Electro-optic Patents (Class 359/245)
  • Patent number: 11126006
    Abstract: An optical component for transforming an input light beam having a Gaussian irradiance distribution into an output light sheet is provided. The optical component includes a first reflective surface extending around the central optical axis of the optical component and across an input light path of the input light beam, and reflects input light rays into transitional light rays defining a transitional light cone. A second reflective surface extends around the central optical axis and across a light path of the transitional light cone, reflecting the transitional light rays outwardly into output light rays defining the output light sheet. The first and second reflective surfaces are configured to distribute optical power within the output light sheet according to a Gaussian irradiance distribution transversally to the output light sheet. The output light sheet may be planar or conical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Institut National D'Optique
    Inventor: Michel Doucet
  • Patent number: 11126057
    Abstract: A method of controlling tint of a tintable window to account for occupant comfort in a room of a building. The tintable window is between the interior and exterior of the building. The method predicts a tint level for the tintable window at a future time based on a penetration depth of direct sunlight through the tintable window into the room at the future time and space type in the room. The method also provides instructions over a network to transition tint of the tintable window to the tint level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: View, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen C. Brown, Deepika Khowal, Namrata Vora, Santosh V. Philip
  • Patent number: 11107972
    Abstract: An optical element includes a nanovoided polymer layer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Compression or expansion of the nanovoided polymer layer, for instance, can be used to reversibly control the size and shape of the nanovoids within the polymer layer and hence tune its refractive index over a range of values, e.g., during operation of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Robin Sharma, Tanya Malhotra, Barry David Silverstein, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Erik Shipton, Gregory Olegovic Andreev
  • Patent number: 11106061
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a low-voltage integrated silicon high-speed modulator may include an optical modulator comprising first and second optical waveguides and two optical phase shifters, where each of the two optical phase shifters may comprise a p-n junction with a horizontal section and a vertical section and an optical signal is communicated to the first optical waveguide. A portion of the optical signal may then be coupled to the second optical waveguide. A phase of at least one optical signal in the waveguides may be modulated utilizing the optical phase shifters. A portion of the phase modulated optical signals may be coupled between the two waveguides, thereby generating two output signals from the modulator. A modulating signal may be applied to the phase shifters which may include a reverse bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Luxtera LLC
    Inventors: Ali Ayazi, Kam-Yan Hon, Gianlorenzo Masini
  • Patent number: 11101256
    Abstract: An optoelectronic device. The optoelectronic device operable to provide a PAM-N modulated output, the device comprising: M optical modulators, M being an integer greater than 1, the M optical modulators being arranged in a cascade, the device being configured to operate in N distinct transmittance states, as a PAM-N modulator, wherein, in each transmittance state of the N distinct transmittance states, each of the M optical modulators has applied to it a respective control voltage equal to one of: a first voltage or a second voltage. One or more of the modulators may include a substrate; a crystalline cladding layer, on top of the substrate; and an optically active region, above the crystalline cladding layer. The crystalline cladding layer may have a refractive index which is less than a refractive index of the optically active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Rockley Photonics Limited
    Inventors: Guomin Yu, Amit Singh Nagra, Damiana Lerose, Hooman Abediasl, Pradeep Srinivasan, Joyce Kai See Poon, Zheng Yong, Haydn Frederick Jones
  • Patent number: 11086048
    Abstract: An optical device is described. At least a portion of the optical device includes lithium niobate and is fabricated utilizing ultraviolet lithography. In some aspects the at least the portion of the optical device is fabricated using deep ultraviolet lithography. In some aspects, the short range root mean square surface roughness of a sidewall of the at least the portion of the optical device is less than ten nanometers. In some aspects, the at least the portion of the optical device has a loss of not more than 2 dB/cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: HyperLight Corporation
    Inventors: Mian Zhang, Kevin Luke
  • Patent number: 11079652
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for omniresonant broadband coherent perfect absorption of incoherent light over large bandwidths. The apparatus and methods that enable 100% effective optical absorption in a structure, irrespective of the material from which it is constructed, over a large, continuous bandwidth (omniresonance) in ultrathin devices. Specifically, we demonstrate achromatic optical absorption (omniresonance) in a planar Fabry-Pérot micro-cavity via angularly multiplexed phase-matching. By assigning each wavelength to an appropriate angle of incidence, the micro-cavity is rendered absorbing with continuous spectral range. For example, the linewidth of a single-order 0.7 nm wide resonance is de-slanted in spectral-angular space to become a 70 nm wide achromatic resonance spanning multiple cavity free spectral ranges. The embodied invention can have important applications in, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Ayman F. Abouraddy, Ali Kazemi Jahromi, Massimo L. Villinger, Ahmed El Halawany, Soroush Shabahang, Hasan Esat Kondakci
  • Patent number: 11073706
    Abstract: A transmitter includes an optical modulator, a drive unit, a deviation identification signal generation unit, and a bias control unit. The deviation identification signal generation unit generates a signal value in accordance with a deviation of a bias voltage of the optical modulator by amplifying a signal value of a dither signal extracted from a modulated signal output from the optical modulator by a factor set for each of a plurality of modulation schemes so as to generate a uniform signal value. The bias control unit generates a bias value at which a center of a variation range, which is a range from a maximum value to a minimum value of the drive signal, corresponds to transmission characteristics of the optical modulator according to one predetermined adjustment method by using the signal value generated by the deviation identification signal generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi Koga
  • Patent number: 11067839
    Abstract: Described herein are methods, systems, and apparatuses to utilize an electro-optic modulator including one or more heating elements. The modulator can utilize one or more heating elements to control an absorption or phase shift of the modulated optical signal. At least the active region of the modulator and the one or more heating elements of the modulator are included in a thermal isolation region comprising a low thermal conductivity to thermally isolate the active region and the one or more heating elements from a substrate of the PIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Aurrion, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Silvio Guzzon, Erik Norberg, Jonathan Edgar Roth
  • Patent number: 11060916
    Abstract: An adjustable hyperspectral detection chip enhanced by a multi-resonance plasmonic mechanism. The detection chip consists of an array of metal nanonail resonator detection units. Each detection unit (1) comprises: a bottom electrode (2), a semiconductor material layer (3), a spacer layer (4), a nanonail array (5), a control material layer (6), a top electrode (7), a peripheral control signal (8), and a driving circuit (9). The positional relationship from top to bottom is the top electrode (7), the control material layer (6), the nanonail array (5), the spacer layer (4), the semiconductor material layer (3), and the bottom electrode (2). The nanonail array (5) is loaded inside the control material layer (6), and the peripheral control signal (8) and the driving circuit (9) are connected to both sides of the control material layer (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Southeast University
    Inventors: Tong Zhang, Dan Su, Meng Xiong, Feng Shan, Xiaoyang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11038140
    Abstract: There is provided a display device capable of decreasing a drive voltage. A display device includes: a first electrode provided for each of a plurality of light emitting elements arranged on a flat surface; at least two or more kinds of inorganic insulating layers which separate each of the light emitting elements and have different concentrations of hydroxy groups on surfaces of the layers; an organic light emitting layer provided on the first electrode and the two or more kinds of inorganic insulating layers; and a second electrode provided on the organic light emitting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuichiro Itonaga
  • Patent number: 11029562
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal panel and a backlight unit under the liquid crystal panel and including a circuit board; a plurality of LED packages mounted on the circuit board; an encapsulation member over the circuit board and covering the plurality of LED packages; and a multi-pattern sheet over the encapsulation member and including a glass complex body containing a phosphor and a plurality of diffusion patterns on an upper surface of the glass complex body, wherein the plurality of diffusion patterns include at least one first pattern corresponding to an LED package and at least one second pattern corresponding to a portion between adjacent LED packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Rok-Hee Lee, Yong-Seok Kwak, Il-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 11022823
    Abstract: switchable optical filter that is based on carrier injection induced semiconductor to metal phase transition (SMT) of vanadium oxide-based (e.g., VO2) thin films may reversibly change from optically transparent to opaque while undergoing such phase transition. Electrical carrier injection may be established by an electric field or by photoexcitation. The SMT may also be induced by a combination of applying an electric field and optical flux. Such a switchable optical filter, when inserted in the optical path of an optical radiation sensor, may be used to control and/or limit high power optical beams, such as a laser beam impinging on one or more sensor elements. Since the SMT may be configured to occur at ultrafast time scales (e.g., approximately 100 femtoseconds), it may also act as a beam shutter and/or as a fast optical beam modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: University of North Texas
    Inventor: Athanasios J. Syllaios
  • Patent number: 10983373
    Abstract: A display device comprises a display panel including a main display region and a periphery region outside the main display region; and a panel driver connected with the display panel in the periphery region of the display panel, wherein the display panel includes an upper substrate and a lower substrate formed under a lower surface of the upper substrate, and the lower substrate is formed to expose a pad region provided on the lower surface of the upper substrate, and the panel driver is connected to the pad region provided on the lower surface of the upper substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: JooHong Lee, SeoungJin Park, Moohyoung Song, SangRyeon Park, TaeYoung Jung
  • Patent number: 10983255
    Abstract: Mechanisms for customizing a refractive index of an optical component are disclosed. In one example, sub-wavelength openings are formed in a top layer of anti-reflective (AR) material of an optical component to tailor transmission characteristics of the AR material over a range of angles of incidence and a range of wavelengths. In another example, sub-wavelength openings are formed at different filling fractions in the surface of the optical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignees: Lockheed Martin Corporation, The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Clara R. Baleine, Corey L. Bungay, Theresa S. Mayer, Andrew Swisher, Jeffrey L. Ruckman, Stephen R. Tuenge
  • Patent number: 10983370
    Abstract: An optical phase shifter is described, which includes an optical waveguide which is realized in a substrate and has an optical conduction surface within the substrate, the optical conduction surface including at least a first region having a first doping and at least two second regions having a second doping that differs from the first doping. The first region is situated between the two second regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Niklas Caspers, Mohamed Ashour
  • Patent number: 10962812
    Abstract: An electro-optic modulator includes a doped structure disposed on a top silicon layer of a substrate. The doped structure includes an optical waveguide, and a first P-type doped region and a first N-type doped region disposed respectively on two sides of the optical waveguide. The first P-type doped region is connected to the optical waveguide by means of a plurality of P-type doped link arms, and the first N-type doped region is connected to the optical waveguide by means of a plurality of N-type doped link arms. End portions of the plurality of P-type doped link arms and end portions of the plurality of N-type doped link arms are alternately arranged along a direction of light propagation to form PN junction depletion layers. The PN junction depletion layers are periodically arranged along the direction of light propagation to form the optical waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: InnoLight Technology (Suzhou) Ltd.
    Inventors: Mengxi Ji, Xianyao Li, Yue Xiao
  • Patent number: 10962712
    Abstract: An optical array waveguide grating-type multiplexer and demultiplexer according to an embodiment of the present invention comprise: a first substrate, a plurality of first waveguides disposed on the first substrate to be superposed in the vertical direction, which is the thickness direction of the first substrate; a 1-1st cladding layer disposed between the first substrate and a 1-1st waveguide, which is nearest to the first substrate among the plurality of first waveguides; a 1-2nd cladding layer disposed between the plurality of first waveguides; and a 1-3rd cladding layer disposed on a 1-2nd waveguide, which is furthest from the first substrate among the plurality of first waveguides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lee Im Kang, Chang Hyuck Lee
  • Patent number: 10955685
    Abstract: Disclosed is volumetric display arrangement for representing content of an image at different focal distances in a view of real-world environment. The volumetric display arrangement includes at least one image projection unit operable to project multiple depth planes of the image, at least one electro-optical unit comprising two or more optical diffuser elements arranged parallel to each other, the at least one electro-optical unit being positioned to receive the projected multiple depth planes of the image thereon and configured to independently display one of the projected multiple depth planes of the image at one of the two or more optical diffuser elements at a given instant of time, and an optical combiner positioned with respect to the at least one electro-optical unit to combine the view of real-world environment with the independently displayed multiple depth planes of the image in the at least one electro-optical unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Lightspace Technologies, SIA
    Inventors: Ilmārs Osmanis, Robers Zabels, Uġis Gertners, Mārtiņ{hacek over (s)} Narels, Kri{hacek over (s)}s Osmanis, Rendijs Smukulis, Armands {hacek over (S)}maukstelis
  • Patent number: 10958343
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an optical transmitter module that can be electrically coupled to an electrical serializer/deserializer and a controller. The optical transmitter module can include an electrical detector that can receive an in-band signal. The electrical detector can send to the controller a first power error signal and a second power error signal based on the in-band signal. The controller can send a correction control signal to the electrical serializer/deserializer based on the first power error signal and the second power error signal such that the electrical serializer/deserializer sends a pre-emphasized signal to the optical transmitter module based on the correction control signal. In such embodiments, the first power error signal, the second power signal and the correction control signal are out-of-band signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Juniper Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore J. Schmidt, Bo Zhang, Murat Arabaci, Roberto Marcoccia, Christian Malouin, Steven William Keck
  • Patent number: 10942377
    Abstract: A driver circuit for a Mach-Zehnder modulator is provided that includes a first driver having an input to receive one of an input data or input data complement, and an output to be coupled to a first application voltage node associated with a first arm of a Mach-Zehnder modulator. The driver circuit includes a second driver having an input to receive the other of the input data complement or input data, and an output to be coupled to a second application voltage node associated with the first arm of the Mach-Zehnder modulator. The first driver and the second driver differentially drive the first and second application voltage nodes associated with the first arm of the Mach-Zehnder modulator to result in a voltage swing associated with a voltage applied to the first arm that is twice the supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Manohar Bhavsar Nagaraju, Sean P. Anderson, Alexander Christopher Kurylak, Kadaba Lakshmikumar
  • Patent number: 10879478
    Abstract: A polymer solar cell includes an anode electrode, a photoactive layer, an insulating layer, a cathode electrode stacked on each other in that order. The photoactive layer includes a polymer layer and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in the polymer layer. Each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end passes through the insulating layer and is in direct contact with the cathode electrode, and the second end is embedded in the polymer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wen Ning, Peng Liu, Kai-Li Jiang, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Patent number: 10873399
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a photonic interposer may include receiving a continuous wave (CW) optical signal in a silicon photonic interposer from an optical source. A modulated optical signal may be generated by processing the received CW optical signal based on a first electrical signal received from an electronics die. A second electrical signal may be generated in the silicon photonic interposer based on the generated modulated optical signal, and may then be communicated to the electronics die via copper pillars. Optical signals may be communicated into and/or out of the silicon photonic interposer utilizing grating couplers. The electronics die may comprise one or more of a processor core, a switch core, memory, or a router.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Luxtera LLC
    Inventors: Mark Peterson, Greg Young, Peter De Dobbelaere
  • Patent number: 10852570
    Abstract: A silicon optical modulator is fabricated to have a multi-slab structure between the contacts and the waveguide, imparting desirable performance attributes. A first slab comprises dopant of a first level. A second slab adjacent to (e.g., on top of) the first slab, comprises a doped region proximate to a contact, and an intrinsic region proximate to the waveguide. The parallel resistance properties and low overlap between the highly doped silicon and optical mode pigtail afforded by the multi-slab configuration, allow the modulator to operate with reduced optical losses and at a high speed. Embodiments may be implemented in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer or in micro-ring resonator modulator configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: INPHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xiaoguang Tu, Masaki Kato
  • Patent number: 10838240
    Abstract: An optoelectronic device comprising: a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, the substrate comprising: a silicon support layer; a buried oxide (BOX) layer on top of the silicon support layer; and a silicon device layer on top of the BOX layer; a waveguide region, where a portion of the silicon device layer and a portion of the BOX layer underneath the portion of the device layer have been removed, the portion of the BOX layer having been replaced with a layer of silicon and a layer of crystalline oxide on top of the silicon; and a waveguide structure located directly on top of the crystalline oxide layer, the waveguide structure including a P doped region, and an N doped region with an intrinsic region in-between, creating a PIN junction across which a bias can be applied to create a modulation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Rockley Photonics Limited
    Inventors: Guomin Yu, Aaron John Zilkie
  • Patent number: 10816866
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a reflective electrochromic display panel, and the reflective electrochromic display panel includes: an upper substrate, a common electrode layer, an electrochromic layer, a pixel electrode layer and a lower substrate sequentially arranged from top to bottom. The electrochromic layer includes a red electrochromic layer, a green electrochromic layer and a blue electrochromic layer. The electrochromic layers reflecting corresponding lights upon receiving a voltage, and the reflection light of the electrochromic layers is zero when no voltage is received. The display panel of the disclosure is equipped with an electrochromic layer, and the different voltage characteristics of the electrochromic layer are used to improve the utilization of light and visual angle limitation of the display panel, thereby improving the performance of the liquid crystal display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiang Li
  • Patent number: 10816791
    Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein relates to arrangements and techniques that provide for controlling motion of an electrowetting oil within an electrowetting display device. An electrowetting display device comprises a substrate, an electrode on the substrate, a dielectric layer on a first portion of the electrode. The electrode extends along the substrate one of either entirely from a first end of a pixel area to a second end of the pixel area, or from the first end of the pixel area to the second end of the pixel area such that a portion of the substrate is an electrode free portion to thereby define a notch. A first fluid is disposed on a hydrophobic layer and a second fluid is disposed on the first fluid, the second fluid being immiscible with the first fluid. A dielectric constant of the dielectric layer is greater than a dielectric constant of the first fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gor Manukyan, Daniel Figura
  • Patent number: 10777639
    Abstract: Disclosed are a two-dimensional semiconductor in which an energy band gap changes with thickness, a manufacturing method therefor, and a semiconductor device comprising the same. A two-dimensional semiconductor according to an embodiment comprises: a first layer having a first thickness; and a second layer having a second thickness, wherein the first thickness and the second thickness are different from each other, the first layer forms a first junction with a first electrode, and the second layer forms a second junction with a second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignees: KONKUK UNIVERSITY INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION CORP, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Hyun Jong Chung, Hyun Cheol Kim, Han Byeol Lee, Hak Seong Kim, Sung Yool Choi
  • Patent number: 10777761
    Abstract: A polymer solar cell includes an anode electrode, a photoactive layer, and a cathode electrode stacked on each other in that order. The photoactive layer includes a polymer layer and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in the polymer layer. Each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes includes a first carbon nanotube portion and a second carbon nanotube portion. The first carbon nanotube portion is embedded in the polymer layer, and the second carbon nanotube portion is exposed out of the polymer layer and directly contacts the cathode electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wen Ning, Peng Liu, Kai-Li Jiang, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Patent number: 10766421
    Abstract: An electro-optic mirror reflective element for a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a front substrate and a rear substrate. A surface of the front substrate and a surface of the rear substrate oppose one another and are spaced apart by a perimeter seal, with an electro-optic medium disposed between the surfaces and bounded by the perimeter seal. A transparent electrically conductive coating is established at the surface of the front substrate, and a specularly reflective mirror reflector is established at the surface of the rear substrate. The specularly reflective mirror reflector includes a stack of thin film layers having (i) an environmentally stable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer including chromium, (ii) an environmentally vulnerable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer and (iii) a transparent electrically conductive thin film layer including aluminum doped zinc oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: DONNELLY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael J. Baur, Ian A. McCabe, Hamid Habibi, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 10761383
    Abstract: A phase modulator includes; a first liquid crystal element and a second liquid crystal element, wherein: in the state in which no voltage is applied to the first liquid crystal element nor to the second liquid crystal element, both of the first liquid crystal material and the second liquid crystal material show optical isotropy; and in the state in which a predetermined range of voltage is applied both to the first liquid crystal element and to the second liquid crystal element, the first liquid crystal material shows optically uniaxial anisotropy with a first ordinary refractive index and a first extraordinary refractive index which is larger than the first ordinary refractive index, and the second liquid crystal material shows optically uniaxial anisotropy with a second ordinary refractive index and a second extraordinary refractive index which is smaller than the second ordinary refractive index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignees: ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL, NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Estelle Netter
  • Patent number: 10747085
    Abstract: An optical switch device includes a first semiconductor structure configured to operate as a first waveguide and a second semiconductor structure configured to operate as a second waveguide. The second semiconductor structure is located above or below the first semiconductor structure and separated from the first semiconductor structure. The second semiconductor structure includes a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a width different from the first width and located on the first portion. The first portion is located between a first doped region and a second doped region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: PsiQuantum Corp.
    Inventors: Mihai Vidrighin, Nikhil Kumar, Gary Gibson
  • Patent number: 10747030
    Abstract: Structures for an electro-optic modulator and methods of fabricating a structure for an electro-optic modulator. An electro-optic modulator is positioned proximate to a section of a waveguide core. The electro-optic modulator includes an active layer and a confinement layer. The active layer is composed of a first material, the confinement layer is composed of a second material with a different composition than the first material, the first material has a refractive index that is variable under an applied bias voltage, and the second material has a permittivity with an imaginary part that ranges from 0 to about 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Yusheng Bian, Ajey Poovannummoottil Jacob
  • Patent number: 10739626
    Abstract: Provided are devices and methods capable of electronically controlling and varying aperture diameters or diffracting light. The method provides a solid-state device made up of a transparent bottom electrode (TBE), a layer of liquid crystal (LC) material overlying the TBE, and a field of selectively engageable transparent top electrodes (TTEs). Light incident to the TTEs is accepted and a voltage differential between one or more selected TTEs and the TBE. As a result, an optically transparent region is created in the LC material interposed between the selected TTEs and the TBE. Depending on the arrangement of the TTEs and their size respective to the wavelength of the incident light, the light is either transmitted through an aperture or diffracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: UltRes FP, LLC
    Inventor: Osman Ersed Akcasu
  • Patent number: 10734538
    Abstract: A photovoltaic apparatus (200) is provided including a back sheet (210) and a photovoltaic device (100) disposed over the back sheet. The photovoltaic device includes an array of photovoltaic cells (101-104) extending in a first direction; and a plurality of serial interconnects (191) having a length that extends in a second direction, wherein each serial interconnect is disposed between and electrically connects consecutive photovoltaic cells of the array. The photovoltaic apparatus further includes a front sheet (250) disposed over the photovoltaic device, the front sheet having a plurality of structures (220), wherein each structure has one or more edges (221) aligned with one of the serial interconnects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: FLISOM AG
    Inventors: Louis Schar, Thomas Netter
  • Patent number: 10735865
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for microspeaker devices. In one aspect, a microspeaker element may include a deformable dielectric membrane that spans a speaker cavity. The deformable dielectric membrane can include a piezoactuator and a dielectric layer. Upon application of a driving signal to the piezoactuator, the dielectric layer can deflect, producing sound. In some implementations, an array of microspeaker elements can be encapsulated between a glass substrate and a cover glass. Sound generated by the microspeaker elements can be emitted through a speaker grill formed in the cover glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: SnapTrack, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Jason Stephanou, David William Burns, Ravindra V. Shenoy
  • Patent number: 10720264
    Abstract: The light transmitting conductive film includes a light transmitting substrate and a non-crystal light transmitting conductive layer, wherein the conditions (1) to (3) below are satisfied when the non-crystal light transmitting conductive layer has a carrier density of Xa×1019(/cm3) and a hole mobility of Ya (cm2/V·s); a heated light transmitting conductive layer has a carrier density of Xc×1019(/cm3) and a hole mobility of Yc (cm2/V·s), wherein the heated light transmitting conductive layer is the non-crystal light transmitting conductive layer after going through heating; and a moving distance L is {(Xc?Xa)2+(Yc?Ya)2}1/2: (1) Xa?Xc (2) Ya?Yc, and (3) the moving distance L is 1.0 or more and 45.0 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nozomi Fujino, Tomotake Nashiki
  • Patent number: 10698289
    Abstract: An optical modulator having a substrate having an electro-optic effect, an optical waveguide formed in the substrate, and a signal electrode and ground electrodes formed on the substrate so as to interpose the optical waveguide, in which the signal electrode and the ground electrodes respectively have a plurality of electrode layers, and an interval between the signal electrode and the ground electrode is larger than a mode field diameter of the optical waveguide in a first layer of the electrode layers closest to the substrate and is smaller than the interval in the first layer of the electrode layers in at least any one of second and upper layers of the electrode layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO OSAKA CEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Oisha, Norikazu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 10690850
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for simultaneously modulating at least two distinct characteristics of an optical carrier propagating in an optical waveguide with at least two electrical signals includes transmitting an optical beam that includes the optical carrier into an optical waveguide defined in electro-optic material, and applying the at least two electrical signals at the same time to generate an electric field in the optical waveguide. The instantaneous predominant orientation of the electric field in the optical waveguide generated by the applied at least two electrical signals depends on the relative instantaneous values of the applied electrical signals. The at least two distinct characteristics of the optical carrier propagating in the optical waveguide are simultaneously and independently modulated depending on the predominant orientation of the electric field in the optical waveguide as a result of the application of the at least two electrical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Phase Sensitive Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Janusz Murakowski, Timothy Creazzo
  • Patent number: 10677722
    Abstract: Mid-infrared photothermal heterodyne imaging (MIR-PHI) techniques described herein overcome the diffraction limit of traditional MIR imaging and uses visible photodiodes as detectors. MIR-PHI experiments are shown that achieve high sensitivity, sub-diffraction limit spatial resolution, and high acquisition speed. Sensitive, affordable, and widely applicable, photothermal imaging techniques described herein can serve as a useful imaging tool for biological systems and other submicron-scale applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: University of Notre Dame du Lac
    Inventors: Zhongming Li, Gregory Hartland, Masaru Ken Kuno
  • Patent number: 10661716
    Abstract: An electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element includes front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate. The perimeter layer conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of the front substrate. At least a portion of the mirror reflector disposed at at least a portion of the third surface of the rear substrate extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films that includes at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: DONNELLY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ian A. McCabe, Desaraju V. Varaprasad, Hamid Habibi, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 10654343
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system for a vehicle door glass may include a power transmitter including a first converter converting DC power from a battery into AC power, a transmitting coil wirelessly transmitting the AC power received from the first converter, and a transmitter controller controlling a power level to be output from the first converter; and a power receiver including a receiving coil wirelessly receiving the AC power from the transmitting coil, a second converter and a third converter connected to the receiving coil, and a receiver controller controlling a power level to be output from the second converter and the third converter, wherein the power transmitter is mounted on a vehicle door, and the power receiver is mounted on a door glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Omron Automotive Electronic Korea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwan Hui Kang, Sang Hoon Gweon, Joon Koo Hwang, Dong Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 10649246
    Abstract: A dielectric thin film-applied substrate that suppresses occurrence of cracks when the film thickness of the lithium niobate film is equal to or larger than 1 ?m. The dielectric thin film-applied substrate includes a single crystal substrate and a dielectric thin film made of c-axis oriented lithium niobate epitaxially formed on a main surface of the single crystal substrate. The dielectric thin film has a twin crystal structure including first and second crystals 180° apart, centered on the c-axis. In pole figure measurement by X-ray diffraction, the ratio between a first diffraction intensity corresponding to the first crystal and a second diffraction intensity corresponding to the second crystal is equal to or higher than 0.5 and equal to or lower than 2.0, which alleviates distortions accumulated inside the lithium niobate film and supresses occurrences of cracks accompanying increases in the film thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Sasaki, Shinji Iwatsuka
  • Patent number: 10627572
    Abstract: Provided is an optical waveguide element having a reduced optical loss, a lower driving voltage, and a reduced size. A rib waveguide core of an optical waveguide includes a first core region and a second core region which constitute a PN junction and which are provided so as to overlap each other in a horizontal direction. A depletion layer is formed between the first core region and the second core region. The depletion layer extends from a rib region to both of two slab regions. The depletion layer is located so as to be vertically lower in the slab regions than in the rib region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Kensuke Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10608741
    Abstract: Through-the-Air Link Optical Component is a low Size, Weight, and Power optical communications device that 1) acquires and maintains a broad band communications link between two platforms in line of sight with one another, 2) measures azimuth and elevation angle relative to each platform reference from one TALOC to the communicating TALOC and vice-versa, 3) measures distance between communicating TALOC units, and 4) sees through atmospheric disturbances such as clouds and fog. These remarkable functions open the door to several important derivative capabilities, such as determining absolute positions of all platforms in a community and formation of platform community into a phase array antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: 4S-SILVERSWORD SOFTWARE AND SERVICES, LLC
    Inventors: William Robert Allen Ziegler, Ronald H. Smith
  • Patent number: 10608742
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a signal modulation and demodulation method and system, and an apparatus, to eliminate SSBI generated in a modulation and demodulation method. The method includes: performing, by a transmit end, PAM encoding on an input signal to obtain a PAM signal; electrically modulating, by the transmit end, the PAM signal by using a first filter; converting, by the transmit end, the electrically modulated PAM signal into an analog signal; optically modulating, by the transmit end, the analog signal by using an electro-optic modulator to obtain an optical signal, and sending the optical signal. Another method includes receiving, by a receive end, the optical signal, and converting the optical signal into an electrical signal; electrically demodulating, by the receive end, the electrical signal by using a second filter; and performing PAM decoding, by the receive end, the electrically demodulated electrical signal to obtain a restored input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tianjian Zuo, Liang Zhang, Enbo Zhou
  • Patent number: 10600830
    Abstract: A sensor package structure includes a substrate, a sensor chip disposed on the substrate, a plurality of wires electrically connected to the substrate and the sensor chip, a transparent layer facing the sensor chip, a support disposed on the substrate, and a packaging compound disposed on the substrate and covering side edges of the support and the transparent layer. A part of each wire is embedded in the support. A height from the upper surface of the substrate to the top of the support is larger than a height from the upper surface of the substrate to the top of any of the wires. The bottom surface of the transparent layer has a central region facing the sensor chip and a ring-shaped supporting region surrounded by the central region. The support is arranged outside the sensor chip and abuts against the supporting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: KINGPAK TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Jian-Ru Chen, Jo-Wei Yang, Li-Chun Hung, Hsiu-Wen Tu, Chung-Hsien Hsin
  • Patent number: 10590220
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides for new photoalignment (co)polymer materials which demonstrate improved adhesion to a substrate. The (co)polymeric structure includes at least one photochemically active chromophore and at least one adhesion promoter group. Articles of manufacture, optical elements, ophthalmic elements and liquid crystal cells which include at least one photoalignment layer made from the photoalignment (co)polymer materials and methods for formation are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Transitions Optical, Inc.
    Inventors: Gobinda Saha, Anil Kumar
  • Patent number: 10571723
    Abstract: Described herein are methods, systems, and apparatuses to utilize an electro-optic modulator including one or more heating elements. The modulator can utilize one or more heating elements to control an absorption or phase shift of the modulated optical signal. At least the active region of the modulator and the one or more heating elements of the modulator are included in a thermal isolation region comprising a low thermal conductivity to thermally isolate the active region and the one or more heating elements from a substrate of the PIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Aurrion, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Silvio Guzzon, Erik Norberg, Jonathan Edgar Roth
  • Patent number: 10567023
    Abstract: A sensing device has a detection portion having a plate shape and including a first set of one or more indication sensors and a securing portion extending from the detection portion. The securing portion secures the device to a piece of electronic equipment having a plate shape, a back and a front, the front including a display with a second set of one or more indication sensors. The securing portion is sized and shaped to fit between the back of the piece of electronic equipment and a base part of a protective cover to secure the device to the piece of electronic equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyazawa, Toshihiko Horie, Nobutaka Ide