first surface. The second surface has a shape in which a curvature is continuous over the entire second surface in a cross-section perpendicular to an extension direction of the first wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Daiki Suzuki, Yuki Morinaga, Go Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11668802
    Abstract: A scanner and a method for controlling the scanner for a Lidar system are provided. The method comprises: producing a trigger signal by a positional sensor of the scanner; generating a single drive signal comprising a first component at a first frequency and a second component at a second frequency, the first component and the second component are superposed with a fixed phase relationship with aid of the trigger signal; transmitting the single drive signal to the scanner, and the scanner has resonant responses at the first frequency; and actuating the scanner to move in a first periodic motion at the first frequency about a first axis, and move in a second periodic motion at the second frequency about a second axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Hesai Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yongfeng Gao, Shengping Mao, Liangchen Ye, Shaoqing Xiang
  • Patent number: 11662578
    Abstract: Provided is an image display device including an optical scanner configured to scan light emitted from a light source, a parallel light generator configured to generate the scanned light as parallel light, a prism configured to refract the parallel light, and a light direction changer including a plurality of points whereon the parallel light refracted by the prism is incident and configured to reflect or diffract the parallel light and change a traveling direction of the parallel light, wherein the prism is provided on a path of each light traveling from the optical scanner to the light direction changer to adjust an optical path difference of parallel light incident on each of the plurality of points of the light direction changer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11662570
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device including an oscillator structure configured to oscillate about a rotation axis; a frame that is rotationally fixed, the frame including a frame recess within which the oscillator structure is suspended; and a suspension assembly mechanically coupled to and between the oscillator structure and the frame, the suspension assembly configured to suspend the oscillator structure within the frame recess. The suspension assembly includes a central support beam that extends lengthwise along the rotation axis, the central support beam being mechanically coupled to and between the oscillator structure and the frame; a first outer support beam mechanically coupled to the oscillator structure and laterally displaced from the central support beam in a first direction orthogonal to the rotation axis; and at least one first interior support beam directly coupled to and between the central support beam and the first outer support beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Malika Bella