Abstract: The optical detection system typically used in micromechanical cantilever-based instruments, e.g. scanning probe microscopes, chemical or biological sensing probes like “artificial noses”, or molecular force probe instruments, can hardly cope when measuring samples immersed in a fluid, i.e. a gas, gel, or liquid having another refractive index than the environment. Optical readout or detection becomes problematic as soon as the refractive index of the fluid changes, because signals can shift significantly. The invention provides an improved optical means at the interface between the fluid and the environment, avoiding signal shifts, and thus avoiding time-consuming and difficult re-calibration or re-adjustment of the microscope or other cantilever-based instrument.

Abstract: The invention consists of a secure data transmission cable for electronically transmitting secure data between remote locations in an exposed condition. The data transmission cable comprises a tubular outer protective layer, an inner core disposed within the outer protective layer, a data transmission line carried within the inner core for transmitting secure data between the remote locations, and a fiber optic sensor line included in the outer protective layer for detecting unauthorized activity relative to the transmission line. The fiber optic data transmission line comprises a plurality of optical fibers for transmitting data between remote locations and for detecting unauthorized activity relative to the transmission line. A protective casing surrounds the data transmission line for protecting the fiber optic data transmission line from contacting the outer protective layer. An outer protective casing braided around the core in which the sensor line is enclosed provides strength to the cable.

Abstract: The method of making an optoelectronic module (10, 20), which includes a first light source circuit (5) and a second photoreceptor circuit (6) for picking up light from the first light source circuit reflected on an external surface. A first moulding (20) with an encapsulation material is made on one part of a lead frame (10) having several conductive paths (12) and an external frame (11) connecting all of the conductive paths. A first light source circuit (5) is placed on one portion of a first conductive path (13) of the lead frame that is not covered by the first moulding. A second photoreceptor circuit (6) is placed on one portion of a second conductive path (14) of the lead frame not covered by the first moulding. A through opening (21) is also made in the first moulding (20) between the external frame (11) and the location of the first light source circuit (5) to give access to the first connecting path (13) and to a third connecting path (15) for the first light source circuit.

Abstract: An optical transceiver includes at least one light source and at least one detector mounted on the same surface of the same substrate. The detector is to receive light from other than a light source on the surface. At least one of the light source and the detector is mounted on the surface. An optics block having optical elements for each light source and detectors is attached via a vertical spacer to the substrate. Electrical interconnections for the light source and the detector are accessible from the same surface of the substrate with the optics block attached thereto. One of the light source and the detector may be monolithically integrated into the substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device (1) for imaging an interior of a turbid medium (55). A turbid medium (55) inside a measurement volume (15) is irradiated from a plurality of source positions (25a) with light from a light source (5), and light emanating from the measurement volume (15) is detected from a plurality of detection positions (25b). An image of the interior of the turbid medium (55) is reconstructed from the detected light. In both the method and the device (1), detector signals can be amplified for each source position-detection position pair by a multi-gain amplification unit comprising an amplifier circuit (60). The amplification factor is selected from a number of possible amplification factors based on detected signal strength in the prior art. According to the invention, however, the method and device are adapted such that the amplification factor is selected for at least one source position-detection position pair on the basis of an estimate of expected electrical signal strength.

Abstract: A light intensity control device of the present invention includes a light source for outputting a plurality of types of light beams having different wavelengths; a light receiving section for receiving and converting the light beams into an electric signal in accordance with the intensity of the respective light beam; and a polarization separation section provided between the light source and the light receiving section. The plurality of types of light beams include a first light beam and a second light beam having a longer wavelength than that of the first light beam. The polarization separation section guides both a first polarization direction light component of the second light beam and a second polarization direction light component, perpendicular to the first polarization direction, of the second light beam to the light receiving section.

Abstract: A method and system for adjusting a light source that is capable of displaying light of different colors receives inputs from various sources and provides an output color selection signal. The output color selection signal is applied to the light source to adjust the intensity and color thereof.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring the physical characteristics of an object is provided, wherein the method includes disposing the object within the sensor optical path of an inspection system, causing a source collimated light beam to propagate along the source optical path to be at least partially incident upon the reflecting device, reflecting the source collimated light beam to create a reflected collimated light beam that propagates along the sensor optical path such that the reflected collimated light beam is at least partially incident upon the object to produce a silhouette, wherein at least a portion of the silhouette is incident upon the sensing device to generate initial image data responsive to the silhouette and processing the initial image data responsive to at least one predetermined algorithm to generate resultant image data responsive to at least one of a plurality of physical characteristics of the object.

Abstract: An identification system and associated method for identifying objects includes at least one tag having encoded information attached to the surface of an object to be identified, wherein the tag includes a first FSS-based elliptical polarization filter which provides the encoding. A remotely located receiver including a second FSS-based elliptical polarization filter and a linear polarizer optically coupled to the second filter is operable for differentially attenuating the first and second orthogonal polarization states allowing a determination whether the intensity pattern corresponds to the encoded information.

Abstract: In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, an active imaging system is provided for imaging a target of interest. An imaging assembly includes a light source and an optical assembly comprising a plurality of passive optical components. The optical assembly divides received light into a first beam, having a first polarization and a second beam, having a second, orthogonal polarization, directs the first and second beam along respective first and second optical paths within the optical assembly, and recombines the first and second beams into a combined beam. A sensor detects the combined beam.

Abstract: Image sensors and methods of operating image sensors. An image sensor includes an array of pixels and an array of color filters disposed over the array of pixels such that each different color filter is disposed over multiple pixels. A method of operating an image sensor including an array of two by two blocks of single color pixels includes determining a level of incident light, determining an incident light value corresponding to the level of incident light and comparing the incident light value to a predetermined threshold value. If the incident light value is less than the predetermined threshold value, a combined signal is read from the two by two blocks. If the incident light value is less than the predetermined threshold value, an individual signal is read from each pixel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to projection systems where one or more projectors are utilized to project a video, a still image, or combinations thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of calibrating and operating such systems. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of operating an image display system is provided. According to the method, one or more image sensors acquire respective overlapping portions I1, I2 of a projected image. Screen position coordinates for image fiducials in the first and second portions I1, I2 of the projected image are identified and used to establish first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2 for the first and second portions of the projected image. A global point set is constructed from the first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2. Global points within a region where the first and second portions I1, I2 of the projected image overlap are derived from only one of the first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2.

Abstract: It is intended to achieve a high level of positioning accuracy for a substrate assuming a two-layer structure constituted with a transparent layer with a high level of light transmissivity and a nontransparent layer with a low level of light transmissivity. A substrate positioning device according to the present invention characterized in that only the edge of the nontransparent layer, not the edge of the transparent layer, is exclusively detected and the substrate is positioned based upon the detection results.

Abstract: The invention relates to a focus detection optical system used with the so-called autofocus (AF) system mounted on single-lens reflex cameras (SLRs) or the like, and an imaging apparatus incorporating it. The focus detection optical system comprises at least n focus detection areas that are adjacent to or intersect each other on a predetermined imaging plane, where n?2. A re-imaging lens group comprises n+1 re-imaging lenses, A (n?1)th re-imaging lens and an nth re-imaging lens are a pair of re-imaging lenses that correspond to a (n?1)th focus detection area and are adjacent to each other. An nth re-imaging lens and a (n+1)th re-imaging lens are a pair of re-imaging lenses that correspond to the nth focus detection area and are adjacent to each other. The (n?1)th re-imaging lens and (n+1)th re-imaging lens are located at different positions.

Abstract: A large image sensor structure is created by tiling a plurality of image sensor dies, wherein each of the image sensor dies includes a pixel array that extends to three edges of the die, and control circuitry located along a fourth edge of the die. None of the control circuitry required to access the pixel array (e.g., none of the row driver circuitry) is located in the pixel array, thereby enabling consistent spacing of pixels across the pixel array. Because the pixel array of each image sensor die extends to three edges of the die, the pixel array of each image sensor die can abut up to three pixel arrays in other image sensor dies to form a large image sensor structure having 2×N tiled image sensor dies.

Abstract: A double-junction complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) filterless color imager cell is provided. The imager cell is fabricated from a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate including a silicon (Si) substrate, a silicon dioxide insulator overlying the substrate, and a Si top layer overlying the insulator. A photodiode set is formed in the SOI substrate, including a first and second photodiode formed as a double-junction structure in the Si substrate. A third photodiode is formed in the Si top layer. A (imager sensing) transistor set is formed in the top Si layer. The transistor set is connected to the photodiode set and detects an independent output signal for each photodiode. The transistor set may be an eight-transistor (8T), a nine-transistor (9T), or an eleven-transistor (11T) cell.

Abstract: An inspection system for inspecting an imprinted substrate on a printing press has a light source, a contact image sensor, and a processor. The light source is configured to illuminate a portion of the substrate which has been imprinted with different colors at a plurality of printing units of the printing press. The contact image sensor has a plurality of sensing elements. Each sensing element senses light reflected by a corresponding region on the substrate to produce data representative of the corresponding region printed on the substrate. The processor is configured to receive the data representative of the imprinted substrate and to compare the data representative of the corresponding region printed on the substrate with stored reference data.

Abstract: A camera system uses a highly sensitive camera such as an intensified charge-coupled-device camera to acquire images. An image acquisition and processing tool can place the camera in a low-sensitivity mode and a high-sensitivity mode. In the low-sensitivity mode, a reference image may be acquired of a target that is illuminated by a light-emitting-diode. In the high sensitivity mode, low-photon-flux image data frames are acquired using a charge-coupled-device image sensor in the camera. The image acquisition and processing tool displays the acquired image data frames on top of the reference image in real time, so that a user is provided with immediate visual feedback. The image acquisition and processing tool has image preprocessing filters for enhancing image quality such as a sensor noise threshold filter, a cosmic ray filter, and a photon shape optimization filter. Pipeline filters may be used to further process acquired image data frames.

Abstract: An electric tool has a handle, and an element for varying tool functions located in the handle and including a photoelectric cell incorporated onto the handle in such a way that if the photoelectric cell is completely or partly covered, a tool function is achieved on a specification in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an optical encoder having a photodetector array comprising motion detection photodetectors and at least one reference photodetector vertically offset from the motion detection photodetectors. The output signal generated by the at least one reference photodetectors is employed to correct undesired variations in the amplitudes of the output signals generated by the motion detection photodetectors. Such variations typically arise from various mechanical and optical misalignments in the optical encoder, and are compensated for by using the reference output signal to add to or subtract from, as required, the amplitudes of motion detection output signals.