Abstract: This invention relates to a multi-sensor system and method for automatic control of cooking appliances, and more particularly it relates to the save of energy when cooking food, on any kind of cooking ware.

Abstract: Three-dimensional LiDAR scanning combines a solid-state fast scanning device such as an optical switch and a slower scanning device such as a mirror and may include a switch architecture for a large port-count optical switch to provide frame rates of 100 Hz or higher with improved resolution and detection range. A controller provides adjustable scanning of the field-of-view (FOV) with respect to scan area, scan or frame rate, and resolution for a frame, detected object, or time slices of a scan. A controller combines RGB data with NIR data to match 3D images with color 2D images. A controller or computer processes point cloud data to generate vector cloud data to identify, categorize, and track objects within or beyond the FOV. Vector cloud data provides lossless compression for storage/communication of road traffic and scene data, object history, and object sharing beyond the FOV.

Abstract: A scanning LiDAR with no moving parts includes a laser transmitter with a first magneto-optic switch delivering pulses to a first linear fiber array to a field of view (FOV), a receiver with optics directing reflected light to a second, orthogonal linear fiber array coupled to a second magneto-optic switch to deliver the light to a detector, and a controller to process detector signals and generate FOV data. A scanning method for improving resolution includes scanning along a first direction, directing light reflected from an object along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction to form a received beam provided to a detector, processing detector signals to generate a pixel array, and varying an intensity profile within a pixel to move peak intensity in a continuous manner within the pixel by synchronously varying polarization of the transmitted and received light using associated Faraday rotators and phase masks.

Abstract: A DPSK/DQPSK receiver includes an optical splitter that separates the received DPSK/DQPSK optical signal according to an optical power splitting ratio into a plurality of received optical signals. A plurality of optical filters passes a plurality of filtered received optical signals. A plurality of optical detectors generates a plurality of electrical detection signals, each with a power that is related to a power of a respective filtered optical signal. A plurality of amplifiers generates a plurality of amplified electrical signals. At least one electrical signal combiner combines the plurality of amplified electrical detection signals generated by the plurality of optical amplifiers into a combined reception signal.

Abstract: A system for monitoring wind characteristics in a volume including a plurality of non-coherent laser anemometers operative to measure wind characteristics in a plurality of corresponding sub-volumes located within the volume and a data processing subsystem operative to receive data from the plurality of non-coherent laser anemometers and to provide output data representing the wind characteristics in the volume.

Abstract: A system for monitoring wind characteristics in a volume including a plurality of non-coherent laser anemometers operative to measure wind characteristics in a plurality of corresponding sub-volumes located within the volume and a data processing subsystem operative to receive data from the plurality of non-coherent laser anemometers and to provide output data representing the wind characteristics in the volume.

Abstract: A solar electricity generation system including a solar energy-to-electricity converter having a solar energy receiving surface including at least an electricity-generating solar energy receiving surface and a plurality of reflectors arranged to reflect solar energy directly onto the solar energy receiving surface, each of the plurality of reflectors having a reflecting surface which is configured and located and aligned with respect to the solar energy receiving surface to reflect specular solar radiation with a high degree of uniformity onto the solar energy receiving surface, the configuration, location and alignment of each of the reflectors being such that the geometrical projection of each reflecting surface is substantially coextensive with the electricity-generating solar energy receiving surface.

Abstract: A solar electricity generation system including a solar energy-to-electricity converter having a solar energy receiving surface including at least an electricity-generating solar energy receiving surface and a plurality of reflectors arranged to reflect solar energy directly onto the solar energy receiving surface, each of the plurality of reflectors having a reflecting surface which is configured and located and aligned with respect to the solar energy receiving surface to reflect specular solar radiation with a high degree of uniformity onto the solar energy receiving surface, the configuration, location and alignment of each of the reflectors being such that the geometrical projection of each reflecting surface is substantially coextensive with the electricity-generating solar energy receiving surface.

Abstract: A DPSK/DQPSK receiver includes an optical splitter that separates the received DPSK/DQPSK optical signal according to an optical power splitting ratio into a plurality of received optical signals. A plurality of optical filters passes a plurality of filtered received optical signals. A plurality of optical detectors generates a plurality of electrical detection signals, each with a power that is related to a power of a respective filtered optical signal. A plurality of amplifiers generates a plurality of amplified electrical signals. At least one electrical signal combiner combines the plurality of amplified electrical detection signals generated by the plurality of optical amplifiers into a combined reception signal.

Abstract: A solar electricity generation system including a solar energy-to-electricity converter having a solar energy receiving surface including at least an electricity-generating solar energy receiving surface and a plurality of reflectors arranged to reflect solar energy directly onto the solar energy receiving surface, each of the plurality of reflectors having a reflecting surface which is configured and located and aligned with respect to the solar energy receiving surface to reflect specular solar radiation with a high degree of uniformity onto the solar energy receiving surface, the configuration, location and alignment of each of the reflectors being such that the geometrical projection of each reflecting surface is substantially coextensive with the electricity-generating solar energy receiving surface.

Abstract: A method is provided for the detection of defects on a semiconductor wafer by checking individual pixels on the wafer, collecting the signature of each pixel, defined by the way in which it responds to the light of a scanning beam, and determining whether the signature is that of a faultless pixel or of a pixel that is defective or suspect to be defective. An apparatus is also provided for the determination of such defects, which comprises a stage for supporting a wafer, a laser source generating a beam that is directed onto the wafer, collecting optics and photoelectric sensors for collecting the laser light scattered by the wafer in a number of directions and generating corresponding analog signals, an A/D converter deriving from the signals digital components defining pixel signatures, and selection systems for identifying the signatures of suspect pixels and verifying whether the suspect pixels are indeed defective.

Abstract: System and methods for all-optical signal regeneration based on free space optics are described. In one exemplary embodiment, a method for regenerating an optical signal comprises counter-propagating an input signal and a regenerating signal within an all-optical signal regenerator based on free space optics, where the all-optical signal regenerator based on free space optics comprises a Sagnac loop interferometer, and extracting a regenerated output signal from the Sagnac loop interferometer. In another exemplary embodiment, an all-optical signal regenerator based on free space optics comprises a Sagnac loop interferometer, an optical signal input path coupled to a semiconductor optical amplifier of the Sagnac loop interferometer, a regenerating optical signal path coupled to the semiconductor optical amplifier of the Sagnac loop interferometer, and a regenerated optical output path coupled to the Sagnac loop interferometer.

Abstract: Optical transponders with reduced sensitivity to PMD and CD are described. In one embodiment, an optical transponder comprises a differential group delay (DGD) mitigator integrated within the transponder and optically coupled to an optical input port of the optical transponder, an optical receiver integrated within the optical transponder and optically coupled to the DGD mitigator and to an electrical output port of the transponder, and a multi-level transmitter integrated within the optical transponder, where the multi-level transmitter is electrically coupled to an electrical input port and optically coupled to an optical output port of the transponder.

Abstract: A two dimensional sensor array is used to collect light diffracted from the inspected substrate. The signal generated by each individual sensor is passed through a threshold. Those signals which are below the threshold are amplified and are summed up. The summed signal is then passed through a second threshold. Summed signals which pass the second threshold are flagged as indicating suspect locations on the substrate. In the preferred embodiment, the entire circuitry is provided in the form of a CMOS camera which is placed in the Fourier plane of the diffracted light.

Abstract: A method is provided for the detection of defects on a semiconductor wafer by checking individual pixels on the wafer, collecting the signature of each pixel, defined by the way in which it responds to the light of a scanning beam, and determining whether the signature is that of a faultless pixel or of a pixel that is defective or suspect to be defective. An apparatus is also provided for the determination of such defects, which comprises a stage for supporting a wafer, a laser source generating a beam that is directed onto the wafer, collecting optics and photoelectric sensors for collecting the laser light scattered by the wafer in a number of directions and generating corresponding analog signals, an A/D converter deriving from said signals digital components defining pixel signatures, and selection systems for identifying the signatures of suspect pixels and verifying whether the suspect pixels are indeed defective.

Abstract: There is therefore provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for processing an amplitude modulated (AM) optical beam amplitude modulated with a modulation pattern having an extinction ratio (ER), said AM beam having a carrier frequency and a carrier frequency amplitude, the method comprising: estimating an absolute amplitude extremum for the AM beam that is either an absolute amplitude maximum or an absolute amplitude minimum, to which recurrent amplitude extrema of the AM beam are approximately equal; estimating a corresponding phase to which the phase of the AM beam is substantially equal whenever the amplitude of the AM beam is substantially equal to the amplitude extremum; and adjusting at least one of the magnitude and phase of the carrier amplitude of the AM beam responsive to the amplitude extremum and its corresponding phase to increase the extinction ratio of the modulation pattern.

Abstract: The invention consists of a system and method for regenerating and converting optical signals. The invention provides both “2R (i.e. reamplification and reshaping) and “3R” (i.e. reamplification, reshaping, and resynchronization (or retiming)) regeneration. The components of the inventive system include a tunable continuous wave (CW) laser source, an optical circulator, an semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), and a spectral filter that has a very sharp cutoff frequency. In alternative embodiments, the filter may be replaced with an interleaver that passes several wavelengths. A single interleaver may be used by several of the optical regenerators/converters described herein. Each regenerator uses a separate wavelength that is associated with a passband frequency of the single interleaver. During counter-propagation in the SOA, a CW signal from the CW laser is chirped by bits in an input signal. The chirped signal is then output to the filter, which blocks the original CW signal.

Abstract: A method is provided for the detection of defects on a semiconductor wafer by checking individual pixels on the wafer, collecting the signature of each pixel, defined by the way in which it responds to the light of a scanning beam, and determining whether the signature is that of a faultless pixel or of a pixel that is defective or suspect to be defective. An apparatus is also provided for the determination of such defects, which comprises a stage for supporting a wafer, a laser source generating a beam that is directed onto the wafer, collecting optics and photoelectric sensors for collecting the laser light scattered by the wafer in a number of directions and generating corresponding analog signals, an A/D converter deriving from the signals digital components defining pixel signatures, and selection systems for identifying the signatures of suspect pixels and verifying whether the suspect pixels are indeed defective.

Abstract: A method is provided for the detection of defects on a semiconductor wafer by checking individual pixels on the wafer, collecting the signature of each pixel, defined by the way in which it responds to the light of a scanning beam, and determining whether the signature is that of a faultless pixel or of a pixel that is defective or suspect to be defective. An apparatus is also provided for the determination of such defects, which comprises a stage for supporting a wafer, a laser source generating a beam that is directed onto the wafer, collecting optics and photoelectric sensors for collecting the laser light scattered by the wafer in a number of directions and generating corresponding analog signals, an A/D converter deriving from the signals digital components defining pixel signatures, and selection systems for identifying the signatures of suspect pixels and verifying whether the suspect pixels are indeed defective.

Abstract: The invention consists of a system and method for regenerating and converting optical signals. The invention provides both “2R (i.e. reamplification and reshaping) and “3R” (i.e. reamplification, reshaping, and resynchronization (or retiming)) regeneration. The components of the inventive system include a tunable continuous wave (CW) laser source, an optical circulator, an semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), and a spectral filter that has a very sharp cutoff frequency. In alternative embodiments, the filter may be replaced with an interleaver that passes several wavelengths. A single interleaver may be used by several of the optical regenerators/converters described herein. Each regenerator uses a separate wavelength that is associated with a passband frequency of the single interleaver. During counter-propagation in the SOA, a CW signal from the CW laser is chirped by bits in an input signal. The chirped signal is then output to the filter, which blocks the original CW signal.