Patents by Inventor Juha Kostamovaara

Juha Kostamovaara 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).

  • Patent number: 11947009
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser source of a transmitter (102) in a range imaging apparatus (100) generates an optical pulse at repeated moments, and outputs spatially separate optical beams towards a target zone (114), such that the semiconductor laser source outputs each of the spatially separate of the optical beams at different moments from each other. A detector (105) of a receiver (104) comprises single-photon sub-detector units, at least two groups of the single-photon sub-detector units have separate field of views towards the target zone (114), and the at least two groups of sub-detector units are associated with different optical beams of the spatially separated optical beams on the basis of the separate field-of-views. A timing unit (106) determines a value corresponding to a time-of-flight of the optical pulse output at each of the repeated moments on the basis of a signal from a group of the sub-detector units associated with an optical beams output at said moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Oulun yliopisto
    Inventors: Juha Kostamovaara, Pekka Keränen
  • Patent number: 11777278
    Abstract: An apparatus is configured to operate in a single fundamental transverse mode and the apparatus includes a waveguide layer between an n-doped cladding layer and a p-doped cladding layer. The waveguide layer includes a first waveguide part, and an active layer located between the first waveguide part and the p-doped cladding layer, the active layer being asymmetrically within the waveguide layer closer to the p-doped cladding layer than the n-doped cladding layer. The refractive index of the n-doped cladding layer being equal to or larger than the p-doped cladding layer. A first end of the first waveguide part is adjacent to the n-doped cladding layer. A second end of the first waveguide part is adjacent to a first end of the active layer. A desired donor density is doped in the first waveguide part for controlling the carrier density dependent internal optical loss in the first waveguide part at high injection levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: OULUN YLIOPISTO
    Inventors: Boris Ryvkin, Eugene A. Avrutin, Juha Kostamovaara
  • Patent number: 11300666
    Abstract: An optical time-of-flight distance measuring device comprises a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter comprises a semiconductor laser for outputting optical pulses of controllably variable temporal widths. The semiconductor laser operates in an enhanced switching regime for the optical pulses of a minimum generable temporal width of the laser. The receiver comprises a matrix of single photon avalanche detector elements of a Geiger mode, a receiver controller, and one or more time-to-digital converters. The single photon avalanche detector elements detect optical pulses reflected from the target to the matrix, and each of the single photon avalanche detector element outputs an electric signal in response to each detection. A number of the time-to-digital converters is smaller than a number of the single photon avalanche detector elements of the matrix. The receiver controller connects at least two of the single photon avalanche detector elements with different time-to-digital converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: OULUN YLIOPISTO
    Inventor: Juha Kostamovaara
  • Publication number: 20210302586
    Abstract: A range imaging apparatus comprises a semiconductor laser transmitter, a receiver, and a data processing unit, a field-of-illumination of the semiconductor transmitter and a field-of-view of the receiver being overlapping. The receiver comprises single photon avalanche detector elements arranged two-dimensionally and operate in a Geiger mode. The semiconductor laser transmitter generates optical pulses repeatedly, a single optical pulse of the optical pulses being output as an optical beam with one or more stripes, which are parallel, one above another, and separate from each other. Each of the stripes of optical beams, which are reflected from objects within the field-of-view, illuminates a detector element configuration of the single photon avalanche detector elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventor: Juha Kostamovaara
  • Publication number: 20210026011
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser source of a transmitter (102) in a range imaging apparatus (100) generates an optical pulse at repeated moments, and outputs spatially separate optical beams towards a target zone (114), such that the semiconductor laser source outputs each of the spatially separate of the optical beams at different moments from each other. A detector (105) of a receiver (104) comprises single-photon sub-detector units, at least two groups of the single-photon sub-detector units have separate field of views towards the target zone (114), and the at least two groups of sub-detector units are associated with different optical beams of the spatially separated optical beams on the basis of the separate field-of-views. A timing unit (106) determines a value corresponding to a time-of-flight of the optical pulse output at each of the repeated moments on the basis of a signal from a group of the sub-detector units associated with an optical beams output at said moment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Juha KOSTAMOVAARA, Pekka KERÄNEN
  • Publication number: 20200136353
    Abstract: An apparatus is configured to operate in a single fundamental transverse mode and the apparatus includes a waveguide layer between an n-doped cladding layer and a p-doped cladding layer. The waveguide layer includes a first waveguide part, and an active layer located between the first waveguide part and the p-doped cladding layer, the active layer being asymmetrically within the waveguide layer closer to the p-doped cladding layer than the n-doped cladding layer. The refractive index of the n-doped cladding layer being equal to or larger than the p-doped cladding layer. A first end of the first waveguide part is adjacent to the n-doped cladding layer. A second end of the first waveguide part is adjacent to a first end of the active layer. A desired donor density is doped in the first waveguide part for controlling the carrier density dependent internal optical loss in the first waveguide part at high injection levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Boris RYVKIN, Eugene A. AVRUTIN, Juha KOSTAMOVAARA
  • Patent number: 10371641
    Abstract: An apparatus, includes an illuminating light source and illuminating optics arranged to illuminate a sample region with illuminating light pulses, light gathering optics to gather Raman scattered light pulses from the sample region, a spectral disperser and a detector array for measuring the spectral intensity distribution of Raman scattered light pulses obtained from the sample region and an auxiliary detector for providing an indicator signal indicative of elastic scattering coefficient of the sample region. The apparatus is arranged to form a first output spectrum from the spectral intensity distribution of a first group of Raman scattered light pulses. The pulses of the first group of Raman scattered light pulses are obtained from the sample region when the indicator signal indicates that an object is located in the sample region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: TimeGate Instruments Oy
    Inventors: Juha Kostamovaara, Ilkka Nissinen, Jan Nissinen, Rami Aikio, Jussi Tenhunen, Lauri Kurki
  • Publication number: 20190137607
    Abstract: An optical time-of-flight distance measuring device comprises a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter comprises a semiconductor laser for outputting optical pulses of controllably variable temporal widths. The semiconductor laser operates in an enhanced switching regime for the optical pulses of a minimum generable temporal width of the laser. The receiver comprises a matrix of single photon avalanche detector elements of a Geiger mode, a receiver controller, and one or more time-to-digital converters. The single photon avalanche detector elements detect optical pulses reflected from the target to the matrix, and each of the single photon avalanche detector element outputs an electric signal in response to each detection. A number of the time-to-digital converters is smaller than a number of the single photon avalanche detector elements of the matrix. The receiver controller connects at least two of the single photon avalanche detector elements with different time-to-digital converters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventor: Juha KOSTAMOVAARA
  • Patent number: 9874629
    Abstract: A receiver unit includes at least one single photon avalanche detector element of a Geiger mode and a time-to-digital converter circuit. Each single photon avalanche detector element is enabled to detect a photon in at least one time-gated window, and each single photon avalanche detector element is configured to output an electric pulse in response to detection of a photon of optical radiation within the at least one time-gated window. The time-to-digital converter circuit provides timing data associated with said electric pulse for determination of a distance of a target on the basis of the timing data provided by the time-to-digital converter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: OULUN YLIOPISTO
    Inventor: Juha Kostamovaara
  • Publication number: 20170234797
    Abstract: An apparatus, includes an illuminating light source and illuminating optics arranged to illuminate a sample region with illuminating light pulses, light gathering optics to gather Raman scattered light pulses from the sample region, a spectral disperser and a detector array for measuring the spectral intensity distribution of Raman scattered light pulses obtained from the sample region and an auxiliary detector for providing an indicator signal indicative of elastic scattering coefficient of the sample region. The apparatus is arranged to form a first output spectrum from the spectral intensity distribution of a first group of Raman scattered light pulses. The pulses of the first group of Raman scattered light pulses are obtained from the sample region when the indicator signal indicates that an object is located in the sample region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Juha KOSTAMOVAARA, Ilkka NISSINEN, Jan NISSINEN, Rami AIKIO, Jussi TENHUNEN, Lauri KURKI
  • Patent number: 9478943
    Abstract: A single pulse semiconductor laser operating in the gain-switching regime comprises a plane asymmetric waveguide and an active layer in the waveguide, the ratio of a thickness of the active layer to an optical confinement factor of the laser being extremely large, larger than about 5 ?m, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Oulun Yliopisto
    Inventors: Boris Ryvkin, Juha Kostamovaara
  • Patent number: 9395247
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a semiconductor single-photon avalanche detector, and a counter. The detector performs detections of photons of optical radiation caused by an optical excitation pulse to the object. The counter measures timing of each detection made in the detector with respect to the excitation pulse causing the detected photons, and performs at least one of the following: forming a number of Raman detections, forming a number of fluorescence detections. Forming the number of the Raman detections is performed by eliminating an estimate of a number of fluorescence photons in the measurement. Forming the number of the fluorescence detections is performed by eliminating an estimate of a number of Raman photons in the measurement. The estimates are formed in a predetermined manner from the number and timing of the detections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignees: Oulun Yliopisto, Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT
    Inventors: Juha Kostamovaara, Jussi Tenhunen
  • Publication number: 20150377677
    Abstract: The invention concerns an optical remote sensing system, comprising a reaction chamber adapted to host a chemical reaction in the shape of a scattering turbid atmosphere inside the reaction chamber. An optical active sensor is used to detect the three dimensional structure of an accumulation, such as a heap, inside the reaction chamber, suggesting various measurement methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Applicant: ANDRITZ OY
    Inventors: Jussi TENHUNEN, Oulu SIIKANEN, Juha KOSTAMOVAARA
  • Publication number: 20150369666
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a semiconductor single-photon avalanche detector, and a counter. The detector performs detections of photons of optical radiation caused by an optical excitation pulse to the object. The counter measures timing of each detection made in the detector with respect to the excitation pulse causing the detected photons, and performs at least one of the following: forming a number of Raman detections, forming a number of fluorescence detections. Forming the number of the Raman detections is performed by eliminating an estimate of a number of fluorescence photons in the measurement. Forming the number of the fluorescence detections is performed by eliminating an estimate of a number of Raman photons in the measurement. The estimates are formed in a predetermined manner from the number and timing of the detections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicants: TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT, OULUN YLIOPISTO
    Inventors: Juha KOSTAMOVAARA, Jussi TENHUNEN
  • Publication number: 20150177369
    Abstract: A receiver unit includes at least one single photon avalanche detector element of a Geiger mode and a time-to-digital converter circuit. Each single photon avalanche detector element is enabled to detect a photon in at least one time-gated window, and each single photon avalanche detector element is configured to output an electric pulse in response to detection of a photon of optical radiation within the at least one time-gated window. The time-to-digital converter circuit provides timing data associated with said electric pulse for determination of a distance of a target on the basis of the timing data provided by the time-to-digital converter circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventor: Juha Kostamovaara
  • Patent number: 8934514
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) configured to operate in a gain switching regime includes a cavity that is terminated by reflectors at both ends for enabling a standing wave of optical radiation therebetween. The cavity comprises at least one quantum well, each of the quantum wells located at a position where a value of a standing wave factor for each quantum well is between zero and one, 0<?<1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: Oulun yliopisto, University of York
    Inventors: Juha Kostamovaara, Eugene A. Avrutin, Boris Ryvkin
  • Patent number: 8917388
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a plurality of detecting elements and a summer. Each detecting element receives and detects different bands of spectrum of Raman radiation formed in response to at least one optical excitation pulse directed to the object. The detecting elements and/or the summer receives a command to enable registration of detections in the detecting elements and a command to disable the registration during or after the Raman radiation. The summer registers separately the detections of the Raman radiation in at least two detecting elements for presenting data on the object on the basis of the detections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignees: Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus Vtt, Oulun Yliopisto
    Inventors: Jussi Tenhunen, Juha Kostamovaara
  • Publication number: 20140169397
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) configured to operate in a gain switching regime includes a cavity that is terminated by reflectors at both ends for enabling a standing wave of optical radiation therebetween. The cavity comprises at least one quantum well, each of the quantum wells located at a position where a value of a standing wave factor for each quantum well is between zero and one, 0<?<1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicants: University of York, Oulun yliopisto
    Inventors: Juha Kostamovaara, Eugene A. Avrutin, Boris Ryvkin
  • Patent number: 8625081
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus (300) for measuring a distance to a target (312), comprising: a transmitter (302) configured to transmit an optical pulse (310) towards the target (312), a receiver channel (304) configured to receive the optical pulse (310) reflected from the target (312), and a processor (306) configured to measure a time intervaf between the transmission and detection of the optical pulse (310) at a predefined amplitude threshold level (11OA, 110B), to determine a time domain parameter from the detected optical pulse (310) at one or more amplitude threshold levels (110A, 110B), to convert the time domain parameter value into a correction value by a conversion model; to correct a timing error in the measured time interval by the correction value, and to convert the error-corrected time interval into a distance to the target (312).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Oulun yliopisto
    Inventor: Juha Kostamovaara
  • Publication number: 20120194815
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a plurality of detecting elements and a summer. Each detecting element receives and detects different bands of spectrum of Raman radiation formed in response to at least one optical excitation pulse directed to the object. The detecting elements and/or the summer receives a command to enable registration of detections in the detecting elements and a command to disable the registration during or after the Raman radiation. The summer registers separately the detections of the Raman radiation in at least two detecting elements for presenting data on the object on the basis of the detections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventors: Jussi Tenhunen, Juha Kostamovaara