Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140158197 | TRI-FUNCTIONAL LIGHT AND ENERGY GENERATING PANEL SYSTEM - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus that can generate PV power and simultaneously provide artificial lighting. The devices disclosed herein include a first optical structure having a plurality of focusing elements that can collect and focus ambient light onto a first set of light redirecting elements that is optically coupled to one or more photovoltaic (PV) cells. The devices also include one or more illumination sources that are optically coupled to a light guide including a second set of light redirecting elements that can direct light from the one or more illumination sources out of the device to provide artificial lighting. The devices further include a second optical structure disposed below the first optical structure such that the one or more illumination sources and the one or more PV cells are disposed along the edges of the first or the second optical structure. | 06-12-2014 |
20140159636 | SOLAR ENERGY HARVESTING SKYLIGHTS AND WINDOWS WITH INTEGRATED ILLUMINATION - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus that can generate PV power and simultaneously provide artificial lighting. The devices disclosed herein include a first optical structure having a plurality of focusing elements that can collect and focus ambient light onto a first set of light redirecting elements that is optically coupled to at least photovoltaic (PV) cell. The devices also include at least one illumination source that is optically coupled to a first edge of a second optical structure including a second set of light redirecting elements that can direct light from the at least one illumination source out of the device to provide artificial lighting. The at least one photovoltaic cell is coupled to a second edge of the second optical structure. | 06-12-2014 |
20140261621 | WINDOW SOLAR HARVESTING MEANS - Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed, including a light collector having a plurality of focusing elements and a plurality of light redirecting features that is optically coupled to one or more photovoltaic (PV) cells. In one aspect, the light collector includes half-cylinder shaped lenses that can focus light incident at various angles onto an elongate v-groove in the light guide such that a first portion of the incident light is diverted to one or more PV cells and a second portion of the incident light is transmitted through the light collector to provide illumination. | 09-18-2014 |
20150103051 | INFRARED TOUCH AND HOVER SYSTEM USING TIME-SEQUENTIAL MEASUREMENTS - A touch and hover-sensitive sensor system is provided. The system may include a planar light guide that has a plurality of light sources located along a first edge of the light guide and a plurality of light sensors located along a second edge of the light guide orthogonal to the first edge. The light guide may include light-turning arrangements that are configured to redirect light passing through a first side of the light guide from/along orthogonal directions within the light guide. A controller may illuminate proper subsets of the light sources; light that is emitted from the first side and that encounters an object, e.g., a fingertip, may be reflected back into the first side and then redirected to the light sensors. Depending on the light sensors that detect the highest redirected reflected light intensity and the active light sources, the controller may determine the XY/XYZ location of the object. | 04-16-2015 |
20150286292 | OPTICAL STYLUS CAPABLE OF TILT DETECTION - An optical stylus may be capable of providing active illumination for a touch/proximity sensing apparatus. The optical stylus also may be capable of determining a tilt angle of the optical stylus and/or an amount of pressure exerted upon the optical stylus. In some examples, an optical stylus may determine a tilt angle and/or pressure according to changes in optical flux distributions inside the optical stylus. In some examples, an optical stylus may include a deformable tip. The deformable tip and/or associated features may be capable of altering optical flux distributions inside the optical stylus in response to applied pressure and/or optical stylus tilt. In some implementations, the optical flux provided to the light guide by the optical stylus may vary according to pressure applied to the optical stylus. | 10-08-2015 |
20150286293 | OPTICAL STYLUS WITH DEFORMABLE TIP - An optical stylus may be capable of providing active illumination for a touch/proximity sensing apparatus. The optical stylus also may be capable of determining a tilt angle of the optical stylus and/or an amount of pressure exerted upon the optical stylus. In some examples, an optical stylus may determine a tilt angle and/or pressure according to changes in optical flux distributions inside the optical stylus. In some examples, an optical stylus may include a deformable tip. The deformable tip and/or associated features may be capable of altering optical flux distributions inside the optical stylus in response to applied pressure and/or optical stylus tilt. In some implementations, the optical flux provided to the light guide by the optical stylus may vary according to pressure applied to the optical stylus. | 10-08-2015 |
20150293645 | HOLOGRAPHIC COLLECTION AND EMISSION TURNING FILM SYSTEM - Various examples of diffraction grating layers for touch/proximity sensing apparatus are provided. The touch/proximity sensing apparatus may include a light guide and light sources edge-coupled to first side of the light guide. Light sensors may be edge-coupled to a second side of the light guide. The apparatus may include light sensors edge-coupled to the first side of the light guide and/or light sources edge-coupled to the second side of the light guide. A single diffraction grating layer proximate the light guide may be capable of extracting light from the light guide and of directing incident light into the light guide and towards the light sensors. In some examples, a single area or volume of the diffraction grating layer may include a diffraction grating capable of extracting light from the light guide and a diffraction grating capable of directing incident light into the light guide and towards a light sensor. | 10-15-2015 |
20150310251 | DISPLAY-INTEGRATED USER-CLASSIFICATION, SECURITY AND FINGERPRINT SYSTEM - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus related to biometric authentication of a user of an electronic device. An electronic display has a display cover glass with a front surface that includes a viewing area, and a fingerprint reading area within the viewing area. At least one photosensing element is configured to detect received scattered light, the received scattered light resulting from interaction of light with an object in at least partial optical contact with the front surface within the fingerprint reading area and to output, to a processor, fingerprint image data. | 10-29-2015 |