Patents by Inventor Franco Zappa
Franco Zappa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11762070Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a light emission portion for emitting light; a light receiving portion for receiving measurement light that is emitted by the light emission portion and reflected by a measurement object, the light receiving portion comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having at least one light receiving portion and outputting a light reception signal that depends on the measurement light incident on the pixel; a discrimination portion for discriminating whether the pixel receives measurement light; a pixel output control portion for selectively outputting the light reception signal of each pixel individually, depending on the determination result of the discrimination portion; and an evaluation portion for receiving the light reception signals output by the pixel output control portion and outputting a distance signal that is indicative of a distance between the measuring device and the measurement object based on these light reception signals.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2019Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignees: OMRON Corporation, Politecnico di MilanoInventors: Yuki Matsui, Ken Nakamuro, Franco Zappa, Federica Villa, Rudi Lussana
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Patent number: 11520047Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a light emission portion configured to emit light; a light receiving portion configured to receive measurement light that is emitted by the light emission portion and reflected by the measurement object, the light receiving portion comprising a plurality of pixels configured to output light reception signals that depend on the received measurement light; a plurality of determination portions configured to receive the light reception signals and to determine characteristic values from the received light reception signals, and an evaluation portion that is connected to the plurality of determination portions, the evaluation portion being configured to calculate a distance from the characteristic values determined by the determination portions. Each of the plurality of determination portions is configured to receive the light reception signals only from a plurality of non-adjacent pixels.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2019Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignees: OMRON Corporation, Politecnico di MilanoInventors: Yuki Matsui, Ken Nakamuro, Franco Zappa, Federica Villa, Rudi Lussana
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Publication number: 20220069152Abstract: A photodetector may include an array of microcells and an output module configured to collect, from each microcell, an output signal indicative of a photon detection and to combine the collected output signals in at least one output line. Each microcell comprises a first device and a second device, wherein at least one of the devices is a photosensitive device capable of detecting the photon; a time-gating module connected to said at least one photosensitive device and configured to provide a gate signal to the at least one photosensitive device to activate it; and a readout module configured to receive, upon arrival of the photon on the at least one activated photosensitive device, a corresponding signal from the at least one activated photosensitive device and, on the basis of the received signal, to provide the output signal to the output module.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2019Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Alberto Tosi, Federica Alberta Villa, Franco Zappa, Alessandro Torricelli, Alberto Dalla Mora, Davide Contini, Antonio Giovanni Pifferi, Paola Taroni, Laura di Sieno, Mauro Buttafava, Enrico Conca, Gabriele Scrofani, Simone Tisa
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Publication number: 20200064451Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a light emission portion for emitting light; a light receiving portion for receiving measurement light that is emitted by the light emission portion and reflected by a measurement object, the light receiving portion comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having at least one light receiving portion and outputting a light reception signal that depends on the measurement light incident on the pixel; a discrimination portion for discriminating whether the pixel receives measurement light; a pixel output control portion for selectively outputting the light reception signal of each pixel individually, depending on the determination result of the discrimination portion; and an evaluation portion for receiving the light reception signals output by the pixel output control portion and outputting a distance signal that is indicative of a distance between the measuring device and the measurement object based on these light reception signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Applicants: OMRON Corporation, Politecnico di MilanoInventors: Yuki MATSUI, Ken NAKAMURO, Franco ZAPPA, Federica VILLA, Rudi LUSSANA
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Publication number: 20200049822Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a light emission portion configured to emit light; a light receiving portion configured to receive measurement light that is emitted by the light emission portion and reflected by the measurement object, the light receiving portion comprising a plurality of pixels configured to output light reception signals that depend on the received measurement light; a plurality of determination portions configured to receive the light reception signals and to determine characteristic values from the received light reception signals, and an evaluation portion that is connected to the plurality of determination portions, the evaluation portion being configured to calculate a distance from the characteristic values determined by the determination portions. Each of the plurality of determination portions is configured to receive the light reception signals only from a plurality of non-adjacent pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Applicants: OMRON Corporation, Politecnico di MilanoInventors: Yuki MATSUI, Ken NAKAMURO, Franco ZAPPA, Federica VILLA, Rudi LUSSANA
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Patent number: 8115170Abstract: A Scanning Time-Resolved Emission (S-TRE) microscope or system includes an optical system configured to collect light from emissions of light generated by a device under test (DUT). A scanning system is configured to permit the emissions of light to be collected from positions across the DUT in accordance with a scan pattern. A timing photodetector is configured to detect a single photon or photons of the emissions of light from the particular positions across the DUT such that the emissions of light are correlated to the positions to create a time-dependent map of the emissions of light across the DUT.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2007Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Franco Stellari, Alberto Tosi, Franco Zappa, Peilin Song
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Publication number: 20080164414Abstract: A Scanning Time-Resolved Emission (S-TRE) microscope or system includes an optical system configured to collect light from emissions of light generated by a device under test (DUT). A scanning system is configured to permit the emissions of light to be collected from positions across the DUT in accordance with a scan pattern. A timing photodetector is configured to detect a single photon or photons of the emissions of light from the particular positions across the DUT such that the emissions of light are correlated to the positions to create a time-dependent map of the emissions of light across the DUT.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2007Publication date: July 10, 2008Inventors: FRANCO STELLARI, Alberto Tosi, Franco Zappa, Peilin Song
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Patent number: 6995444Abstract: Photodetector device comprising a semiconductor substrate (1) of a first type of conductivity connected to a first electrode (2). Said substrate comprises an active area (4) made up of different semiconductor regions of a second type of conductivity (8, 9, 10) insulated from each other and connected to respective second electrodes (13, 14, 15) so that each of them can be connected separately from the others to an appropriate bias voltage. By regulating the bias voltages applied to these regions the function of optic diaphragm of the device can be controlled. The device works without needing any form of optical insulation between the different regions of the active area and always uses the same single output electrode for the signal in all the different situations of diaphragm adjustment.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2001Date of Patent: February 7, 2006Assignee: Carl Zeiss Jena GmbHInventors: Sergio Cova, Franco Zappa, Massimo Ghioni, Robert Grub, Eberhard Derndinger, Thomas Hartmann
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Publication number: 20030160250Abstract: Photodetector device comprising a semiconductor substrate (1) of a first type of conductivity connected to a first electrode (2). Said substrate comprises an active area (4) made up of different semiconductor regions of a second type of conductivity (8, 9, 10) insulated from each other and connected to respective second electrodes (13, 14, 15) so that each of them can be connected separately from the others to an appropriate bias voltage. By regulating the bias voltages applied to these regions the function of optic diaphragm of the device can be controlled. The device works without needing any form of optical insulation between the different regions of the active area and always uses the same single output electrode for the signal in all the different situations of diaphragm adjustment.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2003Publication date: August 28, 2003Inventors: Sergio Cova, Franco Zappa, Massimo Ghioni, Robert Grub, Eberhard Derndinger, Thomas Hartmann
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Patent number: 6541752Abstract: It is an integrated circuit capable of determining the quenching and the reset of an avalanche photodiode operating in Geiger mode so as to detect single photons falling on the surface of said photodiode. The circuit scheme used makes possible to reduce the size of the circuit down to a single semiconductor chip, to reduce the power dissipation and to reduce the cost of the circuit, at the same time keeping the performance at good level.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2001Date of Patent: April 1, 2003Assignee: Politecnico di MilanoInventors: Franco Zappa, Sergio Cova, Massimo Ghioni
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Patent number: 6384663Abstract: The invention concerns an output circuit for extracting the avalanche pulse produced by an avalanche photodiode for single photon detection (Single Photon Avalanche Diode, SPAD), which makes possible to detect and measure with the best possible precision the time of arrival of an incident photon on the surface of said SPAD. The circuit is built with a coupling network, connected to a terminal of said SPAD biased at high voltage and a comparator. Said network is designed so that the differentiation time constant, introduced by said block, is less than the total duration of the avalanche current pulse, but longer than the risetime of said pulse (FIG. 5 and FIG. 8). The circuit object of the invention has the virtue of being usable in all the circuit configurations for avalanche quenching in SPADs described in the technical and scientific literature.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2001Date of Patent: May 7, 2002Assignee: Politecnico de MilanoInventors: Sergio Cova, Massimo Ghioni, Franco Zappa
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Publication number: 20010020863Abstract: The invention concerns an output circuit for extracting the avalanche pulse produced by an avalanche photodiode for single photon detection (Single Photon Avalanche Diode, SPAD), which makes possible to detect and measure with the best possible precision the time of arrival of an incident photon on the surface of said SPAD. The circuit is built with a coupling network, connected to a terminal of said SPAD biased at high voltage and a comparator. Said network is designed so that the differentiation time constant, introduced by said block, is less than the total duration of the avalanche current pulse, but longer than the risetime of said pulse (FIG. 5 and FIG. 8). The circuit object of the invention has the virtue of being usable in all the circuit configurations for avalanche quenching in SPADs described in the technical and scientific literature.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2001Publication date: September 13, 2001Inventors: Sergio Cova, Massimo Ghioni, Franco Zappa
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Publication number: 20010020673Abstract: It is an integrated circuit capable of determining the quenching and the reset of an avalanche photodiode operating in Geiger mode so as to detect single photons falling on the surface of said photodiode. The circuit scheme used makes possible to reduce the size of the circuit down to a single semiconductor chip, to reduce the power dissipation and to reduce the cost of the circuit, at the same time keeping the performance at good level.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2001Publication date: September 13, 2001Inventors: Franco Zappa, Sergio Cova, Massimo Ghiono