With Diffusion Patents (Class 356/446)
  • Patent number: 10148869
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for determining a depth or reflectance of objects. Example methods may include illuminating a scene within a field of view of a device at a first illuminance value, detecting a reflected illuminance value, and determining a first reflectance value for a first object in the scene. Example methods may include identifying the first object, determining an orientation of the first object, and determining an estimated distance between the device and the first object based at least in part on the first illuminance value, the reflected illuminance value, and the first reflectance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mashhour Solh, Tsz Lok Poon
  • Patent number: 10047919
    Abstract: A fluorescent light source device includes a wavelength conversion member formed of a phosphor to be excited by excitation light. The wavelength conversion member includes a fluorescent member containing the phosphor, and a photonic structure part formed on the fluorescent member. An upper surface of the photonic structure part serves as a fluorescent light emitting surface of the wavelength conversion member. The photonic structure part is made from an inorganic compound layer that may be formed of a metal oxide and has a columnar structure extending in a direction away from the fluorescent member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: USHIO DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Inoue, Seiji Kitamura
  • Patent number: 9963245
    Abstract: An exterior aircraft light unit includes a plurality of LEDs; a support plate for supporting the plurality of LEDs, the support plate having a main plane of extension, wherein the support plate has a curved, concave LED support surface, substantially orthogonal to the main plane of extension, and wherein the plurality of LEDs are arranged along the curved, concave LED support surface; and a reflector, facing the plurality of LEDs and shaped to reflect light from the plurality of LEDs past the support plate towards an outside of the exterior aircraft light unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GOODRICH LIGHTING SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Anil Kumar Jha, Andre Hessling-Von Heimendahl
  • Patent number: 9959441
    Abstract: A system for generating an extended specular lighting field for reading symbols on a reflective background surface is described. A scanner generates illumination for illuminating the symbols. Reflection of the illumination incident upon the reflective surface is retroreflected onto the symbols on the reflective surface. Reflection of the retroreflected light by the reflective surface is received by the scanner for processing information about the symbols. By using the reflective surface to help illuminate the symbols, an ordinary scanner can be used to read the symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventor: Serge Thuries
  • Patent number: 9863759
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes: a light emitting unit that outputs light; a light condensing unit that condenses the light output from the light emitting unit; a diffusion unit that diffuses the light condensed by the light condensing unit; and a uniformizing optical system that receives the light diffused by the diffusion unit, uniformizes a brightness distribution thereof compared with that of the light being received, and outputs the resulting light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Takahashi, Kazuhiro Fujita, Toshiharu Murai, Takehiro Nishimori, Takahiro Kado, Jun Kishiwada
  • Patent number: 9791684
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical coherence microscopy system for fast, phase resolved imaging by means of optical coherence microscopy with decoupled illumination and detection apertures, producing a dark-field effect with an enhanced optical contrast. The setup uses a light source with an appropriate temporal coherence, an interferometer and an array detector combined with a spectrometer. The dark-field effect is produced by optical filter means in the illumination and detection paths, positioned in conjugated planes of the sample microscope objective. These optical means comprise for example refractive or diffractive elements, amplitude or phase masks, or programmable spatial light modulators. The object is scanned via a scanning unit allowing a point scan of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Martin Villiger, Christophe Pache, Theo Lasser
  • Patent number: 9719934
    Abstract: Disclosed is an assay result reading apparatus for use with an assay in which a detectable substance tends to accumulate within a detection zone of the assay, the reading apparatus comprising: a housing or baffle, having a window therein; a light source which emits light through the window so as to illuminate the detection zone of the assay; and a light detector to detect the amount of light reflected and/or transmitted by the detection zone, which amount is at least partly dependent on the amount of detectable substance accumulated in the detection zone; wherein the shape of the window is adapted to render the reading apparatus less sensitive, preferably insensitive, to minor mis-positioning of the detection zone relative to one or more of the window, the light source and the light detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: ALERE SWITZERLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Andrew Peter Phelan
  • Patent number: 9714825
    Abstract: A device (10) and methods for simultaneously measuring the thickness of individual wafer layers, the depth of etched features on a wafer, and the three-dimensional profile of a wafer. The structure of the device (10) is comprised of a source/receiver section (12) having a broadband source (14), a receiver (16) and a signal processing section (20). An interferometer (28) separates or combines measurement and reference light and has a measurement leg (30) and a reference leg (34), and a reference mirror (36). The device (10) analyzes a received spectrum which is comprised of a measurement of intensity versus wavelength. There are two measurement methods disclosed: the first method is utilized for taking a single measurement and the second method is utilized for multiple measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Marx, David L. Grant
  • Patent number: 9676576
    Abstract: A sheet discriminator includes a sheet loader on which a recording medium is loaded, an information detector to detect information of the recording medium loaded on the sheet loader, and a sheet distinguisher to distinguish a type of the recording medium based on the information detected by the information detector. The information detector detects the information of the recording medium with the recording medium being inserted between the sheet loader and the information detector. An image forming apparatus incorporates the sheet discriminator and an image forming part to form an image on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Nishimura, Tetsuya Ofuchi, Tohru Matsumoto, Yukifumi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9664627
    Abstract: A method and device for analyzing oils, technical service fluids and for the evaluation of the operating states of units, wherein a drop of test fluid to be examined is applied to a test medium which is allowed to penetrate the medium, and is evaluated after a preselected time by optically comparing a resulting image with the data of a plurality of reference images with respect to a plurality of test criteria. The test fluids to be examined can give information about the state of the test fluids. Fast and reliable detection, evaluation, and assessment are possible and reduce the influence of subjective assessment influences. A computer-assisted comparison of the data of the images with the data of the reference images is performed. Data of the images from the front, back-light, and possibly the UV back-light recording are associated with images for a test criterion that has the greatest correspondence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Inventor: Gert Horstmeyer
  • Patent number: 9541529
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe for examining an object with ultrasound and a corresponding examination method are provided. The probe includes a plurality of emitter elements able to emit ultrasonic waves for emitting a focused ultrasonic beam into the object through an active area of a surface of the object, and a profilometer for determining the profile of the surface of the object and for controlling the emission of the ultrasonic beam depending on the determined profile. The profilometer includes an image-taking apparatus for taking at least one digital image of the active area and an image processing module able to determine the profile of the active area by analyzing the optical blurring of the or at least one image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: AREVA NP
    Inventors: Matthieu Taglione, Yannick Caulier
  • Patent number: 9514271
    Abstract: Motility contrast imaging (MCI) is a depth-resolved holographic technique to extract cellular and subcellular motion inside tissue. The holographic basis of the measurement technique makes it highly susceptible to mechanical motion. The motility contrast application, in particular, preferably includes increased mechanical stability because the signal is based on time-varying changes caused by cellular motion, which should not be confused with mechanical motion of the system. Apparatus for motility contrast imaging that provides increased mechanical stability is disclosed. It is based on common-path configurations, in which the signal and reference beams share optical elements in their paths to the detector. The two beams share mechanical motions in common, and hence these motions do not contribute to the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventor: David D. Nolte
  • Patent number: 9490378
    Abstract: An optical assembly can be used in various optical devices such as optical proximity sensors, gesture sensors, or imaging sensors. The optical assembly may include a lens assembly and a light detector. The lens assembly may be configured to limit off axis rays at a central area of the light detector. The lens assembly can be a high aspect ratio lens assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Cherng Woei Heng, James Costello, Siong Lee Loh
  • Patent number: 9435668
    Abstract: The application describes methods and apparatus for distributed fiber sensing, especially distributed acoustic/strain sensing. The method involves launching interrogating radiation in to an optical fiber and sampling radiation backscattered from within said fiber at a rate so as to acquire a plurality of samples corresponding to each sensing portion of interest. The plurality of samples are divided into separate processing channels and processed to determine a phase value for that channel. A quality metric is then applied to the processed phase data and the data combined to provide an overall phase value for the sensing portion based on the quality metric. The quality metric may be a measure of the degree of similarity of the processed data from the channels. The interrogating radiation may comprise two relatively narrow pulses separated by a relatively wide gap and the sampling rate may be set such that a plurality of substantially independent diversity samples are acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: OPTASENSE HOLDINGS LTD.
    Inventors: Andrew Biggerstaff Lewis, Stuart John Russell
  • Patent number: 9401038
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus analyzes an importance distribution in a render target range for which a three-dimensional scene is to be rendered in a perspective for generating a map for use in rendering the three-dimensional scene. The apparatus acquires eigenvectors of the importance distribution by performing principal component analysis on the distribution. In a case where the eigenvectors of the distribution satisfies a predetermined condition, the apparatus rotates the importance distribution such that a direction defined by the eigenvector is to be a predetermined direction, and determines the number of pixels assigned to each partial region based on the rotated distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Tokuyoshi, Tiago da Silva
  • Patent number: 9370944
    Abstract: A printer system includes a handling system to move print media, a print medium detection sensor to produce a response indicative of an object, and a processor coupled to the handling system and to the print medium detection sensor to perform a two-point calibration of the sensor. The first point of the two-point calibration includes a first response from the sensor, and a second point of the two-point calibration includes a second response from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Arthur Barnes, Pierre J. Kaiser, Alexander Toia
  • Patent number: 9370842
    Abstract: A coating removal apparatus removes a coating from a surface. The apparatus has a movable scanning head and scanning optics. The scanning head is movable in one dimension, and the scanning optics adjust in two dimensions to compensate for movement of the scanning head to implement long range scanning with a uniform scanning pattern. Further, a surface roughness is determined by measuring specular and scattered reflections at various angles. For composite surfaces, the apparatus utilizes UV laser radiation and a controlled atmosphere to remove coating and alter the chemical characteristics at the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: General Lasertronics Corporation
    Inventors: James W. Thomas, Robert L. Cargill, Mitchell R. Wool
  • Patent number: 9360178
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention provide an LED light strip, a backlight module, and a display device. The LED light strip includes a circuit board and further includes a plurality of LED illuminants that are electrically connected to the circuit board. The plurality of LED illuminants are arranged on the upper surface of the circuit board along a first direction, and intervals between the light-emitting centers of any two adjacent LED illuminants are not completely equal. The plurality of LED illuminants include light output surfaces perpendicular to the upper surface, wherein the light output surface of at least one LED illuminant is deflectively set at an acute angle with respect to the first direction or the reverse direction of the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd., Boe Optical Science and Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xiaoli Xia
  • Patent number: 9347039
    Abstract: Generally, compositions and methods for handling processed sperm populations including samples that are freshly collected, transported as fresh samples, as well as samples that are frozen and thawed, those sorted into one or more subpopulations, and those that are otherwise processed or handled that impose trauma on the sperm cell. Such trauma can reduce the motility, fertility, viability and overall integrity of the sperm and reduce the sperm's ability to fertilize an egg, grow into a healthy embryo and produce a healthy offspring. The novel compounds described can be added to the sperm cell sample to reduce the traumatic effects of physical stress during mild as well as extensive sperm cell processing, methods of using the compounds in standard sperm processing procedures, the end products made from these methods including sperm and embryos, as well as methods of using those end products in assisted reproductive biology techniques in animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Inguran, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Lenz, Juan Moreno, Ramakrishnan Vishwanath
  • Patent number: 9346291
    Abstract: A sheet discriminator includes a sheet loader on which a recording medium is loaded, an information detector to detect information of the recording medium loaded on the sheet loader, and a sheet distinguisher to distinguish a type of the recording medium based on the information detected by the information detector. The information detector detects the information of the recording medium with the recording medium being inserted between the sheet loader and the information detector. An image forming apparatus incorporates the sheet discriminator and an image forming part to form an image on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Nishimura, Tetsuya Ofuchi, Tohru Matsumoto, Yukifumi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9250177
    Abstract: A urine analysis device includes a light emitting part, a light receiving part and a control part. The light emitting part includes a plurality of light emitting diodes. The light emitting diodes provide a light to an inspected object. The inspected object has a plurality of inspected areas. The light receiving part receives the light reflected by the inspected object. The control part drives the light emitting part and receives an electric signal from the light receiving part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: DAE KYOUNG IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyu-Dae Lee, Jae-Hoon Song, In-Hyuk Cha
  • Patent number: 9239296
    Abstract: An in situ inspection system and method to inspect a honeycomb body skin in a skinning system. The inspection system includes a line illuminator to generate a line illumination on the skin perpendicular to an axial direction of the honeycomb body travel, and a detector to detect the line illumination scattered from the skin and generate a signal based on the detected line illumination. A controller is configured to receive the signal generated by the detector, compare the received signal to a previously stored defect free signal in real-time, and control at least one skinning process parameter based on the comparison. The method includes in situ inspecting the skin and controlling at least one skinning process parameter based on the inspection. In the method, the in situ inspection includes illuminating a line of the skin perpendicular to the axial direction and detecting the illuminated line scattered from the skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Henry Citriniti, Parasuram Padmanabhan Harihara
  • Patent number: 9110023
    Abstract: An optical system includes a sample carrier receiving region configured to receive a carrier carrying a sample for processing, a source that emits an excitation signal having a wavelength within a first predetermined wavelength range, and a first set of optical components that direct the excitation signal along an excitation path to the sample carrier receiving region, wherein radiation having a wavelength within a second predetermined wavelength range is emitted from the sample carrier receiving region in response to receiving the excitation signal. The system further includes a detector configured to detect the emitted radiation and generates a signal indicative of a power of the detected radiation and a second set of optical components that directs the emitted radiation along a collection path to the detector and a power meter that measures a power of the radiation emitted from the sample carrier receiving region and generates a signal indicative thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Analogic Corporation
    Inventor: Songping Gao
  • Patent number: 9110018
    Abstract: There is disclosed a distributed optical fiber sensor arranged to deliver probe light pulses of different wavelengths into corresponding different sensing optical fibers, and to determine one or more parameters as functions of position along each of the sensing fibers from detected backscattered light of each corresponding wavelength. In another arrangement, the different wavelengths are directed in different corresponding directions around a loop of sensing optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: FOTECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED
    Inventor: Vincent Handerek
  • Publication number: 20150138559
    Abstract: A method for measuring flare information of a projection optical system includes arranging, on an object plane of the projection optical system, a sectoral pattern surrounded by a first side, a second side which is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the first side, and an inner diameter portion and an outer diameter portion which connect both ends of the first side and both ends of the second side; projecting an image of the sectoral pattern via the projection optical system; and determining the flare information based on a light amount of the image of the sectoral pattern and a light amount provided at a position away from the image. With the flare measuring method, it possible to correctly measure the flare information in an arbitrary angle range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki SHIRAISHI
  • Patent number: 9035785
    Abstract: A graphic may include a consumable and having optically encoded information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kirk M. Dunsbergen, Kaustav Ghosh, Robert J. Pinkowski
  • Patent number: 9030652
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the synchronicity of a rotary platen (22) in a vacuum deposition chamber (24). A light source (64) projects a highly collimated light beam (66) onto the rotating platen (22), thereby tracing a circular swept path (67). The swept path (67) passes alternately through samples (20) on the platen (22) and intervening webs (58, 60). The samples (20) are significantly more reflective than the webs (58, 60). The platen (22) includes an asymmetry feature (60) along the swept path (67). A detector (62) measures light signals reflected from the platen (22) along the swept path (67), and generates a unique signal upon encountering the asymmetry feature (60). A microcontroller generates a trigger pulse synchronized to the unique signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: k-Space Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Hines, Darryl Barlett, Charles A. Taylor, II, Greg DeMaggio
  • Patent number: 9025154
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an optical device for selecting specific matter, such as plant matter. The device comprises a light source for emitting light having at least (3) wavelengths and for generating a combined beam of light having the at least 3 wavelengths. The device further comprises an optical element for directing a plurality of light beams towards matter including the specific matter. The optical element has first surface portions through which in use the plurality of component light beams are directed to the matter including the specific matter. Each component light beam is directed through a respective first surface portion that has an optical property that is selected so that light intensity differences between the component light beams are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Photonic Detection Systems PTY Ltd.
    Inventors: Kamal Alameh, Sreten Askraba
  • Publication number: 20150116719
    Abstract: A catadioptric optical system operates in a wide spectral range. In an embodiment, the catadioptric optical system includes a first reflective surface positioned and configured to reflect radiation; a second reflective surface positioned and configured to reflect radiation reflected from the first reflective surface as a collimated beam, the second reflective surface having an aperture to allow transmission of radiation through the second reflective surface; and a channel structure extending from the aperture toward the first reflective surface and having an outlet, between the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface, to supply radiation to the first reflective surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Stanislav Y. SMIRNOV, Yevgeniy Konstantinovich SHMAREV
  • Publication number: 20150116718
    Abstract: An optical sensor includes a light-emitting unit to emit light onto a measuring object, a regular reflection light receiver to receive regular reflection light from the measuring object out of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit, and a diffuse reflection light receiver to receive diffuse reflection light from the measuring object out of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit. An angle of incidence of the light emitted onto a surface of the measuring object is not smaller than 75° and not larger than 85°. The diffuse reflection light receiver receives, out of the diffuse reflection light from the measuring object, diffuse reflection light having an angle of reflection with respect to a perpendicular to the surface of the measuring object larger than 0° and smaller than an angle of reflection of the regular reflection light with respect to the perpendicular to the surface of the measuring object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Terumichi OCHI, Takumi WAIDA, Shinji KATO, Toshihiro ISHII, Shuji HIRAI, Takashi FUJITA, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Ryota YAMASHINA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Motoyoshi YAMANO
  • Patent number: 9019504
    Abstract: A transportable goniospectrometer with a constant observation center for a radiometric measurement of the reflection of a natural surface includes a spectrometer having an optical unit and a sensor. A main pillar has a lower and an upper pillar end. An arc has a fixed and a free arc end. A slide is disposed displaceably and fixably along the arc. The slide carries the optical unit orientated towards the observation center. A cantilever has a fixed cantilever end connected to the upper pillar end via a screw connection, and a free cantilever end which has a suspension that is rotatable and fixable about a vertical axis. The suspension is connected to the sensor and to the fixed arc end of the arc. The suspension is configured to position the arc at a distance of the arc radius of the arc above the natural surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz- Zentrum Fuer Polar- und Meeresforschung
    Inventors: Marcel Buchhorn, Reinhold Petereit
  • Publication number: 20150098086
    Abstract: An apparatus with an electromagnetic radiation source generates an incident-beam. A sample container accommodates a sample, receives the incident beam for interaction with the sample, and enables a scattered beam, which is to be detected, to propagate out of the sample container. An electromagnetic radiation detector detects the scattered beam which is received from the sample container. The sample container is oriented with regard to a direction of the incident beam so that an incident trajectory of the incident beam directly before propagating into the sample container up to a symmetry axis of the sample container is symmetric with a scattered trajectory of the scattered beam, which is to be detected, from the symmetry axis up to a position of the scattered beam directly after having left the sample container, such that the scattered trajectory outside of the sample container is independent of a refraction index of the sample container and of the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Christian Moitzi
  • Patent number: 9001326
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method for generating from a light source a light signal operating in a region of the light spectrum, modifying the light signal with a first polarization device having a first polarization state to generate a polarized light signal directed to a target, modifying a substantially specular reflection and a substantially diffused reflection of the polarized light signal generated from the target with a second polarization device having a second polarization state to generate mixed polarized light signals having a mixed polarization state, and adjusting the mixed polarization state to modify an observable range of subsurfaces of the target. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Welch Allyn, Inc.
    Inventor: Ervin Goldfain
  • Patent number: 9001333
    Abstract: A recording medium determining device includes a light irradiating portion that irradiates a recording medium with visible light; a regular reflection light receiving portion that receives regular reflection light regularly reflected by the recording medium irradiated with light from the light irradiating portion; a diffused reflection light receiving portion that receives diffused reflection light diffusely reflected by the recording medium irradiated with light from the light irradiating portion; and a determining portion that determines the type of recording medium on the basis of each light amount of two or more visible light components with different wavelengths to one another among the light components received by the regular reflection light receiving portion and each light amount of two or more visible light components with different wavelengths to one another among the light components received by the diffused reflection light receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tsunenobu Endo, Yuto Togawa, Shogo Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 8982354
    Abstract: Subsurface motors for use with electrical submersible pump which include one or more optic fiber sensors to detect operational parameters of the motor such as temperature, vibration and pressure. Optic fiber sensors are disposed a ally along a pathway within unsealed portions of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Suresha R. O'Bryan, Ketankumar K. Sheth, Risa Rutter, Michael Forsberg
  • Patent number: 8976362
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method employing carbon nanotubes on substrates such as silicon, titanium, copper, stainless steel and other substrates, where the carbon nanotubes are blacker than existing paints and coatings, thereby providing an exponential increase in stray light suppression depending on the number of bounces of such treated surfaces. Additionally, the present invention is directed to techniques to better absorb and radiate unwanted energies. Further, the alternate substrates offer strength of material for numerous components and in numerous physical applications. The present invention is also directed to techniques for improving the adhesion of the nanotubes to the alternate substrate materials and also extending the wavelength of operation from the near ultraviolet to the far infrared portion of the spectrum (0.2 microns to 120 microns wavelength).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: USA as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics Space Administration
    Inventors: John G. Hagopian, Stephanie A. Getty, Manuel A. Quijada
  • Publication number: 20150042999
    Abstract: An illumination system for a lithographic or inspection apparatus. A plurality of optical waveguides transmit radiation from the illumination source to an output. A switching system enables selective control of one or more subsets of the optical waveguides. An inspection method uses an illumination system and inspection and lithographic apparatuses comprise an illumination system. In one example, the optical waveguides and switching system are replaced by a plurality of parallel optical bandpass filter elements. The optical bandpass filter elements each only transmit a predetermined wavelength or a band of wavelengths of radiation. At least two of the parallel optical bandpass filter elements each being operable to transmit a different wavelength or band of wavelengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Richard QUINTANILHA
  • Publication number: 20150015888
    Abstract: An analyzer apparatus and method of use thereof is described to dynamically irradiate a sample with incident light where the incident light is varied in time in terms of any of: position, radial position relative to a point of the skin of a subject, solid angle, incident angle, depth of focus, energy, and/or intensity. For example, the incident light is varied in radial position as a function of time relative to one or more of a sample site, a point on skin of the subject, a detection optic, and/or a sample volume observed by a detection system. The radially varied incident light is used to enhance and/or vary light probing the epidermis, the dermis, and/or the subcutaneous fat of the subject or of a group of subjects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Sandeep Gulati, Thomas George, Timothy Ruchti, Alan Abul-Haj, Kevin H. Hazen
  • Publication number: 20140362377
    Abstract: A hemispherical scanning optical scatterometer and method for its use for measuring scattered radiation, with a reflected scatter measurement laser, and/or a transmitted scatter measurement laser, an array of optical detectors, a computer controlled system to rotate the array of optical detectors, an electronic system, a computer interface and a computer for processing the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: ScatterMaster LLC
    Inventors: Eric Hegstrom, John Clyde Stover
  • Publication number: 20140347669
    Abstract: Flow cytometry concepts are modified to enable dynamic characterizations of particles to be obtained using optical scattering data. Particles in flow will be introduced into a sample volume. Light scattered by a particle in the sample volume is collected and analyzed. What differentiates the concepts disclosed herein from conventional flow cytometry is the use of an acoustic source that is disposed to direct acoustic energy into the sample volume. As the particle passes through the sample volume, it responds to the acoustic energy, causing changes in the light scattered by the particle. Those changes, which are not measured during conventional flow cytometry, can be analyzed to determine additional physical properties of the particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: University of Washington
    Inventors: Thomas J. Matula, Jarred Swalwell
  • Patent number: 8879073
    Abstract: Methods and systems for enhancing metrology sensitivity to particular parameters of interest are presented. Field enhancement elements (FEEs) are constructed as part of a specimen to enhance the measurement sensitivity of structures of interest present on the specimen. The design of the FEEs takes into account measurement goals and manufacturing design rules to make target fabrication compatible with the overall device fabrication process. Measurement of opaque materials, high-aspect ratio structures, structures with low-sensitivity, or mutually correlated parameters is enhanced by the addition of FEEs. Exemplary measurements include critical dimension, film thickness, film composition, and optical scatterometry overlay. In some examples, a target element includes different FEEs to improve the measurement of different structures of interest. In other examples, different target elements include different FEEs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Madsen, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Michael Bakeman, Thaddeus Gerard Dziura, Alexander Kuznetsov, Bin-Ming (Benjamin) Tsai
  • Patent number: 8873034
    Abstract: A fiber-type image capturing apparatus includes a fiber optic, an optical rotating module, an outer tube, an air inlet hole, and an air outlet hole. The optical rotating module is connected to one end of the fiber optic and has a light forward exit and a light lateral exit. The optical rotating module further includes a stator, a rotor, and a light path selector. The stator is fixed correspondingly to the fiber optic. The rotor has a fan blade which is pivotally connected to the stator. The light path selector is installed at the rotor and has a forward scanning path and a lateral scanning path. The outer tube fixes the fiber optic and the optical rotating module. The air inlet hole is disposed at the outer tube and feeds the fan blade with air. The air outlet hole is disposed at the outer tube and vents the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignees: China Medical University, Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Shinn-Zong Lin, Horng-Jyh Harn, Rung-Ywan Tsai, Yuan-Chin Lee
  • Publication number: 20140307260
    Abstract: An optical detection device is provided. The detection device includes a light source emitting light rays, a focusing lens, and a sample testing member. The focusing lens refracts the light rays emitting from the light source to a pre-defined area on the sample testing member and focuses light rays diffusely reflected by the sample testing member. The detection device further includes an aperture diaphragm having an aperture. The aperture is configured to allow the focused reflected light rays to pass through. The detection device further includes a photodetector configured to receive the focused reflected rays passing through the aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: HUIERLI BIOTECH. INC. (SHENZHEN)
    Inventors: JUN SONG, Liming Pi, Fengling Chen, Yuan Yuan, Yunhai Qiu
  • Patent number: 8854734
    Abstract: An integrating optical system having a chamber, the chamber having an aperture and at least one portion having a diffuse reflective material; a light source; and a diffuse transmissive baffle. The baffle is located in relation to the chamber such that it is also located in an optical path between the light source and a treatable target. A light-ray originating from the light source is diffusely transmitted from the diffuse transmissive baffle and impinges on an interior surface of the chamber before impinging on the treatable target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Vela Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael W. Ingram
  • Patent number: 8852509
    Abstract: An electronic device for analyzing an aqueous solution may comprise a housing, one or more measurement circuits and a control circuit all arranged inside the housing. The housing may be configured to receive a test element. The one or more measurement circuits may be configured to produce one or more corresponding sets of measurement signals relating to an aqueous solution received on the test element. The control circuit may include a memory having instructions stored therein that are executable by the control circuit to process the one or more sets of measurement signals to determine one or more corresponding characteristics of the aqueous solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Hach Company
    Inventors: David Alexander Nathaniel Morris, Teresa Lynn Swanson
  • Patent number: 8848195
    Abstract: In a method for determining one or more properties of a substrate, scatterometry spectra can be measured from one or more targets on the substrate. Reconstructions of each of said spectra can be performed to derive one or more values for the property of the substrate, by comparing representations of each of the measured spectra with one or more modeled representations of spectra calculated using variable parameter values. At least one parameter in the reconstruction for each spectrum can be linked to the value of the parameter used in the reconstruction for a different spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Christian Marinus Leewis, Marcus Adrianus Van De Kerkhof, Karel Diederick Van Der Mast, Peter Clement Paul Vanoppen, Ruben Alvarez Sanchez
  • Publication number: 20140262027
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring surface properties of a polishing pad which measures surface properties such as surface topography or surface condition of a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus for measuring surface properties of a polishing pad includes a laser beam source configured to emit a laser beam, and a photodetector configured to detect scattered light that is reflected and scattered by the polishing pad, an optical Fourier transform being performed on the detected scattered light to produce an intensity distribution corresponding to a spatial wavelength spectrum based on surface topography of the polishing pad. The laser beam is applied to the polishing pad at such an incident angle that the laser beam does not reach a bottom portion of a pore formed in the surface of the polishing pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Kyushu Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Hisanori MATSUO, Keiichi KIMURA, Keisuke SUZUKI, Panart Khajornrungruang, Takashi KUSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20140273308
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of measuring surface properties of a polishing pad which measures surface properties such as surface topography or surface condition of a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The method of measuring surface properties of a polishing pad includes applying a laser beam to the polishing pad, detecting scattered light that is reflected and scattered by the polishing pad with a photodetector and performing an optical Fourier transform on the detected scattered light to produce an intensity distribution corresponding to a spatial wavelength spectrum based on surface topography of the polishing pad, and calculating a numerical value representing surface properties of the polishing pad based on the intensity distribution corresponding to two different prescribed spatial wavelength ranges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicants: EBARA CORPORATION, Kyushu Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Hisanori MATSUO, Keiichi KIMURA, Keisuke SUZUKI, Panart Khajornrungruang, Takashi KUSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20140268161
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a housing and an image sensor that is coupled to the housing. The apparatus also includes a non-imaging optical system coupled to the housing that can output light to a surface and produce a scattered light component and a specular reflected light component. The image sensor and the non-imaging optical system are collectively configured in such a manner that during operation, the image sensor receives from a surface (1) at least a portion of the scattered light component and not the specular reflected light component or (2) at least a portion of the scattered light component having a magnitude and at least a portion of the specular reflective light component having a magnitude less than the magnitude of the portion of the scattered light component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas C. ARENDS, Nicholas E. BRATT, John K. IKEDA, Jonathan R. HARRIS, Georg F. PETSCHNIGG
  • Patent number: 8836946
    Abstract: An optical device includes a group of projections projecting from a conductor surface of a substrate, and arranged along a first direction at a pitch Px, a dielectric layer covering the conductor surface and the group of projections, and a metal nanostructure having metal nanoparticles each having a size d of the order of nanometers arranged on the dielectric layer along the first direction, assuming that the wavelength of irradiation light is ?, ?>Px>d is fulfilled, and assuming that a maximum value of an arrangement pitch between two of the metal nanoparticles adjacent to each other in the first direction is Qx, Px>Qx is fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Amako, Kohei Yamada, Tatsunori Miyazawa