Abstract: A window can be used to detect objects located within an opening. A structure can define the opening. The window can be operatively positioned within the opening. The window can be movable to selectively open and close the opening. The window can include an optical grating operatively positioned near a closing edge of the window. A light source configured to emit light toward the optical grating. A detector operatively positioned to acquire spectroscopic data of the light emitted from the light source after the light has interacted with the optical grating. A processor can be operatively connected to the detector. The processor can be configured to: determine a temperature based on the spectroscopic data; determine, based on the temperature, whether an object is located in the opening; and responsive to determining that an object is located in the opening, control a movement of window.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to monitoring a vehicle user's reaction to an advertisement. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to determining commencement of an advertisement, request a user place a user's hand on an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor. The EDA sensor is fixed to a dual-sided transparent display. The method includes acquiring EDA data relating to the user via the EDA sensor, determining a reaction of the user to the advertisement based on the EDA data, and transmitting the reaction of the user and at least one characteristic of the advertisement to a third party.

Abstract: A seat blocking system can comprise a seat. The seat can include a seat understructure and an overlying seating surface. The seat understructure can form a seat base and a seatback arranged in a seating configuration. The seating surface can be configured to morph between a sittable shape, in which the seating surface is coextensive with the seat understructure, and an unsittable shape, in which the seating surface is expanded over at least a portion of the seat understructure. The seat blocking system can include a seat blocker. The seat blocker can be integrated with the seat. The seat blocker can be operable to morph between a deactivated state, whereby the seat blocker leaves the seat understructure to impart the sittable shape to the seating surface, and an activated state, in which the seat blocker acts on the seating surface to impart the unsittable shape to the seating surface.

Abstract: A system can determine an angle of an incident beam of a coherent light. An optical antenna, first waveguides, a manifold, and second waveguides can be fabricated on a first chip. Pixels can be fabricated on a second chip. The first chip and the second chip can be mounted on a printed circuit board. The optical antenna can be configured to receive the incident beam at an angle with respect to a plane defined by the optical antenna. The first waveguides can be configured to convey first channels of the coherent light from the optical antenna. The manifold can be configured to receive the first channels of the coherent light from the first waveguides. The second waveguides can be configured to convey second channels of the coherent light from the manifold. The pixels can be configured to receive the second channels of the coherent light from the second waveguides.

Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to computing positions for manufacturing elements of an antenna array using randomization and gradient operations that suppress side-lobe power. In one embodiment, a method includes computing positions for elements on an antenna array within a placement area using randomization that accounts for varying quantities of the elements according to a distance constraint and a side-lobe power. The method also includes adjusting the placement area according to a location associated with one of the elements. The method also includes optimizing, in response to the elements satisfying criteria after predetermined iterations, the positions for a physical layout of the antenna array using a gradient operation according to the side-lobe power.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to monitoring a vehicle user's health and initiating a vehicle action based on the user's health and emotional state. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to detecting an event based on sensor data, requesting a user place the user's hand on an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor. The EDA sensor is fixed to a dual-sided transparent display. The method includes acquiring EDA data relating to the user via the EDA sensor, determining a condition of the user based on the EDA data, and implementing a vehicle action in response to the condition of the user.

Abstract: A window can be used for object detection and/or identification. The window can have a first side and a second side. An optical grating can be operatively positioned with respect to the first side of the window. A light source can be configured to emit light toward the optical grating. A detector can be operatively positioned to acquire spectroscopic data of the light emitted from the light source after the light has interacted with the optical grating. Using the optical grating, a temperature at or near the first side can be determined. Based on the temperature, it can be determined whether an object is located on the first side of the window.

Abstract: A window can be used to detect objects located within an opening. A structure can define the opening. The window can be operatively positioned within the opening. The window can be movable to selectively open and close the opening. The window can include an optical grating operatively positioned near a closing edge of the window. A light source configured to emit light toward the optical grating. A detector operatively positioned to acquire spectroscopic data of the light emitted from the light source after the light has interacted with the optical grating. A processor can be operatively connected to the detector. The processor can be configured to: determine a temperature based on the spectroscopic data; determine, based on the temperature, whether an object is located in the opening; and responsive to determining that an object is located in the opening, control a movement of window.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a photonic apparatus for processing optical signals within an integrated optical pathway. The photonic apparatus a light perception device that perceives light from a surrounding environment of the apparatus. The photonic apparatus also includes an optical neural network (ONN) connected with the light perception device via an optical relay. The optical neural network configured to perform optical processing on the light according to a deep learning algorithm and using optical components.

Abstract: A frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LIDAR can be configured to reduce re-reflection and cross-coupling in the FMCW LIDAR. A first laser can be configured to generate a ranging signal, and a second laser can be configured to generate a local oscillator signal. A feedback control can be configured to maintain an offset between the ranging signal and the local oscillator signal. The offset can be a non-zero value. A transmit portion configured to emit a reference laser signal based on the ranging signal into an environment. A receiver portion can be configured to receive a return laser signal from the environment. The return laser signal can be a reflected version of the reference laser signal. A receiver photodetector can be configured to combine the return laser signal and the local oscillator signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein relate to reducing Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) target broadening. One embodiment acquires a frame including a plurality of points; identifies a first set of points for which the energy returned to a detector exceeds a predetermined energy threshold; identifies a second set of points adjacent to the first set of points that has a range differing from that of the first set of points by less than a predetermined range threshold; defines, as a border, an outline of the second set of points; iteratively reduces laser power for the first set of points, acquires a new frame, identifies the second set of points, and defines as the border, the outline of the second set of points until the border converges to a stable size; and outputs an estimated size of an object based, at least in part, on the stable size of the border.

Abstract: A system for interpreting gestures may include one or more processors, at least three Doppler radar devices, and a memory device. The memory device may have a receiving module, a cube generating module, and a classifying module. The receiving module may include instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive Doppler information from the at least three Doppler radar devices. The cube generating module may include instructions that cause the one or more processors to generate a micro-Doppler cube by projecting Doppler information in X, Y, and Z-directions over a period of time into the micro-Doppler cube. The classifying module may include instructions that cause the one or more processors to classify one or more gestures performed by an extremity when located in the volume into a category of a plurality of categories based on the micro-Doppler cube.

Abstract: A silicon on insulator (SOI) photonic device having a waveguide is provided that includes a mode overlap portion with a topology optimized structure situated below an electrode of the capacitance structure. The device can significantly change a refractive index in a volume of mode overlap depending upon the applied potential to the capacitor and allows for a ? phase shift in a modest mode overlap volume. The topology optimized structure has a waveguide and substrate that are partitioned in three dimensions using an extruded projection design. The electrode is a transition metal di-chalcogenide monolayer sheet (2D TMD). The enhanced mode overlay from the topology optimized waveguide portion allows a large reduction in the length of the waveguide with the mode overlap to achieve the needed phase shift for a photonic device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a wide-band laser beam is split into a plurality of sub-laser beams, with each sub-laser beam at a discrete wavelength. Each of the sub-laser beams is transmitted simultaneously through an antenna, with each sub-laser beam transmitted at a different angle due to properties of the antenna. Sub-laser beams that reflect off an object are received back at the same, or a different, antenna and passed to a demultiplexor. The demultiplexor passes each sub-laser to a different waveguide based on the discrete wavelength associated with each sub-laser beam. A detector receives the sub-lasers beam through the waveguides, and calculates the positions of various points on the object based in-part on which waveguide each sub-laser beam is received from and the frequency of each sub-laser beam.

Abstract: A seat blocking system can comprise a seat. The seat can include a seat understructure and an overlying seating surface. The seat understructure can form a seat base and a seatback arranged in a seating configuration. The seating surface can be configured to morph between a sittable shape, in which the seating surface is coextensive with the seat understructure, and an unsittable shape, in which the seating surface is expanded over at least a portion of the seat understructure. The seat blocking system can include a seat blocker. The seat blocker can be integrated with the seat. The seat blocker can be operable to morph between a deactivated state, whereby the seat blocker leaves the seat understructure to impart the sittable shape to the seating surface, and an activated state, in which the seat blocker acts on the seating surface to impart the unsittable shape to the seating surface.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a waveguide is added to the LiDAR sensor that redirects some of a received target return laser beam to a first stage photodetector and amplifier. When the amplitude of the target return laser beam is high enough to oversaturate the amplifier, an electric current is generated by the amplifier and received by a tunable coupler. As the tunable coupler heats up due to the electric current, it redirects energy from the return target laser beam to a beam dump. The reduced return target laser beam is then received by a photodetector or RF amplifier and is used to calculate the distance between the LiDAR sensor and object that reflected the received target return laser beam. In addition, rather than redirect the energy to a beam dump, the energy may be redirected to another photodetector or amplifier and may be used to supplement the distance calculation.

Abstract: An augmented road line display system that includes one or more sensors installed on a vehicle, one or more external databases, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to receive inputs from the one or more databases, sensors of the vehicle, and a sub-system of the vehicle, build and validate a road line model to detect or predict a road line based on the inputs received, determine environmental conditions based on the inputs from one or more of the databases, and a sub-system of the vehicle, assign weights to the inputs received based on the environmental conditions to generate weighted inputs, and execute the road line model to determine the road line based on the weighted inputs.

Abstract: A system can determine an angle of an incident beam of a coherent light. An optical antenna, first waveguides, a manifold, and second waveguides can be fabricated on a first chip. Pixels can be fabricated on a second chip. The first chip and the second chip can be mounted on a printed circuit board. The optical antenna can be configured to receive the incident beam at an angle with respect to a plane defined by the optical antenna. The first waveguides can be configured to convey first channels of the coherent light from the optical antenna. The manifold can be configured to receive the first channels of the coherent light from the first waveguides. The second waveguides can be configured to convey second channels of the coherent light from the manifold. The pixels can be configured to receive the second channels of the coherent light from the second waveguides.

Abstract: A frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LIDAR can be configured to reduce re-reflection and cross-coupling in the FMCW LIDAR. A first laser can be configured to generate a ranging signal, and a second laser can be configured to generate a local oscillator signal. A feedback control can be configured to maintain an offset between the ranging signal and the local oscillator signal. The offset can be a non-zero value. A transmit portion configured to emit a reference laser signal based on the ranging signal into an environment. A receiver portion can be configured to receive a return laser signal from the environment. The return laser signal can be a reflected version of the reference laser signal. A receiver photodetector can be configured to combine the return laser signal and the local oscillator signal.

Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a photonic apparatus. The photonic apparatus including a phase alignment waveguide including waveguide inputs and waveguide outputs. The waveguide inputs being operably connected with a light source to provide a light wave into the phase alignment waveguide and the waveguide outputs providing a plurality of light waves from the optical waveguide. The phase alignment waveguide modulates the light wave to generate the plurality of light waves with different phases. The photonic apparatus includes a transmit switch operably connected with the waveguide inputs to selectively connect at least one of the waveguide inputs with the light source to provide the light wave into the phase alignment waveguide. The photonic apparatus includes control circuitry operably connected with the transmit switch, the control circuitry dynamically activating the at least one of the waveguide inputs according to an electronic control signal.