Abstract: There is provided continuous wave time of flight, CW-ToF, camera system comprising: one or more lasers for outputting laser light; one or more imaging sensors, the one or more image sensors each comprising a plurality of imaging pixels for accumulating charge based on incident light comprising reflected laser light off a first surface of an object; and a distance determination system coupled to the one or more imaging sensors and configured to: acquire a first set of charge samples from the one or more imaging sensors in respect of the object by: a) driving the one or more lasers to output laser light modulated with a first modulation signal, wherein the first modulation signal has a first frequency; and b) after step a, reading out image sensor values indicative of charge accumulated by at least some of the plurality of imaging pixels of the one or more imaging sensors; acquire a second set of charge samples from the one or more imaging sensors in respect of the object by: c) driving the one or more lasers t

Abstract: A digital camera for capturing and processing images of different resolutions and a corresponding method for down-scaling a digital image are provided. The method includes forming an image of a real scene on an image sensor that is made up of a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. The method further includes addressing and reading pixels in the matrix to obtain analog quantities related to the pixels luminance values, converting the analog quantities from the pixels matrix into digital values, and processing the digital values to obtain a data file representing the image of the real scene. To reduce computation time and power consumption, the addressing and reading of the pixels includes selecting a group of pixels from the matrix, and storing the analog quantities related to the pixels of the selected group of pixels into an analog storing circuit. The stored analog quantities are averaged to obtain an analog quantity corresponding to an average pixel luminance value.

Abstract: A powerline communications device comprises a powerline communications interface and at least one other communications interface configured to communicate over a computing network. The powerline communications interface is further configured to receive electrical power. The computing network may comprise mediums including powerlines, telephone lines, and/or coaxial cables. In some embodiments, the powerline communications interface may communicate with a network apparatus, such as a personal computer, via an Ethernet interface. The powerline interface, the telephone line interface, and/or the coaxial cable interface may all be associated with the same media access control (MAC) address. The powerline communications device may receive a message via a first medium and repeat the message via a second medium based on a quality of service (QoS) metric. In some embodiments, the powerline communications device may communicate using multiple frequency bands.

Abstract: An optical device includes a stack having a transparent block with a rear face fixed on a front face of an integrated chip support. A front face of the transparent block that is parallel to its rear face is affixed to a rear face of a converging lens. The lens has a convex frontal surface. A diaphragm is interposed and fixed between the block and the lens. A housing for the optical device is made of an opaque material. A peripheral wall of the housing encloses the stack. An annular front part of the peripheral wall bears on a periphery of the convex frontal surface of the lens so as to define a frontal opening located in front of a central part of the lens.

Abstract: Systems and methods for communicating over a power line are configured to substantially simultaneously communicate over a plurality of wide band frequency ranges. Signals may be communicated two or from a communication node at two different frequencies simultaneously. These signals may be exchanged with different nodes and/or include independent data. In some embodiments, some of the wide band frequency ranges are above 30 MHz.

Abstract: Systems and methods for communicating over a power line are configured to substantially simultaneously communicate over a plurality of wideband frequency ranges. Signals may be communicated two or from a communication node at two different frequencies simultaneously. These signals may be exchanged with different nodes and/or include independent data. In some embodiments, some of the wideband frequency ranges are above 30 MHz.

Abstract: An imaging assembly for an image sensor may include a lens, a transparent substrate and two aspherical optical coatings on each side of the substrate. The imaging assembly can also incorporate an opaque coating with an opening in-line with the lens to form an aperture, an anti-reflection coating, and an infrared filter coating.

Abstract: An optical device includes a stack having a transparent block with a rear face fixed on a front face of an integrated chip support. A front face of the transparent block that is parallel to its rear face is affixed to a rear face of a converging lens. The lens has a convex frontal surface. A diaphragm is interposed and fixed between the block and the lens. A housing for the optical device is made of an opaque material. A peripheral wall of the housing encloses the stack. An annular front part of the peripheral wall bears on a periphery of the convex frontal surface of the lens so as to define a frontal opening located in front of a central part of the lens.

Abstract: A semiconductor component, semiconductor wafer and semiconductor package include an integrated-circuit chip having, on a front face, an optical sensor and electrical connection pads between the edge of this face and this optical sensor. A protective patch made of a transparent material is placed in front of the optical sensor but does not cover the said optical connection pads. The said protective patch is fixed to the front face of the said chip by a bead of an adhesive extending annularly between, and at a certain distance from, the edge of the said optical sensor and of the electrical connection pads. At least one of the faces of the patch is covered with a protective layer of a material that filters out infrared light rays.

Abstract: A digital camera for capturing and processing images of different resolutions and a corresponding method for down-scaling a digital image are provided. The method includes forming an image of a real scene on an image sensor that is made up of a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. The method further includes addressing and reading pixels in the matrix to obtain analog quantities related to the pixels luminance values, converting the analog quantities from the pixels matrix into digital values, and processing the digital values to obtain a data file representing the image of the real scene. To reduce computation time and power consumption, the addressing and reading of the pixels includes selecting a group of pixels from the matrix, and storing the analog quantities related to the pixels of the selected group of pixels into an analog storing circuit. The stored analog quantities are averaged to obtain an analog quantity corresponding to an average pixel luminance value.

Abstract: A method of processing digital images in devices for acquiring both individual images and image sequences, comprising the step of acquiring images in color filter array (CFA) format and the step of reducing the resolution of the images acquired. In order to reduce computing time and energy consumption, the resolution-reduction step processes the images directly in CFA format.