Abstract: A backside illuminated image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a backside facing each other, a light receiving element in the semiconductor substrate, the light receiving element being configured to convert light incident on the backside of the semiconductor substrate to an electrical signal, a first semiconductor layer on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, and a second semiconductor layer on the backside of the semiconductor substrate, the second semiconductor layer being connected to a voltage source.

Abstract: A readout transistor circuit for a pixel is disclosed. The readout transistor circuit includes a sense node. A reset transistor is in signal communication with the sense node. A source follower transistor is in signal communication with the sense node. A row select transistor is in signal communication with the source follower transistor. A switching transistor is in signal communication with the sense node. A capacitor is in signal communication with the switching transistor. The switching transistor is configured to place the capacitor in signal communication with the sense node to switch between a low voltage-per-charge (V/e?) ratio and a high voltage-per-charge (V/e?) to enable low noise performance of the sense node. The capacitor may be a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor. At least one of the reset transistor, the source follower transistor, the row select transistor, and the switching transistor may be a MOSFET. One or more of the MOSFETs may be a buried channel MOSFET.

Abstract: An electro-hydrodynamic system that extracts energy from a gas stream, which includes an injector that injects a first species of particles having the same polarity into the gas stream, wherein particle movement with the gas stream is opposed by a first electric field; an electric field generator that generates a second electric field opposing the first, such that the net electric field at a predetermined distance downstream from the injector is approximately zero; an upstream collector that collects a second species of particles having a polarity opposite the first particle species; a downstream collector that collects the charged particle; and a load coupled between the downstream collector and the upstream collector, wherein the load converts the kinetic energy of the gas stream into electric power.

Abstract: An optical device includes: an optical component; a case air-sealed, and made of metal, the optical component being secured within the case; and a lens provided within the case, and positionally adjusted in consideration of a deformation of the case air-sealed, light emitted from the optical component passing through the lens or light traveling to the optical component passing through the lens.

Abstract: A multi-spectrum photosensitive device comprises two, three, or four composite sensing pixels arranged in layers up and down in a base layer of P-type or N-type silicon by means of single-sided processing or double-sided processing, each composite sensing pixels can sense respectively spectrum orthogonal or complementary to each other in visible light or visible and infrared light. The basic sensing pixels on different layers of the composite sensing pixels can be designed to sense different colors or spectrums, so that a multi-spectrum photosensitive chip can be achieved by repeatedly arranging the macro units consisting of more than one composite sensing pixel. The present disclosure also includes a new multi-layer sensing pixel, and examples of which used in a single-sided double-layer, or a double-sided double-layer, or a double-sided three-layer, or a double-sided four-layer, or a single-sided mixed double-layer, or a double-sided mixed with double-layer or a multi-layer multi-spectrum sensing device.

Abstract: A speckle reducing device includes: a polarization splitter element with a polarization splitter portion that splits incident light into first and second light containing a first and a second component respectively, which outputs the first and the second light along different directions; a first reflecting member that reflects the first light to reenter the polarization splitter element; a first conversion member disposed between the first reflecting member and the polarization splitter element, which converts the first light to third light containing the second component; a second reflecting member that reflects the third light to reenter the polarization splitter element; and a second conversion member disposed between the second reflecting member and the polarization splitter element, which converts the third light to fourth light containing the first component, wherein: the polarization splitter element outputs the second and the fourth light along one direction.

Abstract: An optical navigation device may include an image sensor with an imaging surface, a laser, and an optical waveguide layer having an exposed user surface and a total internal reflection (TIR) surface on the underside of the exposed user surface. The waveguide layer, the laser, and the image sensor may be together arranged to direct radiation emitted by the laser onto the imaging surface at least partly by total internal reflection by the TIR surface.

Abstract: A fiber optic sensor system includes an optical source to output a first optical signal to launch into an optical fiber, and a coherent detector to mix a coherent Rayleigh backscatter signal generated by the optical fiber in response to the first optical signal with a second optical signal output by the optical source and to generate a mixed output signal. A phase detection and acquisition system determines a phase difference between first and second locations along the optical fiber based on phase information extracted from the mixed output signal and combines the phase information extracted from multiple acquisitions to detect strain on the optical fiber sensor.

Abstract: An optical receiver device including: a light-receiving element having a first electrode acting as an outputting electrode and a second electrode coupled to a potential that is different from a ground potential; an amplifier device having an amplifier element, a connection terminal including a signal electrode and a ground electrode on an upper face thereof; a first conductor coupling a potential of the first electrode of the light-receiving element to the signal electrode, the first conductor being introduced from the upper face side of the amplifier device; and a second conductor coupling a potential of the second electrode of the light-receiving element to the ground electrode, the second conductor introduced from the upper face side of the amplifier device.

Abstract: An image sensor controls the gain of a pixel signal on a pixel-by-pixel basis and extends a dynamic range while maintaining a S/N ratio at a favorable level. A column unit in an image sensor is independently detects a level of each pixel signal and independently sets a gain for level of the signal. A photoelectric converting region unit has pixels arranged two-dimensionally with a vertical signal line for each pixel column to output each pixel signal. The column unit is on an output side of the vertical signal line. The column unit for each pixel column has a pixel signal level detecting circuit, a programmable gain control, a sample and hold (S/H) circuit. Gain correction is performed according to a result of a detected level of the pixel signal.

Abstract: In a method for controlling laser lights in an electronic device, a laser light function of the electronic device is enabled by switching on a first switch. The method samples predetermined pixels from a background color of a current slide displayed on a display screen at each predetermined time interval, and obtains RGB values of the predetermined pixels. A first average of R values and a second average of G values of the predetermined pixels are calculated. If the first average is greater than a predetermined color threshold value, the second laser light is enabled to emit laser with a second color. If the first average is less than or equal to the predetermined color threshold value and the second average is greater than the predetermined color threshold value, the first laser light is enabled to emit the laser with a first color.

Abstract: A microscope including an imaging optical unit, a sample stage for supporting a sample to be examined, a movement unit, by which the distance between sample stage and imaging optical unit can be altered, a focus measuring unit, which measures the present focus position and outputs a focus measurement signal, a control unit for maintaining a predetermined focus position for examinations of the sample that are separated from one another in time. The control unit receives the focus measurement signal and derives a deviation of the present focus position from the predetermined focus position. Dependent on the deviation derived the movement unit, changes the distance between sample stage and imaging optical unit so that the predetermined focus position is maintained. The control unit drives the movement unit (9) for maintaining the predetermined focus position only before and/or after at least one of the examinations, but never during the examinations.

Abstract: The driving device includes an applied voltage control unit configured to perform a transfer process of controlling a charge-coupled device to transfer electric charges. The applied voltage control unit is configured to switch, in order from a first end to a second end of a line of transfer electrodes of the charge-coupled device, a voltage applied to the transfer electrode from a control voltage for forming a potential well to a reference voltage for eliminating the potential well. The applied voltage control unit includes a control circuit configured to generate a driving signal based on a clock signal, and a driving circuit configured to apply the control voltage and the reference voltage selectively to the transfer electrode in accordance with the driving signal.

Abstract: An illumination unit includes one or more light sources each including a solid-state light-emitting device having a light emission region configured of one or more light-emission spots, one or more traveling-direction angle conversion device each converting a traveling-direction-angle of light, and an integrator including a first fly-eye lens having cells which receive light from the traveling-direction angle conversion device and a second fly-eye lens having cells which receive light from the first fly-eye lens, the integrator uniformalizing illumination distribution in a predetermined illumination area. An optical system configured with the traveling-direction angle conversion device and the first and second fly-eye lenses has an optical magnification which allows each of light source images to have a size not exceeding a size of the cell in the second fly-eye lens, the light source images being formed on the second fly-eye lens by the respective cells in the first fly-eye lens.

Abstract: An optical finger navigation device includes a navigation cover. The navigation cover includes a tracking surface and an illumination surface. The tracking surface exhibits a first light reflection characteristic in a presence of a navigation object at the tracking surface and a second light reflection characteristic in an absence of the navigation object at the tracking surface. A light source generates illumination directed toward the illumination surface of the navigation cover. A redirection structure is interposed between the light source and the illumination surface of the navigation cover. A reflection surface of the first redirection structure is approximately facing the illumination surface of the navigation cover. An illumination surface of the redirection structure is approximately facing the light source. The redirection structure defines at least one hole therethrough to pass light generated by the light source toward the illumination surface of the navigation cover.

Abstract: A photoelectric sensor comprises a control unit which is configured to store in a memory data on the amount of received light input from a light-receiving unit or measurement data obtained by a measuring process, and to perform a sampling process in which the data stored in the memory are read at fixed intervals as sampling data, the sampling process being performed within a limited reading period. Further, the control unit outputs the thus read sampling data so as to correspond to the order in which they are stored in the memory.

Abstract: A lens frame, made from metal, retaining a light-emitting lens and a light-receiving lens is retained between a second mold and a third mold both of which are made from light-shielding resins. Anchors are formed by filling light-shielding resin for forming the third mold into fixing slots formed in an upper surface of the second mold and through holes formed in the lens frame. Since the lens frame is made from metal, thermal expansion of the lens frame is hardly caused by ambient temperature changes and self-heating. This causes little difference in the amount of change in difference between the lenses. Further, the lens frame is fixed with anchors between the second mold and the third mold. This suppresses the occurrence of sliding caused by difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the lens frame and the second and third molds.

Abstract: Provided is an optical receiving circuit that reduces a distortion of an output pulse width with respect to an input signal by adjusting the division ratio for a voltage applied to resistors in a resistor network.

Abstract: Various embodiments related to monitoring for optical faults in an optical system are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides, in an optical system comprising a light source, a light outlet, and an optical element disposed between the light source and the light outlet, a method of monitoring for optical system faults. The method includes detecting, via a light sensor directed toward an interface surface of the optical element closest to the light source, an intensity of light traveling from the interface surface of the optical element to the light sensor, and comparing an intensity of light detected to one or more threshold intensity values. The method further includes identifying an optical system fault condition based on comparing the intensity of light detected to one or more threshold values, and modifying operation of the optical system.

Abstract: A method performed by a display system is provided. The method includes projecting a first infrared pattern from a first projection plane of a first projector into a scene, capturing the first infrared pattern from the scene in a capture plane of at least one image capture device, and determining a first correspondence mapping between the first projector and the image capture device from at least the first infrared pattern in the first projection plane and the first infrared pattern in the capture plane.