Abstract: An antireflection coating has a band ranging from the visible light range to the near infrared range. The antireflection coating has a deposition structure made up of twelve layers in which layers of a high refractive index material having a refractive index nH of 1.95 to 2.32 and layers of a low refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.35 to 1.46 are deposited alternately, wherein the reflectance of the antireflection coating is not higher than 1.5% in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 680 nm and not higher than 2.0% in the wavelength range of 680 nm to 1350 nm.

Abstract: In an optical deflector including a mirror, a frame, torsion bars, first and second piezoelectric actuators coupled to both of the torsion bars, and first and second coupling bars, each of the first and second piezoelectric actuators is divided into first, second and third areas in accordance with a polarization polarity distribution obtained by performing a simulation upon the optical deflector where piezoelectric portions with no slits are hypothetically provided in the first and second piezoelectric actuators while a predetermined rocking operation is performed upon the mirror. First piezoelectric portions are formed in the first and third areas of the first piezoelectric actuator, and second piezoelectric portions are formed in the first and third areas of said second piezoelectric actuator. A first drive voltage applied to the first piezoelectric portions is opposite in phase to a second drive voltage applied to the second piezoelectric portions.

Abstract: A light source unit includes a light emitting plate which has a plurality of segment areas and in which a luminescent material layer which emits light having a predetermined wavelength band by receiving excitation light and a transmissive portion which transmits light are formed on at least the plurality of segment areas, a primary light source for emitting excitation light on to the luminescent material, a secondary light source for emitting light having a wavelength band which differs from those of luminescent light emitted from the luminescent material layer and excitation light emitted from the primary light source, a light guiding optical system for guiding light emitted from the light emitting plate and light emitted from the secondary light source to the same optical path, and a light source control means for controlling the emission of light from the primary light source and the secondary light source.

Abstract: A surgical lamp includes a light source, a camera, at least one rotatable polarization filter, and a control device that controls the polarization filter according to the results of an evaluation of the image which is captured by the camera.

Abstract: An autofocus device includes an objective lens, an observation optical system, a driving mechanism that displaces the objective lens in an optical axis direction thereof, an illumination-optical-system optical path used to illuminate a measurement surface of a measurement object through the objective lens with light, and a pattern-projection-optical-system optical path. An electronic control shutter, a pattern projection plate having a predetermined pattern formed thereon, and a projection lens are provided in the pattern-projection-optical-system optical path.

Abstract: The present invention allows illumination light of a light source which leaks out to a light receiving element to be reliably shielded and allows components to be assembled to be unitized into a compact body. A light-shielding cylindrical section 31 and a light-shielding plate 32 interposed between a light-receiving side light guide 10 and a light emitting side light guide 11 are formed on a frame body 29 of a push button 2 as a single piece. Illumination light which leaks out from a light emitting element 6 and the light emitting side light guide 11 to a light receiving element 5 is shielded by the light-shielding cylindrical section 31 and the light-shielding plate 32. Support ribs 35 and a hook 41 for positioning a circuit substrate 7 are formed in the frame body 29, whereby the light guides 10, 11, light-shielding cylindrical section 31 and light-shielding plate 32 are unitized on the frame body 29.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device 20 according to the present invention includes a plurality of light-receiving sensor portions 2 arrayed in the horizontal and vertical directions and interconnection layers of a plurality of layers formed through interlayer insulators so as to form opening portions 423 at their portions corresponding to the respective light-receiving sensor portions 2, wherein the opening portions 423 of the uppermost layer of the interconnection layer are shifted from the light-receiving sensor portions 2 toward the center of the image pickup area in any one direction of the horizontal direction or the vertical directions. Thus, it is possible to provide a solid-state image pickup device and an image pickup camera including this solid-state image pickup device capable of restraining shading while interconnection and layout of interconnection layers are being facilitated.

Abstract: A method for inspecting an object using a structured light measurement system that includes a light source and an imaging sensor. The method includes emitting light from the light source, polarizing each of a plurality of different wavelengths of the light emitted from the light source at different polarization angles, projecting light emitted from the light source onto a surface of an object, receiving light reflected from the object surface with the imaging sensor, and analyzing the light received by the imaging sensor to facilitate inspecting at least a portion of the object.

Abstract: A system enables indirect determination of a position vector (VR) of a point position (P). The system uses two fixed trackers (10 and 10?) whose absolute positions are known. A movable measuring device (20) provides a rigid rod (25) supporting a pair of reflectors (30 and 30?) which are mounted at fixed positions. A reference point (R) is mounted at a further fixed position on the rod (25) and is on a straight line (L) through the reflectors (30 and 30?). Light beams from the trackers (10 and 10?) acquire the reflectors (30 and 30?) so that when the reference point (R) is positioned at the point position (P), the position vector (VR) of point position (P) is determinate by vector addition.

Abstract: In an optical information reading apparatus, a marker beam irradiating unit has a light beam source for emitting a light beam, a diffusing lens for diffusing the light beam emitted from the light beam source, and a collective lens for collecting the light beam diffused by the diffusing means. The marker beam irradiating unit has a pattern forming unit for forming a marker beam based on the light beam collected by the collecting means to irradiate the marker beam. The marker beam has a predetermined beam pattern indicating the reading position of the pickup unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for detecting the opening angle of the shutter (light or dark sector) of an adjustable rotating shutter (1) arranged in a film camera. Said shutter comprises a circular-segment-shaped or circular-sector shaped shutter wing (2) which is driven by a shutter motor via a shutter shaft (20), and also comprises an adjustable shutter adjustment wing (3) arranged in a coaxial manner in relation to the shutter wing (2) and which can be displaced in relation to said shutter wing by means of a shutter adjustment wing motor (33). According to the invention, the position of the shutter wing (2) and the position of the shutter adjustment wing (3) are detected during a rotation of the rotating shutter (1) and the difference between the two positions forms a value for the shutter opening angle or the light or dark sector of the rotating shutter (1).

Abstract: A semiconductor optical amplifier device includes an active layer, an n-type InP substrate, an n-type InP clad layer, a p-type InP clad layer, p-electrodes and n-electrodes. The active layer is made of, e.g., InGaAsP, and includes a saturable absorption region and optical amplification regions. A common modulated current is injected into each optical amplification region through the p-electrode. A modulated current is injected into the saturable absorption region through the p-electrode independently of the optical amplification region. The active layer receives injection light produced by adding additional noise light to an externally applied light signal, and emits output light produced by amplifying the injection light.

Abstract: A scanning system for a printer or scanner that has a beam source that produces a light beam at a point of origin and has a scanning mirror that sweeps the light beam from a position “A” to a position “B.” A lens receives the light beam from the scanning mirror and directs the light beam as a scanning beam to an image plane surface. A first synchronizing mirror intercepts and reflects a light ray to a photo detection system when the scanning beam is at a position “A?” that is in the vicinity of position “A” and between position “A” and “B”. A second synchronizing mirror intercepts a light ray when the scanning beam is at a position “B?” that is in the vicinity of position “B” and between position “A” and “B”, and reflects the light ray to a folding mirror that reflects the light ray to the photo detection system. In some configurations two photo detection systems are used in lieu of the folding mirror.

Abstract: The image sensor makes use of a distributed amplifier having its non-inverting input provided by a pixel amplifier transistor, and its inverting input and output provided in the pixel's column circuitry. The distributed amplifier is directly integrated with the image sensor's ADC circuit, and sampling and autozero are performed in a single step, thus reducing the number of noise contributions made by the components of the image sensor's readout chain.

Abstract: Microelectronic imagers with prefabricated housings and methods of packaging microelectronic imagers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a microelectronic imager can include a microelectronic die, an image sensor, and an integrated circuit operatively coupled to the integrated circuit. The microelectronic imager also includes an optic unit having an optic member. The microelectronic imager further includes a prefabricated housing having a first mounting site and a second mounting site. The die is seated within the housing at the first mounting site and the optics unit is seated within the housing at the second mounting site in a fixed, preset position in which the optic member is situated at a desired location relative to the image sensor.

Abstract: A digital list mode multichannel analyzer (MCA) built around a programmable FPGA device for onboard data analysis and on-the-fly modification of system detection/operating parameters, and capable of collecting and processing data in very small time bins (<1 millisecond) when used in histogramming mode, or in list mode as a list mode MCA.

Abstract: A signal processor and processing method are provided for measuring current received from a photo-detector. Generally, the processor includes a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) to integrate a current received from a photo-detector in the optical navigation system to generate a voltage signal having a slope that is proportional to the received current, and a comparator having a first input coupled to an output of the TIA to receive the voltage signal, and a second, inverting, input coupled to a threshold voltage. The comparator is configured to compare the voltage signal to the threshold voltage and to generate an output pulse having a predetermined voltage and a duration or width that is a function of the received current.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for setting the system parameters of a scanning microscope, preferably a confocal scanning microscope, acquisition of an image of the specimen performed with the scanning microscope being controlled by a control computer. After an image of the specimen is acquired at least one image quality feature is inputted by a user and is converted by the control computer into at least one system parameter of the scanning microscope.

Abstract: A plasma absorption wave limiter is disclosed. The plasma absorption wave limiter comprises a limiting layer and a trigger layer. The limiting layer is transmissive in a pass band of a sensor and capable of generating a reflective and absorptive free electron plasma that will propagate and dissipate therein. The trigger layer is located aft of and in contact with the limiting layer and is capable of residually absorbing incident radiation and initiating the thermal plasma wave in the limiting layer responsive to a threat.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging element converts light intensity into an electric charge signal and stores the thus-converted electric charge signal through use of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a square lattice pattern on the surface of a semiconductor substrate in a row direction and a column direction. Vertical transfer sections transfer the electric charges from the first and second photoelectric conversion elements in the column direction. The vertical transfer section comprises a first electric charge reading region for reading electric charge from the first photoelectric conversion element to a vertical transfer channel; and a second electric charge reading region for reading electric charge from the second photoelectric conversion element. The first and second electric charge reading regions are provided at positions corresponding to a vertical transfer electrode, which are activated in difference phases.