Patents Examined by Tan Le
  • Patent number: 11717117
    Abstract: A mounting assembly (101, 201, 301, 401) for mounting an accessory (102, 202, 302, 402) is provided. The mounting assembly (101, 201, 301, 401) includes a mounting bracket (103, 203, 303, 403) with an aperture arranged to receive a fastener for fastening the mounting bracket (103, 203, 303, 403) to a surface. A supporting structure is provided between the mounting bracket (103, 203, 303, 403) and the accessory (102, 202, 302, 402) with an elongate hollow member (107, 207, 307, 407) substantially surrounding the supporting structure. The elongate hollow member (107, 207, 307, 407) is releasably secured to the mounting bracket (103, 203, 303, 403) with the mounting bracket (103, 203, 303, 403) and the elongate hollow member (107, 207, 307, 407) having complementary male-and-female mating formations which are arranged to inhibit rotation of the elongate hollow member (107, 207, 307, 407) relative to the mounting bracket (103, 203, 303, 403).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Style in Stainless CC T/A Steelcraft
    Inventors: Jacobus Jerimias Marx, Wilhelm Lourens
  • Patent number: 11714218
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices are for optical imaging are described. A system includes a light source and a light detection unit. The light source includes a light-emitting device and a first spectral filter opposite the light emitting device. The first spectral filter includes at least one dielectric filter and has a first angular dependence of a transmission passband. The light source further includes at least one reflector adjacent side surfaces of the light emitting device. The light detection unit includes an optical sensor and a second spectral filter opposite the optical sensor. The second spatial filter has a second angular dependence of a transmission passband that is matched to the first angular dependence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Rob Jacques Paul Engelen, Varun Dev Kakkar
  • Patent number: 11714171
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to limitation of noise on light detectors using an aperture. One example implementation includes a system. The system includes a lens that focuses light from a scene toward a focal plane. The system also includes an aperture defined within an opaque material. The system also includes a plurality of waveguides. A given waveguide of the plurality has an input end that receives a portion of light transmitted through the aperture, and guides the received portion toward an output end of the given waveguide. A cross-sectional area of the guided portion at the output end is greater than a cross-sectional area of the received portion at the input end. The system also includes an array of light detectors that detects the guided light transmitted through the output end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Droz, David Hutchison
  • Patent number: 11713123
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a swivel stop comprising a rotating member, a first boss coupled to the rotating member and a second boss coupled to the rotating member, and a second plate having a first interference surface and a second interference surface. An interference between the first boss and the first interference surface and the second boss and the second interference surface tends to limit the rotation of the rotating member with respect to the second plate. The swivel stop may further comprise a rail wherein the second plate is configured to translate along the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: AMI INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ryan Stuart Porter, Keith M. Ferguson, Scott R. Patterson
  • Patent number: 11714001
    Abstract: Described herein are techniques that improve the collection and readout of charge carriers in an integrated circuit. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to integrated circuits having pixels with a plurality of charge storage regions. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to integrated circuits configured to substantially simultaneously collect and read out charge carriers, at least in part. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to integrated circuits having a plurality of pixels configured to transfer charge carriers between charge storage regions within each pixel substantially at the same time. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to integrated circuits having three or more sequentially coupled charge storage regions. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to integrated circuits capable of increased charge transfer rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Quantum-Si Incorporated
    Inventors: Eric A. G. Webster, Todd Rearick, Thomas Raymond Thurston
  • Patent number: 11714273
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for microscope auto-focusing. In one example, a a method for microscope auto-focusing comprises: acquiring a plurality of contrast samples of an imaged subject; modeling a contrast distribution based on the plurality of contrast samples; acquiring an additional contrast sample based on the contrast distribution; modeling a corrected contrast distribution based on the additional contrast sample and the plurality of contrast samples; and focusing the imaged subject based on the corrected contrast distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Araceli Biosciences Inc.
    Inventor: Shiou-jyh Ja
  • Patent number: 11713999
    Abstract: A device including a plurality of epitaxial chips is disclosed. An epitaxial chip can have one or more of a light source and a detector, where the detector can be configured to measure the optical properties of the light emitted by a light source. In some examples, one or more epitaxial chips can have one or more optical properties that differ from other epitaxial chips. The epitaxial chips can be dependently operable. For example, the detector located on one epitaxial chip can be configured for measuring the optical properties of light emitted by a light source located on another epitaxial chip by way of one or more optical signals. The collection of epitaxial chips can also allow detection of a plurality of laser outputs, where two or more epitaxial chips can have different material and/or optical properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo Bismuto, David I. Simon, Jason Pelc
  • Patent number: 11710754
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor is provided. The solid-state image sensor includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. The solid-state image sensor also includes a modulation layer disposed above the photoelectric conversion elements, and the modulation layer has a plurality of modulation segments. The modulation layer includes a plurality of first sub-layers and a plurality of second sub-layers having different refractive indexes. From the top view of the modulation layer, the modulation segments form a first group and a second group, and the second group is adjacent to the first group. The arrangement of the first sub-layers and the second sub-layers in the first group is different from the arrangement of the first sub-layers and the second sub-layers in the second group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: VISERA TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMIIED
    Inventors: Yu-Chi Chang, Pin-Chia Tseng, Zong-Ru Tu
  • Patent number: 11703576
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include a method for operating a LIDAR sensor, comprising repeatedly performing measurements in a respective measurement time window (M), at the beginning of which at least one measurement light pulse (A) having at least one predefined wavelength is emitted by the LIDAR sensor, and determining whether a light pulse (A?) having the at least one predefined wavelength is detected by the LIDAR sensor within the measurement time window (M), wherein a time interval (D1, D2, D3) between two consecutive measurement time windows (M) is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: OSRAM Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH
    Inventor: Andre Nauen
  • Patent number: 11703385
    Abstract: The present invention provides a light sensor with dark current elimination. A dark current from a covered photodiode and a sensed current from a photodiode are respectively transformed to a dark voltage and a sensed voltage by a controlled integration circuit. A reverse capacitor receives the dark voltage and the sensed voltage to cancel out for each other, and outputs a corrected sensing voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: LUXSENTEK MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Wen-Sheng Lin, Sheng-Cheng Lee, Yueh-Hung Ho, Chih-Wei Lin, Chen-Hua Hsi
  • Patent number: 11698296
    Abstract: A light sensor includes a semiconductor substrate supporting a number of pixels. Each pixel includes a photoconversion zone extending in the substrate between a front face and a back face of the substrate. An optical diffraction grating is arranged over the back face of the substrate at a position facing the photoconversion zone of the pixel. For at least two different pixels of the light sensor, the optical diffraction gratings have different pitches. Additionally, the optical grating of each pixel is surrounded by an opaque wall configured to absorb at operating wavelengths of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Stephane Monfray, Olivier Le Neel, Frederic Boeuf
  • Patent number: 11692870
    Abstract: A proximity sensing device includes: a light source, a sensing unit, a light guide unit, and a window. The light source emits light, which is guided by the light guide unit to the window. The emitted light reflected by an object is received by the same window. The light guide unit includes a partial-transmissive-partial-reflective (PTPR) optical element, whereby the light emitted from the light source is reflected by the PTPR optical element, while the light reflected by the object passes through the PTPR optical element. There is only one window required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INCORPORATION
    Inventors: Hui-Hsuan Chen, Nien-Tse Chen
  • Patent number: 11693024
    Abstract: A quantum dot microscope apparatus is provided. A further aspect employs a tilted or tapered end or tip on a microscopic probe. Another aspect of the present apparatus employs a probe including a quantum dot with only one tunneling lead connected to a power source. A manufacturing aspect includes creating a tapered or asymmetrically shaped specimen-facing end of a probe where a quantum dot is located on the end. A further manufacturing aspect includes using focused ion-beam milling to create a tip or end of a quantum dot microscope probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignees: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Stuart Holden Tessmer, Eric William Goodwin, Oleksandr Levchenko
  • Patent number: 11695030
    Abstract: A pixel-array substrate includes a semiconductor substrate, a buffer layer, and a metal annulus. The semiconductor substrate includes a first-photodiode region. A back surface of the semiconductor substrate forms a trench surrounding the first-photodiode region in a cross-sectional plane parallel to a first back-surface region of the back surface above the first-photodiode region. The buffer layer is on the back surface and has (i) a thin buffer-layer region located above the first-photodiode region and (ii) a thick buffer-layer region forming an annulus above the trench in a plane parallel to the cross-sectional plane. The metal annulus is on the buffer layer and covers the thick buffer-layer region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Seong Yeol Mun
  • Patent number: 11685298
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a vehicle seat upper part and a vehicle seat lower part, which are spaced apart from one another along a height axis and are connected to one another by means of a scissor frame arrangement, wherein the scissor frame arrangement comprises at least one inner swinging arm and at least one outer swinging arm, wherein the at least one inner swinging arm and the at least one outer swinging arm are mechanically coupled, whereby an angle of inclination of the vehicle seat upper part relative to the vehicle seat lower part can be specified, wherein the mechanical coupling comprises an arm element and a first connecting element pivotably connected thereto, wherein the angle of inclination can be specified by a length of the first connecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: GRAMMER AG
    Inventors: Florian Dotzler, Konstantin Krivenkov
  • Patent number: 11686616
    Abstract: This application provides a single-photon detection apparatus that includes a phase-reversed reflection branch, a single-photon sensing device, a phase-unreversed reflection branch. An input signal is divided into a first and a second input signals, and the two input signals respectively arrive at the phase-reversed reflection branch and the single-photon sensing device. The phase-reversed reflection branch is configured to perform phase-reversed reflection processing on the first input signal, to obtain a phase-reversed signal. The single-photon sensing device is configured to send the second input signal to the phase-unreversed reflection branch, and is further configured to sense a photon, generate photon information, and output a first branch signal. The phase-unreversed reflection branch is configured to perform phase-unreversed reflection processing on the second input signal to obtain a second branch signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenye Liang, Yuping Wu, Zhengjun Wei
  • Patent number: 11685303
    Abstract: A berth apparatus and method for promoting relaxation and/or inducing sleep in a recumbent passenger occupying a berth belonging to the berth apparatus. The apparatus is mounted in a vehicle and has a secondary suspension with a vibration detection system and a motion management system. The berth may execute motion in all six degrees of freedom with at least the vertical degree of freedom being monitored for unwanted motion. The motion management system has a motion removing component for removing unwanted motion in at least the vertical degree of freedom, and it also has a motion adding component to add to the berth a desirable motion of low frequency and small amplitude in at least one degree of freedom based on a physiological parameter, e.g., the inhalation cycle of the recumbent passenger. The apparatus and method may further use a vibration transfer element to transfer motion in one degree of freedom, such as horizontal displacement, to another degree of freedom, such as roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas J. Currier, Christopher A. Tacklind
  • Patent number: 11686679
    Abstract: An optical waveguide includes a core layer which extends along a longitudinal direction and through which light can propagate; and a protective film that is formed on at least a portion of a surface of the core layer and has a smaller refractive index than the core layer. At least a portion of the protective film is provided in a manner allowing contact with a gas or a liquid. In a cross-section of at least a portion perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the core layer, the protective film is formed around the entire surface of the core layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiro Sakamoto, Tatsushi Yagi
  • Patent number: 11686669
    Abstract: The invention provides an optical measurement device for measuring light to be inspected. The optical measurement device comprises a light receiving module, a light splitting module, and a plurality of color filters. The light receiving module is used for converting the light to be inspected into a first parallel light. The light splitting module is used for splitting the first parallel light into a plurality of parallel lights to be inspected. Each color filter receives at least one of the plurality of parallel lights to be inspected. The plurality of parallel lights to be inspected filtered by the plurality of color filters are used to calculate tristimulus values in the CIE color space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Chroma ATE Inc.
    Inventors: Tsung-Hsien Ou, Hsin-Yueh Sung, Shih-Min Hsu, Yu-Hsuan Lin
  • Patent number: 11686877
    Abstract: An optical module includes a beam-tilting light source enclosure. The enclosure is coupled to a substrate that includes a light emitter connected thereto. The enclosure has a geometry such that the enclosure has a first surface configured to couple substantially flat to the substrate and a second surface tilted with respect to the first surface and configured to couple substantially flat to a component of an electronic device through which the light is to project. The enclosure is optically transmissive and covers the light source when coupled to the substrate. In this way, the enclosure may be assembled and used in the electronic device by coupling the first surface to the substrate and coupling the second surface to the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael K. McCord, Mehmet Mutlu, Ryan J. Linderman