Patents Examined by John R. Lee
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Patent number: 11965758Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a Brillouin optical sensing device and an optical sensing method capable of reducing introduction costs. The Brillouin optical sensing device according to the present invention includes: a sensing fiber 90 in which a plurality of optical fibers having Brillouin frequency shift characteristics different from each other are arranged in parallel; an optical measuring instrument 11 that launches an optical pulse into at least two of the optical fibers of the sensing fiber 90 to generate Brillouin scattering lights and measures a beat frequency of a beat signal between the Brillouin scattering lights at any position of the sensing fiber 90; and an arithmetic processing unit 12 that acquires a physical quantity of the sensing fiber 90 at said any position based on the beat frequency acquired by the optical measuring instrument 11.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2020Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATIONInventors: Atsushi Nakamura, Chihiro Kito, Daisuke Iida, Junichi Kawataka, Hiroyuki Oshida
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Patent number: 11967988Abstract: An insulation device arranged to be fixed on an electrical board of an optical wireless communication equipment, and including an enclosure having a height at least equal to a height of an optical assembly including an optical concentrator, the enclosure including in its thickness an opaque material, the insulation device including at least one housing, the insulation device being arranged such that, when the insulation device and the optical assembly are mounted on the electrical board, the enclosure surrounds the receiving surface so as to insulate the optical assembly from unwanted optical signals, and the optical concentrator is positioned in the housing so that the housing assists in holding the optical concentrator in position in the optical wireless communication equipment.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2021Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Inventors: Alejandro Espinoza-Garcia, Clément Lartigue, Carlos Dominguez-Gonzalez
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Patent number: 11959782Abstract: A reflective coating belongs to a reflection structure for reflecting a light beam emitted by a light source of an optical encoder, the reflection of the light beam being directed toward a photoreceptor. The reflective coating includes at least one flat lamella made of glass, a first face of which forms a connection surface on one portion of the reflection structure of the optical encoder. A second face of the lamella opposite the first face forms another connection surface to connect with at least one layer made of at least one material having a reflection coefficient greater than 96% coated with a protective layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Inventor: Dominique Gibard
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Patent number: 11953253Abstract: An optoelectronic module for a light barrier for fill height monitoring of an ice collection container in a household ice maker includes a module housing, which bears a light passage surface located at the boundary between the optoelectronic module and the space outside the module for the passage of a beam of light of the light barrier. The module further has a printed circuit board accommodated in the module housing, an optoelectronic component mounted on the printed circuit board, serving as a light transmitter or receiver, with a main lobe axis, and a cylindrical light-guiding element for guidance of the light beam located in the beam path between the light passage surface and the optoelectronic component, and at a distance from the component.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbHInventors: Johannes Baumer, Johann Schenkl, Georg Wilhelm
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Patent number: 11952825Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor and/or adjust operations of doors are disclosed. An apparatus includes processor circuitry to execute instructions to: monitor a position of a door panel associated with a door system; detect when a beam from a photo-eye sensor associated with the door system is in an unexpected non-triggered state based on the position of the door panel; and generate an alert or notification indicating a significance of the beam in the unexpected non-triggered state.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: RITE-HITE HOLDING CORPORATIONInventors: Ryan Beggs, Derek Lewan, Quinn Mast, James Pelegrin, III, Michael Sivill
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Patent number: 11956410Abstract: An optical system for collecting distance information within a field is provided. The optical system may include lenses for collecting photons from a field and may include lenses for distributing photons to a field. The optical system may include lens tubes that collimate collected photons, optical filters that reject normally incident light outside of the operating wavelength, and pixels that detect incident photons. The optical system may further include illumination sources that output photons at an operating wavelength.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2023Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Ouster, Inc.Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
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Patent number: 11948786Abstract: A night vision system, a microchannel plate (MCP), and a planetary deposition system and methodology are provided for selectively depositing an electrode contact metal on one side of MCP channel openings. One or more MCPs can be releasably secured to a face of a platter that rotates about its central platter axis. The rotating platter can be tilted on a rotating ring fixture surrounding an evaporative source of contact metal. Therefore, the rotating platter further rotates so that it orbits around the evaporative source of contact metal. A mask with a variable size mask opening is arranged between the rotating platter and the evaporative source. While the mask orbits around the evaporative source with the rotating platter, the mask does not rotate along its own axis as does the rotating platter.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Elbit Systems of America, LLCInventors: Stephen Carroll, William J. Baney, Cooper Gray Temple, Matthew Robert Curtis
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Patent number: 11946802Abstract: An ambient light sensor includes a substrate, a metasurface disposed on the substrate, and an aperture layer disposed on the substrate. The metasurface includes a plurality of nanostructures and a filling layer laterally surrounding the plurality of nanostructures. The aperture layer laterally separates the metasurface into a plurality of sub-meta groups.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2023Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: VISERA TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITEDInventors: Shih-Liang Ku, Zi-Han Liao, Chun-Wei Huang
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Patent number: 11948954Abstract: An electrode controls transmittance of a blocking layer over a photodiode of a pixel sensor (e.g., a photodiode of a small pixel detector) by changing oxidation of a metal material included in the blocking layer. By using the electrode to adjust transmittance of the blocking layer, pixel sensors for different uses and/or products may be produced using a single manufacturing process. As a result, power and processing resources are conserved that otherwise would have been expended in switching manufacturing processes. Additionally, production time is decreased (e.g., by eliminating downtime that would otherwise have been used to reconfigure fabrication machines.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2023Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Li-Wen Huang, Chung-Liang Cheng, Ping-Hao Lin, Kuo-Cheng Lee
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Patent number: 11947070Abstract: A housing device (20) includes a housing portion (22), a light source (200), and an optical sensor (300). The housing portion (22) includes a holding body (100). An article is housed in the housing portion (22). The holding body (100) extends in one direction. The light source (200) is attached to the holding body (100) along the one direction. The light source (200) applies light toward at least a part of a space (S) located on a side of the holding body (100) with respect to the one direction of the holding body (100), a front of the space (S), and a back of the space (S). The optical sensor (300) is attached to the holding body (100). At least a part of a visual field of the optical sensor (300) faces in at least a part of the space (S), the front of the space (S), and the back of the space (S).Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: NEC CORPORATIONInventors: Soma Shiraishi, Katsumi Kikuchi, Takami Sato, Yu Nabeto
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Patent number: 11941858Abstract: An object recognition device (10) includes a holding body (100), a light source (200), and an optical sensor (300). The holding body (100) extends in one direction. The light source (200) is attached to the holding body (100) along the one direction. The light source (200) applies light toward at least a part of a space (S) located on a side of the holding body (100) with respect to the one direction of the holding body (100), a front of the space (S), and a back of the space (S). The optical sensor (300) is attached to the holding body (100). At least a part of a visual field of the optical sensor (300) faces in at least a part of the space (S), the front of the space (S), and the back of the space (S).Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: NEC CORPORATIONInventors: Soma Shiraishi, Katsumi Kikuchi, Takami Sato, Yu Nabeto
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Patent number: 11933666Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, for a stray-light testing station. In one aspect, the stray-light testing station includes an illumination assembly including a spatially extended light source and one or more optical elements arranged to direct a beam of light from the spatially extended light source along an optical path to an optical receiver assembly including a lens receptacle configured to receive a lens module and position the lens module in the optical path downstream from the parabolic mirror so that the lens module focuses the beam of light from the spatially extended light source to an image plane, and a moveable frame supporting the optical receiver assembly including one or more adjustable alignment stages to position the optical receiver assembly relative to the illumination assembly such that the optical path of the illumination assembly is within a field of view of the optical receiver assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2023Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Chen David Lu, Matthew Thomas Daniel Rinehart, Joshua Chia Fong Wang, Michael Shagam
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Patent number: 11923386Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes a first photodetector disposed in a first pixel region of a semiconductor substrate and a second photodetector disposed in a second pixel region of the semiconductor substrate. The second photodetector is laterally separated from the first photodetector. A first diffuser is disposed along a back-side of the semiconductor substrate and over the first photodetector. A second diffuser is disposed along the back-side of the semiconductor substrate and over the second photodetector. A first midline of the first pixel region and a second midline of the second pixel region are both disposed laterally between the first diffuser and the second diffuser.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2023Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Keng-Yu Chou, Chun-Hao Chuang, Kazuaki Hashimoto, Wei-Chieh Chiang, Cheng Yu Huang, Wen-Hau Wu, Chih-Kung Chang
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Patent number: 11920976Abstract: A system for coupling photometers to an incubation ring for use in in vitro diagnostics comprises one or more light sources, and an incubation ring assembly, and two photometers. An incubation ring assembly comprises an internal trough and an external trough. Each trough comprises (a) an internal wall comprising an internal aperture and (b) an external wall comprising an external aperture. A first photometer comprises: a first optics housing directing light from the light sources through the external aperture of the internal trough, and a first detector positioned to receive the light through the internal aperture of the internal trough. A second photometer comprises a second optics housing directing the light from the light sources through the internal aperture of the external trough, and a second detector positioned to receive the light through the external aperture of the external trough.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2020Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.Inventors: John P. Mizzer, Donald Wood
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Patent number: 11913622Abstract: The present disclosure sets forth a motion sensing outdoor security light with the flexibility of being mounted to either a wall structure or to an eave or ceiling structure. An adjustable spherical motion sensor housing may be provided with the rotationally adjustable outdoor security light, allowing easy adjustment of motion detection ranges under different mounting schemes without comprising the aesthetic design of the light. The adjustable spherical motion sensor housing may also provide an enlarged horizontal field of view for better performance.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2023Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: HEATHCO LLCInventors: Miles William McDonald, Kushagra Dixit, Scott Blaise Tylicki, Apollo Paul Paredes, Lionel V. Luu, John Colvin Deaton
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Patent number: 11906353Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises a photodiode, a charge storage unit, and a processing circuits configured to: transfer overflow charge from the photodiode to the charge storage unit to develop a first voltage; compare the first voltage against a first ramping threshold voltage to generate a first decision; generate, based on the first decision, a first digital value; transfer residual charge from the photodiode to the charge storage unit to develop a second voltage; compare the second voltage against a static threshold voltage to determine whether the photodiode saturates to generate a second decision; compare the second voltage against a second ramping threshold voltage to generate a third decision; generate, based on the third decision, a second digital value; and output, based on the second decision, one of the first digital value or the second digital value to represent an intensity of light received by the photodiode.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2019Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLCInventors: Xinqiao Liu, Song Chen, Andrew Samuel Berkovich, Wei Gao
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Patent number: 11901742Abstract: A wireless optical charging system according to the present invention includes a transmitter which transmits a laser beam as light with an energy increased by the resonance; and a receiving unit which receives light transmitted from the transmitter and converts an energy for some light among the received light into an electric energy to charge devices. Accordingly, the laser resonance power transfer technology is used to solve the limitation of the distance and harmfulness to the human body.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2020Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Industry Academy Cooperation Foundation of Sejong UniversityInventors: Jin Yong Ha, Jae Yeong Lim, Tariq Shamim Khwaja
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Patent number: 11893149Abstract: Provided are systems, compositions and methods that useful in any setting where generating and tracking light is used. The systems, methods and compositions contain as a component flexible, transparent membrane-based materials that include light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs can include or be formed from colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) as an active layer. The CQDs can be formed from solution-processed semiconductor nanocrystals. They have a tunable band gap energy that can be readily tuned by adjusting the size of the nanocrystals. Transparent membrane-based LED arrays exhibit emission wavelength that can be tuned anywhere in the range of 800-2000 nm. The LEDs are highly transparent in the visible wavelength range with the exception of the CQD active layer. The CQD-based LEDs are components of any device or system wherein generating and/or tracking reflected light is utilized, such as in tracing the location and movement of a living individual, or an inanimate object.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2020Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITYInventors: Susanna Thon, Charbel Rizk, Botong Qiu
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Patent number: 11892346Abstract: An optical system and a method of manufacturing an optical system are provided. The optical system includes a carrier, a light emitter, a light receiver, a block structure and an encapsulant. The light emitter is disposed on the carrier. The light receiver is disposed on the carrier and physically spaced apart from the light emitter. The light receiver has a light detecting area. The block structure is disposed on the carrier. The encapsulant is disposed on the carrier and covers the light emitter, the light receiver and the block structure. The encapsulant has a recess over the block structure.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2022Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR ENGINEERING, INC.Inventors: Hsin-Ying Ho, Ying-Chung Chen
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Patent number: 11886025Abstract: A receptacle (6) includes an optical fiber stub (7). A lens (5) includes an incident-side curved surface (9), an emission-side curved surface (10), and a barrel (11) provided between the incident-side curved surface (9) and the emission-side curved surface (10). A receptacle holder (8) holds the receptacle (6) so that the lens (5) and the optical fiber stub (7) are not in contact but separated from each other. When light out from the optical fiber stub (7) enters the lens (5) through the incident-side curved surface (9), the light is condensed inside the lens (5) and then spreads again, and the light out from the emission-side curved surface (10) is condensed onto a light-receiving surface of the light-receiving device (2).Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2018Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Yohei Mikami