Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide receivers for light detection and ranging (LiDAR). In an example, a receiver includes a beam converging device, an AO beam deflecting unit, and a beam sensor. The beam converging device is configured to receive a laser beam from an object being scanned by the LiDAR and form an input laser beam. The AO beam deflecting unit is configured to generate a diffraction grating along a propagating direction of an acoustic wave, receive the input laser beam such that the input laser beam impinges upon the diffraction grating, and form an output laser beam towards the beam sensor. An angle between the input and the output laser beams is nonzero.

Abstract: An atmospheric suit includes a torso portion with one or more layers, and fibers of a first material arranged in each of the one or more layers. Optical fibers are interspersed with the fibers of the first material in each of the one or more layers.

Abstract: A sensing device includes a light source to emit light, a light sensor to detect reflection of the emitted light and distance determination circuitry responsive to reflected-light detection within the light sensor. The light sensor includes a photodetector having a photocharge storage capacity in excess of one electron and an output circuit that generates an output signal responsive to light detection within the photodetector with sub-hundred nanosecond latency. The distance determination circuitry measures an elapsed time based on transition of the output signal in response to photonic detection within the photodetector and determines, based on the elapsed time, a distance between the sensing device and a surface that yielded the reflection of the emitted light.

Abstract: The present embodiment relates to a distance sensor configured to inject an equal amount of current into storage nodes coupled, respectively, to charge collection regions where charges of a photosensitive region is distributed by driving of first and second transfer electrodes and obtain a distance to an object based on difference information on charge amounts of the respective storage nodes. Saturation caused by disturbance light of each storage node is avoided by injecting the equal amount of current to each storage node, and the difference information on the charge amounts of the respective storage nodes, which is not easily affected by the current injection, is obtained by driving the first and second transfer electrodes according to the plurality of frames representing the electrode drive pattern, respectively.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (lidar) receiver may include a first photodiode, a first amplifier connected to the first photodiode, and a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) connected to an output of the first amplifier. The lidar receiver may include a second photodiode, a second amplifier connected to the second photodiode, and a second ADC connected to the second amplifier. The lidar may include a processor connected to an output of the first ADC and an output of the second ADC and a direct-current-to-direct-current converter connected to an output of the processor and to the first photodiode and the second photodiode. The processor may determine, based on the output of the first ADC and the output of the second ADC, a first bias to apply to the first photodiode and a second bias to apply to the second photodiode.

Abstract: In an imaging device, a photoelectric converter of a first pixel and a photoelectric converter of a second pixel are arranged along a first direction. At least part of a charge accumulation portion of the first pixel is disposed between the photoelectric converter of the first pixel and the photoelectric converter of the second pixel. An exit surface of a light guiding path of the first pixel is longer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view than in the first direction.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a receiver in an optical sensing system for receiving a light beam. The receiver includes a first polarizer configured to pass the light beam of a first polarization. The receiver further includes an electro-optical layer coated with patterned transparent electrodes. An electric field is applied to a selected area of the electro-optical layer through the patterned transparent electrodes, and the electro-optical layer changes a portion of the light beam from the first polarization to a second polarization. The receiver also includes a second polarizer configured to selectively pass the portion of the light beam of the second polarization. The receiver additionally includes a detector configured to receive the portion of the light beam output from the second polarizer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensor device comprising an optical fiber to be coupled with a laser beam, a through-fiber fabricated cantilever onto one end of said optical fiber, and a light collector. According to the invention, the through-fiber fabricated cantilever is made of a polymer obtained by photo-structuring at least one photo-sensitive monomer species. The present invention also relates to methods for the measurement of parameters such as temperature, mass, viscosity, analyte concentrations, and the degree of a polymerization process, using the device of the invention.

Abstract: The disclosure discloses a Gm-APD array lidar imaging method under strong background noise, comprising following steps: respectively acquiring two sets of cumulative detection data of the Gm-APD array lidar at two different opening times of a range gate of the Gm-APD array lidar under strong background noise; respectively performing a statistic operation on the two sets of cumulative detection data of the Gm-APD array lidar with respect to all pixels, to obtain two cumulative detection result histograms of the Gm-APD array lidar; determining a range interval of the imaging target according to the two cumulative detection result histograms; and acquiring a lidar image by a peak discrimination method in the range interval of the imaging target. The Gm-APD array lidar imaging method according to the present disclosure is capable of improving the laser image quality by eliminating the interference of strong background noise in other range intervals.

Abstract: This invention provides a linear encoder having an arbitrary size while maintaining high producibility. An absolute linear encoder includes a long scale formed by continuously connecting a first short scale and a second short scale in which a first cyclic bit string and a second cyclic bit siring generated using the same initial value for different generator polynomials are arranged, and at least two sensors arranged at positions facing the long scale side by side in a longitudinal direction of the long scale.

Abstract: An analog counter circuit for use with a digital pixel includes an input; an output; a first inverter connected to the input that produces on a first inverter output a time delayed inverted signal (RP*) from an input signal received at the input; a second inverter connected to the first inverter output that produces a time delayed signal (RP) at a second inverter output from the input signal and that is delayed relative to RP* and a control switch connected between a source voltage and a floating node. The control switch is controlled by the signal RP* on the first inverter output. The analog counter also includes a feedback capacitor connected between the second inverter output and the floating node; an accumulating capacitor that accumulates at least some of a charge that passes through the control switch; and an injection switch connected between the control switch and the accumulating capacitor.

Abstract: A non-tracking solar sensor device and systems. The non-tracking solar sensor system includes a transparent hemispherical dome enclosure for receiving light. A diffuser is disposed with the enclosure for diffusing the light. A photodiode sensor array senses at least one discrete wavelength of the diffused light. A data acquisition module is configured to receive a sensor signal from the sensor array, the signal indicative of light quality at least one discrete wave band for processing via a processor module.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for up to three-dimensional scanning of target regions at high magnification are disclosed.

Abstract: An imaging unit including first semiconductor substrate that includes a photoelectric converter, a heat conductive wiring line provided in contact with the first semiconductor substrate, and a cooling device that controls a temperature of the photoelectric converter via the heat conductive wiring line.

Abstract: A photodetection apparatus includes a display unit (102), a photodetection sensor (104) disposed beneath the display unit (102), a low refractive index adhesive (103) disposed between the display unit (102) and the photodetection sensor (104), and a main circuit board (106) disposed below the photodetection sensor (104). The display unit (102) includes a display member having a light transmittance greater than 3%. The photodetection sensor (104) includes a pixel thin film circuit (91) and a photodetection film (92) electrically connected to the pixel thin film circuit (91) and is adapted to receive an incident light and to convert the incident light into an optoelectronic signal. The low refractive index adhesive (103) has a refractive index smaller than that of the photodetection sensor (104).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit a pulse of light and a scanner configured to direct the emitted pulse of light into a field of regard of the lidar system. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to receive a portion of the emitted pulse of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The receiver includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) that includes a two-dimensional array of electrically addressable micromirrors, where a portion of the micromirrors are configured to be set to an active-on state to direct the received pulse of light to a detector array. The detector array includes a two-dimensional array of detector elements, where the detector array is configured to detect the received pulse of light and produce an electrical signal corresponding to the received pulse of light.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a photoelectric conversion portion including a first region of a first conductivity type arranged on the side of a front surface of a substrate, a floating diffusion of the first conductivity type to which charges generated in the photoelectric conversion portion are transferred, and a charge transfer portion arranged between the photoelectric conversion portion and the floating diffusion, a transfer gate electrode arranged on the charge transfer portion and a potential control electrode arranged on the photoelectric conversion portion to control a potential in the first region. The potential control electrode is arranged spaced apart from the transfer gate electrode, and a voltage set in a direction in which the potential will increase with respect to the charges is applied to the potential control electrode when charges are to be transferred.

Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including: a semiconductor substrate; a photodiode formed in the semiconductor substrate; a transistor having a gate electrode part or all of which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate, the transistor being configured to read a signal electric charge from the photodiode via the gate electrode; and an electric charge transfer layer provided between the gate electrode and the photodiode.

Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus of the present disclosure includes: a first semiconductor component in which a first circuit unit is provided; and a second semiconductor component in which a second circuit unit is provided and which is stacked to the first semiconductor component, and the second semiconductor component includes a capacitor unit as a decoupling capacitor having a first node and a second node that are connected to the first circuit unit.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprising: a first substrate that includes a pixel circuit including a photoelectric conversion element; a second substrate having a signal processing circuit that drives the pixel circuit or processes a signal from the pixel circuit; a connection part electrically connecting the first substrate and the second substrate; and an inspection circuit, wherein the inspection circuit is formed in one of the first and second substrates and is connected to a wire supplying a first potential and being provided in the one of the first and second substrates, and the inspection circuit is connected via the connection part to a wire supplying a second potential and being provided in the other of the first and second substrates.