Patents Examined by Kevin K Pyo
  • Patent number: 11976966
    Abstract: Provided is a light reduction mechanism which includes a plate-type first beam splitter and a plate-type second beam splitter, in which in a case where the X axis and the Y axis are arbitrary orthogonal coordinate axes in the plane perpendicular to the optical axis of laser beam irradiation optical unit whose origin is in the optical axis, the first beam splitter is arranged with the X axis as a rotation axis and inclined at an angle ? in the range from 30° to 60° inclusive with respect to the plane perpendicular to the optical axis, and the second beam splitter is arranged with the X? axis, which is parallel to the X axis and passes through the optical axis, as a rotation axis, and inclined at an angle ?? with respect to the plane perpendicular to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Tamron Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Komori
  • Patent number: 11977009
    Abstract: An analysis device of an embodiment is an analysis device of an active material layer of an electrode of a secondary battery, and includes a processor configured to execute a program to acquire image data that represents active materials in the active material layer processed by ion milling and voids or fillings between the active materials by a difference in brightness, and compare patterns of the difference in brightness between the image data in at least two different states of the active material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakurai, Hideki Sakai, Tatsuya Hattori, Yuji Isogai
  • Patent number: 11973090
    Abstract: Embodiments of a hybrid imaging sensor and methods for pixel sub-column data read from the within a pixel array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Laurent Blanquart
  • Patent number: 11966262
    Abstract: An embodiment of this application discloses a terminal. The terminal includes a side frame, a front cover, a back cover, a display panel, and an ambient light sensor. The front cover and the back cover respectively cover two opposite sides of the side frame. The display panel is fastened to one side of the front cover facing the back cover. An outer peripheral side of the display panel and an inner peripheral side of the side frame are disposed opposite to each other and form a light-transmitting gap therebetween. The light-transmitting gap forms a first projection on the front cover. Alight sensing surface of the ambient light sensor forms a second projection on the front cover. The terminal has a relatively high screen-to-body ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: HONOR DEVICE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chenlong Li, Xuanrui Fan
  • Patent number: 11965988
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system can emit light toward an environment and detect responsively reflected light to determine a distance to one or more points in the environment. The reflected light can be detected by a plurality of plurality of photodiodes that are reverse-biased using a high voltage. Signals from the plurality of reverse-biased photodiodes can be amplified by respective transistors and applied to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The signal from a particular photodiode can be applied to the ADC by biasing a respective transistor corresponding to the particular photodiode while not biasing transistors corresponding to other photodiodes. The gain of each photodiode/transistor pair can be controlled by adjusting the bias voltage applied to each photodiode using a digital-to-analog converter. The gain of each photodiode/transistor pair can be controlled based on the detected temperature of each photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Droz, Samuel William Lenius
  • Patent number: 11961870
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are provided for reducing electrical and optical crosstalk in photodiodes. A photodiode may include a first layer with passive material, the passive material having no electric field. The photodiode may include a second layer with an absorbing material, the second layer above the first layer. The photodiode may include a diffused region with a buried p-n junction. The photodiode may include an active region with the buried p-n junction and having an electric field greater than zero. The photodiode may include a plateau structure based on etching through the second layer to the first layer, the etching performed at a distance of fifteen microns or less from the buried p-n junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Brian Piccione, Mark Itzler, Xudong Jiang, Krystyna Slomkowski, Harold Y. Hwang, John L. Hostetler
  • Patent number: 11962926
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixel circuits each comprising a photodiode connected between ground and a floating diffusion (FD) node, a reset transistor (MRST) connected between a first voltage supply and the floating diffusion (FD) node, and a source follower transistor (MSF), wherein its drain is connected to a second voltage supply, the gate is connected to a floating diffusion (FD) node and the source is connected to a row select transistor (MSEL). The row select transistor (MSEL) is connected between the source of the source follower transistor (MSF) and a common column output. Each pixel circuit is configured to output an output signal corresponding to a light incident on the photodiode. Each pixel circuit includes at least one additional transistor for configuring each pixel circuit to selectively output a linear integration signal or a logarithmic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Alpsentek GmbH
    Inventors: Yingyun Zha, Jian Deng, Roger Mark Bostock
  • Patent number: 11962920
    Abstract: An imaging device of the present disclosure includes: a pixel array section in which pixels including light receiving elements are arranged; a first pixel control section that performs control to read out signals of all the pixels in the pixel array section at a first frame rate; a second pixel control section that performs control to read out signals of the pixels in a specific region in the pixel array section at a second frame rate higher than the first frame rate; and an analog-to-digital conversion section that performs an analog-to-digital conversion on a pixel signal read out by the control performed by the first pixel control section or the second pixel control section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Muraoka
  • Patent number: 11956413
    Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: a first photodiode to generate a first charge; a second photodiode to generate a second charge; a quantizer; a first memory bank and a second memory bank; and a controller configured to: control the quantizer to perform a first quantization operation and a second quantization operation of the first charge to generate, respectively, a first digital output and a second digital output, the first and second quantization operations being associated with different intensity ranges; store one of the first digital output or the second digital output in the first memory bank; control the quantizer to perform a third quantization operation of the second charge to generate a third digital output, the third quantization operation being associated with a different intensity range from at least one of the first or second quantization operations; and store the third digital output in the second memory bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Song Chen, Xinqiao Liu, Lyle David Bainbridge, Andrew Samuel Berkovich
  • Patent number: 11933936
    Abstract: An optical sensor includes a light source, a light receiver, and a convex portion. The light source emits light to an object. The light receiver receives reflected light of the emitted light reflected by an object and generates a signal showing a light reception result. The convex portion has a height higher than a height of the light source and the light receiver. The convex portion is between the light source and the light receiver to block reflected light from the light receiver when light from the light source is reflected within a range of a predetermined distance from the convex portion. The light receiver outputs a signal to show a light reception result of equal to or less than a threshold amount of light indicating that the reflected light is not received in response to proximity of the object being within a range of a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Watanabe, Kohei Sugahara, Takatoshi Kato
  • Patent number: 11927892
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate, associated patterning device and a method for measuring a position of the substrate. The method comprises performing an alignment scan of an alignment mark to obtain simultaneously: a first measurement signal detected in a first measurement channel and a second measurement signal detected in a second measurement channel. The first and second measurement signals are processed by subtracting a first direction component of the first measurement signal from a first direction component of the second measurement signal to obtain a first processed signal, the first direction components relating to said first direction. The position of an alignment mark is determined with respect to the first direction from the first processed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen, Edo Maria Hulsebos
  • Patent number: 11927700
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, systems, methods, and media for improving signal-to-noise ratio in single-photon data are provided. In some embodiments, a system comprises: a processor programmed to: generate, for each of a plurality of pixel locations, initial photon flux estimates based on a first set of photon transients including photon transients associated with the pixel location and neighboring pixel locations, each of the photon transients comprises a histogram of photon counts; identify, for a scene patch associated with each of the plurality of pixel locations, one or more similar scene patches using intensity information for each of the plurality of pixel locations; and generate, for each of the plurality of pixel locations, final photon flux estimates based on a second set of photon transients including photon transients associated with the scene patch and each of the one or more similar scene patches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Jongho Lee, Mohit Gupta
  • Patent number: 11921125
    Abstract: A slide rack inventory and reinsertion system for use with a digital slide scanning apparatus is provided that determines, prior to scanning of glass slides in a slide rack, a status of each slot in the slide rack as properly occupied, improperly occupied, or empty. The system also determines whether a slide that has been removed from the slide rack for processing has been properly reinserted into the slide rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: LEICA BIOSYSTEMS IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas Newberg, Prentash Djelosevic, Aaron Stearrett, Peyman Najmabadi
  • Patent number: 11923475
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making a light converting optical system. The method involves providing a first optical layer having a microstructured front surface comprising an array of linear grooves that reflect first light rays using total internal reflection and deflect second light rays using refraction. A thin sheet of reflective light scattering material is positioned parallel to the first optical layer. A second optical layer is provided with a microstructured front surface. A continuous photoabsorptive film layer comprising a light converting semiconductor material is positioned between the first optical layer and the reflective material, with a thickness less than the minimum thickness required for absorbing all light traversing through the film layer. The method further involves providing a light source and positioning the second optical layer on the light path between the light source and the photoabsorptive film layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: S.V.V. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Sergiy Vasylyev
  • Patent number: 11916603
    Abstract: Arrays of optical emitters, modulators, receivers and/or optoelectronic devices used in communication are printed with redundant elements to provide multiple solutions to select from at screening time to improve overall yield. Multiple optoelectronic devices are printed on common chiplets, tightly packed, or printed in sub-arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Fathom Radiant, PBC
    Inventors: Keith Behrman, J. Israel Ramirez, Ryan Boesch
  • Patent number: 11917773
    Abstract: An embodiment of a barrier assembly includes a housing having an aperture and a magnet at least partially disposed within the housing. A first surface of the magnet is exposed. The barrier assembly also includes a light-emitting component disposed within the aperture. Another embodiment of a barrier assembly includes a housing having a plurality of apertures formed about a perimeter of the housing. The barrier assembly also includes a magnet at least partially embedded within the housing and the magnet includes an opening formed through a center of the magnet and a plurality of light-emitting components, each light-emitting component at least partially disposed within a corresponding aperture of the plurality of apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Apple, Inc.
    Inventors: Saijin Liu, Tongbi T. Jiang
  • Patent number: 11904666
    Abstract: A vehicle characterizes a sunload on the vehicle using an imaging system including at least one camera capturing image data (e.g., without using an ambient light sensor). The image data includes at least a portion of a passenger cabin. A region of interest (ROI) overlay receives the image data and extracts selected image data according to predetermined scene elements of the vehicle environment. An occupant overlay is configured to detect a vehicle occupant represented in the selected image data and configured to generate truncated image data by subtracting image data corresponding to the vehicle occupant from the selected image data. An ambient light model uses environmental parameters including a sun position to estimate an expected sunload range. A mapper generates a sunload map comprising respective sunload values for a plurality of locations on the vehicle according to the truncated image data and the expected sunload range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jake S. Schwartz, Nicholas A. Scheufler, Jonathan Diedrich, Eric R. Krieger, Mark Gehrke, Martin van Hoeckel, Brian Bennie
  • Patent number: 11904426
    Abstract: A non-contact tool measurement apparatus is used in a machine tool environment. The apparatus includes a transmitter including a first aperture and a laser for generating light that is emitted from the transmitter through the first aperture towards a tool-sensing region. A receiver includes an optical detector and is arranged to receive light from the tool-sensing region. A processor analyses the light detected by the optical detector to enable the measurement of tools in the tool-sensing region. The laser is capable of generating light having a wavelength of less than 590 nm thereby enabling the size of the first aperture to be reduced resulting in a reduction in contaminant ingress. In one embodiment, the laser generates blue light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: RENISHAW PLC
    Inventors: Julian Alexander Cluff, Graham Richard Ferguson, Harry Alan Leafe, William Ernest Lee
  • Patent number: 11899037
    Abstract: A method for non-contact monitoring of at least one sequence of motions having several states of motion with a passing recognition system, including a floor edge, in particular for installing on a floor of a passing area to be monitored, at least one first sensor strip extending along a vertical vector and including several sensors for detecting states of motion within a detection area of the sensors, includes a computing unit for evaluating the states of motion and/or the sequence of motions. Furthermore, a computer-implemented method as well as a passing recognition system for performing the method is related.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: KABA GALLENSCHÜTZ GMBH
    Inventors: Arno Vollmer, Gerald Droll
  • Patent number: 11892349
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an imaging optical system. In one aspect, the imaging optical system includes, among other things, a segmented light redirecting element configured to redirect the at least two portions of said electromagnetic radiation into substantially different directions and a segmented light separating element configured to substantially separate electromagnetic radiation into at least two portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Wavefront Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Mitchell, Thomas W. Stone