Abstract: An optical power monitoring device that monitors power of input light reflected back into an optical fiber among output light output from the optical fiber, the optical power monitoring device includes: a photodetector disposed by the optical fiber that detects Rayleigh scattered light generated by the input light and the output light that are guided by the optical fiber; and a calculator that performs a calculation to exclude a component that corresponds to an output of the output light detected by the photodetector using first information that indicates a relationship between an output of the output light obtained in advance under a condition where the output light is not reflected and the output of the output light detected by the photodetector.

Abstract: A member for a solid-state image pickup device having a bonding plane with no gaps and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The manufacturing method includes the steps of providing a first substrate provided with a photoelectric converter on its primary face and a first wiring structure, providing a second substrate provided with a part of a peripheral circuit on its primary face and a second wiring structure, and performing bonding so that the first substrate, the first wiring structure, the second wiring structure, and the second substrate are disposed in this order. In addition, at least one of an upper face of the first wiring structure and an upper face of the second wiring structure has a concave portion, and a conductive material forms a bottom face of the concave portion.

Abstract: In optical receivers, extending the transimpedance amplifier's (TIA) dynamic range is a key to increasing the receiver's dynamic range, and therefore increase the channel capacity. Ideally, the TIA requires controllable gain, whereby the receiver can modify the characteristics of the TIA and/or the VGA to process high power incoming signals with a defined maximum distortion, and low power incoming signals with a defined maximum noise. A solution to the problem is to provide TIA's with reconfigurable feedback resistors, which are adjustable based on the level of power, e.g. current, generated by the photodetector, and variable load resistors, which are adjustable based on the change in impedance caused by the change in the feedback resistor.

Abstract: A liquid level sensing system provides a removable reservoir incorporating a reflective surface that can be interrogated by a stationary optical sensor in a receptacle receiving the removable reservoir. The optical sensor may detect the presence of the liquid within the reservoir without connection to the reservoir simplifying the process of making the reservoir removable while still allowing sensing of its contents. By aligning the optical axis with the insertion axis of the reservoir sensitive optical alignment problems are minimized.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards a safety system that can be used with a high-flux power beam, such as in wireless power transmission. The system includes a transmitter that generates and transmits a power beam and a receiver that receives the power beam. A plurality of sensors is configured to independently detect if an object is near, impeding, or about to impede (i.e., impinging) the power beam. Each of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect the object at different distances between the transmitter and the receiver. A controller triggers the transmitter to stop generating the power beam when any one or more of the plurality of sensors detects the object or a combination of the plurality of sensors detects the object. The controller triggers the transmitter to re-generate and transmit the power beam when each of the plurality of sensors fails to detect the object.

Abstract: A single photon detection circuit is described that includes a germanium photodiode that is configured with zero voltage bias to avoid dark current output when no photon input is present and also is configured to respond to a single photon input by generating a photovoltaic output voltage. A single electron bipolar avalanche transistor (SEBAT) has a base emitter junction connected in parallel with the germanium photodiode and is configured so that the photovoltaic output voltage triggers an avalanche collector current output.

Abstract: A light sensor assembly includes a sensor connector having a housing including a top and a bottom with power contact channels in the bottom of the housing. The sensor connector includes a circuit board supported by the housing at the top having a sensor component electrically connected to the circuit board sensing an environmental characteristic exterior of the sensor connector. The sensor connector includes power contacts received in corresponding contact channels and extending from the bottom for electrical connection with receptacle power contacts of the receptacle connector. The power contacts include a neutral power contact, a line power contact and a load power contact, where the line power contact and the load power contact are integral as a unitary contact body forming a monolithic line-load power contact.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optoelectronic sensor system for detecting objects in a monitored zone having a light transmitter for transmitting light into the monitored zone along a transmitted light path, having a light receiver for receiving received light from the monitored zone that is remitted along a received light path in the direction of the light receiver from an object to be detected in the monitored zone or a reflector bounding the monitored zone, and having an objective arrangement arranged in front of the light transmitter and the light receiver. The transmitted light path and the received light path run spaced apart from one another at least in part sections facing the light transmitter and the light receiver respectively.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor device and method for detecting measurement data relating to the absolute position of a linearly or rotationally moveable body, comprising an optical sensor system, wherein the optical sensor system uses exclusively zero-order rejections for the position measuring, and a magnetic sensor system which emits a second sensor output signal depending on the position to be determined of the moveable body, wherein the gauge of the optical sensor system and the gauge of the magnetic sensor system are integrated in a common gauge body, and a computer unit which is provided to obtain the first sensor output signal and the second sensor output signal and to generate a common sensor output signal from the first sensor output signal and the second sensor output signal, wherein the current period of the second sensor system can be deduced from the first sensor output signal at every time, in order to calculate clear absolute position information based on the first and second sensor output s

Abstract: A stacked image sensor includes a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die. The first semiconductor die includes a pixel array of rows and columns of pixels, a first column interlayer-connection unit extending in the row direction and disposed adjacent the top or bottom of the pixel array and column routing wires extending in a diagonal direction and connecting the pixel columns and the first column interlayer-connection unit. The second semiconductor die is stacked with the first semiconductor die. The second semiconductor die includes a second column interlayer-connection unit extending in the row direction and disposed at a location corresponding to the first column interlayer-connection unit and connected to the first column interlayer-connection unit, and a column control circuit connected to the second column interlayer-connection unit.

Abstract: An optical pickup device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light source that outputs a light beam; an irradiation optical system that projects onto a measurement target the light beam outputted from the light source; an imaging optical system that converges and images the light beam reflected by the measurement target; a light receiving part that receives the light beam imaged by the imaging optical system; and a peak separation part that when the light beams reflected by a first surface and a second surface of the measurement target are assumed to be a first reflected beam and a second reflected beam, separates peaks of light intensity of the first and second reflected beams with respect to a distance between the irradiation optical system and the measurement target in the light receiving part.

Abstract: A circuit includes an input capacitor that stores charge based on a current received from a photodetector during a bias phase of the photodetector. The stored charge on the input capacitor is sampled during the sampling phase to determine an amount of light captured by the photodetector. A bias controller supplies a pulsed-bias voltage to the photodetector to generate the current from the photodetector. The bias controller controls the current to a current level below a predetermined current threshold via the pulsed-bias voltage before biasing of the detector and subsequent sampling of the stored charge on the input capacitor is initiated to mitigate 1/F noise in the photodetector.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising at least one pair of a first inner and second outer photodetector, each photodetector comprising a channel member, respective source and drain electrodes configured to enable a flow of electrical current through the channel member between the source and drain electrodes, and a plurality of quantum dots configured to generate electron-hole pairs on exposure to incident electromagnetic radiation to produce a detectable change in the electrical current flowing through the channel member. The first inner and second outer photodetectors are configured to generate electron-hole pairs which produce an increase and decrease in electrical current through the channel members. The first inner and the second outer photodetectors share a common channel member, which is partitioned by one or more of the respective source and drain electrodes respectively extending in two dimensions such that the first inner photodetector is defined within the second outer photodetector.

Abstract: Provided are a photon detection device and a photon detection method being practical, capable of performing photon detection in which no afterpulse is generated and generation of a dark count is suppressed, and capable of obtaining a high counting rate with low jitter. The photon detection device of the present invention includes: a photon detection section having a long plate-shaped superconducting stripline whose plate surface is a photon detection surface, and a bias current supply section supplying a bias current to the superconducting stripline; and a single flux quantum comparator circuit capable of detecting magnetic flux scattered from the superconducting stripline upon photon detection.

Abstract: An optical sensor includes a light source; and an optical detector detecting intensity of light that is reflected by a recording medium, the light from the light source and irradiated onto the recording medium. Further, when an incident angle of the light incident to the recording medium from the light source relative to a normal line of the recording medium is given as ?1, a formula 75°??1?85° is satisfied.

Abstract: A method of generating a lighting effect based on metadata of an audio stream, the method comprising steps of: extracting metadata items from the audio stream; retrieving a first set of one or more images based on the metadata items; controlling a light source to generate a lighting effect based on said first set of one or more images.

Abstract: An adjustable housing for a light sensor includes a biasing spring and an adjustment screw or cam shaft or other rotary means to adjust the sensor against the spring biasing force. In some embodiments, a detent mechanism can retain the sensor in a desired position and provide an audible click during adjustment. The housing can have a free-floating wall such that when tightening or locking the assembly in place, the wall does not deform and therefore does not affect the sensor alignment.

Abstract: Two separate schemes are used for detecting light intensity in low light conditions and high light conditions. In high light conditions, two threshold voltages are set and the time between the crossing of a sensor voltage at the two threshold voltages is measured to determine the light intensity in the high light conditions. In low light conditions, a comparator is used to compare the voltage level of the sensor voltage relative to a reference voltage that increase over time. The time when the reference voltage reaches the sensor voltage level is detected to determine the light intensity in the low light conditions.

Abstract: An optically enabled multi-chip module has an optical engine transceiver and a host system chip. The optical engine transceiver has an optical engine front-end and an optical engine macro. The optical engine front-end has multiple laser diodes, laser driver circuitry electrically interfaced with each of the laser diodes, multiple photodiodes, amplifier circuitry electrically interfaced with each of the photodiodes, and at least one optical element optically positioned between the laser diodes and at least one optical fiber and between the photodiodes and the at least one optical fiber. The at least one optical element optically interfaces the laser diodes and photodiodes with the optical fiber. The optical engine macro is both electrically interfaced with and physically segregated from the optical engine front-end. The optical engine macro provides a subset of optical transceiver functionality to the optical engine front-end. The host system chip is electrically interfaced with the optical engine transceiver.

Abstract: A method of screening, isolating and purifying rare cells includes obtaining cell groups with rare cells from a sample, removing cells not to be screened from the cell groups, and drawing the remaining cells as a cell suspension sample. An introduction device is activated to load the cell suspension sample onto an optically-induced dielectrophoresis chip including a cell isolation zone having a division arrangement wherein at least one optical pattern is configured on the cell isolation zone for screening, isolating and purifying the rare cells. The at least one optical pattern is configured to migrate, rotate or both. The at least one optical pattern is activated to attract the rare cells into a collection tank on the chip, and a liquid drawing device is activated to draw the rare cells out of the collection tank, thereby obtaining purified rare cells from the sample.