Abstract: An optical power monitoring device is provided with: an APD as a photodiode that converts the power of light to a current (Iapd); a resistor that is connected in parallel to the APD; a current mirror circuit that detects, as a first current value (I1), the value corresponding to the sum of the current (Irb) flowing through the resistor and the current (Iapd) flowing through the APD; and a control unit. The control unit stores in advance a value corresponding to the current flowing through the resistor as a second current value (I2), and determines the current (Iapd) flowing through the APD on the basis of the second current value (I2) and the first current value (I1) detected by the current mirror circuit.

Abstract: A detection apparatus includes: plural light emitting sections that are disposed in a row and that emit parallel light to a passage region, over which an object passes, in a time-staggered manner; one or more light receiving sections that receive the parallel light reflected by or having transmitted through the object, a number of the light receiving sections being less than a number of the light emitting sections; and a detection section that detects at least one of edges of the object and edges of a portion of the object with a different reflectivity or transmittance in accordance with an intensity distribution of the parallel light received by the light receiving sections.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: an element array portion in which unit elements are disposed in a matrix; and a signal processing portion including a signal processing circuit executing predetermined signal processing based on unit signals outputted from the circuit elements, respectively, every column, in which a function of the signal processing circuit is controlled in such a way that power consumption of the signal processing circuit concerned corresponding to the unit elements each not required becomes lower in a phase of an element selection mode in which only information on a part of the unit pixels for one row in the element array portion is required than in a phase of a normal operation mode.

Abstract: A device for analyzing a fluid by evanescence field spectroscopy. The device includes a waveguide, a source of electromagnetic radiation coupled to the waveguide on the entry side, and a detector coupled to the waveguide on the exit side for detecting electromagnetic radiation, wherein the waveguide is arranged in contact with the fluid in at least certain sections between its entry side and its exit side. An electrode arrangement is also provided, which is designed to generate an inhomogeneous electric field in the direct environment of the waveguide, said field exerting a dielectrophoretic force on polarisable particles in the fluid, which moves these particles towards or away from the waveguide. A corresponding method is presented.

Abstract: A position detection apparatus (100) including a scale (20) including a pattern periodically formed, a detector (10) configured to be movable relative to the scale, and a signal processor (30), the signal processor (30) includes first to seventh periodic signal generating units (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39) which generate first to seventh periodic signals respectively, the first periodic signal generating unit synthesizes the fourth periodic signal and the fifth periodic signal to generate the first periodic signal, and the second periodic signal generating unit synthesizes the sixth periodic signal and the seventh periodic signal to generate the second periodic signal.

Abstract: A motion sensor includes: a substrate, which includes a plurality of lead frame layers and a plurality of ceramic layers; a light source, disposed on the substrate, for emitting light; a sensing device, disposed on the substrate, for receiving the light to perform motion sensing; a cover, for fixing and protecting the light source and the sensing device; and an adhesive, for gluing the cover to the substrate, the adhesive including a component capable of blocking the light; wherein the light is infrared light, visible light or ultraviolet light.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method that reduces the tediousness of the manual alignment process. Users select correspondences between projectors or components of a projector, to form a common coordinate. Using models of the display system, and projectors, the common coordinate system can be mapped quickly to the entire display. The process avoids a need to measure screen points, and allows the user to move significantly fewer points. Alternatively, the invention allows introduction of machine-vision style algorithms into manual calibration techniques to improve performance. This overcomes the tediousness of prior systems by introducing models of the display into the manual alignment process, allowing selection of a small number of points on each projector, and avoiding selection of precisely measured screen points. The system conversely finds correspondences between projectors, allowing mapping of the projectors into a common coordinate system, and quick warping of the coordinate system to the screen.

Abstract: A body-mountable device equipped with a light sensor is disclosed. The light sensor includes a photodiode that operates in either a photoconductive mode or a photovoltaic mode depending on whether the photodiode is reverse biased. A group of switches are arranged to selectively couple the photodiode to first and second voltage sources to configure the photodiode to operate in either mode. A controller selects a mode of operation of the photodiode and controls the switches to cause the photodiode to respond to incident light while operating in the selected mode. The controller then obtains a measurement from the photodiode indicative of the intensity of light received during an exposure interval. The light sensor can thus include a single photodiode and yet be used to alternately obtain measurements based on the photoconductive response of the photodiode or based on the photovoltaic response of the photodiode.

Abstract: A photosensor is provided with a sensor circuit assembly. The sensor circuit assembly includes a light emitter, a light receiver, a light-emitter support, a light-receiver support, and a connecting part. The light emitter and the light receiver face each other. The light-emitter support extends from and supports the light emitter. The light-receiver support extends from and supports the light receiver. The connecting part connects one end of the light-emitter support with one end of the light-receiver support. The connecting part includes a seal and a connection terminal that protrudes from the seal. The connection terminal includes a first press-contact part, and a first pressure part that presses the first press-contact part in a press-contact direction.

Abstract: An electromagnetic beam stabilization device comprises a parabolic mirror fixed within a gimbal so that the focal point of the parabolic mirror coincides with the gimbal's center of rotation, and an electromagnetic beam emitter, such as a laser, positioned so that a beam maintains focus on a point substantially at the center of rotation and thereafter strikes the parabolic mirror. The beam's focal point may be repositioned using repositioning optics like a flat mirror. An image stabilization device comprises a parabolic mirror fixed within a gimbal so that the gimbal's center of rotation coincides with the focal point of the parabolic mirror, and an image sensor having an image plane that coincides with the focal plane of the parabolic mirror. The parabolic mirror's focal plane may be reimaged using reimaging optics like an elliptical mirror. The laser stabilization and image stabilization features may be combined in a single device.

Abstract: A detector assembly includes a cap assembly configured to close an end of a detector housing that is configured to contain a sensor therein, the cap assembly has a radially expandable member configured to expand radially within the detector housing and lock the position of the cap assembly relative to the detector housing.

Abstract: A photodetector including: a photodiode having a body made of semiconductor material delimited by a first surface, the body forming a first electrode region; a dielectric region, set on top of the first surface and delimited by a second surface; at least one channel extending within the dielectric region, starting from the second surface; and a first metallization, which is set on top of the second surface and is in electrical contact with the first electrode region.

Abstract: There is provided a miniaturized optical system including a protection cover, a light source, an image sensor and at least one interference film. The protection cover has a first surface and a second surface. The light source and the image sensor are disposed opposite to the first surface of the protection cover. The interference film is disposed between the light source and the protection cover to allow the light source to form a predetermined light shape in front of the second surface of the protection cover and/or disposed between the image sensor and the protection cover to allow the image sensor to receive light of a predetermined range in front of the second surface of the protection cover.

Abstract: There is provided a way of enabling the discrimination or identification of the kind of a light-emitting particle corresponding to each pulse form signal in the scanning molecule counting method using the optical measurement by the confocal or multiphoton microscope. In the inventive technique, the position of a light detection region in a sample solution periodically along a predetermined route is moved in measuring the light intensity from the light detection region; and a signal of light from a light-emitting particle is detected individually. Then, an index value indicating a translational diffusional characteristic of one light-emitting particle in a plane perpendicular to the moving direction of the light detection region is determined based upon intensity values of signals of light of the same light-emitting particle for identifying a light-emitting particle.

Abstract: A sensor system includes a pixel array, column units and a compensation circuit. The pixel array is configured to provide pixel column data. The column units are configured to generate an offset data out signal from the pixel column data. The offset data out signal includes digital offsets. The compensation circuit is configured to remove the digital offsets from the offset data out signal. The compensation circuit is also configured to generate a data out signal.

Abstract: An alignment system for a laser apparatus includes a guide laser device outputting a guide laser beam, an adjusting mechanism adjusting travel directions of the guide laser beam and a laser beam from the laser apparatus, a beam path combiner controlling travel directions of the laser beam and the guide laser beam to substantially coincide with each other, a first optical detection unit provided from the beam path combiner detecting the laser and guide laser beams, a first controller controlling the adjusting mechanism based on a first optical detection unit detection result, a beam steering unit downstream from the beam path combiner controlling travel directions of the laser and guide laser beams, a second optical detection unit downstream from the beam steering unit detecting the guide laser beam, and a second controller controlling the beam steering unit based on a second optical detection unit detection result.

Abstract: Multimode light detectors are provided, which combine a plurality of measurements of light to detect information, using a mode transformation device. The light may be light from one or more objects, and the mode transformation device may be configured to transform the light into many single mode light beams. Each measurement of the light may be a measurement of a corresponding single mode light beam. The multimode detectors may include one or more optical receivers, configured to mix one or more single mode light beams with one or more local oscillators, respectively. Methods are provided for detecting information of objects, including obtaining light from the objects, transforming the light into multiple single mode light beams, and collecting (and/or combining) measurements of the single mode light beams.

Abstract: A signs-of-deterioration detector for a semiconductor laser includes a first light receiving section that acquires first information relating to an optical output of the semiconductor laser and a second light receiving section that acquires second information relating to an intensity distribution of the emission pattern below the lasing threshold of the semiconductor laser. The detector also includes a holding section that holds the first information and the second information at a predetermined time point T1. The detector further includes a deciding section that decides the presence or absence of signs of rapid decrease of the optical output of the semiconductor laser by comparing the first information and the second information at at least one time point Tn (T1<Tn), with those at the time point T1.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling an amount of light in a visible light communication system are provided. In the visible light communication system, a terminal measures an amount of light for a light signal received from a sensor, determines whether the measured amount of light is less than a threshold value, increases an amount of light for a light source signal to transmit to the sensor when the measured amount of light is less than the threshold value, and transmits, to the sensor, a light source signal according to the increased amount of light.

Abstract: A position detection apparatus includes a signal output configured to output a plurality of signals, the position detection apparatus detecting a relative position of a position detection target from a reference position on the basis of the plurality of signals, a relative position detection unit configured to detect the relative position of the position detection target from the reference position on the basis of the plurality of signals, an absolute position detection unit configured to detect an absolute position of the position detection target on the basis of the plurality of signals; and a reference position setting unit configured to set the absolute position detected by the absolute position detection unit as the reference position.