Patents Examined by Que Tan Le
  • Patent number: 11978754
    Abstract: A photodetector device includes a semiconductor material layer and at least one photodiode in the semiconductor material layer. The at least one photodiode is configured to be biased beyond a breakdown voltage thereof to generate respective electrical signals responsive to detection of incident photons. The respective electrical signals are independent of an optical power of the incident photons. A textured region is coupled to the semiconductor material layer and includes optical structures positioned to interact with the incident photons in the detection thereof by the at least one photodiode. Two or more photodiodes may define a pixel of the photodetector device, and the optical structures may be configured to direct the incident photons to any of the two or more photodiodes of the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Sense Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Hod Finkelstein
  • Patent number: 11972895
    Abstract: A high-voltage optical transformer may include (1) an array of light-emitting devices that are connected in parallel with one another and are electrically coupled to an electrical input, (2) a transfer medium, and (3) an array of photovoltaic cells that (A) are optically coupled to the array of light-emitting devices via the transfer medium, (B) are connected in series with one another, and (C) produce an electrical output whose voltage is higher than the electrical input. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Goward, Maik Andre Scheller, Anurag Tyagi, Jonathan Robert Peterson, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao
  • Patent number: 11969259
    Abstract: A wearable module for use in an optical measurement system includes a housing including a top surface, a light guide including a distal end portion adapted to protrude from the top surface of the housing, and a spring member configured to bias the distal end portion of the light guide away from the top surface of the housing. The light guide is configured to receive, at the distal end portion, photons from a light pulse scattered by a target within a body of a user and guide the received photons toward a photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: HI LLC
    Inventors: Scott Jeremy Seidman, Jennifer Rines, Ryan Field, Isai Olvera
  • Patent number: 11971359
    Abstract: We describe a detection module useful with an apparatus and/or system for conducting luminescence assays, and a kit, a system, an apparatus, and a method incorporating the detection module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Meso Scale Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Charles M. Clinton, Jacob N. Wohlstadter
  • Patent number: 11966006
    Abstract: A cable detection system for detecting an end of a cable having a plurality of exposed different sections includes an illumination device and a camera. The illumination device emits an illuminating light to the end of the cable. The illumination device simultaneously emits a parallel light and a diffuse light to the end of the cable. The camera captures an image of the end of the cable. The parallel light sharpens a boundary between the different sections of the cable in the image, and the diffuse light clarifies a surface of the different sections in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH, Kunshan League Automechanism Co., Ltd., Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lei (Alex) Zhou, Dandan (Emily) Zhang, Roberto Francisco-Yi Lu, Sonny O. Osunkwo, Sai Tarun Kosaraju, Cong Lin, Tianshu Wu
  • Patent number: 11960678
    Abstract: Four infrared LEDs and two photodiodes PD are arranged below a lower side of a display surface in the order of an LED1, a PD1, an LED2, an LED3, a PD2, and an LED4. A detection signal A1 of the PD1 when the LED1 emits light, a detection signal A2 of the PD1 when the LED2 emits light, a detection signal A3 of the PD2 when the LED3 emits light, and a detection signal A4 of the PD2 when the LED4 emits light are used to estimate a reflection generation position in the left-right direction, and a threshold Th is set such that the threshold Th increases when the reflection generation position is on the left side, which is a driver's seat side. If the maximum value of A1, A2, A3, and A4 exceeds the threshold Th, the approach of the user's hand is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Teiichi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11953375
    Abstract: A plurality of lead pins (2a-d) penetrates through a stem (1) having a circular shape and includes a signal lead pin (2a,2b). A block (4) is provided on an upper surface of the stem. A waveguide light receiving device (9) is provided on a side surface of the block. An amplifier (6) is provided on the side surface of the block and amplifies an electric signal output from the waveguide light receiving device. A first relay substrate is provided on the upper surface of the stem and arranged between the block and the signal lead pin. A first transmission line (12a,12b) is provided on the first relay substrate. A first wire (10f,10g) connects one end of the first transmission line and an output terminal of the amplifier. A second wire (10h,10i) connects the other end of the first transmission line (12a,12b) and the signal lead pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuki Yamaji
  • Patent number: 11953600
    Abstract: Embodiments describe an electronically scanning optical system including an emitter array configured to emit light into a field, a time of flight (TOF) sensor array configured to detect emitted light reflected back from the field, an image sensor array configured to detect ambient light in the field, where a field of view of the emitter array corresponds to a field of view of the TOF sensor array and at least a subset of a field of view of the image sensor array. The optical system further including an emitter controller configured to activate a subset of the plurality of light emitters at a time, a TOF sensor controller configured to synchronize the readout of individual TOF photosensors concurrently with the firing of corresponding light emitters, and an image sensor controller configured to capture an image that is representative of the field during the emission cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventor: Angus Pacala
  • Patent number: 11953594
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an object detection system that comprises at least one laser component. The at least one laser component is configured to generate an augmented light signal with a fan shape in a first plane. The at least one laser component is also configured to receive and detect a reflected light signal when an object is within a predetermined region of interest of the augmented light signal. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the at least one laser component is configured to receive a reflected light signal from small objects than may be detected by other known object detection systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TKS Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Ernest Moon Mah
  • Patent number: 11953687
    Abstract: A head-mounted visualization unit is provided with an at least partially light-transmissive optical system. The optical system has a first optical channel assigned to a first eye of a user and a second optical channel assigned to a second eye of the user. The first optical channel is substantially transmissive to optical radiation of a first polarization and substantially opaque to optical radiation of a second polarization, with the first polarization substantially orthogonal to the second polarization. The second optical channel is substantially transmissive to optical radiation of the second polarization and substantially opaque to optical radiation of the first polarization. A polarizer and a light attenuator are arranged in the first optical channel. The light attenuator is arranged downstream of the polarizer in a direction toward the first eye of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
    Inventors: Christoph Hauger, Stefan Saur, Christoph Schaeff
  • Patent number: 11940561
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a laser receiving device and a LiDAR. An isolation component is provided between a plurality of parallel sensor groups, and an isolation component is provided between a plurality of amplifier groups in parallel, so that a plurality of parallel receiving channels each form an independent current loop, thereby reducing noise crosstalk among signal receiving channels and improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the laser receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SUTENG INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD.
    Inventors: Yanmin Li, Zhen Zhang, Shengqiang Pan
  • Patent number: 11934109
    Abstract: An overlay alignment mark located in a patterned wafer and a method for measuring overlay error are provided, the patterned wafer having a lower-layer pattern in a first layer thereof and an upper-layer pattern in a second layer thereof above the first layer, the overlay alignment mark comprising: a first pattern, which is a portion of the lower-layer pattern and comprises a pair of solid features formed in the first layer; and a second pattern, which is a portion of the upper-layer pattern and comprises two pairs of hollowed features formed in the second layer, with two imaginary lines connecting between geometric centers of respective pairs in the two pairs of hollowed features extending in two mutually orthogonal directions, respectively; an orthographic projection of the pair of solid features on the wafer at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of a respective pair of hollowed features on the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Zhongke Jingyuan Electron Limited, Beijing (CN)
    Inventors: Weimin Ma, Chunying Han, Chengcheng Liu, Shouyan Huang
  • Patent number: 11923223
    Abstract: A warning is issued about an irregularity concerning a wafer stored in a cassette if a difference between a value of an apparent thickness of the wafer and the previously obtained value of an actual thickness of the wafer exceeds a threshold value, the value of the apparent thickness of the wafer being obtained by a non-contact-type sensor for detecting a front portion of the wafer laterally of the wafer. Consequently, the wafer is prevented from being damaged when it is taken out of the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Saito, Jonghyun Ryu
  • Patent number: 11914200
    Abstract: Optical interconnect topologies may be provided using microLEDs. The topologies may interconnect ICs. The optical interconnect topologies may be used in some instances in place of electrical busses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: AvicenaTech Corp.
    Inventors: Bardia Pezeshki, Robert Kalman, Alex Tselikov
  • Patent number: 11914044
    Abstract: This application discloses a point cloud densification method and apparatus, a storage medium, and a LiDAR. The method is applied to the LiDAR, the LiDAR includes an emitter group and a scanning apparatus, and the method includes: obtaining a point cloud densification multiple of a detection field of view at each level; obtaining an interval between scanning lines corresponding to two adjacent emissions based on the point cloud densification multiple of the detection field of view at each level; and performing scanning based on the interval between the scanning lines corresponding to the two adjacent emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SUTENG INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Huazhou Chen
  • Patent number: 11916154
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a light receiving element and a ranging module that can improve characteristics. A light receiving element includes: light receiving regions each including a first voltage application unit to which a first voltage is applied, a first charge detection unit provided around the first voltage application unit, a second voltage application unit to which a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied, and a second charge detection unit provided around the second voltage application unit; and an isolation portion that is arranged at a boundary between the light receiving regions adjacent to each other, and isolates the light receiving regions from each other. The present technology can be applied to a light receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Neya, Takuya Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11914072
    Abstract: A proximity sensor includes: a transmitter unit for transmitting a light signal; a receiver unit for receiving the light signal reflected by an object to determine a proximity status of the object; and a housing defining a first enclosed accommodation space for accommodating the receiver unit, wherein the portion of the housing which defines the first enclosed accommodation space has a sealed light passage made of a light-transmissible material such that the receiver unit is capable of receiving the light signal reflected by the object through the light passage. The housing can further include a second enclosed accommodation space for accommodating the transmitter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporation
    Inventor: Nientse Chen
  • Patent number: 11916156
    Abstract: A system comprising a biomimetic electrochemical eye (EC-EYE) and a computing device is provided. The EC-EYE comprises: an ionic liquid device; a nanowire (NW) device that comprises the plurality of NWs; and a connection device configured to provide a plurality of currents associated with the plurality of NWs to a computing device. The computing device comprises one or more processors and a display device. The one or more processors are configured to: receive the plurality of currents from the plurality of NWs via the connection device; determine a plurality of pixel characteristics associated with a plurality of pixels based on the plurality of currents from the plurality of NWs; generate an image comprising the plurality of pixels based on the plurality of pixel characteristics; and provide the image to a display device. The display device is configured to display the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Zhiyong Fan, Leilei Gu
  • Patent number: 11914035
    Abstract: To shorten a waiting time for a belongings inspection, the present invention provides an inspection system 10 including an acquisition unit 11 that acquires material information including at least either one of a piece of personal unique information unique to each of inspection target persons, and a piece of environment information indicating a state value of an environment that changes at each inspection timing, and a determination unit 12 that determines a content of an inspection for the each inspection target person and/or at the each inspection timing, based on the material information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Sumiya, Shingo Yamanouchi, Masayuki Ariyoshi, Shinichi Morimoto, Masanori Sekido, Kazumine Ogura
  • Patent number: 11906354
    Abstract: The present application relates generally to silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) detector arrays. In one aspect, there is a system including an array of cells each including a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) reverse-biased above a breakdown voltage of the SPAD. Each cell may further include trigger logic connected to the SPAD, and configured to output a trigger signal indicating whether the SPAD is in breakdown. Each cell may still further include a conditional recharge circuit configured to recharge the SPAD conditional upon both (i) the recharge circuit applying the recharge signal to the cell and (ii) the trigger signal output by the trigger logic of the cell indicating the SPAD of the cell is in breakdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE. LIMITED
    Inventors: Thomas Frach, Torsten Solf