Patents Examined by Noah J. Haney
  • Patent number: 11977155
    Abstract: In a distance measurement apparatus, a light emitter emits pulse-like light. A light receiver receives reflected light of the emitted light and converts the received light to an electrical signal. An AD converter converts the electrical signal to a digital value at a predetermined sampling rate to generate a conversion data series. An interpolation processor upsamples the outputted conversion data series by inserting interpolation data therein to generate an up-data series. A distance calculator calculates a distance to an object that reflects light using a signal waveform indicated by the up-data series. The interpolation processor inserts the interpolation data having an interpolation value between pieces of data belonging to the conversion data series, and smooths the data series in which the interpolation data is inserted using a low-pass filter that has characteristics in which waveform distortion caused by ringing does not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tamotsu Mizuno, Mitsuo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11977023
    Abstract: Provided is a spectrophotometric device including a base plate including a first surface to accommodate a sample thereon, a rotatable plate including a second surface corresponding to and spaced a certain distance apart from the first surface, a test beam radiator connected to the first surface through a first beam guide to radiate a test beam to the sample accommodated on a beam path between the first and second surfaces, a spectrophotometer connected to the second surface through a second beam guide to analyze spectroscopic properties of the sample by analyzing a characteristic beam having passed through the sample accommodated on the beam path, and a state determiner provided near the beam path to determine whether the sample accommodated between the first and second surfaces is in a state in which analysis of optical properties is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: MICRO DIGITAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kyung Nam Kim
  • Patent number: 11953377
    Abstract: Aspects relate to an integrated and compact attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) spectral sensing device. The spectral sensing device includes a substrate, a spectrometer, and a detector. The substrate includes an ATR element, a microfluidic channel, and a channel interface at a boundary between the ATR element and the microfluidic channel formed therein. The ATR element is configured to receive input light and to direct the input light to the channel interface for total internal reflection of the input light at the channel interface. An evanescent wave produced by a sample contained within the microfluidic channel based on the total internal reflection of the input light attenuates the light output from the ATR element and the resulting output light may be analyzed using the spectrometer and the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: SI-WARE SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Yasser M. Sabry, Amr O. Ghoname, Momen Anwar, Diaa Khalil
  • Patent number: 11940321
    Abstract: A photodetection device including: first optical fibers; a second optical fiber; an optical combiner having: an end face connected to an end face of each of the first optical fibers; and another end face connected to an end face of the second optical fiber; a first photodetector that detects an intensity of light propagating through at least one of the first optical fibers; a second photodetector that detects Rayleigh scattering of light propagating through the second optical fiber; and a calculator that calculates the intensity of light propagating in a predetermined direction through the first optical fibers or the second optical fiber, from a result of detection by the first photodetector and a result of detection by the second photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Sakamoto, Wataru Kiyoyama
  • Patent number: 11939861
    Abstract: A lead-free pinscreen imprint device for retrieving at least one imprint of a topmost surface of a fish located in a wellbore may include a housing with a central aperture that extends along a section of a central axis thereof. The lead-free pinscreen imprint device may include a pinscreen portion disposed in the housing. The pinscreen portion may include various pins that are disposed along a vertical axis that is parallel to the central axis. The pinscreen portion may include an imprint surface that faces in a downward direction and a scanning surface that faces in an upward direction. The lead-free pinscreen imprint device may include a three-dimensional (3D) laser image scanner disposed in the housing at a location that is immediately above the pinscreen portion. The 3D laser image scanner may be configured to scan the scanning surface and identify any depth changes in the scanning surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Saud Askar Al-Hajri
  • Patent number: 11940327
    Abstract: A color measuring system includes a receiving section configured to receive designation of a color group including a plurality of colors, a determining section configured to determine whether a color measured by the color measuring section and a comparison target color in the color group coincide, and a control section configured to, when it is determined that the measured color and the comparison target color coincide, automatically advance a color measuring process to a color measuring process for performing the color measurement for a next color in the color group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ayako Kobayashi, Yuka Kobayashi, Yasuo Koyauchi, Marina Mineno
  • Patent number: 11940293
    Abstract: A system may include one or more finger devices that gather input from a user's fingers. A finger device may include one or more self-mixing interferometric proximity sensors that measure a distance to the user's finger. The proximity sensor may measure changes in distance between the proximity sensor and a flexible membrane that rests against a side portion of the user's finger. The self-mixing interferometric proximity sensor may include a laser and a photodiode. In some arrangements, a single laser driver may drive the lasers of multiple self-mixing proximity sensors using time-multiplexing. The self-mixing proximity sensor may operate according to a duty cycle. Interpolation and stitching may be used to determine the total displacement of the user's finger including both the on periods and off periods of the self-mixing proximity sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mengshu Huang, Ahmet Fatih Cihan, Adrian Z. Harb, Stephen E. Dey, Yuhao Pan, Mehmet Mutlu
  • Patent number: 11940328
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a color control system for controlling, in real time, the color of an article positioned on a moving carrier. The system comprises: an illuminating device configured to illuminate the moving article in successive illuminating cycles, each illuminating cycle comprising successively generating, at a given rate, a given number of lines of light having distinct spectral bands the lines of light being substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement; a detecting device configured to detect the light back scattered by the article successively illuminated by each of the lines of light, such as to generate for each dot of a given number of dots of an observation strip perpendicular to the direction of movement, a number of signals corresponding to the light back scattered by the dot; and a processing unit configured to determine at least one value representative of the color of the dot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: VEORIA
    Inventors: Philippe Copin, Dominique Martin
  • Patent number: 11933667
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus for a laser oscillator includes a dimming plate that dims a laser beam immediately after the laser beam is emitted from the laser oscillator; an imaging unit that images, with a plurality of pixels, the laser beam dimmed by the dimming plate; a processing unit that processes an image captured by the imaging unit; and a display unit that displays the image processed by the processing unit. The processing unit has at least two thresholds of an inner ring and an outer ring used for partitioning the intensity of the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Morikazu
  • Patent number: 11920979
    Abstract: An optical measurement device may include a light source; an emission optic configured to direct a first portion of light generated by the light source to a measurement target; a collection optic configured to receive light from the measurement target; an optical conduit configured to direct a second portion of light generated by the light source to a spectral reference; the spectral reference; a sensor; and a filter. A first portion of the filter may be provided between the collection optic and a first portion of the sensor. A second portion of the filter may be provided between the spectral reference and a second portion of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: VIAVI Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: William D. Houck, Valton Smith
  • Patent number: 11892281
    Abstract: An optical measurement system includes a light source, a spectroscopic detector, a reference sample, a switching mechanism that switches between a first optical path through which a sample to be measured is irradiated with light from the light source and light produced at the sample is guided to the spectroscopic detector and a second optical path through which the reference sample is irradiated with light from the light source and light produced at the reference sample is guided to the spectroscopic detector, and a processing unit that calculates, by performing correction processing based on change between a first detection result at first time and a second detection result at second time, a measurement value of the sample from a third detection result provided from the spectroscopic detector as a result of irradiation of the sample with light from the light source at third time temporally proximate to the second time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Otsuka Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiro Kawaguchi, Kazuya Nakajima, Hayato Takizawa, Goro Maeda
  • Patent number: 11879779
    Abstract: An optical system (150) is disclosed and includes an optical sensor (154), a plurality of photosensitive pixels (178) disposed on the optical sensor, a wavelength-selective optical filter (158) in optical communication with the photosensitive pixels, the wavelength-selective optical filter being disposed remotely from the optical sensor, and a plurality of spatially-variant areas (220, 224, 228, 232) disposed in the optical filter, at least one area of the plurality of spatially-variant areas including a downconverter (400, 500).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: John A. Wheatley, Mark A. Roehrig
  • Patent number: 11879776
    Abstract: A spectroscopic detector comprises a first housing, a second housing, a camera lens housed in the first housing, and an image sensor housed in the second housing. The first housing has a first through hole formed therein. The second housing has a second through hole formed therein. The second housing is attached to the first housing so as to allow for communication between an inside of the second housing and an inside of the first housing via the first through hole and the second through hole. In a state where the second housing is attached to the first housing, a periphery of the second through hole is located inside a periphery of the first through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryuta Shibutani
  • Patent number: 11874177
    Abstract: An image display device generates a temperature information image indicating, by a numerical value, a temperature of each pixel contained in a predetermined area including a position on a thermal image specified by a user, and causes a display to display the temperature information image while a temperature of a pixel corresponding to the position specified is displayed at a center of the temperature information image. The image display device sets a temperature range that has a predetermined temperature width and a center which is a temperature of a pixel corresponding to a position the temperature information image specified by the user, updates the temperature-color conversion information based on the set temperature range, regenerates the thermal image and the temperature information image based on the temperature-color conversion information updated, and causes the display to display the regenerated thermal image and the regenerated temperature information image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusaku Nakamura, Ryuichi Okamoto, Masaki Mukai
  • Patent number: 11828649
    Abstract: A device for performing Raman spectroscopy measurements that incorporate Raman Shift calibration and related method for carrying out the Raman Shift calibration are disclosed. The device comprises of one or more Raman shift reference materials with one or more Raman bands, the positions of which are pre-determined to a high degree of accuracy within a useful temperature range. The device further comprises a sensor to measure the temperature of the one or more reference materials to provide accurate reference values for the Raman shift calibration. When used with the measured spectrum of the reference materials, an accurate Raman Shift calibration function of the device can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: METROHM SPECTRO, INC.
    Inventor: Jun Zhao
  • Patent number: 11802795
    Abstract: An optical system is disclosed and includes an optical sensor, a plurality of photosensitive pixels disposed on the optical sensor, a wavelength-selective optical filter in optical communication with the photosensitive pixels, the wavelength-selective optical filter being disposed remotely from the optical sensor, an area disposed in the wavelength-selective optical filter, the area having a transmission spectrum different from a transmission spectrum of a portion of the wavelength-selective optical filter not in the area and a reflector, the wavelength-selective optical filter and a measurement subject each being disposed between the reflector and the optical sensor along an optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: John A. Wheatley, Mark A. Roehrig, Del R. Lawson, Tony J. Kaufman, James W. Howard, Kevin W. Gotrik, Claire R. Donoghue, Joshua M. Fishman, Jonah Shaver
  • Patent number: 11761887
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for quantitative detection of gases are provided. The apparatus for quantitative detection of gases includes: a cavity ring-down spectroscopy device configured to quantitatively detect any characteristic gas in gases to be detected; a sample processing device disposed in a downstream of the cavity ring-down spectroscopy device and connected to the cavity ring-down spectroscopy device; and a mass spectrometry device disposed in a downstream of the sample processing device and configured to detect all the gases to be detected. Quantitative analysis of any variety of gases may be achieved without using standard gas in the technical solution proposed by the present application. Since no standard gas is required, the technology has significantly increased flexibility, and can be used for routine laboratory testing, for online analysis at industrial sites, as well as detection and analysis in environmental protection, national defense, aviation, aerospace, military and other fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Inventors: Zejian Huang, Xiang Fang, Xinhua Dai, You Jiang
  • Patent number: 11761750
    Abstract: An interferometer includes a coherent light source and an array of electrically coupled light-sensitive pixel elements. The interferometer is configured to direct an internal optical path of the coherent light source and an external optical path of the coherent light source into a monolithic unit cell. In addition, the monolithic unit cell is configured to direct the internal optical path first through the monolithic unit cell and then onto the array and also configured to direct the external optical path back outside the monolithic unit cell through an external environment and then back into the monolithic unit cell and finally onto the array. In addition, interferometer is further configured to combine the internal optical path and the external optical path at the array and produce a first interferogram on the array, the interferogram characterizing an optical property of the external environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Inventor: Aaron Pung
  • Patent number: 11619563
    Abstract: An optical path test system includes a return light test unit for emitting laser light to an optical path monitoring unit to simulate return light received by the optical path monitoring unit in a normal operation; a light path monitoring unit arranged on a light path of the return light testing unit for receiving the return light and normally emitting laser light; and a power detector for receiving the laser light emitted by the light path monitoring unit so as to monitor stability of output power of the chip when the light path monitoring unit receives the return light emitted by the return light testing unit. The technical solution in the present invention emits laser light to a tested laser chip to simulate return light received by the tested laser chip in a normal operation, and a return light resistance threshold of the laser chip can be accurately evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: SHENZHEN XING HAN LASER TECHNOLOGY CO.LTD.
    Inventors: Shao Feng Zhou, Peng Liu, Shu ping Wang, Chun bao Ouyang