Abstract: A solar tracking sensor includes lens and four fibers respectively representing four directions installed in a lens barrel to serve as a fine-positioning daylighting module, and four groups of fibers installed on the side of the lens barrel to serve as a coarse-positioning daylighting module. A circuit board and four photocells are installed at the bottom of a cassette. Each photocell is connected to fine positioning fibers located in the same direction as the photocell, and is connected to coarse positioning fibers located in a direction diagonal to the direction of the photocell. By using a daylighting method of combining fine-positioning daylighting and coarse-positioning daylighting, the number of the photocells is reduced, the design of the circuit board is simplified, and costs are reduced; moreover, because the coarse-positioning daylighting module can collect sunlight in a wide-angle range, the tracking angle range of the sensor is enlarged.

Abstract: A data output device is provided. The data output device includes a converter circuit configured to generate a conversion signal based on an output signal; a boosting circuit configured to generate a boosting signal based on the output signal; and an output circuit configured to generate the output signal based on an input signal and a feedback signal, the feedback signal being based on the conversion signal and the boosting signal.

Abstract: A sensor module and a robot cleaner including the sensor module may provide accurate sensing of an obstacle and prevent an erroneous sensing of an obstacle. The robot cleaner may include a body including a cleaning unit to remove foreign substances from a surface of a floor, a cover to cover an upper portion of the body, a sensor module including an obstacle sensor mounted to sense an obstacle, and a sensor window provided at one side of the sensor module. The sensor module may include a light emitting device to emit light through the sensor window, a light receiving reflector on which light reflected from the obstacle is incident, and a light shielding portion interposed between the light emitting device and the light receiving reflector to block the light emitted from the light emitting device from being incident upon the light receiving reflector.

Abstract: A birefringent spectral demultiplexer for hyperspectral imaging includes N birefringent beamsplitting stages arranged along a light propagation path, to produce 2N mutually divergent output light beams. Each of the output light beams differs from every other one of the output light beams in polarization and/or spectral bandwidth. Each birefringent beamsplitting stage includes a retarder for modifying polarization of each light beam received by the birefringent beamsplitting stage, and a Wollaston prism for splitting each light beam into two orthogonally polarized and divergent light beams. The Wollaston prism has a beamsplitting interface arranged at an oblique angle to the light propagation path. The oblique angle of the beamsplitting interface of each Wollaston prism of the series, except for the first one, is smaller than the oblique angle of the beamsplitting interface of each preceding Wollaston prism. The demultiplexer may be configured to accept input light of any polarization.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate, a first thin lens configured to concentrate light of a first wavelength, and including a plurality of first scatterers disposed on the substrate. The plurality of first scatterers includes a material having a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the substrate. The image sensor further includes a plurality of light-sensing cells configured to sense the light concentrated by the first thin lens.

Abstract: Photo receiver circuits comprising photo diode, a first amplifier, a second amplifier, and a feedback resistor are disclosed. The photo diode receives a light signal producing a photo current and the circuit produces an output voltage proportional to the photo current. In one example, the second amplifier coupled across the photo diode provides a voltage level shift between the input terminal and the output terminal, bootstrapping the parasitic capacitance out.

Abstract: An optical signal transmission module is provided, in which a lens surface for condensing light emitted from an LD configured to convert an electrical signal to an optical signal and emit light of the optical signal is integrally formed on an end portion of an optical fiber, a mounting substrate for the LD to be mounted is configured with a specially-shaped substrate, and a fixing portion (a fixing hole portion) for the optical fiber to be fixed is integrally formed on the mounting substrate, at a position where the light emitted from the LD (the light of the optical signal) can be incident on the lens surface.

Abstract: A laser device includes: a laser resonator for emitting a laser beam; a condenser lens for collecting the laser beam emitted from the laser resonator; an optical fiber for transmitting the laser beam collected by the condenser lens; at least one light sensor opposing a light receiving surface of the condenser lens and outside an optical path of the laser beam, the at least one light sensor detecting an amount of return light from the condenser lens; and a controller for determining a presence of an abnormality when a value of the amount detected by the at least one light sensor is greater than a predetermined maximum threshold.

Abstract: A pixel includes a constant current source electrically connected to a first node. An integrating capacitor is electrically connected between the first node and a ground. A sampling transistor is electrically connected between the first node and a second node. A photodiode is electrically connected between a base terminal of the sampling transistor and the ground for switching electrical connectivity through the sampling transistor in response to radiation incident on the photodiode.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for performing photometric cuvette mapping includes detecting edges associated with a plurality of gaps between a plurality of vessels in a reaction ring during a complete rotation of a reaction ring. Each gap is determined according to an edge detection process which includes identifying: a vessel interior in response to detection of a first predetermined number of photometer device control manager (DCM) measurements below a threshold value; a rising edge in response to detection of a second predetermined number of photometer DCM measurements above the threshold value; and identifying a falling edge in response to detection of a third predetermined number of photometer DCM measurements below the threshold value. The edge detection process further includes recording the rising edge and the falling edge as being indicative of one of the plurality of gaps.

Abstract: An endoscopic device having embodiments of a hybrid imaging sensor that optimizes a pixel array area on a substrate using a stacking scheme for placement of related circuitry with minimal vertical interconnects between stacked substrates and associated features are disclosed. Embodiments of maximized pixel array size/die size (area optimization) are disclosed, and an optimized imaging sensor providing improved image quality, improved functionality, and improved form factors for specific applications common to the industry of digital imaging are also disclosed. Embodiments of the above may include systems, methods and processes for staggering ADC or column circuit bumps in a column or sub-column hybrid image sensor using vertical interconnects are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a throughput-scalable photon sensing system. The system includes a plurality of semiconductor dies sharing a common semiconductor substrate and comprising one or more through-silicon vias. The system further includes a plurality of photon detection sensors configured to perform a single molecule or cluster sequencing analysis of biological or chemical samples. The system further includes a plurality of dicing streets separating the plurality of semiconductor dies from one another. Two immediately neighboring photon detection sensors of the plurality of photon detection sensors are arranged on respective two semiconductor dies separated by a dicing street of the plurality of dicing streets. A photon detection sensor comprises a plurality of sub-diffraction limit (SDL) photosensitive elements. Each SDL photosensitive element is sensitive to a single photoelectron.

Abstract: An optical keyswitch includes a keycap, a supporting mechanism having a protrusion disposed under the keycap to support the keycap to move downward or upward, and a switch module including a circuit board, an emitter, and a receiver. The emitter and the receiver are electrically connected to the circuit board. The emitter emits an optical signal to the receiver. When the keycap is not pressed, the receiver receives the optical signal of a first intensity. When the keycap is pressed, the protrusion moves along with the keycap, and the protrusion changes the optical signal received by the receiver to have a second intensity different from the first intensity, so the switch module is triggered to generate a triggering signal.

Abstract: An electronic device includes one or more light sources for emitting light toward a body part of a user and one or more optical sensors for capturing light samples while each light source is turned on and for capturing dark samples while the light source(s) are turned off. A signal produced by the one or more optical sensors is filtered and demodulated produce multiple demodulated signals each associated with a light source. Each signal associated with the light source(s) is analyzed to estimate or determine a physiological parameter of the user.

Abstract: A method for determining a curvature and/or torsion of an optical waveguide of a fibre-optic sensor, comprising at least two Bragg gratings introduced into the optical waveguide and extending through a common cross-sectional plane, situated in a radial direction, through the optical waveguide, wherein the Bragg gratings are introduced in the core and/or on the boundary between the core and the cladding and/or in an inner edge region of the cladding within an evanescence region of the light, the method comprising: providing reference data of intensities of reflected light portions of light coupled into the optical waveguide, in particular depending on known reference deformations of the optical waveguide, measuring at least one light intensity of reflected light portions of light coupled into the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide has a deformation to be determined, and determining the deformation by comparing the light intensity with the reference data.

Abstract: A photovoltaic apparatus includes: a power generation part; an angle changeable mechanism configured to support the power generation part so as to be able to change an elevation of the power generation part; a post configured to support the power generation part and the angle changeable mechanism; and a hinge mechanism configured to support the post so as to be able to change an angle of the post relative to an installation surface for the photovoltaic apparatus.

Abstract: A soldering quality detection platform comprises a 2D image acquisition device adapted to acquire a 2D image of a soldered region of a soldered product, a 3D image acquisition device adapted to acquire a 3D image of the soldered region of the soldered product, and a judgment device. The judgment device is adapted to determine whether a soldering quality is qualified based on the 2D image and the 3D image of the soldered region of the soldered product.

Abstract: An encoder, including: a scale that has a pattern and is mountable to a rotary member of an object to be measured; a main body including a detector that detects the pattern, the main body being mountable to a non-rotating portion of the object to be measured; and a holding member including: an abutment portion that is removably provided to the main body from outside the main body and passes through the main body to abut the scale; and a pushing portion that is capable of pushing the abutment portion toward the scale.

Abstract: An integrated sensor and optical phase/amplitude modulator device including a modulator stacked on or above a detector. A circuit receives a signal outputted from the detector in response to an input field irradiating the detector. The circuit performs binary operations comprising classifying the input phase of the input electromagnetic radiation into one of two ranges and setting the modulator into one of two states depending on which range the input phase is classified into. The modulator transmits output electromagnetic radiation having an output field modulated according to the state of the modulator set by the circuit.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system that provides a holographic layer as a micro-lens array and/or a color filter array in an imager. The method of writing the holographic layer results in overlapping areas in the hologram for corresponding adjacent pixels in the imager which increases collection of light at the pixels, thereby increasing quantum efficiency.