Patents Examined by Georgia Y. Epps
  • Patent number: 11863886
    Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: multiple distinct sets of photodiodes, wherein each set of photodiodes includes one or more photodiodes, one or more charge sensing units, and a controller. The controller is configured to: transfer charge generated by the one or more photodiodes in response to a different component of incident light to the one or more charge sensing units in order to convert the charge to voltages; perform one or more quantization processes of a plurality of quantization processes corresponding to a plurality of intensity ranges, wherein the one or more quantization processes quantizes the voltages from the one or more charge sensing units to digital values representing components of a pixel of different wavelength ranges; and generate a pixel value based on the at least some of the digital values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Samuel Berkovich, Xinqiao Liu, Song Chen, Nicholas Daniel Trail, Michael Patrick Schaub
  • Patent number: 11853720
    Abstract: A vacuum fluctuation quantum random number generator chip includes a heat sink substrate, a laser fixed to a first end of the heat sink substrate, at least two photoelectric detectors fixed to a second end of the heat sink substrate, and a beam splitter fixed to the heat sink substrate and located between the laser and the at least two photoelectric detectors. Light of the laser propagates through the beam splitter. The at least two photoelectric detectors are respectively positioned at optical path outlets of the beam splitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SHRONG ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qiechun Chen, Zhiguo Yang
  • Patent number: 11840933
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alek Gavrilovski, William Donat
  • Patent number: 11843387
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Susan A. Thompson, Anup K. Sharma, Christopher G Zeleznik, Harish Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 11835382
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jason B. Neevel, Christopher S. Tomasetta, Jonathan M. Lee, Ekaterina Pease, Nicholas Merz, Daniel Jarvis, Michael B. Wittenberg, Jared P. Ostdiek, Rasamy Phouthavong, David A. Pakula, Richard H. Koch, Marwan Rammah, Ian A. Spraggs, Laura M. Burke
  • Patent number: 11838671
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus and the like that enables a predetermined determination in response to the incidence of photons is provided. The photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising a pixel provided with a photoelectric conversion unit that outputs a signal in response to the incidence of a photon; and a plurality of processing units configured to correspond to the pixel, wherein the processing unit has a first counter circuit configured to count an output signal from the pixel during a predetermined time period and a first memory configured to store a count value counted by the first counter circuit as a second count value, and wherein the processing unit outputs a determination result obtained by comparing a first count value output by the first counter circuit and a predetermined threshold that has been set based on the second count value read out from the first memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuaki Ise
  • Patent number: 11835381
    Abstract: An integrated radiation sensor is disclosed. The integrated radiation sensor comprises a first optical filter associated with a first radiation-sensing element and a second optical filter associated with a second radiation-sensing element. The first optical filter is configured to pass radiation to the first radiation-sensing element with wavelengths within a UV-C range. The second optical filter is configured to pass radiation to the second radiation-sensing element with wavelengths longer than wavelengths within the UV-C range. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the integrated radiation sensor and methods of use of the integrated radiation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: AMS SENSORS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Gunter Siess, Markus Buss, Julius Komma, Holger Pless, Mahmoud Jazayerifar, Peter Bliem, Franz Lechner, Gerhard Eilmsteiner, Frederic Roger
  • Patent number: 11837434
    Abstract: A method for setting position of a component of a particle beam apparatus may be performed, for example, by the particle beam apparatus. The component may be embodied as a gas feed device, as a particle detector and/or as a beam detector. The method may include: aligning the component with a coincidence point of a particle beam of the particle beam apparatus, determining a rotation angle of a rotation of an object carrier about a rotation axis, loading a position of the component associated with the rotation angle from a database into a control unit, transmitting a control signal from the control unit to a drive unit for moving the component, and moving the component into the position loaded from the database by means of the drive unit, wherein the component arranged in the loaded position is at a pre-definable distance from the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Schmaunz, Gero Walter, Bernd Stenke
  • Patent number: 11821786
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: EKO INSTRUMENTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Hasegawa, Satoshi Nishikawa, Masayuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 11817473
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taiichiro Watanabe, Akihiro Yamada, Hideo Kido, Hiromasa Saito, Keiji Mabuchi, Yuko Ohgishi
  • Patent number: 11817464
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Junji Iwata
  • Patent number: 11799260
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Leva E. Bukowski
  • Patent number: 11799416
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ARRAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Ronald P. Corio
  • Patent number: 11782199
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: VIAVI Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Georg J. Ockenfuss, Tim Gustafson, Jeffrey James Kuna, Markus Bilger, Richard A. Bradley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11782139
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a Body Corporate
    Inventors: Kelvin Wagner, Daniel Feldkhun, Milos Popovic
  • Patent number: 11774692
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: InnoLight Technology (Suzhou) Ltd.
    Inventors: Long Chen, Yuzhou Sun, Xiongfei Zhai, Donghan Wang, Zhenzhong Wang, Meng Fang, Chao Zhang, Xigui Fang, Xiangzhong Wang
  • Patent number: 11768104
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: ARCSOFT CORPORATION LIMITED
    Inventor: Byung Il Min
  • Patent number: 11762182
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH
    Inventors: Werner Knebel, Wolfgang Oestreicher
  • Patent number: 11747863
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Calatayud, Jonathon Reilly
  • Patent number: 11739986
    Abstract: A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: NEXTRACKER LLC
    Inventors: Yu Dong Ma, Yang Liu, Francesco Borrelli, Allan Daly, Ricardo Delgado-Nanez, Alexander W. Au