Patents Examined by John R. Lee
  • Optical system with multiple light emitters sharing a field of view of a pixel detector
    Patent number: 11202056
    Abstract: 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 lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, 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: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Laser projection module, depth camera and electronic device
    Patent number: 11199398
    Abstract: A laser projection module, a depth camera and an electronic device are provided. The laser projection module includes a laser emitter configured to emit laser; a reflection element arranged in a laser emission direction of the laser emitter and configured to reflect the laser emitted from the laser emitter; a diffractive optical element arranged in a light exiting direction of the reflection element and configured to diffract the laser reflected by the reflection element; and an optical detector arranged between the laser emitter and the reflection element, and configured to receive the laser and detect an intensity of a non-zero order beam of the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventor: Qiqun Zhou
  • Lens plate, rain sensor, and light sensor
    Patent number: 11199440
    Abstract: A lens plate (10) for a rain and/or light sensor is proposed. The lens plate (10) has a base body (18), at least one light limitation structure (21), and at least one lens structure (28), the light limitation structure (21) extending into the base body (18) from a lower side (14) of the lens plate (10), a contour (27) of the light limitation structure (21) facing away from the lower side (14) of the lens plate (10) limiting the lens structure (28) circumferentially, and the contour (27) being substantially triangular. Furthermore, a rain and/or light sensor (8) is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: BCS AUTOMOTIVE INTERFACE SOLUTIONS GMBH
    Inventor: Ulrich Backes
  • Optical system for collecting distance information within a field
    Patent number: 11196979
    Abstract: 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 lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, 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: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Low-noise wide dynamic range image sensor
    Patent number: 11195872
    Abstract: A semiconductor image sensor includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of the sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having opposite front and back sides and laterally delimited by a first insulating wall including a first conductive core insulated from the substrate, electron-hole pairs being capable of forming in the substrate due to a back-side illumination. A circuit is configured to maintain, during a first phase in a first operating mode, the first conductive core at a first potential and to maintain, during at least a portion of the first phase in a second operating mode, the first conductive core at a second potential different from the first potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventors: Francois Roy, Stephane Hulot, Andrej Suler, Nicolas Virollet
  • Optical imaging system with a plurality of sense channels
    Patent number: 11190750
    Abstract: 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 lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, 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: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Single-photon detection method and apparatus
    Patent number: 11187578
    Abstract: A single-photon detection method and apparatus. The single-photon detection method detects a single photon using a single-photon detection apparatus, and includes generating an output signal through a photon detector by receiving a light signal as an input, generating a negative voltage comparison result through a negative voltage comparator by receiving the output signal as an input, and generating a photon detection result based on the negative voltage comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Seok Kim, Eun Ji Kim, Younchang Jeong, Osung Kwon, Changho Hong, Se Wan Ji, Haeng-Seok Ko, Jingak Jang, Daesung Kwon
  • Optical system for collecting distance information within a field
    Patent number: 11178381
    Abstract: 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 lenses that collimate photons passed by an aperture, 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: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Photoelectric conversion apparatus and image pickup system
    Patent number: 11177314
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of units each including a charge generation region disposed in a semiconductor layer. Each of a first unit and a second unit of the plurality of units includes a charge storage region configured to store charges transferred thereto from the charge generation region, a dielectric region located above the charge generation region and surrounded by an insulator layer, and a first light-shielding layer covering the charge storage region that is located between the insulator layer and the semiconductor layer, and the first light-shielding layer having an opening located above the charge generation region. The charge generation region of the first unit is able to receive light through the opening of the first light-shielding layer. The charge generation region of the second unit is covered with a second light-shielding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Nishimura, Sho Suzuki, Yasushi Matsuno, Yusuke Onuki, Masahiro Kobayashi, Takashi Okagawa, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa
  • Optical processing apparatus and operating method thereof
    Patent number: 11175747
    Abstract: An optical processing apparatus and a light source luminance adjustment method adapted to detect a rotational displacement and a pressing state are provided. The optical processing apparatus includes a light source unit, a processing unit, and an image sensing unit, wherein the processing unit is electrically connected to the light source unit and the image sensing unit. The light source unit provides a beam of light. The processing unit defines a frame rate, defines a plurality of time instants within a time interval, and sets the light source unit to a luminance value at each of the time instants. A length of the time interval is shorter than the reciprocal of the frame rate. The luminance values are different and are within a range. The image sensing unit captures an image by an exposure time length at each of the time instants, wherein the exposure time lengths are the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventors: Chung-Ting Yang, Ching-Lin Chung
  • Camera module
    Patent number: 11163214
    Abstract: A camera module includes a circuit board; a photosensitive chip located on the circuit board and electrically coupled to the circuit board, a package material body arranged on the circuit board, a support member arranged on one end of the package material body away from the circuit board, and a filter having a first and a second surfaces. The package material body includes a top end bearing surface. The support member includes a support body and an extension structure, and the extension structure includes a bottom surface, the bottom surface is connected to the bearing surface, and the second surface is connected to the bottom surface. The camera module is a three-stage structure of a package material body plus a support member plus a plurality of lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: NANCHANG O-FILM OPTICAL-ELECTRONIC TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chengzhe Shen, Jun Feng, Shumin Zhu, Shengyun Zhang, Wenhua Shuai, Dong Tang
  • Optical sensing module
    Patent number: 11150129
    Abstract: An optical sensing module has a light source and an optical sensing integrated circuit device. The optical sensing integrated circuit device has an optical sensor and a grating. The optical sensor and the light source are arranged along a first direction. The grating is formed over the optical sensor and has multiple parallel wires. The multiple wires are perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: EMINENT ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CORP. LTD.
    Inventors: Yi-Yung Chen, Kao-Pin Wu, Tom Chang
  • Optical shape sensor for determining shape of a flexible substrate
    Patent number: 11150082
    Abstract: A shape sensor employs light guide technology to determine curvature of a flexible substrate to which the shape sensor is applied. The shape sensor includes a flexible two-dimensional lattice of first light guides that extend in a first direction and second light guides that extend in a second direction that intersects with the first direction. The light guides include a core having a refractive index that is greater than a refractive index of a cladding material in which the light guides are embedded, and intersect at intersecting core regions at which crosstalk of light travel occurs between the first light guides and the second light guides. A controller transmits excitation control signals to light sources of the light guides and reads output signals from photodetectors. The controller further determines a curvature of the shape sensor based on the output signals read from the photodetectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Diego Gallardo
  • Optical assembly and method of manufacturing an optical assembly
    Patent number: 11131581
    Abstract: An optical assembly for an optical sensor device has a lens plate, a light source, and a light receiving unit. The lens plate includes a lens structure on a side associated with the light source and a light extraction structure on a side facing away from the light source. The lens structure has different local radii of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: BCS Automotive Interface Solutions GmbH
    Inventors: Laura Horan, Ulrich Backes
  • Loss engineering to improve system functionality and output
    Patent number: 11131619
    Abstract: A system and method for engineering loss in a physical system by steering parameters of the physical system to the vicinity of an exceptional point is disclosed. In the vicinity of an exceptional point, localization of the fields helps to enhance any linear or nonlinear processes. As examples loss-induced transparency in the intracavity field intensities of coupled resonators, loss-induced suppression and enhancement of thermal nonlinearity in coupled resonators and loss-induced suppression and revival of Raman lasing in whispering-gallery-microcavities are demonstrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Washington University
    Inventors: Sahin Kaya Ozdemir, Lan Yang, Bo Peng
  • Balanced light detector
    Patent number: 11118964
    Abstract: A system and method with AC coupling that reserves photodiode bandwidth in a biased configuration, allows optimal transimpedance amplifier performance, retains DC signal measurement capability, and does not introduce noise into the balanced detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventor: Brian P. Williams
  • Photoelectric conversion apparatus and imaging system using the same
    Patent number: 11114487
    Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion apparatus including charge storing portions in its imaging region, isolation regions for the charge storing portions include first isolation portion each having a PN junction, and second isolation portions each having an insulator. A second isolation portion is arranged between a charge storing portion and at least a part of a plurality of transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Yuichiro Yamashita
  • Electronic devices with switchable diffusers
    Patent number: 11105677
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display. An optical component window may be formed in the inactive area of the display. The optical component window may transmit infrared light from an infrared light source. The infrared light source may include a diffuser to allow the light source to operate in a flood illumination mode and a structured light mode. The diffuser may include liquid crystal material between first and second substrates. A sealant may surround the liquid crystal layer, and one or more spacer walls may be located between the sealant and the liquid crystal layer. An additional spacer wall may be used outside of the sealant to prevent metal from creating an electrical short between electrodes in the diffuser. Conductive material in the sealant may be used to couple a top electrode to a metal pad on a bottom substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Junhwan Lim, Zhibing Ge, Christopher L. Boitnott, Shih-Wei Chang, Sang Un Choi, Sudirukkuge T. Jinasundera
  • Diffusion safety system
    Patent number: 11105954
    Abstract: A power beaming system includes a power beam transmitter arranged to transmit the power beam, and a power beam receiver arranged to receive the power beam from the power beam transmitter. A power beam transmission source is arranged to generate a laser light beam for transmission by the power beam transmitter from a first location toward a remote second location. A beam-shaping element shapes the laser light beam, at least one diffusion element uniformly distributes light of the shaped laser light beam, and a projection element illuminates a power beam receiving element of predetermined shape with the shaped laser light beam. At the power beam receiver, a diffusion surface diffuses a portion the power beam specularly reflected from the power beam receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: LASERMOTIVE, INC.
    Inventors: Jordin T. Kare, Thomas J. Nugent, Jr., David Bashford
  • Pixel and method of controlling the same
    Patent number: 11094726
    Abstract: A global shutter pixel includes a first transistor and a first switch series-connected between a first node of application of a potential and an internal node of the pixel. A control terminal of the first transistor is coupled to a floating diffusion node of the pixel. At least two assemblies are coupled to the internal node, where each assembly is formed of a capacitor series-connected with a second switch coupling the capacitor to the internal node. A second transistor has a control terminal connected to the internal node and a first conduction terminal coupled to an output node of the pixel. The pixel operation is controlled to store an initialization voltage from the floating diffusion on one of the capacitors and a pixel integration voltage from the floating diffusion on another of the capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventor: Laurent Simony