Patents by Inventor Étienne Grondin

Étienne Grondin 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).

  • Publication number: 20240418682
    Abstract: Apparatus and techniques described herein can be used to compensate for variation in flatness or other surface features of a planar or nearly-planar test specimen, such as facilitating acoustic inspection. According to examples herein, compensation can be performed such as to maintain a parallel orientation of a non-destructive test probe relative to a surface of a test specimen or to maintain a specified distance between the test probe and the surface, or both. Such an approach can include use of multiple probe elements such as to contemporaneously acquire data indicative of a surface profile of the test specimen (such as using a time-of-flight determination), and to perform an inspection acquisition. In this manner, a probe trajectory can be adjusted (e.g., updated) during an acquisition to enhance inspection productivity versus other approaches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Inventors: Dominique Nogues, Etienne Grondin, Yixin Liu
  • Patent number: 8787712
    Abstract: An optocoupler, an optical interconnect and method of manufacture providing same are provided for coupling an optical signal between a high refractive index waveguide of an integrated circuit and a waveguide external to the integrated circuit. The optocoupler includes a thinned high refractive index waveguide having a thickness configured to exhibit an effective refractive index substantially matching a refractive index of the external waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Socpra Sciences et Genie S.E.C.
    Inventors: Etienne Grondin, Guillaume Beaudin, Vincent Aimez, Richard Ares, Paul G. Charette
  • Publication number: 20130322813
    Abstract: An optocoupler, an optical interconnect and method of manufacture providing same are provided for coupling an optical signal between a high refractive index waveguide of an integrated circuit and a waveguide external to the integrated circuit. The optocoupler includes a thinned high refractive index waveguide having a thickness configured to exhibit an effective refractive index substantially matching a refractive index of the external waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: SOCPRA SCIENCES ET GENIE S.E.C.
    Inventors: Etienne Grondin, Guillaume Beaudin, Vincent Aimez, Richard Ares, Paul G. Charette
  • Patent number: 8508742
    Abstract: A device and method detect a feature of a fluid or a target element in the fluid by contacting the fluid to a sensing surface on a substrate. A mechanical wave comprising shear-vertical wave components is propagated through the substrate to mix the fluid, conduct desorption of at least one non-target element from the sensing surface, and/or impede adsorption of the non-target element to the sensing surface. The feature of the fluid or the target element in the fluid is then detected on the sensing surface, wherein the detection is accelerated by the above-mentioned mixing of the fluid, desorption of at least one non-target element from the sensing surface, and/or impeding of the adsorption of the non-target element to the sensing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Societe de Commercialisation des Produits de la Recherche Appliquee—Socpra Sciences et Genie S.E.C.
    Inventors: Paul G Charette, Alan Renaudin, Vincent Chabot, Etienne Grondin, Vincent Aimez
  • Patent number: 6999662
    Abstract: An optical device for filtering an optical signal is described. The optical filtering device comprises an optical input receiving the optical signal; an elongated waveguide connected to the input and having a modified transverse dimension to create a series of partially reflective segments having predetermined effective indices of refraction (neff) with a distribution within the waveguide to provide the filtering of the optical signal, wherein the segments are designed for single mode operation and wherein a reflected filtered output optical signal is generated, wherein the transverse dimension varies within a narrow range over which a transverse size of the mode remains close to its minimum value; an optical output connected to the waveguide for providing the filtered optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Université Laval
    Inventors: Michel A. Duguay, Étienne Grondin
  • Publication number: 20040258358
    Abstract: An optical device for filtering an optical signal is described. The optical filtering device comprises an optical input receiving the optical signal; an elongated waveguide connected to the input and having a modified transverse dimension to create a series of partially reflective segments having predetermined effective indices of refraction (neff) with a distribution within the waveguide to provide the filtering of the optical signal, wherein the segments are designed for single mode operation and wherein a reflected filtered output optical signal is generated, wherein the transverse dimension varies within a narrow range over which a transverse size of the mode remains close to its minimum value; an optical output connected to the waveguide for providing the filtered optical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Michel A Duguay, Etienne Grondin