Abstract: Apparatus and method for use in determining the location of object surface points wherein a short pulse of optical energy is projected at the object surface and a time dependent gain function is used to modify the reflected optical energy resulting from the pulse so that time delay information indicative range can be developed and processed.

Abstract: The presence of residual yarn on textile bobbins is recognized by a device capable of optically sensing and distinguishing yarn from a supporting bobbin or tube, which device is movable lengthwise along the bobbin or tube to perform a sensing operation. The sensing device includes a light source, a transmitter lens for focusing the light rays onto the surface of the bobbin, and a photooptic detector having a receiver lens for receiving the light rays reflected off the bobbin surface. The transmitter and receiver lenses have respective optical axes which, during sensing movement, are oriented to intersect one another at the bobbin surface, are oriented relative to the bobbin such that a line bisecting the axes deviates from a line intersecting the vertex of the axes perpendicular to the bobbin surface by at least ten degrees (10.degree.), and also lie in a common plane oriented at an angle of at least about ninety degrees (90.degree.) relative to the path of movement of the sensing device.

Abstract: A separable compact disc player with an elastic hold-down member consists of a cabinet, a base and a dust cover. The improvement of the present invention is that a hold-down member which is beneath one side of the base includes a hold-down block disposed at the external end of the hold-down member, a rod protruding out of an elliptical slot of the base and a blind hole disposed in the internal end of the hold-down member. The blind hole is capable of being inserted and pushed by one end of a spring member whose the other end is fastened on an under wall of the base. Under the elasticity of the spring member, the hold-down member is capable of easily protruding into or being withdrawn from a longitudinally contoured through hole of the cabinet so as to assemble or disassemble the base and the cabinet rapidly.

Abstract: An automatic detection system for control of oil spillage into sea waters comprising a plurality of optical fiber cables connected each to a control box and to a plurality of sensors located remotedly in the open sea, and each of the sensors is a part of a closed loop of a light signal, transmitted from the control box and received back by it. Each of the sensors consists of a floating buoy affixed to a permanent location in the open sea, having its center of gravity adjustable and stabilized, so that when it floats, the central part of the sensor rests at sea level. The buoy is provided with a central bore, into which the optical fiber cable's ending is positioned; and a plurality of concentric channels are provided from all sides of the bore, leading sea water from the outer surface of the buoy inwards.

Abstract: A fiber optic probe for supplying and collecting instrumentation light in shock experiments. The fiber optic probe comprises two optical fibers and the necessary lens elements to concentrate laser light coming from one of the fibers onto a specimen, and to collect reflected laser light from the specimen into the second fiber. The fibers and lens elements are mounted in a special frame which facilitates better alignment of the lens/fiber arrangement by precise control of the flexing of the fiber optic probe's frame. Improved reflected light gathering efficiency and improved depth of field are achieved by the choices of the optical fiber diameters and by using good optical design practice. Inexpensive components and fabrication techniques allow for the economical use of these probes even when one is destroyed with each experiment.

Abstract: A singulated stream of products comprised of both single and overlapping products is transported through a scanning zone along a transport path. Each single or overlapping product defines a shadow on the transport path that is analyzed to determine the presence of product multiples in the product shadow by measuring the width and length of the product shadow. If the length of the product shadow exceeds by more than a predetermined amount the average length of previously measured shadows having a similar width, the shadow likely contains two or more overlapping products. As the product shadow moves through the scanning zone, each product included therein is scanned for affixed bar codes by a plurality of bar code scanners. If two different bar codes or two identical bar codes from mutually exclusive scanners are recorded for a single product shadow, then the shadow likely contains two or more overlapping products.

Abstract: A photodetector carrier is disclosed which does not cause possible deterioration of an optical coupling characteristic between an optical fiber and a photodetector mounted on the carrier and is improved in high speed characteristics of the photodetector. The photodetector carrier is constructed by brazing to a metal plate of a ceramic substrate on which a photodetector mounting portion and a wiring pattern are formed. The photodetector carrier is fixed to a metal casing of a photodetector module by laser welding.

Abstract: A measuring system measures temperature distribution in water using an optical fiber. An optical fiber cable suspended from a ship and towed by the ship to form an arch within the water. A measuring device for continuously measuring temperature at various points along the lengths of said optical fiber cable. Sensors are provided within the water to calculate the water depth at each of the various points along the length of the arch shaped optical fiber. Thus, a temperature distribution at each water depth can be continuously measured.

Abstract: An optical switch in which states are defined by dynamic charge storage, rather than contention resolution, and which switches using pulsed radiation having a wavelength somewhat longer than the exciton wavelength in a SEED diode. The switch does not exhibit or need bistability but switches at a relatively low energy as compared to S-SEEDS switched at the exciton wavelength.

Abstract: An IR photodetector including an IR semiconductor detector with conductive layers on opposite, parallel surfaces. A semiconductor substrate supports the semiconductor IR detector. A circuit is connected across the semiconductor IR detector to provide a bias voltage and for measuring current flow through the semiconductor IR detector. The semiconductor IR detector has a lattice structure made up of a series of potential wells separated by relatively wide potential barriers such that each well has two confined energy levels. A thin spike barrier is placed in the center of alternate potential wells to tailor the absorption characteristics of the semiconductor IR detector. Multicolor operation is achieved by selecting the appropriate well widths for a first group of potential wells and by placing thin spike barriers in a second group of potential wells that are alternately placed between the wells of the first group.

Abstract: A photoelectric converting device having a guide member includes a plurality of photoelectric converting elements disposed to confront an original sheet the image information of which is to be read; a protection layer disposed on the photoelectric converting elements; a light transmissive substrate on which the photoelectric converting elements are disposed; and a flexible guide member disposed on the original-sheet supply side of the light transmissive substrate, the guide member being disposed in such a manner that at least a portion of the guide is positioned in contact with the edge surface of the light transmissive substrate.

Abstract: An optical system for determining the position and/or orientation of an object (10), for example, a freely suspended rotatable polygon mirror, comprises a convex mirror (24) on the rotation axis (11) of the polygon mirror and a plane mirror (25) perpendicular to the rotation axis. A convergent radiation beam is projected on the convex mirror (24). The reflected radiation is subsequently focused on a detection system (40, 45) via an astigmatic imaging system (75, 78, 51). A substantially parallel radiation beam is incident on the plane mirror (25), which beam, after reflection, is also focused to a radiation spot (34a) on the detection system (40, 46). The position and the shape of the radiation spots (34, 34a) are a measure of the position and the orientation of the polygon mirror (10). After processing, the output signals of the radiation detection system are applied to elements (91), for example electromagnets for stabilizing the polygon mirror (10).

Abstract: An instrument arranged for detecting light directed into an optical fiber includes a housing, with a flexible fiber optic filament directed therefrom. The housing includes a light sensitive switch in cooperation with an optical detector to effect indication of an indicator illumination member, such as LED light. The invention further includes a positioning fixture to receive a forward end portion of the fiber optic cable or filament defined by a rigid tube, with a torroidal positioning wheel mounted about the tube, wherein the positioning wheel includes a plurality of elastomeric spokes preventing damage to the fiber optic cable during use.

Abstract: An optical signal emitter assembly emits light pulses which are received by an optical traffic preemption system detector. The optical signal emitter assembly employs a honeycomb element positioned in front of a light source which collimates light emitted by the optical signal emitter assembly. The optical signal emitter assembly is convertible from a stand-alone unit containing power supply circuitry, timing circuitry, and a light source in a single housing, to a unit wherein the light source can be mounted independently from a housing containing the power supply circuitry and the timing circuitry.

Abstract: An electronic imaging device comprises a photographic lens system, a thin half mirror obliquely intersecting with the optical axis of the photographic lens system and an electronic image pickup element having a photoelectric converting surface on which rectangular picture elements are arranged regularly in a lattice pattern. Location I of the photoelectric converting surface is determined so as to satisfy the following conditions (1) and (2) or (3) and (4): ##EQU1## wherein the plane including the optical axis and the normal to the half mirror is taken as the meridional surface, the plane perpendicular to the meridional surface is taken as the sagittal surface, the reference symbols I.sub.M and I.sub.

Abstract: An edge detector includes a pair of integrated light sensors, a pair of log amplifiers and a comparator amplifier, having a hysteresis voltage applied thereto.

Abstract: A system for inspecting and measuring the dimensions of patterned features on lithographic photomasks includes a confocal scanning microscope beneath which is mounted the photomask to be inspected. The photomask is moved to permit the imaging beam from the microscope to record reflectivity information at closely spaced points along a scan line at the metal-substrate interface within the photomask, and the unpatterned side of the mask is positioned facing the microscope so that the imaging beam passes through the transparent substrate material of the mask to the desired measurement plane. An objective lens specially corrected for imaging through transparent materials is used in the optical system, and compensating glass plates may be selectively placed between the objective lens and the photomask when the substrate of the mask is thinner than the thickness of transparent material for which the objective lens was corrected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the focus and tracking of a light beam on a medium in an optical data storage system. A split lens, comprising two halves of a lens separated along the optical axis and displaced from each other along the plane of the cut, is used to focus the light reflected or refracted from the medium onto a quad-cell. The quad cell comprises four light sensors arranged in four quadrants about a center point. According to the invention, the amount of light incident on quadrants of the quad-cell indicates the focus and alignment of the light beam on the medium. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the above apparatus is used to measure the collimation or distribution of intensity of a light beam. Another aspect of the invention is the manufacture of the split lens. A lens is sawed into two halves and the halves are mounted using a housing displaced from each other along the plane of the cut.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a bodily constituent such as glucose or cholesterol by analyzing a sample taken from the body such as blood, saliva or urine. The sample is placed on a test strip inserted into the test block portion of the apparatus where the portion of the sample containing the constituent desired to be measured reacts with a chemical reagent. Products of this reaction have an absorbance/reflectance characteristic which is mathematically related to the concentration of the constituent in the bodily sample. The reflected light is absorbed by a photodiode and the output of the photodiode converted to a digital form where a microprocessor can calculate the concentration of the constituent using the mathematical relationship between the reflected light and concentration stored in memory means of the apparatus.

Abstract: A layer of liquid, such as alcohol, water or a mixture thereof, on the finger touching surface of a platen provides an image in an optical fingerprint imaging system which assures valley and ridge definition and continuity by virtue of the liquid filling in the cracks and holes in the ridge zone, by creating an air pocket in the valley zone that holds the valleys open and by otherwise interacting with the finger to reinforce the distinction between valley and ridge zones in the optically imaged picture. Multiple interrogating light beams, each incident at greater than the critical angle on the finger touching surface of the platen assure imaging all minutia and that the valley zones in the image will be black. The technique is useful for roll prints and touch prints.