Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides a system and method for providing a dynamically reconfigurable watermark, and the use of the watermark to encode a stochastically variable property of the carrier medium for self-authentication purposes.

Abstract: A variable wavelength optical filter module according to the present invention includes a package, a variable wavelength optical filter, and a detector. The package includes a reflection part (reflecting faces) in the inside of the package. The variable wavelength optical filter is disposed in the inside of the package and includes a first reflecting plate and a second reflecting plate facing each other, with a clearance between the first reflecting plate and the second reflecting plate being variable. The detector is disposed in the inside of the package and detects a ray of light having passed through the variable wavelength optical filter. Then, the variable wavelength optical filter and the detector are disposed on the opposite side to the reflection part (reflecting faces). The ray of the light incident into the inside of the package via the variable wavelength optical filter enters the detector via the reflection part (reflecting faces).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides an efficient means for the production of labels and verification of authenticity, whereby a recording apparatus which includes a recording medium, having anisotrophic optical domains, along with a means for transferring a portion of the recording medium to a carrier, wherein a bulk portion of the recording medium has macroscopically detectable anisotrophic optical properties and the detecting apparatus thereon.

Abstract: Multi-layered targets, design files and design and production methods thereof are provided. The multi-layered targets comprise process layers arranged to have parallel segmentation features at specified regions, and target layer comprising target elements which are perpendicular to the parallel segmentation features of the process layers at the specified regions.

Abstract: Various embodiments of tools with associated optical measurement devices are described. An apparatus may include a tool to be applied to a workpiece, an optical measurement device in a feed path of the tool, and a controller. The optical measurement device may generate displacement measurements indicative of displacement of the workpiece as the workpiece traverses the feed path toward the tool. The controller may generate a measurement of the workpiece based on the plurality of displacement measurements.

Abstract: Autofocus system (AF) employing, in addition to specified optical units, fringe projection and fringe detection systems (FPS, FDS) and specifically-configured data processing system. AFS is configured to project with FPS a sinusoidal fringe pattern, formed by a pattern source, on a substrate and to image the so projected pattern from substrate onto optical detector with FDS to form optical image from which topology of the substrate is defined as substrate moves relative to the projected pattern. Pattern source may include diffraction grating oriented that the projected pattern is inclined relative to direction of substrate scanning Topology profile is corrected for tilt of substrate, Goos-Hanchen errors, and for fringe-pattern-induced errors outside a chosen spatial-frequency range. To reduce errors of topology profile, at least five values of phase difference are used. AFS is configured to define temporal phase shifting in optical image without using any moving parts in the AFS.

Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for detecting objects in a monitored zone (20) is provided which has the following: a front screen (38); a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a light beam (16); a movable deflection unit (18) for the periodic sampling of the monitored zone (20) by the light beam (16); a light receiver (26) for generating a received signal from the light beam (22) remitted by the objects; at least one test light transmitter (42); at least one test light transmitter (42), at least one test light receiver (44) and at least one test light reflector (48) which span a test light path (46a-b) through the front screen (38); and an evaluation unit (32) which is configured to acquire pieces of information on the objects in the monitored zone (20) from the received signal and to recognize an impaired light permeability of the front screen (38) from a test light signal which the test light receiver (44) generates from test light which is transmitted from the test light transmitter (42) and which is refl

Abstract: A probe is provided that contacts the inner surface of the casing or other production tubing and imparts energy to the surface at the contact point, for example as heat energy or mechanical energy. Energy is imparted around the circumference of the casing, and a fiber optic distributed sensor located on the outer surface of the casing is used to measure and record the energy that it receives whilst the probe is moved to impart energy around the circumference. A record of energy versus position of the probe around the circumference can be obtained, from which maxima in the detected energy measurements can then be found. The position around the circumference which gave the maximum measurement should be the position at which the optical fiber of the fiber optic distributed sensor is located. In addition, an ultrasonic arrangement is also described, that relies on ultrasonic sound to provide detection.

Abstract: A displacement detection apparatus capable of stably and accurately detecting the amount of displacement. The length of a polarization maintaining fiber for transmitting the light from a light source to a displacement detector is set not to be equal to a length obtained by dividing, by the wavelength of the light source, a product of an even integral multiple of a length, which is obtained by multiplying twice the length of a resonator by the refractive index of the resonator, and a beat length obtained by a difference between the propagation constants of two polarization modes. Alternatively, the length of the polarization maintaining fiber is set to be larger than a length, which is obtained by dividing, by the wavelength of the light source, a product of a coherence length and a beat length obtained from a difference between the propagation constants of two polarization modes.

Abstract: A system and method for maintaining the face of an optical window at a desired axial position with respect to the face of a high pressure housing, suitable for use in a high pressure optical flow cell for a real time optical particle monitoring system. The window fits within a mounting hole that extends through the pressure housing. The window has a smaller-diameter cylindrical end portion extending to the high pressure side and an opposite larger-diameter cylindrical end portion, with a shoulder between the cylindrical end portions. A threaded retaining member axially compresses a gasket, o-ring, or other compliant sealing member between the shoulder of the optical window and a corresponding shoulder in the mounting hole, creating a static seal and maintaining the high pressure face of the optical window at a desired position over a wide range of temperatures and pressures.

Abstract: Spatial frequency spectra from periodic, aperiodic and quasi-random structures in materials are shown and used to detect differences among objects via internal coding from the spatial frequencies. The method is applied to different grades of human tissues for a new form of histology and pathology, and to detect art forgeries and coding boxes, money and papers and gems. The randomness of material structures on surface and at depths near surface can be detected from the spatial spectrum. In tissue spectral features from normal to different stages of cancer in tissue for ex vivo and in vivo applications can be recognized by different spectral fingerprints content of the spatial frequency. Similarly, the painting for the strokes of artist is different. A new type of instrument is described to analyze materials as a Spatial Frequency Spectrometer.

Abstract: A system for the fabrication of patterned miniature structures, such integrated circuits, includes a continuous, flexible substrate that is transported by rollers to a series of processing stations. To ensure proper alignment amongst the various stations, the substrate is provided with at least one fiducial that is raised above its top surface a height that maximizes optical contrast when viewed interferometrically. At least one processing station includes an optical device that is capable of both interferometrically identifying the fiducial for alignment purposes and subsequently illuminating the substrate with a modifiable light pattern as part of a photolithographic process. Fiducials can also be used to identify gross geometric variances in the substrate caused by external factors, such as heat and moisture. In turn, a web adjustment element can be used to apply selective heat or tension to the substrate in order to correct such geometric variances.

Abstract: Brillouin optical distributed sensing device and method is provided and includes a structure for generating an optical pulsed signal and an optical probe signal. The structure includes a circulation component for directing the optical pulsed signal to a sensing optical fiber, and directing an optical measurement signal with Brillouin scattering information arising from the sensing optical fiber toward a detection apparatus.

Abstract: A digital flashlamp controller, a flashlamp control system and a method of controlling a flashlamp bulb employing digital control electronics are provided herein. In one embodiment, the digital flashlamp controller includes: (1) a trigger interface configured to provide firing signals to control a trigger element for a flashlamp bulb and (2) digital electronics configured to generate the firing signals and control multiple pulsing of the flashlamp bulb.

Abstract: A turbidity sensor or an arrangement for optically measuring one or more physical, chemical and/or biological, process variables of a medium. The medium is located in a pipe. The arrangement includes a housing and the housing is embodied for securement in the pipe. The housing is embodied for accommodating at least one light source for sending light through a window region into the medium and at least one light receiver for receiving light through the window region from the medium. The light is scattered by the medium and the light intensity received by the light receiver is a measure for the physical, chemical and/or biological, process variable, characterized in that the light source is so arranged that the light propagates in the medium in the longitudinal direction of the pipe.

Abstract: Generating a composite image of a non-flat surface includes: acquiring, using a microscope, multiple images of different areas of the non-flat surface, where each image includes a region of overlap with at least one adjacent image, the microscope having sufficient resolution to image in three dimensions a microstructure on the non-flat surface having a lateral dimension of 10 microns or less and a height of 10 nm or less; determining, for each of the images, a set of rigid body parameters relating a position and orientation of the test object in the image to a common coordinate system, where the set of rigid body parameters is determined by fitting the resolved microstructure in the overlap region in the image with the corresponding microstructure in the overlap region of the adjacent image; and combining the images based on the sets of rigid body parameters to generate a composite image.

Abstract: An in-situ on-line detection device and detection method for a long-distance metallurgical liquid metal component. The detection device comprises a front-end high-temperature resistant probe, a middle-end optical sensing device and a back-end control platform, wherein the head of the front-end high-temperature resistant probe is placed in a liquid metal, the tail thereof is coaxially connected to the middle-end optical sensing device, and an optical window is arranged in the connection position; and the middle-end optical sensing device is connected to the back-end control platform through a signal line. The detection device and detection method can provide a timely and valid message for quality control and a melting end, so that the detection time is greatly shortened, the detection distance can he adjusted extensively, the measurement result is accurate, and it can be achieved to measure components that are difficult to measure such as carbon, sulfur, phosphorous, etc.

Abstract: An optical coherence analysis system uses a laser swept source that is constrained to operate in a stable mode locked condition by modulating a drive current to the semiconductor optical amplifier as function of wavelength or synchronously with the drive voltage of the laser's tunable element based on stability map for the laser.

Abstract: A measurement system includes semiconductor light sources generating an input beam, optical amplifiers receiving the input beam and delivering an intermediate beam, and fused silica fibers with core diameters less than 400 microns receiving and delivering the intermediate beam to the fibers forming a first optical beam. A nonlinear element receives the first optical beam and broadens the spectrum to at least 10 nm through a nonlinear effect to form the output optical beam which includes a near-infrared wavelength of 700-2500 nm. A measurement apparatus is configured to receive the output optical beam and deliver it to a sample to generate a spectroscopy output beam. A receiver receives the spectroscopy output beam having a bandwidth of at least 10 nm and processes the beam to generate an output signal, wherein the light source and the receiver are remote from the sample, and wherein the sample comprises plastics or food industry goods.

Abstract: A clearance detection system for a railway vehicle includes a cross beam, an upright column connected to two ends of the cross beam through an adjusting block, an inclined support connected to the upright column and the cross beam for supporting the upright column and the cross beam, an electric cylinder arranged on the upright column and the cross beam, a telescopic guide rod being provided on a guide rail of the electric cylinder, a connecting plate fixed at an end of the telescopic guide rod, and a PC connected to a controller of the electric-cylinder. The telescopic guide rod is movable along the guide rail of the electric-cylinder under movement of the electric-cylinder, adjusts the position of the industrial camera, and detects the contours of different types of rail vehicles.