Abstract: A permeable pavement and cured fiber composition and a related method are provided. The permeable pavement composition includes a quantity of pavement material, and a quantity of cured carbon fiber composite material (CCFCM) configured to be added to the pavement material to produce a reinforced composition having improved characteristics. An example of pavement material includes a pervious concrete material. The method includes providing a quantity of pavement material and adding a quantity of cured carbon fiber composite material to the pavement material to produce a reinforced composition having improved characteristics.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure a system and method for extracting items of information, such as wine from a wine list of a commercial establishment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a protein hydrolysate using a polypeptide having endopeptidase activity and a polypeptide having carboxypeptidase activity and the use of these enzymes for hydrolysing a protein substrate. In addition, the present invention relates to polypeptides having carboxypeptidase activity and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Abstract: A system for maintaining a meta-database including meta-data representing decentralized data from source databases, which cause inefficient selection of modeling data and/or variables. Each of source and meta-data interfaces communicate with the respective database(s). A key variable repository module operably couples the databases and includes an AI program with a scanner algorithm and a profiler algorithm. The scanner algorithm receives the source data from the source interface, compresses the data, and synchronizes the data with the meta-data using the meta-database interface. The profiler algorithm receives the meta-data from the meta-database interface, generates granular data types for the meta-data, determines variables indicative of the meta-data, generates variable probability distributions, produces variable associations, and modifies the meta-database to include the probability distributions and associations using the meta-data interface.

Abstract: Planar-mirror-based focus-shift systems usable for various microscope systems including confocal microscopes, fluorescent microscopes, etc., as well as 3D “floating image” display devices. The invention provides light-sheet-illumination systems for 3D applications, using high-speed focal-plane adjustment synchronized to the scanning light sheet to quickly capture a 3D representation, which is especially important for live samples that move. 2D images of an object are captured, and the third dimension is obtained by changing the focal plane used for each image. A series of the 2D images are used to obtain a 3D representation, which optionally is a moving 3D representation of a live moving specimen. Some embodiments provide constant magnification by compensating the magnification factor of one optical focus-shift subsystem by an opposing magnification factor of another focus-shift subsystem.

Abstract: An RGB (red-green-blue) laser light source for projection displays that combines a plurality of beams into a smaller cross-sectional area, optionally co-axially combining beams of different colors, and angularly and spatially homogenizing the result for a collimated output with better etendue. Some embodiments use slotted mirror(s)s and/or wavelength-selective filter-reflectors for combining laser beams from two laser arrays, hexagonal light guide(s) and/or diffuser(s) to homogenize the beam, rotational and/or translational movements of diffuser(s) to reduce speckle contrast, optional turning mirrors to shorten lengths of the structure for use in moving-head stage-light systems. In some embodiments, laser-diode packages are integrated with collimating lenses, reducing the size of the package and the system as a whole.

Abstract: A scanning beam system using a rotating platform driven by a motor, and a prism and/or mirror assembly mounted to the rotating platform. In some embodiments, the prism is a square prism. In some embodiments the prism is of polygon shape other than a square. In some embodiments, the mirror assembly is a square mirror assembly. In some embodiments the mirror assembly is of polygon shape other than a square. In some embodiments the mirror assembly includes a plurality of reflective faces, each at a different angle relative to an axis of rotation of the rotating platform.

Abstract: A laser-excited phosphor source of white light modulated and mixed to form homogenized light having a sequence of different colors. Blue excitation laser light is reflected by a wavelength-selective reflector offset from a central optical axis of yellow wavelength-converted light emitted from a phosphor onto which excitation laser light is focused. Having the wavelength-selective reflector offset from the optical axis allows most of the yellow light to bypass the reflector. The yellow light and some of the laser light is collimated and focused through a color wheel into a light tunnel. That light is then focused through a prism pair having an internal interface of a first prism having total-internal-reflection in a first direction towards an imaging device and transmission of light from the imaging device in a second direction. Output light in the second direction is projected as the output beam by projection optics.

Abstract: A light-recycling light system (LRLS) that, in some embodiments, uses a transparent solid body (also called a lens) with some surfaces having total-internal-reflection (TIR) characteristics, optionally having no reflective coatings, making the system easy to make and low cost. In some embodiments, the lens includes an input face, an output face, and a curved (elliptical or parabolic) side surface that exhibits TIR, wherein the curved side surface defines a first focus at the input face and a second focus at the output face, so recirculating light entering at the first focus and reflecting at one side of the curved surface by TIR toward the second focus, hen reflects at the second focus toward the opposite side of the curved surface, and then reflects at the second side of the curved side surface by TIR toward the first focus. A light source emits light at the first focus.

Abstract: A laser-excited-phosphor light-source system in which a phosphor plate remains stationary while a laser beam is made to scan across the phosphor plate. In some embodiments, the phosphor-plate assembly includes a plurality of areas each having a different phosphor substance that emits wavelength-converted light in response to excitation from the scanned laser beam and/or a diffusive material. In some embodiments, one or more rotating prisms and/or one or more rotating or oscillating or angularly displaced mirrors are used to deflect the input laser light on the way toward the phosphor plate and to deflect the wavelength-converted and/or diffused light in the opposite direction such that the output beam of wavelength-converted and/or diffused light remains stationary with respect to the phosphor plate as the input laser beam is moved across the surface of the phosphor-plate assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus including a hybrid light source for smart automotive-headlight applications. The hybrid light source includes: an LED light source of full-area illumination; a laser-pumped phosphor material that provides hot-spot illumination; a DMD having plurality of micromirrors coupled to receive light from the full-area illumination and the hot-spot illumination, wherein each micromirror selectively reflects light in one of a plurality of directions; and projection optics that receives light selectively reflected by the micromirrors and is configured to project the received light as a beam having a shaped illumination-intensity pattern.

Abstract: An adaptive-driving-beam (ADB) headlight including a white LED having an emission area; an optional single-crystal-phosphor (SCP) plate mounted over a portion of the emission area; and, optionally, at least one laser that emits a blue laser beam that impinges on the SCP plate such that the SCP plate wavelength converts at least some of the light of the blue laser beam and at least some of the light of the white LED to longer wavelengths than wavelengths of the light of the blue laser beam and the light of the white LED. Some embodiments further include a projection lens; a curved mirror to reflect and focus light from the SCP and/or white LED towards a digital-mirror device (DMD), configured to selectively reflect the received light toward the projection lens, in order to provide increased field of view (FOV) and headlight brightness.

Abstract: Apparatus and method using a recycling light source. The source includes: a laser, a phosphor plate and/or diffuser plate that receives laser light and outputs wavelength-converted and/or diffused light, curved reflective surface(s) that collect the output light and reflect the light back to the plate to increase brightness of output light. An optional heatsink and vibrator can be used. Some embodiments include a plurality of parabolic reflectors to image the plate to an output aperture in one of the parabolic reflectors. Some embodiments include a diffuser arranged to diffuse laser light at the diffuser, and a first curved reflector located and configured to reflect diffused light back toward the diffuser in order to preserve a brightness of the laser light. Some embodiments include a laser-excited phosphor light source and method with light recycling.

Abstract: A system and method using a single-minor micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) two-dimensional (2D) scanning mirror assembly, and/or a digital micromirror device (DMD having a plurality of independently steerable minors) for steering a plurality of light beams that include one or more light beam(s) for the headlight beam(s) of a vehicle and/or one or more light beam(s) for LiDAR purposes, along with highly effective associated devices for light-wavelength conversion, light dumping and heatsinking. Some embodiments include a digital camera, wherein image data from the digital camera and distance data from the LiDAR sensor are combined to provide information used to control the size, shape and direction of the smart headlight beam.

Abstract: A laser-excited phosphor system with increased light-output efficiency, the system including: a crystal-phosphor rod that includes an input-end face and an opposite end and a tapered section having a tapered longitudinal cross section that is larger nearest the input-end face than at the opposite end. Some embodiments further include an internally reflective waveguide around the crystal-phosphor rod, the crystal-phosphor rod includes a non-tapered section between the input-end face and the tapered section, and a heatsink contacting the non-tapered section; a CPC located to collect light from the waveguide and the crystal-phosphor rod and configured to output a focused light beam; a wavelength-selective filter located adjacent the input-end face of the crystal-phosphor rod; a laser system that emits pump light through the wavelength-selective filter into the crystal-phosphor rod; and projection optics.

Abstract: An illumination system includes: a laser array assembly including: a laser configured to generate a laser light; a crystal phosphor waveguide, adjacent to the laser and in the laser light, configured to: generate of a luminescent light based on receiving the laser light, and direct the luminescent light away from a base end; and a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC), coupled to the crystal phosphor waveguide opposite the base end, configured to: collect the luminescent light from the crystal phosphor waveguide, project the luminescent light away from the crystal phosphor waveguide.

Abstract: A laser-excited phosphor light source and method includes a heat sink; a plurality of lasers, each mounted in thermal contact to the heat sink, wherein each of the plurality of lasers emits one or more first (e.g., blue) wavelengths. A crystal phosphor rod having two ends and at least one side face is operatively coupled to receive the laser light from one or more of the plurality of lasers. The rod emits light of one or more longer wavelengths. A compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) receives the light from the crystal phosphor rod. The light source outputs an output light beam that includes the light of one or more longer wavelengths from the first crystal phosphor rod and light of the one or more first (e.g., blue) wavelengths. Some embodiments include multiple phosphor light sources of different colors, and/or a blue light source not using phosphors.

Abstract: An illumination system includes a waveguide having a first end configured to receive a laser light, a luminescent portion configured to generate a luminescent light from the laser light, a second end opposite the first end; an input device configured to collect the laser light for propagation to the first end; an output device adjacent to the second end configured to reflect at least some of the laser light back into the luminescent portion and direct the luminescent light away from the second end through an output surface. In one embodiment, the input device includes a light homogenizer configured to receive the laser light and provide to the first end of the waveguide a spatially uniform intensity distribution of the laser light. In another embodiment, a heat dissipater is provided adjacent to the waveguide and configured to dissipate heat generated within the waveguide by the generation of the luminescent light.

Abstract: An illumination system includes an input device configured to generate a first luminescent light beam; a pumping assembly, optically coupled to the input device, configured to project a pumping light beam into the input device; a focusing lens, aligned with the first luminescent light beam, to focus the first luminescent light beam enhanced by the pumping light beam as an output beam; and an output device, optically coupled to the focusing lens, configured to: receive the output beam from the focusing lens, and project an application output, formed with the output beam, from a projection device.

Abstract: An illumination system includes: a laser array assembly including: a laser configured to generate a laser light; a crystal phosphor waveguide, adjacent to the laser and in the laser light, configured to: generate of a luminescent light based on receiving the laser light, and direct the luminescent light away from a base end; and a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC), coupled to the crystal phosphor waveguide opposite the base end, configured to: collect the luminescent light from the crystal phosphor waveguide, project the luminescent light away from the crystal phosphor waveguide.