Abstract: A hearing device has a shell, an electric/acoustic transducer, and electronics within the shell. One end of the shell constitutes the acoustic output to the ear and further includes a compartment at the other end of the shell. A module is removably introduced into the compartment and includes a battery and a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator has an input operationally connected to the battery and has an output in electric contact with the electronics.

Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer (1) having an oscillator coil (15) which has two connecting leads (27, 28) is equipped with at least one retaining element (33, 34) for each connecting lead (27, 28), each retaining element (33, 34) being connected to a stationary component (2) of the transducer (1) and being held movable in relation to said stationary component (2), while said stationary component (2) borders a holding space (39, 40) through which a connecting lead (27, 28) being passed through.

Abstract: A semi-fragile image tamper detection system and method based on thumbnail hiding and which signifies the image areas in which tampering has occurred, is provided. A thumbnail is defined as a low-resolution version of an entire image or the significant features of an entire image. Thumbnail hiding is chosen to be resilient to effects of both image compression and low levels of transmission channel noise. The thumbnail computation and embedding techniques are chosen such that the resultant marked image corresponds in size and dynamic range to the original image.

Abstract: A system and method that efficiently, accurately, and simply detect reliably least-significant-bit (“LSB”) embedding of a secret message in randomly scattered pixels. The system and method apply to both 24-bit color images and 8-bit grayscale or color images. Many commercial steganographic programs use Least Significant Bit embedding (LSB) as the method of choice to hide messages in 24-bit, 8-bit color images and in grayscale images. They do so based on the common belief that changes to the LSBs of colors cannot be detected because of noise that is always present in digital images. By inspecting the differences in capacity for lossless (invertible) embedding in the LSB and the shifted LSB plane, the present invention reliably detects messages as short as 1% of the total number of pixels (assuming 1 bit per sample). The system and method of the present invention are fast, and they provide accurate estimates for the length of the embedded secret message.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus for embedding second digital data in first digital data comprises: bit-swap means for bit-swapping target data comprising a predetermined number of bits within the first digital data; predicting means for outputting a prediction value which predicts a value corresponding to the target data from marginal data surrounding the target data; sorting means for sorting target data subjected to the bit-swapping according to the prediction margin of error value between a prediction value output by the predicting means and respective values corresponding to target data subjected to the bit-swapping; correction code output means for outputting correction code according to target data subjected to the bit-swapping that has been sorted by the sorting means; and embedded data output means for outputting, as embedded data, one of the target data subjected to the bit-swapping that has been sorted by the sorting means, according to the second digital data.

Abstract: A movable-vehicle security system includes a facial-recognition system including a scanner such as a television or infrared camera directed at the face of a person in the driver's seat, which system produces output control signals that are applied to enable or disable operation of the vehicle, with or without a key or other supplemental security system. In a particular embodiment, the system includes a camera mounted on the “third taillight” assembly (which is preferably mounted below the roof and inside the rear window), directed at the rear-view mirror, and coupled to a facial-recognition computer, which in turn is coupled (with appropriate security precautions) to an enabling element for the vehicle, such as a starter motor. In a further embodiment, the system can be coupled to various elements of the motive system to create an auto-starting car.

Abstract: An apparatus and system are provided for simultaneously analyzing a plurality of analytes anchored to microparticles. Microparticles each having a uniform population of a single kind of analyte attached are disposed as a substantially immobilized planar array inside of a flow chamber where steps of an analytical process are carried out by delivering a sequence of processing reagents to the microparticles by a fluidic system under microprocessor control. In response to such process steps, an optical signal is generated at the surface of each microparticle which is characteristic of the interaction between the analyte carried by the microparticle and the delivered processing reagent. The plurality of analytes are simultaneously analyzed by collecting and recording images of the optical signals generated by all the microparticles in the planar array.

Abstract: In image-capture inspection of electronic displays, the object of the present invention is to reduce moire generation, improve inspection precision by making pixel defects easier to discover, and allowing quantitative evaluation of these pixel defects. The relative positioning of the electronic display and an imaging element is changed by very small amounts of 1/n of the pixel pitch. The n images are arranged by pixel and the images are combined by taking the moving average of the image data values to reduce the image-capture moires generated during the image capture operations. The composite image is used to inspect pixel defects in the electronic display.

Abstract: A method of inspecting an automotive wheel includes providing an inspection station having a light source for illuminating the wheel, and a camera having a zoom lens. The automotive wheel is positioned in the inspection station and the wheel is illuminated to generate a first image including the reference feature. After the first image information has been delivered to the processor, the model of the automotive wheel is determined on the basis of data stored in the processor and the parameters to be used during the inspection of the particular model are employed in the subsequent inspection. The processor determines the position of the reference feature and determines whether the automotive wheel is in the desired position. If not, the wheel is rotated to move the reference feature toward the desired position.

Abstract: A mask data correction apparatus that can increase efficiency of processing while maintaining high accuracy by effectively using the hierarchical structure of a layout data: A Fourier transformation part performs Fourier transformation of base elements defined by the layout data to obtain Fourier images of the base elements. A synthesizing part superimposes, based on the hierarchical structure, the Fourier images of the base elements in Fourier space, to obtain a Fourier image of the entire graphic. A spatial filter part subjects the Fourier image of the entire graphic to spatial filter processing that corresponds to distortion expected in a manufacturing process. An inverse Fourier transformation part performs inverse Fourier transformation of the Fourier image after spatial filter processing, to obtain the inverse Fourier image reflecting the distortion.

Abstract: In order to provide a high-speed, inexpensive inspection system that has a short development period, that is flexible, and that allow algorithms to be easily changed, a PC equipped with an image input feature is used to capture an image detected by a line image sensor, this detected image is transferred to a plurality of PCs connected by a LAN, and defects are detected using software processing on the plurality of PCs.

Abstract: A color management architecture includes multiple color transform modules chainable together by a framework, with each color transform module having access to color profiles which provide data necessary to convert color data in accordance with algorithmic functionality in the transform modules. The color profiles are stored in accordance with a pre-designated format, such as a standardized format that is neither vendor specific nor platform specific. Each color transform module further includes the functionality to read to and write from a phantom profile. The phantom profile is also organized in the same pre-designated format, and thus serves as a primary conduit for data transfer between chained ones of the color transform modules.

Abstract: Pixels in a video image may be segmented based upon selected criteria, such as a common color, texture, shape, amplitude range or temporal variation. Color values for these pixels may be used to calculate a color probability function which indicates the probability that the color value of the pixel will lie within a designated range of values. The pixels are also used to calculate a texture probability function that indicates whether the pixel represents a designated texture. Pixels that are assigned to a given segment may then be further processed to improve the quality of an image. In this manner, pixels that identify grass, sky, human skin, etc. may be identified and processed in order to achieve a more pleasing appearance.

Abstract: Color information having R, G, B components is entered. When an optic nerve head contained in the color image information is designated by an image processor and region designation unit, an image compression unit encodes the B component, which is included among a plurality of color components in this designated region, at a compression rate lower than that in a region other than the designated region, and encodes the G component and the B component other than in the designated region at a higher compression rate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for segmentation of a digital picture consisting of a multiplicity of single picture elements comprising determining if one of one and several features relating to contiguous picture objects comprising picture elements and picture segments are conforming or not conforming based on a specific homogeneity criterion by means of referencing a predetermined tolerance for each feature as a termination criterion, within which feature values relating to the contiguous picture objects in question may differ; if one of one feature and several features relating to the contiguous picture objects are determined to be conforming then merging the conforming picture objects; and repeating the resulting segmentation until the resulting segmentation converges in a stable or approximately stable condition in which no further contiguous picture objects are determined to be conforming.

Abstract: A system and method for reading the information stored in holograms and other diffractive objects. The information is read by analyzing the diffraction pattern produced when a laser beam is focused onto a small spot on the object and scanned across the object.

Abstract: An image coding apparatus includes an approximating element having plural different prediction techniques to approximate, a value of a target pixel to be coded with reference to values of peripheral pixels surrounding the target pixel; a holding element which holds information about ranks of the prediction techniques, the ranks obtained upon processing of the pixel preceding the target pixel; a determining element computing an error between each of approximate values obtained by the prediction techniques and that of the target pixel, selecting one of the prediction techniques for the target pixel based on the computer error, and performing the selection by preferentially referencing the rank information if the error is within a predetermined tolerance; and a coding element which codes the value of the target pixel using the approximate value obtained by the selected prediction technique.

Abstract: A system and process for encoding and later decoding of bi-level images that does not use arithmetic coding, but whose performance is close to that of state-of-the-art coders such as JBIG, JBIG-2, and JB2. In general, the present bi-level coder (BLC) uses two context-based adaptive modules: 1) an adaptive predictor controlled by low-resolution probability estimates that is used to map the original pixels explicitly into prediction error pixels, and 2) a backward-adaptive Run-Length-Rice (RLR) coder that encodes the prediction error pixels. That's contrary to the usual approach where the context-dependent probability estimate controls both pixel prediction and adaptive entropy coding. Due to its simplicity, in many applications BLC may be a better choice other current coders.

Abstract: A method to automatically vary the compression of images by ranking images within clusters based upon image emphasis. The ranking process computes one or more quantities related to one or more features in each image. The features can include the content of images. The invention processes the quantities with a reasoning algorithm that is trained based on opinions of one or more human observers. The invention applies the quantities to the images to produce the ranking and variably compresses the images depending upon the ranking. The images having a low ranking and are compressed more than images that have a high ranking.

Abstract: An image processing method and system compensates for artifacts in scaling operations of mixed raster content data representations. In such data representations, a document is segmented into data portions generally segregated by data types. At least one of the segments is dilated so that upon scaling reconstruction, there are additional pixels available for interpolation operations, thereby avoiding artifacts caused by discontinuity.

Abstract: A film scanner irradiates a film with visible light and infrared light to read image data. Infrared image data and visible light image data are compared, and any shift therebetween is corrected to accurately specify a dust particle/flaw region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for image interpolation provides a simple method that can up-scale an image in various scale ratios, including fractional scaling ratios, and can yield a sharp image with reduced unpleasant visual artifacts. An embodiment uses a power weight function that is gradient dependent and uses a function that has a linear dependence on the distance to compute interpolated pixels. A further embodiment uses a power that can be adapted according to the local contrast of edges.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a hard disk drive, an external image storing device for writing image data in a removable storing medium, and a memory for storing list data representative of a list of the image data stored in the hard disk drive or the storing medium. A main controller urges the operator of the apparatus to select, among the image data stored in the hard disk, desired image data to be written to the storing medium via an operation panel. When the image data selected are sequentially written to the storing medium, the main controller updates the list data of the memory every time one image data is written to the storing medium. After all the image data selected have been written to the storing medium, the controller updates the list data of the memory and causes the updated list data to be written to the storing medium.

Abstract: A push-pull thermooptic interferometer switch can be controlled using only one control lead and one drive signal per switch. Advantageously, using only control signal lead and one electrical driver per switch can greatly reduce the complexity of the electronics needed to drive a switch array. The single control lead push-pull thermooptic interferometer switch can be driven by controllable voltage or current signals. The connections of the control and other signal leads to an array of these switched can be made in a planar manner without the need for crossover paths.

Abstract: Optical fiber including a core, a cladding surrounding the core, having a refractive index lower than the core, and polarization beam splitter layers in an incident part and emission part at opposite ends of the core, for transmission of a particular polarized beam, for maintaining a polarization direction of an incident beam to enhance an optical utilization efficiency, and projection display system including a beam source of a polarization direction, an optical fiber for reflecting the laser beam to transmit the laser beam therethrough, and maintaining the polarization direction, vibration means connected to the optical fiber at least one or more than point, for vibrating the optical fiber, to vary a phase of the laser beam passing through the optical fiber, a display panel, and a projection optical system for enlarging and projecting the picture from the display panel onto a screen, thereby providing an excellent picture quality.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an assembly structure and a method for assembling active and passive photonic and/or optoelectronic devices on a silicon board. The invention relates in particular to an assembly structure and a method for aligning the photonic devices during the assembling procedure. According to the present invention, the assembly structure comprises one or more alignment features comprising tapered side surface parts in directions at least substantially parallel to an optical axis. By providing a tapering in a direction in a direction at least substantially parallel to the first optical axis, any inaccuracies primarily affects the non-critical positioning in the direction along the optical axis, whereas the critical positioning transverse to the optical axis merely depends on the symmetry of alignment features. The errors from the inherent inaccuracy of the position and shape of alignment features are thereby minimized.

Abstract: An optical switch for switching data in a network. The switch includes a housing. The switch includes a transmitter receiver means which transmits to or receives from the network the data. The transmitter receiver means is disposed in the housing. The first optical path forms a first closed optical loop along which the data flows in a first direction. The switch includes a second optical path forming a second closed optical loop along which the data flows in a second direction. The second direction is opposite the first direction. The first and second optical paths each having a portion in which the transmitter receiver means is inserted into or removed from the first and second optical paths without disruption of switching of data by the switch. A method for switching data in a network.

Abstract: Switching apparatus that includes a bubble generator, a flexible membrane disposed over the bubble generator and selectively expanded by the bubble generator, and a switch circuit controlled by expansion of the flexible membrane.

Abstract: An optical fiber switch having two coupled fiber arrays which move in a transverse direction to provide switching action. Each array has a front face and the front faces are nearly in contact. Optical fiber ends are located at the front faces. The front faces of the fiber arrays have transverse grooves in which rolling spheres are disposed. The fiber arrays move by rolling on the spheres. The spheres provide for smooth transverse motion and a fixed distance between optical fiber arrays. The spheres and front face grooves also provide for alignment between the optical fibers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bidirectional add/drop multiplexer (BADM) and a bidirectional add/drop amplifier (BADA) module. The present invention includes an N×N arrayed waveguide grating router (AWGR), two optical circulators, two wavelength selective couplers, two optical isolators, and a mid-stage device. The mid-stage device comprises a means for compensating the chromatic dispersion of the optical fibers, a means for flattening the spectral response of the optical amplifiers, a means for suppressing the accumulation of the ASE noise or a combination of these means.

Abstract: A dynamically reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer makes use of a single or a plurality of optical narrowband filters and a single or plurality of actuated optical devices to re-map the optical beams through the filter/s to drop and/or add a light of one wavelength. The input optical beam may be composed of a plurality of wavelengths. The beam as it impinges on the narrowband filter is reflected except for a single wavelength that passes through. The reflected beam can either be directed to couple the light to output ports or reflected to impinge on another filter to pass another wavelength and reflect the rest of the wavelengths. This can be repeated to drop a plurality of wavelengths individually. Adding a wavelength to the beam may be introduced at the filter where that specific wavelength is dropped to pass through the filter and join the reflected beam. This also is repeated for adding a plurality of wavelengths. This invention can be used to drop/add bands of wavelengths.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for a re-configurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) having a static circulator, a selectable grating and a reversible circulator. The use of a reversible circulator in a known optical drop multiplexer configuration allows the selectable grating to be used for selecting both the add-wavelength and the drop-wavelength while maintaining an East/West architectural split to allow for SONET compliant maintenance. This invention provides a cost-effective enhancement to a duplex reflective wavelength selective ROADM.

Abstract: Beams inputted from a fiber are collected by a lens and are angular-dispersed by a VIPA. The luminous flux from the VIPA is collected on a surface-shape variable mirror by a lens. The surface-shape variable mirror is configured in such a way that a mirror shape can be controlled by a piezo stage and necessary wavelength dispersion can be applied, if necessary. Although the beam group reflected on the surface-shape variable mirror propagates the light path backward, the beam group is inputted to a position different from the outputted position when the beam group enters the VIPA. Therefore, a desired wavelength dispersion can be given to each beam group by performing control of the input position in the VIPA for each wavelength using the surface-shape variable mirror.

Abstract: A compactly constructed configuration for coupling radiation into an optical fiber in a highly effective manner has a semiconductor laser with a radiation exit window, and an optical fiber having a radiation entry end. The radiation exit window of the semiconductor laser faces the radiation entry end of the optical fiber. A resonator is provided and has an end mirror and an output mirror, between which the semiconductor laser is disposed. The output mirror of the resonator is formed by the optical fiber. An optical device is disposed between the semiconductor laser and the optical fiber and serves for imaging only the fundamental mode of the radiation of the semiconductor laser onto the radiation entry end of the optical fiber.

Abstract: The invention concerns a rectangular response optical filter for partitioning a limited spectral interval in a light flux with large spectrum comprising: a preferably monomode input optical fiber having one end; an array-reflector assembly in Litmann-Metcalf configuration; a converging optical system collimating at whose focus is set the input fiber end; a converging focusing optical system set between the array and the reflector; one or several output fibers of the same type as the input fiber. At least one reflector is placed in the focal plane of the focusing optical system and has a limited dimension in the dispersion plane, the position and the limited dimension of the dispersion plane determining the partitioned spectral interval.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a type of optical fiber grating having an azimuthal refractive-index perturbation. The optical fiber includes a fiber grating that has a plurality of grating elements formed therein. At least one of the grating elements has a spatially varying index of refraction that varies azimuthally about the centerline of the optical fiber. The fiber grating acts as a band-stop optical spectral filter. In addition, since fiber-cladding modes are weakly-guided modes, their power can be easily dissipated by scattering, bending, stretching, and/or rotating the optical fiber. Multiple configurations of these gratings within an optical fiber are given. Methodologies are given for the fabrication of these gratings. Devices are presented which can dynamically attenuate, tune, switch, or modulate the wavelength spectral characteristics of an optical signal.

Abstract: A wide variety of Fiber Bragg writing devices comprising solid state lasers are provided. The solid state lasers emit moderate peak-power output beams which are suitable for efficient production of fiber Bragg gratings without causing embrittlement of the optical waveguide. These solid state lasers generate fourth harmonic output beams with wavelengths of approximately 240 nm, in order to match the primary absorption peak in the ultraviolet range for a typical optical waveguide. Some of these solid state lasers comprise a fequency-doubling crystal and a CLBO crystal used in a non-critically phase-matched orientation as a frequency-quadrupling crystal. In such lasers, both the frequency-doubling crystal and frequency-quadrupling crystal are preferably engineered to minimize or eliminate beam “walkoff.

Abstract: In an optical waveguide fabricated to provide spectral filtering by a periodic mode coupling between the core and cladding the spectral profile may be shifted in wavelength if the core or cladding is photosensitive. This is especially useful in the case of long period gratings used as gain flattening filters, as a relatively low dose of radiation, compared with that typically required to fabricate a Reflection Bragg Grating in the same fiber, provides a sufficient shift for filter tuning purposes. Subsequent thermal exposure can stabilize the filter performance over the expected temperature range, while exposure to higher temperature reverses the radiation induced shift.

Abstract: An optical fiber for use in making components of an optical communication system has cladding and core materials the constituents of which cause a component made from the fiber to have a rate of change with respect to temperature of a response to a signal which passes through zero at a temperature Tm which is at or near a selected temperature, or falls within a selected temperature range; and the value of Tm of a fiber can be controllably changed by changing the concentration of B2O3 in the fiber core material.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of AWGs, wherein one of the AWGs receives an input signal. The AWGS are divided amongst a first selective group of the AWGs providing even-numbered channel outputs associated with an even-numbered selection of the input signal, and a second selective group of the AWGs providing odd-numbered channel outputs associated with an odd-numbered selection of the input signal. An interleaver arrangement includes a plurality of ring structures so as to provide appropriate filtering characteristics for the even-numbered channel outputs and odd-numbered channel outputs.

Abstract: An apparatus for optically coupling a light source with a light-receiving end face of an optical waveguide comprises a lens for focusing a light beam emitted from the light source at a focal point on the light-receiving end face of the optical waveguide. An adaptive coupler, positioned in the optical path, is responsive to a beam steering control signal for steering and aligning the focal point relative to the light-receiving end face of the optical waveguide. In one form, the adaptive coupler comprises a pair of transparent substrates having confronting, parallel inner faces, the inner face of one of the pair of substrates carrying a beam intercepting, optically transparent, constant potential electrode and the inner face of the other of the pair of substrates carrying an electrically resistive, beam intercepting, optically transparent film. A pair of spaced apart electrodes in electrical contact with the film apply a linear voltage gradient along the film.

Abstract: Impedance control elements that are implemented in conjunction with the transition region of an electromagnetic waveguide to diminish the effect of reflective pulses on the signal transmission and to create linear impedance transition in the transition region are provided for. The device of the present invention provides the stated benefits in electromagnetic waveguides that are capable of high bandwidth signal transmission.

Abstract: An optical fiber filter (25) with a non-sinusoidal wavelength response is produced by forming an adiabatic taper in a single mode fiber (10) and forming non-adiabatic tapers (18, 20) on slopes at each end of the elongated central region of this adiabatic tape and in the middle of the central region (12). The non-adiabatic taper (22) in the middle of the central region (12) produces a phase shift in the wavelength response leading to non-sinusoidal filtering characteristics. The filter may be combined with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to produce a Mach-Zehnder device with a non-sinusoidal wavelength response.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical modifier, in which single or several wavelength channels are fed into or fed out of transmission and/or receiving elements including, for example, wave guides. In order to fabricate an optical modifier that can intentionally affect one or more wavelength channels, that is inexpensive to manufacture, that allows as low loss as possible feed-in and feed-out of light in the smallest of spaces, and wherein at the same time the optical modifier is easy to calibrate, it is proposed according to the invention that at least one coupling device (20) with a curved surface (8) and a wave-modifying element (19) are provided. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical modifier, wherein the reflecting surface (8) is manufactured as part of a surface of revolution with a cone section as the curve generating the envelope.

Abstract: A three dimensional optical circuit featuring an optical manifold for organizing, guiding and protecting individual optical fibers is shown. One aspect of the present invention is a three dimensional manifold which may be constructed using a rapid prototyping process such as, but not limited to, stereolithography (“SLA”), fused deposition modeling (“FDM”), selective laser sintering (“SLS”), and the like. The manifold has a number of input openings in a first ordered arrangement at one end connected by passageways to a number of output openings in a second ordered arrangement at the opposite end. A plurality of optical fibers may be directed through the passageways of the manifold to produce a three dimensional optical circuit such as a shuffle. Moreover, the optical manifold may be used in conjunction with a number of connections or terminations to form a various optical modules.

Abstract: A two-dimensional, hetero-structure photonic crystal includes a first rectangular lattice array of dielectric rods provided on a portion of an air background, and a second rectangular lattice array of dielectric rods provided on another portion of the air background. The two-dimensional, hetero-structure photonic crystal provides the advantages of both the rectangular and triangular lattice arrays for application with optical beam splitters and combiners, and achieves a transmission efficiency greater than 90% in comparison to the transmission efficiency of 50% for the conventional uni-structure photonic crystals.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical waveguide having an optical confinement layer.

Abstract: An optical connector assembly is described. In one example, a panel includes a plurality of apertures formed therein. A plurality of receptacles are respectively supported within the plurality of apertures. Each of the plurality of receptacles is adapted to communicate with an optical connector. In addition, each of the plurality of receptacles is disposed at an angle with respect to a plane of the panel, where the angle is less than 90 degrees. In another example, a housing includes opposing side walls. A panel is mounted within the housing. The panel includes a plurality of apertures for supporting optical connectors. A spool is mounted to one of the opposing side walls of the housing.

Abstract: Optical waveguide structures containing siloxane resin composistions as core materials and a method for preparing the waveguides are disclosed. The siloxane resin compositions can be cured by thermal energy or actinic radiation. In addition, conventional patterning techniques can be used, which makes the present method ideal for practicing on a commercial scale. The optical waveguides of the invention exhibit very low optical losses and are compatible with silicon processing requirements, which makes them useful in integrated circuitry. In addition, the high refractive index contrasts between the siloxane resin core and various claddings, including other siloxane resins, makes the waveguides particularly desirable.

Abstract: The invention relates to a waveguide comprising a transparent polymeric central core clad externally with one or more polymeric layers, at least one of the core or clad layer containing layered particles disposed in a polymeric binder, wherein a majority of the particles have a lateral dimension less than 1 micrometer.