| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 250214000 | Photographic control | 29 |
| 20080197271 | Temperature-Compensated High Dynamic Range Optical Receiver - A light sensor having a photocurrent subsection and an interface circuit is disclosed. The photocurrent subsection includes a photodetector, an amplifier, a diode and an impedance element. The first photodetector generates a current between a first node and a power rail in response to being illuminated with light. The interface circuit generates an output signal that is related to the logarithm of the intensity of light that is incident on the photodetector. The impedance element is constructed in a manner that compensates for the thermal dependency of the impedance through the diode. Additional photocurrent subsections can be added to further reduce the thermal dependency of the output signal. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080210849 | DIRECT ATTACH OPTICAL RECEIVER MODULE AND METHOD OF TESTING - A direct attach optical receiver module and a system and method for testing the direct attach optical receiver module are provided. An optical receiver module may include an optical detector and an integrated circuit with an integrated amplifier circuit and at least one integrated capacitor. In one example, the optical detector may be physically attached to the integrated circuit and the output port of the optical detector may be electrically coupled to the input port of the integrated circuit. In another example, a redistribution layer that includes a tuning inductor may be being physically attached between the optical detector and the integrated circuit. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080217521 | Method and Apparatus for Providing Non-Linear, Passive Quenching of Avalanche Currents in Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photodiodes - A method and apparatus for providing non-linear, passive quenching of avalanche currents in Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (APDs) is provided. A non-linear, passive, current-limiting device is connected in series with the APD and a bias source. The non-linear, passive, current-limiting device rapidly quenches avalanche currents generated by the APD in response to an input photon and resets the APD for detecting additional photons, using a minimal number of components. The non-linear, passive, current-limiting device could comprise a field-effect transistor (FET), as well as a junction FET (JFET) a metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET), or a current-limiting diode (CLD) connected in series with the APD and the bias source. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080230685 | Photoelectric Conversion Device and Camera Using Photoelectric Conversion Device - A photoelectric conversion device is configured to include a light receiving region, for converting light to signal charges, and transistors. An insulation film is arranged on a surface of the light receiving region and under gate electrodes of the transistors. A first reflection prevention film of a refractive index higher than that of the insulation film is arranged at least above the light receiving region, to sandwich the insulation film between the first reflection prevention film and the light receiving region, and includes a silicon nitride film. An interlayer insulation film is arranged on the first reflection prevention film, and a second reflection prevention film is laminated between the first reflection prevention film and the interlayer insulation film. At least one of side walls of the gate electrodes of the transistors includes the silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film arranged between the silicon nitride film and the gate electrodes. A transistor having a gate electrode with such a side wall includes a source or drain region of an LDD structure, in which a heavily doped region of the source or drain region of the LDD structure is self aligned to the side wall formed from the silicon nitride film and the silicon oxide film. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080237452 | OPTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR MODULE AND LIGHT RECEIVING ELEMENT - An optical semiconductor module that includes: a light emitting element; a light receiving element that has a light receiving face on an upper face and a side face thereof, with the light receiving face having an antireflection film formed thereon; and a mounting unit that has the light emitting element and the light receiving element mounted thereon with such a positional relationship that the light emitted from the light emitting element is optically connected at least on the light receiving face of the side face of the light receiving element. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080245954 | Color sensitive device with temperature compensation and variable gain and display system using the same - A color sensitive device with temperature compensation and variable gain is disclosed. The color sensitive device exposed by RGB light can generate red-light, green-light and blue-light detection currents corresponding to the illumination of RGB light via a P-N interface of RGB photodiodes. The red-light, green-light and blue-light detection currents are transformed into voltage signals, which can be magnified via a variable resistor external to the color sensitive device. In addition, the color sensitive device includes a temperature compensation circuit for adjusting the non-ideal characteristics of photodiodes, so that a color display system using the color sensitive device will has excellent white balance after receiving the RGB voltage signals. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080290259 | Photon Counting Apparatus - An apparatus for photon counting is disclosed that comprises a sensor element ( | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080308716 | Automatic photodiode biasing circuit - A biasing circuit for a photodiode. The novel biasing circuit includes a first system for setting a reference gain threshold, a second system for setting an operating gain threshold, and a third system for adjusting a bias of the photodiode until a ratio of the operating gain threshold to the reference gain threshold is equal to a predetermined factor Z. In an illustrative embodiment, the reference gain threshold corresponds to a given probability of an output of the photodiode crossing the reference gain threshold when the photodiode is operating at a reference gain bias, and the operating gain threshold corresponds to a given probability of the photodiode output crossing the operating gain threshold when the photodiode is operating at an operating gain bias. The predetermined factor Z is a ratio of noise at a desired operating gain of the photodiode to noise at the reference gain of the photodiode. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080315074 | ARRAY-TYPE LIGHT RECEIVING DEVICE AND LIGHT COLLECTION METHOD - An array-type light receiving device includes a first light collector, a second light collector configured to receive light collected by the first light collector, and a light receiver configured to receive light collected by the second light collector. The first light collector has a spherical shape, the second light collector has a high refractive index portion and a low refractive index portion, and the high refractive index portion has one of a cylindrical shape and a polygonal prismatic shape. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090026352 | PHYSICAL QUANTITY DETECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - In a solid state imaging device to be included in an imaging device such as a digital camera, a ramp run-up AD conversion circuit for AD converting a pixel signal is provided corresponding to one or a plurality of pixel columns. A column counter provided in each ramp run-up AD conversion circuit holds an upper bit, and a clock signal is supplied to one or plural latches for holding a lower bit. Thus, fast and accurate AD conversion can be realized while suppressing increase of clock frequency. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090039237 | HIGH-SPEED SINGLE-PHOTON DETECTOR IN TELECOMMUNICATION WAVELENGTH BAND - In order to operate a single photon detector in communication wavelength band at a high speed, a DC bias voltage | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090050789 | OPTOELECTRONIC PACKAGE, CAMERA INCLUDING THE SAME AND RELATED METHODS - A camera includes a first substrate having top and bottom surfaces, a second substrate having top and bottom surfaces, a spacer substrate between a substantially planar portion of the top surface of the second substrate and a substantially planar of the bottom surface of the first substrate, at least two of the first substrate, the second substrate and the spacer substrate sealing an interior space, a detector within the interior space, and an electrical interconnection extending from the detector to outside the interior space. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090050790 | MULTI-ELEMENT OPTICAL DETECTORS WITH SUB-WAVELENGTH GAPS - A multi-element optical detector includes a plurality of optical detector elements capable of producing an output signal having information about the state of an incident electromagnetic radiation as a function of time. An active region includes a photosensitive region of one of the optical detector elements separated in part or in whole from the photosensitive region of at least one other optical detector element by a distance less than the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation that the optical detector elements are being used to detect. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090050791 | Measurement of burst mode optical power over multiple bursts - A system, method, and computer readable medium for measurement of burst mode optical power over multiple bursts, comprises mirroring a photodiode current of an optical signal burst, converting the mirrored photodiode current to a capacitor voltage, comparing the capacitor voltage to a pre-determined threshold voltage, and accumulating a burst time necessary for the capacitor voltage to reach the pre-determined threshold voltage. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090078856 | Solid-state image capturing device and electronic information device - A solid-state image capturing device includes a multilayer wiring layer to open regions above a plurality of respective light receiving sections for performing photoelectric conversion on incident light to generate a signal charge; a color filter of each color provided above the multilayer wiring layer in a corresponding manner to each light receiving section; and a microlens provided on the color filter of each color, for focusing the incident light at each light receiving section, wherein a wiring layer within one layer among the multilayer wiring layer limits an area of a light receiving region for incident light that enters the light receiving section, equally among the light receiving sections. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090095885 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR DETECTING SEMICONDUCTOR-BASED PHOTODIODES - A system and methods for detecting semiconductor-based photodiodes. The present embodiments provide a simple and practical approach for identifying optical reflection that is indicative of photon reflection from semiconductor-based photodiodes. Thus in certain applications the present embodiments may be used to detect the presence of OIEDs, which may use photodiodes as part of a detonation system. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090095886 | WAFER PRESENCE DETECTION - The presence of a workpiece on an end effector of a vacuum robotic handler is detecting using any of a number of non-contact techniques in which some or all of the detection hardware is positioned outside a vacuum chamber that encloses the vacuum robotic handler. Various deployments include laser beam breaking, analysis of radar reflection signals, or analysis of radio frequency identification tag signatures. By providing non-physical couplings between hardware inside and outside of a vacuum environment, integrity of the vacuum is improved. These non-contact techniques are further adapted as described herein to multi-wafer and multi-end effector environments so that independent detection of multiple wafers (e.g., for each end effector) can be performed. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090095887 | AVALANCHE PIXEL SENSORS AND RELATED METHODS - According to an embodiment, an avalanche pixel sensor includes a substrate having opposite first and second surfaces, first sensor elements operating in breakdown mode situated on the first surface of the substrate for detecting ionizing radiation from a radiation-emission source, second sensor elements operating in breakdown mode situated on the second surface of the substrate, the second sensor elements each paired with a corresponding first sensor element to experience substantially coincident breakdown in response to ionizing radiation. Logic elements are each electrically interconnected to a respective pair of first and second sensor elements for receiving a signal or signal representing the substantially coincident breakdown of the respective pair to be distinguished from a dark signal even in either of the pair of the first and second sensor elements. Additionally, a detector array, a sensing apparatus, and a method of detecting ionization radiation using first and second sensor elements disposed on opposite sides of a substrate are also provided. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090095888 | Semiconductor photodetecting device and illuminance sensor - The present invention provides a semiconductor photodetecting device that suppresses sensitivity of a short wavelength component of irradiated light as well as a long wavelength component thereof and has a spectral sensitivity characteristic approximately coincident with a human visibility characteristic, and an illuminance sensor including the semiconductor photodetecting device. The semiconductor photodetecting device has a P-type well region and an N-type well region provided side by side along the surface of a P-type semiconductor substrate, a high-concentration N-type region formed in the neighborhood of the surface of the P-type well region, and a high-concentration P-type region formed in the neighborhood of the surface of the N-type well region. A first photoelectric current which flows through a PN junction formed by the P-type well region and the high-concentration N-type region, and a second photoelectric current obtained by adding a photoelectric current which flows through a PN junction formed by the N-type well region and the P-type semiconductor substrate to a photoelectric current which flows through a PN junction formed by the N-type well region and the high-concentration P-type region are extracted. Predetermined arithmetic processing is performed on the first and second photoelectric currents to obtain an output current. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090108178 | CURRENT DETECTION CIRCUIT - A current detection circuit detects photoelectric current that flows through a phototransistor, and outputs a current, which is proportional to the photoelectric current, via an output terminal. An input-side transistor is a PNP bipolar transistor, and is provided on a current path for the phototransistor. Output-side transistors are PNP bipolar transistors. The base terminals thereof are connected to that of the input-side transistor so as to form a common base terminal, and the emitter terminals thereof are connected to that of the input-side transistor so as to form a common emitter terminal, thereby forming a current mirror circuit. Each of first switches is provided between the collector of the corresponding output-side transistor and an output terminal. Each of second switches is provided between the collector of the corresponding output-side transistor and the ground terminal. A control unit controls the ON/OFF operations of the first switches and the second switches. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090108179 | Photodetector Circuit - Two unshielded photosensors to determine the outside-light illuminance and two shielded photosensors are placed alternating both in the longitudinal direction and in the lateral direction. Then, the difference between the output of the unshielded photosensors and the output of the shielded photosensors is obtained. Accordingly, even when the thermoelectric currents differ from each other due to a variation in characteristics between the elements and a difference in the thermal distribution between the elements, the sensor currents can be corrected, so that a photodetector circuit which stably determines the outside-light illuminance can be provided. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090134314 | Energy Saving Driving Circuit and Associated Method for a Solid State Relay - An energy saving driving circuit and method is provided for use with a solid state relay (SSR). The circuit and method reduce the overall energy required to drive a solid state relay by maintaining the SSR in an “on” state with a minimal maintenance or holding current after applying a turn-n current. The driving circuit includes a control circuit configured for outputting a control signal; a turn-on circuit configured for providing an output current at a first current level for a first time period in response to the control signal; and a holding circuit configured for maintaining said output current at a second reduced current level for a second time period. The maintenance or holding current is reduced in respect of that of a conventional driving current, and in some cases may be an order of magnitude or more less in magnitude than a conventional driving currents thereby resulting in less energy consumed by the SSR. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090140125 | IMAGING DEVICE - The present invention provides an imaging device where the temperature of an imaging area of the imaging device is accurately detected to perform precise temperature compensation and the imaging device can be minimized as a whole. This imaging device is characterized in that the device includes: the imaging element ( | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090140126 | Method and system for converting light to electric power - A method and system for converting light to electric power including coupling in parallel at least two devices in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, coupling in parallel at least two devices in at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, and coupling in series the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light electricity with the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power. A method for converting electromagnetic flux to electric power. A method for optimizing the electric power output of a system including determining the expected illumination pattern of incident laser radiation, and optimizing the amount of laser radiation incident on the surface of the devices suitable to convert light to electric power by distributing the devices according to the expected illumination pattern of the incident laser beam. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090140127 | Image sensor, test system and test method for the same - In one embodiment, the CMOS image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, and the plurality of pixels include active pixels and optical black pixels. At least one bias input structure is configured to receive a bias voltage and only supply the bias voltage to one or more of the optical black pixels. An output circuit is configured to generate an output signal based on output from the plurality of pixels. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090152446 | Photodetector - A photodetector of a wide dynamic range of incident light amount detection and low temperature dependence is provided. A first signal processing unit | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090152447 | Photo Detector and Photo Detection Apparatus Provided with Photo Detector - It is an object to provide a photo detector that can be arranged in a matrix pattern (in a three-dimensional pattern) and a photo detection apparatus in which the photo detectors are arranged in a matrix pattern (in a three-dimensional pattern). In a photo detector for generating an electrical signal based on the intensity of a light received by a photo detection element, the photo detector comprises a flexible wiring substrate for mounting the photo detection element and the photo detection element electrically connected to the flexible wiring substrate for mounting the photo detection element. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090152448 | DEVICE FOR PROCESSING AND DIGITIZING AN ENERGY SPECTRUM OF AN ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION - This device for processing and digitizing an energy spectrum of a radiation, comprises a charge preamplification circuit of the integrating circuit type, suitable for being connected to a semiconductor detector; a lag line energy measurement circuit connected to the output of the preamplification circuit; and a sampler connected to the output of the energy measurement circuit. It further comprises a synchronization circuit a current pulse measurement circuit connected to the output of the preamplification circuit and calculating the difference between the output and a differential of the output of the preamplification circuit; and a discrimination circuit forming a binary signal according to the output of the pulse measurement circuit said logic signal controlling the sampling times of the sampler. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090152449 | LIGHT SENSOR FOR DETECTING BRIGHTNESS - A light sensor for detecting brightness of an outside of a vehicle includes: a light shielding element on a windshield; a light guiding element in a through hole of the light shielding element; and a light receiving element that receives light from the outside of the vehicle via the light guiding element and the windshield. The light guiding element includes an entrance surface facing the windshield and an output surface facing the light receiving element. The entrance surface receives the light from the outside. The light guiding element transmits and outputs the light from the output surface toward the light receiving element. The entrance surface has a top disposed inside of the through hole. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090152450 | Integrated optical transceiver - An optical transceiver includes at least one light source and at least one detector mounted on the same surface of the same substrate. The detector is to receive light from other than a light source on the surface. At least one of the light source and the detector is mounted on the surface. An optics block having optical elements for each light source and detectors is attached via a vertical spacer to the substrate. Electrical interconnections for the light source and the detector are accessible from the same surface of the substrate with the optics block attached thereto. One of the light source and the detector may be monolithically integrated into the substrate. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090184239 | Boost circuit capable of controlling inrush current and image sensor using the boost circuit - In one embodiment, the boost circuit includes a boost unit configured to perform a charge pumping operation based on a control signal. A controller is configured to control the boost unit such that the boost unit performs a lesser charge pumping operation from an initial time when power is supplied to the boost circuit until a desired time than after the desired time. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090194674 | CONTROLLER FOR A PHOTOSENSOR - The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a method and/or system for driving a photosensor. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090194675 | OPTICAL RECEIVER APPLICABLE TO GPON SYSTEM - An optical receiver is disclosed, in which no additional photodiode to monitor the optical input level and no temperature control unit are necessary. The receiver of the invention provides an avalanche photodiode (APD) to receiver the first optical signal with the first wavelength and a PIN-PD to receive the second optical signal with the second wavelength. The optical input level for the APD is indirectly determined through the photocurrent generated by the PIN-PD and the bias voltage for the APD is so adjusted that the APD shows an optimum multiplication factor for the optical input level. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090212199 | RADIATION IMAGE DETECTION APPARATUS AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF RADIATION IMAGE DETECTOR - In a radiation image detection apparatus having a radiation image detector that includes the following stacked in the order listed below: a bias electrode, a photoconductive layer, a substrate side charge transport layer, and an active matrix substrate, the radiation image detector does not include an area adjacent to the interface between the substrate side charge transport layer and photoconductive layer having an oxygen or chlorine element density not less than two times the average density of oxygen or chlorine element in the substrate side charge transport layer. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090212200 | PIXEL CIRCUIT, ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICE OF DIGITAL DRIVING TYPE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - There is provided a pixel circuit that is disposed in correspondence with an intersection of a scanning line and a data line. The pixel circuit includes a pixel electrode, a pixel transistor of a first conduction type that has a control node connected to the scanning line, a first node to which the data line is connected, and a second node, and a flip-flop that is disposed between the second node of the pixel transistor and the pixel electrode. The flip-flop has an inverter having an input node connected to the second node of the pixel transistor and an output node connected to the pixel electrode and a feedback transistor of a second conduction type, which is a conduction type opposite to the first conduction type, that is controlled to be turned on or off in accordance with an output of the inverter and supplies a high-level power source voltage or a low-level power source voltage to a common connection point of the second node of the pixel transistor and the input node of the inverter, in the ON state. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090230291 | AUTOMATIC ANALYZER AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM USING PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBE - A photomultiplier tube is susceptible to noise at a low concentration and to saturation at a high concentration. It is necessary to make a measurement with an appropriate intensity of light to provide good reproducibility and linearity. Only adjustment of reagent concentration and constituents are not sufficient to apply the photomultiplier tube to a wide range of concentration. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090230292 | PROTECTION CIRCUIT AND PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE - A protection circuit and a photoelectric conversion device are provided, each of which includes a first wiring, a second wiring, a first switch, a second switch, a capacitor, and a comparing circuit configured to generate a signal corresponding to a potential of the first wiring and a potential of the second wiring, and supply the signal to the first switch and the second switch. The first wiring is electrically connected to a first terminal of the first switch, and the second wiring is electrically connected to a first terminal of the second switch. A second terminal of the first switch is electrically connected to a first electrode of the capacitor, and a second terminal of the second switch is electrically connected to a second electrode of the capacitor. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090236501 | PHOTON DETECTION METHOD AND CIRCUIT HAVING PHASE ADJUSTER - A photon detection circuit in which photon detection is performed by applying gate pulses to a light-receiving element at predetermined periods, includes: a gate-period waveform averaging section that generates averaged waveform data by averaging sampled waveform data output from the light-receiving element in the individual predetermined periods; a phase shifting section that shifts at least one of the phases of the averaged waveform data and sampled waveform data so that a phase difference between the averaged waveform data and sampled waveform date disappears; and a discrimination section that discriminates a photon detection based on the phase-adjusted sampled waveform data relative to the phase-adjusted averaged waveform data. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090236502 | OPTICAL RECEIVER UTILIZING APD AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An optical receiver includes an avalanche photodiode inputting light under a bias voltage, a current monitoring unit configured to monitor a photocurrent flowing through the avalanche diode, and a control unit configured to control the bias voltage. When the magnitude of the photocurrent exceeds a specific threshold, the control unit decreases the bias voltage, and when the magnitude of the photocurrent is less than or equal to the specific threshold, the control unit keeps the bias voltage constant. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20100012823 | TOUCH PANEL DRIVING CIRCUIT REMOVING CURRENT DUE TO HEAT OF FINGER AND TOUCH PANEL COMPRISING THE SAME - Provided is a driving circuit of a photosensing touch panel including: a first photodiode coupled between a first voltage source and a sensing node and for generating a first current in accordance with a brightness of an external incident light and a heat of a finger; a second photodiode coupled between the sensing node and a second voltage source and for generating a second current in accordance with the heat of the finger, the second photodiode being shielded from the external incident light; and an amplifier circuit for detecting the brightness of the external incident light regardless of the heat of the finger by subtracting the second current from the first current at the sensing node. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100019132 | OPTICAL RECEIVER - An optical-receiving circuit includes a first photodiode converting an optical signal into a current signal, a first trans-impedance amplifier to which a first power supply voltage of V | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100090095 | IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An image sensor and a method of manufacturing an image sensor. An image sensor may include a readout circuitry having a metal line on and/or over a first substrate. An image sensor may include an image sensing part having a first conductive-type conductive layer and/or a second conductive-type conductive layer over a metal line. An image sensor may include a pixel division area formed on and/or over an image sensing part corresponding to a pixel boundary. An image sensor may include a ground contact on and/or over a pixel division area. An image sensor may include a contact plug connected with a sidewall of an image sensing part. A method of manufacturing an image sensor is disclosed. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100096536 | ON DEMAND CIRCUIT FUNCTION EXECUTION EMPLOYING OPTICAL SENSING - Disclosed is a method of executing an electrical function, such as a fusing operation, by activation through a chip embedded photodiode through spectrally selected external light activation, and corresponding structure and circuit. The present invention is based on having incident light with specific intensity/wave length characteristics, in conjunction with additional circuit elements to an integrated circuit, perform the implementation of repairs, i.e., replacing failing circuit elements with redundant ones for yield and/or reliability. Also to perform disconnection of ESD protection device from input pad one the packaged chip is placed in system. No additional pins on the package are necessary. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100116970 | Photo detection device - A photo detection device includes a first lead frame, a second lead frame, a photo detection die having a coating layer, and an enclosure. The first lead frame forms a carriage section. The coating layer is formed on the photo detection die. The photo detection die is mounted on the carriage section of the first lead frame and forms electrical connection with the second lead frame through a conductor. The enclosure is a non-light-transmittable member forming therein a receiving space. The enclosure is mounted on the first and second lead frames and receives the photo detection die in the receiving space thereof. The enclosure forms an opening for light detection by the photo detection die. As such, detection of a long wavelength invisible light, such as an infrared light, by the photo detection die can be prevented to thereby provide a photo detection device with increased reliability of detection. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100140458 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR QUANTUM AND QUANTUM INSPIRED GHOST IMAGING - A preferred embodiment comprises a method and system for generating an image of a subject or area comprising a processor; at least one incoherent light source which illuminates the subject or area; a first receiver for receiving light reflected from the subject or area operatively connected to the processor; a second receiver for receiving light from at least one incoherent light source operatively connected to the processor; the first receiver collecting the amount of light reflected from the subject and transmit a value at specific intervals of time; the second receiver comprising a second detector which detects and transmits spatial information regarding the incoherent light source independent of any data concerning the subject at specific intervals of time; wherein the processor correlates the value transmitted by the first receiver with the spatial information derived from the second receiver at correlating intervals of time to create an image of the subject or area. Alternatively, sound or quantum particles may replace the incoherent light source. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100148039 | Detector - A detector includes a first semiconductor substrate and a second substrate, wherein the first semiconductor substrate includes a detector element for detecting a radiation or a particle and the second substrate includes a control circuit. The detector element extends from a first main surface of the first semiconductor substrate to a second main surface of the first semiconductor substrate. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100176276 | PENINSULA TRANSFER GATE IN A CMOS PIXEL - A pinned photodiode structure with peninsula-shaped transfer gate which decrease the occurrence of a potential barrier between the photodiode and the floating drain, prevents loss of full well capacity (FWC) and decreases occurrences of image lag. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100176277 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP ELEMENT AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A solid-state image pickup element includes: (A) a light receiving/charge accumulating region formed in a semiconductor layer and formed by laminating M (where M≧2) light receiving/charge accumulating layers; (B) a charge outputting region formed in the semiconductor layer; (C) a depletion layer forming region formed of a part of the semiconductor layer, the part of the semiconductor layer being situated between the light receiving/charge accumulating region and the charge outputting region; and (D) a control electrode region for controlling a state of formation of a depletion layer in the depletion layer forming region, wherein the solid-state image pickup element further includes a light receiving/charge accumulating layer extending section extending from each light receiving/charge accumulating layer to the depletion layer forming region. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100181464 | TIME-FREQUENCY FUSION DIGITAL PIXEL SENSOR - Light is converted to an electric signal by performing a light-to-frequency conversion of the light received during a first phase of operation. Following the first phase of operation, a light-to-time conversion is performed on light received during a second phase of operation. Following the second phase of operation a digital representation of the light is generated in response to the light-to-frequency conversion and the light-to-time conversion. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100187407 | IMAGING DEVICE - The present invention relates to improved imaging devices having high dynamic range and to monitoring and automatic control systems incorporating the improved imaging devices. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100200734 | POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT AND OPTICAL RECEIVING CIRCUIT - A power supply circuit includes: a start-up circuit provided on a semiconductor substrate and configured to convert an optical signal to an electrical signal; and a bias circuit provided on the semiconductor substrate and being in a non-start-up state at power-on, the start-up circuit including: a p-type semiconductor region; and an n-type semiconductor region provided in contact with the p-type semiconductor region, the p-type semiconductor region being electrically connected to the bias circuit, the n-type semiconductor region being electrically connected to a power supply of the bias circuit, and the bias circuit entering a start-up state by a current flowing in the start-up circuit. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100213353 | ANALOG PHOTON COUNTING - A pixel for the detection of electromagnetic radiation or impinging high energy particles, in particular for detecting X-ray photons, comprises a radiation receptor for converting the electromagnetic radiation or impinging high energy particles into a radiation signal, a converter for converting the radiation signal into a pulse train, and an analog accumulator for accumulating the pulses of a pulse train to an analog signal for readout. The analog accumulator is adapted such that the analog signal is non-linearly proportional to the pulse count. Such non-linear analog accumulator has the advantage of an large dynamic range. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100219331 | Optoelectronic sensor - The invention relates to n optoelectronic sensor having a transmitter ( | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100224764 | Interface Techniques for Coupling a Microchannel Plate to a Readout Circuit - Techniques are disclosed that can be used to interface a microchannel plate (MCP) with readout circuitry. The techniques can be employed, for instance, with MCP based devices used in a numerous sensing/detection applications, and are particularly suitable for applications where it is desirable to interface an MCP having a relatively large active area to a readout circuit having a relatively smaller active area. The interface effectively decouples anode geometry from ROIC geometry and may also be configured with flexible anode pad geometry, which allows for compensation of optical blur variations as well as a very high fill factor. The interface can be made using standard semiconductor materials and photolithography techniques, and can be configured with thermal expansion qualities that closely track or otherwise match that of the readout circuitry. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100258709 | PUMPS FOR CMOS IMAGERS - A pixel for an imaging device is described. The pixel includes a photosensitive device provided within a substrate for providing photo-generated charges, a circuit associated with the photosensitive device for providing at least one pixel output signal representative of the photo-generated charges, the circuit includes at least one operative device that is responsive to a first control signal during operation of the associated circuit and a pump circuit. The pump circuit may include substrate pumps, charge pumps and/or voltage pumps. The pixel may also be embedded in an imaging system. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100308211 | OPTOELECTRONIC SHUTTER, METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME AND OPTICAL APPARATUS INCLUDING THE OPTOELECTRONIC SHUTTER - An optoelectronic shutter, a method of operating the same, and an optical apparatus including the optoelectronic shutter are provided. The optoelectronic shutter includes a phototransistor which generates an output signal from incident input light and a light emitting diode serially connected to the phototransistor. The light emitting diode outputs output light according to the output signal, and the output signal is gain-modulated according to a modulation of a current gain of the phototransistor. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20100320365 | MULTICOLOR DETECTORS AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF - In one aspect, the present invention provides photodetectors and components thereof having multi-spectral sensing capabilities. In some embodiments, photodetectors of the present invention provide a first photosensitive element comprising at least one accessway extending through the element and an electrical connection at least partially disposed in the accessway, the electrical connection accessible for receiving a second photosensitive element. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100327150 | MULTIMODE PLANAR WAVEGUIDE SPECTRAL FILTER - A spectral filter comprises a planar optical waveguide having at least one set of diffractive elements. The waveguide confines in one transverse dimension an optical signal propagating in two other dimensions therein. The waveguide supports multiple transverse modes. Each diffractive element set routes, between input and output ports, a diffracted portion of the optical signal propagating in the planar waveguide and diffracted by the diffractive elements. The diffracted portion of the optical signal reaches the output port as a superposition of multiple transverse modes. A multimode optical source may launch the optical signal into the planar waveguide, through the corresponding input optical port, as a superposition of multiple transverse modes. A multimode output waveguide may receive, through the output port, the diffracted portion of the optical signal. Multiple diffractive element sets may route corresponding diffracted portions of optical signal between one or more corresponding input and output ports. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110036970 | OPTICAL ENCODER DEVICE - An optical encoder device is provided, in which the number of light transmissive slits of a stationary slit plate can be increased as much as possible according to the length of a light receiving surface of a light receiving element to produce an output signal with little distortion. A movable slit plate | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110062314 | Pixel Cell, Method for Driving a Pixel Cell, Method for Determination of a Position of a Maximum of an Envelope Curve of an Analog Amplitude-Modulated Signal, Device for Determination of a Charge Amount, Device and Method for Determination of a Charge Amount on a Capacitive Element, Device and Method for Setting a Circuit Node at a Prede-Termined Voltage, Device and Method for Charge-Based Analog/Digital Conversion and Device and Method for Charge-Based Signal Processing - The invention relates to a pixel cell ( | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110062315 | PHOTORECEIVER ARRANGEMENT AND A METHOD FOR OPERATING A PHOTORECEIVER - A photodetector arrangement with a photoreceiver which comprises a photodiode, a blocking capacitor for high frequency and a terminal resistance lying at the signal output of the photodiode, is suggested. The photodiode is connected to a first bias connection for the supply with a blocking voltage, and a second bias connection is connected to the terminal resistance for the control of the potential at the signal output. A further blocking capacitor is provided for the high-frequency-technological earthing of the terminal resistance. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110079709 | WIDE BAND SENSOR - A sensor and method of sensing is disclosed. The sensor is designed with a number of layers that are each able to sense a range of electromagnetic radiation. The sensor has two terminals for measuring the output signal of the sensor. The output signal of the sensor can be separated to identify the contributions to the output signal from each layer in order to determine the layer(s) that detected electromagnetic radiation. An array of sensors may be fabricated to increase the number of samples taken. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110095170 | SAFETY SCANNER - A safety scanner ( | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110108711 | SINGLE PHOTON SPECTROMETER - A fiberized single photon sensitive spectrometer based on a 32-channel PMT sensor is highly sensitive with broad detection dynamic range. The spectrometer enables accurate and high speed detection, identification and analysis of biological samples labeled with multiple fluorescent markers, such as compositions of multi-color fluorescence signals or radiation emitted by multiple fluorescence dyes. A fiberized optical input of the spectrometer allows an easy and efficient coupling to any measurement system based on fiber collection of the analyzed fluorescence. The spectrometer provides highly accurate DNA sequencing. A 32 channel PMT single photon detector has a detection dynamic range of more than 20 bits and has a frame rate of about 3300 frames per second. The dynamic range of the detector's pixels reaches 10 | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110108712 | PHOTON DETECTOR - A photon detection system comprising an avalanche photodiode and a voltage source for said avalanche photodiode, wherein said avalanche photodiode comprises Silicon or its heterostructures and wherein said voltage source is configured to bias said avalanche photodiode with a voltage component which is static with respect to time and a voltage component which varies with time. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110114827 | VOLTAGE GENERATOR CIRCUIT, DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER, RAMP GENERATOR CIRCUIT, ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER, IMAGE SENSOR SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR GENERATING VOLTAGE - A resistor-ladder voltage generator circuit is provided, which controls so that k switches among consecutive (k+1) switches out of a plurality of switches connected to the resistor ladder circuit are simultaneously set to an ON state, and which temporally switches the value of k. This allows voltage waveforms having different slopes to be arbitrarily obtained, ranging from a voltage waveform having a small slope to a voltage waveform having a large slope, thereby improving the resolution of a generated voltage waveform without increasing the numbers of resistors and switches, while A/D conversion time is not increased even if the number of bits is increased. In addition, by using this voltage generator circuit as a ramp generator circuit, and by dynamically switching the slope of the ramp wave, acceleration of an image sensor is achieved. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110127411 | System and Method for Using an Optical Isolator in Laser Testing - According to one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first optical signal at a pulse detector. An electronic pulse of the first optical signal is received at an optical module. A second optical signal is generated at the optical module based on the electronic pulse. At least a portion of the first optical signal is received in a reverse direction at an optical isolator and the second optical signal is received in a forward direction at the optical isolator. The optical isolator substantially transmits the second optical signal to a target in the forward direction. The optical isolator substantially attenuates at least a portion of the first optical signal in the reverse direction. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110133058 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CANCELLATION OF TRANSIENT VOLTAGE SPIKE - An apparatus for cancellation of a transient voltage spike, includes: a first photodiode for detecting a photon in an optical signal input from an outside, a second photodiode for detecting the photon in the optical signal input from the outside, and a differential amplifier for canceling the same signal component in a first output signal of the first photodiode and a second output signal output from the second photodiode, and to amplify a voltage difference between the first output signal and the second output signal. The transient voltage spike cancellation apparatus cancel a transient voltage spike occurring in an avalanche photodiode operating in a gated Geiger mode, using the differential amplifier. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110133059 | PHOTO DETECTOR HAVING COUPLING CAPACITOR - Provided is a photo detector. The photo detector includes: an avalanche photodiode; a bias circuit supplying a bias voltage to one end of the avalanche photodiode; a detection circuit connected to the other end of the avalanche photodiode and detecting a photoelectric current occurring in the avalanche photodiode; and a coupling capacitor connected to the one end or the other end of the avalanche photodiode and supplying a coupling voltage to drive the avalanche photodiode in a Geiger mode. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110186715 | Dynamic Impedance Receiver Circuit For Ultrafast Low-power Photodetector - A photodetector receiver circuit, including: a photodetector for receiving an optical signal and converting the optical signal into a current; and a dynamic impedance circuit connected to the photodetector; wherein the dynamic impedance circuit is configured to have a first impedance during a charging phase and a second impedance during a discharging phase, the first impedance comprising a slower decay time than the second impedance. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110192960 | OPTICAL SENSING DEVICE WITH ANTI-STATIC MEMBER - An optical sensing device, which includes a shell, at least one light emitting member, a shading member, at least one anti-static member and at least one optical sensing member, is disclosed. The shell is formed with a black-body condition space therein, and the black-body condition space has a light emitting chamber, a shading chamber and at least one optical sensing chamber. The light emitting member projects a light beam into the light emitting chamber. The shading member is movably restrained within the shading chamber, and generates a static electricity when moving therein. The anti-static member is arranged in the shading chamber to ground the static electricity. The optical sensing member is arranged in the optical sensing chamber, and senses the light beam to accordingly send out a sensing signal. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110192961 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND ITS DRIVING METHOD - A solid state imaging device includes a P | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110198483 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A semiconductor device including photosensor capable of imaging with high resolution is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes the photosensor having a photodiode, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The photodiode generates an electric signal in accordance with the intensity of light. The first transistor stores charge in a gate thereof and converts the stored charge into an output signal. The second transistor transfers the electric signal generated by the photodiode to the gate of the first transistor and holds the charge stored in the gate of the first transistor. The first transistor has a back gate and the threshold voltage thereof is changed by changing the potential of the back gate. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110198484 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A transistor a gate of which, one of a source and a drain of which, and the other are electrically connected to a selection signal line, an output signal line, and a reference signal line, respectively and a photodiode one of an anode and a cathode of which and the other are electrically connected to a reset signal line and a back gate of the transistor, respectively are included. The photodiode is forward biased to initialize the back-gate potential of the transistor, the back-gate potential is changed by current of the inversely-biased photodiode flowing in an inverse direction in accordance with the light intensity, and the transistor is turned on to change the potential of the output signal line, so that a signal in accordance with the intensity is obtained. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110198485 | DYNAMICALLY CONFIGURABLE PHOTODETECTOR ARRAYS - In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes a photodetector (PD) array including a plurality of electrically isolated PD sections. Additionally, the circuit includes a switching matrix that includes a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, and that can be selectively configured in a plurality of different switch configurations. Each of the electrically isolated PD sections is adapted to detect light (if any) and provide an electrical output signal, indicative of the light detected by the PD section (if any), to a different one of the inputs of the switching matrix. The switching matrix is adapted to combine the electrical output signals provided by the electrically isolated PD sections in a plurality of different manners, in dependence on which of the plurality of different switch configurations is selected. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110210235 | PHOTON SHARPENING - The present invention provides an array of pixels for the detection of a flash of electromagnetic radiation or a cloud of impinging high energy particles. Each pixel in the array comprises a radiation receptor for converting the electromagnetic radiation or impinging high energy particles into a radiation signal, and a converter for converting the radiation signal into pulses. The array further comprises a circuit for comparing one or more of the criteria pulse amplitude, pulse arrival time, time to convert a pulse in a digital signal, pulse duration time, pulse rise and fall time or integral of pulse over time for pulses coinciding on pixels in a predetermined neighborhood. The array also comprises a circuit for suppressing those pulses that are compared negatively versus the corresponding pulses in another pixel of the neighborhood for the same one or more criteria. A corresponding method is also provided. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110210236 | OPTICAL POWER CONVERTER - An optical voltage converter has an emitter array and a receiver array. Each of the emitter array and the receiver array have at least one LED. The LEDs are arranged such that light from the emitter LED directly strikes the receiver LED. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110215228 | LARGE AREA PHOTO DETECTOR - The invention discloses a photo detector with first and second groups of electrodes. The electrodes of each group are connected to a first common conductor for the group, and are located on a layer of photosensitive material. The electrodes are parallel to and interlaced with each other. The first common conductors are essentially plane, arranged at the same end of their group of electrodes, and arranged as upper and lower conductors parallel to and overlapping each other separated by a dielectric material, and form a signal electrode and a ground plane of a first microstrip line. The first microstrip line acts as a first combiner for currents induced in the electrodes of the two groups and as a matching network for the electrodes and for a load which can be connected to the photo detector. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110233385 | Avalanche Photodiode Circuits - An avalanche photodiode circuit, comprising an avalanche photodiode typically connected in parallel to a capacitor, in which there is provided a current shunt circuit which activates to shunt current from the avalanche photodiode in response to detecting a decrease in the impedance of the avalanche photodiode, typically measured by determining the slope of the voltage across the avalanche photodiode. By using this circuit, the avalanche photodiode can be protected from sudden increases in incident light level decreasing the impedance of the avalanche photodiode to an extent that the energy such as is stored in the capacitor can damage the structure of the avalanche photodiode. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110272559 | DETECTOR ARRAY FOR HIGH SPEED SAMPLING OF A PULSE - Various techniques are provided for performing detection using a focal plane array (FPA). For example, in one embodiment, a unit cell of an FPA may be implemented to support rapid sampling in response to one or more laser pulses reflected from an object or feature of interest. An FPA implemented with such unit cells may be used, for example, in an imaging system capable of detecting a plurality of two dimensional image frames and providing a three dimensional image using the detected two dimensional image frames. Other applications of such rapid sampling unit cells are also contemplated. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110272560 | Semiconductor imager device, method of operating such a device, method of manufacturing such a device and semiconductor image sensor comprising such a device - A semiconductor imager device is arranged for receiving a series of charge packets. It comprises a charge-to-voltage conversion circuit for receiving the charge packets on a reception capacitance and has an interconnected arrangement of a floating diffusion, a first reset gate, a reset drain and a source follower for readout. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110278438 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS - A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprises: a first current amplifier for amplifying a current input through a first current input terminal; a first initializing unit for initializing a voltage of the first current input terminal; a first detector for detecting the voltage of the first current input terminal; a first feedback unit for feeding back the voltage to the first current amplifier; and a correction unit including a second current amplifier for amplifying a current input through a second current input terminal; a second initializing unit for initializing a voltage input through the second current input terminal; a second detector for detecting the voltage of the second current input terminal; a second feedback unit for feeding back the voltage detected by the second detector to the second current amplifier; and an arithmetic operation unit for correcting the current amplified by the first current amplifier. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110303828 | SELECTIVELY TRANSLUCENT WINDOW - A system and method for controlling the intensity of light into a cabin space is provided. The system includes a controller in communication with a window. The window is configured to have variable transmittance. The system further includes a sensor operable to detect the state of a pupil. The sensor is also in communication with the controller. The controller processes the state of an iris of a user so as to adjust the transmissivity of the window. Accordingly, the intensity of light entering into a cabin space may be controlled so as to facilitate the vision of the occupants. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110309239 | Photoelectric Transducer Device - An object is to obtain a diode having a small voltage drop and to reduce the fabrication cost of a converter circuit. A photoelectric transducer device including: a photoelectric transducer element; and a converter circuit stepping up or stepping down an output of the photoelectric transducer element and including a switching element and a rectifier, in which the switching element is a first insulated gate bipolar transistor that is normally off and in which the rectifier is a second insulated gate bipolar transistor that is diode-connected and normally on. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110315859 | DISPLAY DEVICE - A display device includes a photosensor in a pixel region ( | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110315860 | DISPLAY DEVICE - The present invention relates to a display device including a photosensor in a pixel region. The photosensor of the present invention includes a diode (D | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120012737 | ACOUSTIC ENHANCEMENT FOR PHOTO DETECTING DEVICES - Provided are improvements to photo detecting devices and methods for enhancing the sensitivity of photo detecting devices. A photo detecting device generates an electronic signal in response to a received light pulse. An electro-mechanical acoustic resonator, electrically coupled to the photo detecting device, damps the electronic signal and increases the signal noise ratio (SNR) of the electronic signal. Increased photo detector standoff distances and sensitivities will result. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120061556 | PHOTOSENSITIVE CIRCUIT AND SYSTEM FOR PHOTOSENSITIVE DISPLAY - A photosensitive circuit is provided. The photosensitive circuit is adapted to a pixel in a pixel array. The photosensitive circuit includes a display element for generating light, transmitting light, or reflecting light, a control circuit coupled to the display element for controlling light intensity of the display element according to a data line and a gate line, and a photosensitive element coupled between the gate line and a read line for generating current at the read line to sense the position of an object according to a reflected light or a shadow from ambient light when light from the display element is reflected by an object or ambient light is shadowed by the object. The control terminal of the photosensitive element is connected to another gate line. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120080583 | AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE OPERATING VOLTAGE SELECTION ALGORITHM - An accurate and rapid method for characterizing the performance of an APD and setting its operating voltage Vop to an optimal value uses an on-board LED or other pulsed light source to measure APD responses at different operating voltages Vop. An estimated breakdown voltage Vb is determined by comparing the measured responses, and the Vop is adjusted to a new value at a fixed offset from the estimated Vb. The fixed offset is selected according to ambient light conditions, including the presence or absence of light background noise, and whether the sun is partially or fully in the field of view. The method is iterated until convergence, or until a maximum number of iterations is reached. In embodiments, a plurality of APD's having a common Vop can be adjusted, and the Vop is never set below a minimum value VopBW necessary to meet timing requirements for a missile guidance system. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120091324 | PULSE DATA RECORDER - A pulse data recorder system and method are provided. Upon the arrival or occurrence of an event or signal, the state of a digital switch is set. Upon receiving a pulse from a readout clock, the state of the switch is stored in a buffer memory, and the state of the switch is reset. As the readout clock is run, a time history of the state of the switch is obtained. The pulse data recorder can feature a plurality of unit cells, for use in imaging or other multiple pixel applications. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120091325 | DC BIAS EVALUATION IN AN AC COUPLED CIRCUIT VIA TRANSIENT GAIN RESPONSE - A method and system are provided for the monitoring of direct current bias, the system including switching an amplifier of known scale factor from low to high; monitoring a step change in bias generated by the gain change; measuring, the response to the bias change via appropriate peak detection logic; and determining the amount of bias present at an input based on AC response and the amplifier scale factor. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120104237 | ENERGY BEAM BURN THROUGH SENSOR AND METHOD THEREFOR - A system for monitoring an energy beam burn through has a sheet formed of a material approximately transparent to optical radiation at a desired operating wavelength. A light detector is attached to the sheet. A coating is applied to the sheet and the light detector, wherein penetration of the coating by a light source allows the light source to scatter within the sheet. A response unit is coupled to the detector unit for signaling an alarm when the light detector senses the light source of a predetermined level. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120104238 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME - To provide a photoelectric conversion device with low power consumption and a method for operating the photoelectric conversion device. The photoelectric conversion device includes a charge storage capacitor portion, a photodiode, and a plurality of transistors. The charge storage capacitor portion is charged after being reset. Then, the charge storage capacitor portion is discharged through the photodiode or a current mirror circuit connected to the photodiode for a given period of time, and after that, the potential of the charge storage capacitor portion is read. Since power is consumed only at the time of charging, power consumption can be reduced. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120112044 | METHOD OF SIGNAL ADJUSTMENT IN AN OPTICAL SENSING DEVICE AND THE OPTICAL SENSING DEVICE - A method of signal adjustment in an optical sensing device is provided. The optical sensing device includes a first optical sensor and a first reference optical sensor. The first optical sensor corresponds to a first specified ideal spectral response and generates a first output signal corresponding to light detected thereby. The first reference optical sensor generates a first reference signal corresponding to light detected thereby, and is disposed adjacent to the first optical sensor such that the light detected by the first reference optical sensor is substantially the light detected by the first optical sensor. The method includes the steps of: a) receiving the first output signal and the first reference signal; and b) generating a first adjusted output signal having a spectral response that approximates the first specified ideal spectral response, by adjusting the first output signal according to the first reference signal. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120145887 | Photoelectric Conversion Device And Electronic Device Provided With The Photoelectric Conversion Device - An output terminal of a photoelectric conversion element included in the photoelectric conversion device is connected to a drain terminal and a gate terminal of a MOS transistor which is diode-connected, and a voltage V | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120168612 | PHOTON DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PHOTON DETECTION - According to one embodiment, a photon detection system determines the number of detected photons. The detection system includes an avalanche photodiode and a measuring unit. The measuring unit measures an avalanche signal induced by illumination before the avalanche current through the device has saturated. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120228479 | CONTROL CIRCUIT AND OPERATION METHOD FOR PROJECTOR - A control circuit is applied into a projector and an operation method is provided for the projector. The projector includes a photo sensor provided for generating a sensing voltage according to light intensity sensed by the photo sensor. The control circuit includes a first voltage-comparing unit, a reference voltage generating unit and a second voltage-comparing unit. The first voltage-comparing unit is provided for comparing the sensing voltage and a first reference voltage, to generate a first comprising result. The reference-voltage generating unit is provided for generating a second reference voltage and determining whether adjusting the second reference voltage according to the first comparing result. The second reference voltage is relatively larger than the first reference voltage. The second voltage-comparing unit is provided for comparing the sensing voltage and the second reference voltage, to generate a second comparing result. | 09-13-2012 |
| 20120256080 | SELECTIVELY TRANSLUCENT WINDOW - A system and method for controlling the intensity of light into a cabin space is provided. The system includes a controller in communication with a window. The window is configured to have variable transmittance. The system further includes a sensor operable to detect the state of a pupil. The sensor is also in communication with the controller. The controller processes the state of an iris of a user so as to adjust the transmissivity of the window. Accordingly, the intensity of light entering into a cabin space may be controlled so as to facilitate the vision of the occupants. | 10-11-2012 |
| 20120261558 | LIGHT TRAPPING ARCHITECTURE FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC AND PHOTODECTOR APPLICATIONS - There is disclosed photovoltaic device structures which trap admitted light and recycle it through the contained photosensitive materials to maximize photoabsorption. For example, there is disclosed a photosensitive optoelectronic device comprising: a first reflective layer comprising a thermoplastic resin; a second reflective layer substantially parallel to the first reflective layer; a first transparent electrode layer on at least one of the first and second reflective layer; and a photosensitive region adjacent to the first electrode, wherein the first transparent electrode layer is substantially parallel to the first reflective layer and adjacent to the photosensitive region, and wherein the device has an exterior face transverse to the planes of the reflective layers where the exterior face has an aperture for admission of incident radiation to the interior of the device. | 10-18-2012 |
| 20120292489 | Devices and Methods for Adjusting Proximity Detectors - There is described portable electronic devices having one or more proximity sensors with adaptive capabilities that can help reduce power consumption. The proximity sensors of the portable electronic device in accordance with the present invention may be adjusted to operate in multiple and/or different modes. These modes are environmentally and contextually driven. An adaptive sensor is dynamically adjusted based on different criteria. In particular, adjustments are based on correlations of input signals from one or more sensors of the device, data signals received from the device's processor and/or external data signals received from an external source, which provide characterization values of environmental, contextual and/or ambient light characteristics. Adjustments are made to pulse power to affect the range of the sensor, pulse frequency, filtering of noise of the sensor input signal to attenuate interference and the spectrum of a proximity detector. | 11-22-2012 |
| 20120298845 | IMAGE POSITION DETECTOR AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image position detector includes a light emitting element to emit light to an image on an image carrier, a first light receiving element to receive a specular reflection of light from a surface of the image carrier and output a first light receiving signal, and a second light receiving element to receive a diffuse reflection of light from a surface of the image and output a second light receiving signal. The image position detector is configured to find the end position of the image according to a multiplied value obtained by multiplying values of the first and second light receiving signals by a constant coefficient. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20130062509 | IMAGE SENSOR - An image sensor includes a light-sensing element, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The light-sensing element has a first end and a second end electrically connected to a select line. The first transistor has a first end electrically connected to a first control line, a control end electrically connected to the first end, and a second end electrically connected to the first end of the light-sensing element. The second transistor has a first end electrically connected to a voltage source, a control end electrically connected to the first end of the light-sensing element, and a second end electrically connected to an output line. The light-sensing element uses the material of silicon rich oxide so that the light-sensing element can sense the luminance variance and have the characteristic of the capacitor for the level boost. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130126715 | PHOTOSENSOR CIRCUITS INCLUDING A REGULATED POWER SUPPLY - Photosensor circuits include a relay coil configured to control application of an alternating current (AC) power source to a load. The circuit includes a pulse width modulator circuit configured to generate a pulse width modulated signal having a pulse width that varies responsive to an average voltage across the relay coil. A drive transistor coupled to the relay coil controls the average voltage across the relay coil responsive to the pulse width modulated signal. A photo control circuit is configured to control application of the pulse width modulated signal to the drive transistor responsive to a detected light level. A power circuit coupled to the power source is configured to provide a regulated power signal to a comparator of the pulse width modulator circuit. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130126716 | PIXEL CIRCUIT, DEPTH SENSOR AND OPERATING METHOD - A pixel circuit for a depth sensor operating in a detection period and an output period in either a first operating mode (high incident light intensity) or a second operating mode (low incident light intensity). The pixel circuit includes a light receiving unit generating charge in response to the incident light, a signal generation unit accumulating charge in a FDN in response to a transmission signal, reset signal and selection signal during the detection period, and generating an analog signal having a level corresponding to a voltage apparent at the FDN during the output period, and a refresh transistor coupled between a supply voltage and the light receiving unit and discharging charge to the supply voltage in response to a refresh signal. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130214134 | PHOTON DETECTOR - A photon detection system comprising an avalanche photo-diode, said avalanche photodiode comprising a p-n junction formed from a first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type, wherein the first conductivity type is one selected from n-type or p-type and the second conductivity type is different to the first conductivity type and is selected from n-type or p-type, wherein the first semiconductor layer is a doped layer which is doped with dopants of a first conductivity type and where there is a variation in the concentration of dopants of the first conductivity type such that the first layer comprises islands of high field zones surrounded by low field zones, the high and low field zones distributed laterally in the plane of the p-n junction, wherein the dopant concentration is higher in the high field zones than the low field zones, said system further comprising a biasing unit, said biasing unit being configured to apply a voltage which is static in time and a time varying voltage. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20140191115 | SPAD SENSOR CIRCUIT WITH BIASING CIRCUIT - A deep SPAD structure uses the substrate as the anode terminal of its multiplication p-n junction. A bias voltage for the SPAD (in excess of the SPAD's breakdown voltage) is coupled to the SPAD's cathode terminal. The bias voltage is generated by a charge pump circuit which is also integrated on the substrate. The charge pump circuit is configured to isolate the bias voltage on the cathode terminal. A triple well CMOS process is used to isolate the transistors of the charge pump circuit from the substrate. | 07-10-2014 |
| 20140203173 | Methods, Systems, and Apparatus for Sample Illumination - Disclosed are methods and apparatus adapted to aid in an illumination of a test sample in a test vessel. The method includes sequencing multiple wavelength light sources by turning OFF all but the light source of interest and taking a reading. The illumination apparatus has a bracket with a first and second arms and a space between them adapted to receive a test vessel, an array of light sources and a lens array coupled to the first arm, an array of bandpass filters adapted to filter light signals from each light source, at least one aperture array adapted to limit an extent of light emitted to the test vessel, and a single photo detector coupled to the second arm adapted to receive light signals from each of the light sources without moving the test vessel. Systems are disclosed, as are other aspects. | 07-24-2014 |
| 20140291489 | Method And System For A Feedback Transimpedance Amplifier With Sub-40KHZ Low-Frequency Cutoff - A system for a feedback amplifier with sub-40khz low-frequency cutoff is disclosed and may include amplifying electrical signals received via coupling capacitors utilizing an amplifier having feedback paths comprising source followers and feedback resistors. Gate terminals of the source followers may be coupled to output terminals of the amplifier circuit. The feedback paths may be coupled prior to the coupling capacitors at inputs of the amplifier circuit. Voltages may be level shifted prior to the coupling capacitors to ensure stable bias conditions for the amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit may be integrated in a CMOS photonics chip with the source followers comprising CMOS transistors. The amplifier circuit may receive current-mode logic or voltage signals. The electrical signals may be received from a photodetector, which may comprise a silicon germanium photodiode differentially coupled to the amplifier circuit. Optical signals for the photodetector in the chip may be received via optical fibers. | 10-02-2014 |
| 20140291490 | QUANTUM PROCESSING DEVICE - A device for achieving multi-photon interference, said device comprising: at least two solid state photon emitters, each solid state photon emitter comprising nuclear and electron spin states coupled together, each solid state photon emitter being configured to produce photon emission comprising a photon emission peak, wherein the photon emission peaks from different solid state photon emitters have a first frequency difference between peak intensities, and wherein the electron spin states of each solid state photon emitter are resolvable; an excitation arrangement configured to individually address the at least two solid state photon emitters; a plurality of optical out coupling structures wherein each solid state photon emitter is provided with an associated optical out coupling structure; a tuning arrangement configured to reduce the first frequency difference between the peak intensities of the photon emission peaks from the at least two solid state photon emitters to a second frequency difference which is smaller than the first frequency difference; a photon interference arrangement configured to overlap photon emissions from the at least two solid state emitters after tuning; and a detector arrangement configured to detect photon emissions from the at least two solid state emitters after tuning and passing through the photon interference arrangement, wherein the detector arrangement is configured to resolve sufficiently small differences in photon detection times that tuned photon emissions from the at least two solid state emitters are quantum mechanically indistinguishable resulting in quantum interference between indistinguishable photon emissions from different solid state photon emitters. | 10-02-2014 |
| 20140353473 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF FLAMES IN A HARSH ENVIRONMENT - A system for determination of presence of flames is provided. The system includes a photosensitive transducer configured to generate a response signal that is a function of electromagnetic radiation from a flame source. The system also includes a signal processing unit that includes a modulation unit and a demodulation unit. The modulation unit is configured to generate a modulated response signal by modulating the response signal with a modulation signal of frequency higher than that of an unwanted signal present the response signal. The demodulation unit is configured to determine an output signal by demodulating the modulated response signal. The demodulation unit eliminates the unwanted signal from the modulated response signal during the determination of the output signal. Further, the system also includes a processing unit configured to process the output signal to determine flame presence based on the intensity of the incident radiation from the flame. | 12-04-2014 |
| 20140361151 | OPTICAL POWER MONITORING DEVICE, METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An optical power monitoring device is provided with: an APD as a photodiode that converts the power of light to a current (Iapd); a resistor that is connected in parallel to the APD; a current mirror circuit that detects, as a first current value (I | 12-11-2014 |
| 20160076935 | PULSE PROCESSING CIRCUIT WITH CORRECTION MEANS - The invention relates to a method and a pulse processing circuit ( | 03-17-2016 |
| 20160100117 | DA CONVERTER, SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD OF SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - Disclosed is a digital-analog converter including a current generation section, a current source transistor bias voltage keeping section, a cascade transistor group switch section, and a conversion section. The current generation section has at least one current source transistor group including a plurality of current source transistors and generates an output current based on a value of a digital input signal. The current source transistor bias voltage keeping section has a plurality of cascade transistor groups each including cascade transistors connected in series to the current source transistors and keeps bias voltages of the current source transistors constant. The cascade transistor group switch section selects one of the plurality of cascade transistor groups. The conversion section performs current-voltage conversion of the output current supplied via the selected cascade transistor group. | 04-07-2016 |
| 20160153632 | VEHICLE HEADLIGHT | 06-02-2016 |
| 20220136896 | MEASUREMENT DEVICE, DISTANCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND MEASUREMENT METHOD - A measurement device according to an embodiment includes: a light receiving element ( | 05-05-2022 |
| 20220136897 | LOW CURRENT DETECTION - A sensor arrangement for light sensing for light-to-frequency conversion. The sensor arrangement includes a photodiode, an integrator operable to perform an integration phase during an integration time by converting a photocurrent generated by the photodiode into an input voltage, a voltage analog-to-digital converter (ADC) operable to perform a modulation phase by converting the input voltage (V | 05-05-2022 |
| 20080217520 | Optical Apparatus with Light Sensing - Optical apparatus comprising a generally closed housing defining an interior, an arrangement of optical elements in optical communication, the arrangement housed within the interior of the generally closed housing, and an optical sensor within the interior and arranged for sensing interior ambient light for monitoring an optical characteristic of the arrangement of optical elements. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080224027 | Display device - A display device according to an embodiment of the invention includes a display panel, a drive circuit that drives the display panel, an illuminating unit that illuminates the display panel, a photosensing section Ls having an ambient light photosensor Ts that senses the brightness of ambient light and a capacitor Cw that is charged with a predetermined reference voltage via a first switch S | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080258046 | BACKLIGHT UNIT AND DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING THE SAME - Provided are a backlight unit and a display device having the same. The display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel and a backlight unit for supplying light to the display panel. The backlight unit according to an embodiment includes a light guide plate, a light source disposed at a side of the light guide plate, a sensor sensing brightness or color temperature of natural light, an adaptive controller generating a voltage level signal to compensate for the brightness or color temperature of natural light, and a light source driver supplying a voltage corresponding to the voltage level signal to the light source. Thus, although the brightness or the color temperature of the natural light varies, uniform brightness or color temperature can be achieved by adjusting the brightness or the color temperature of the artificial light generated from the light source, thus displaying high-definition and high-quality images. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080290258 | AUXILIARY INPUT METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An auxiliary input method for an electronic device displays a virtual keyboard input interface optionally on a screen of the electronic device according to an external ambient brightness state of the electronic device, so as to assist the users to input data. The method includes sensing current ambient brightness to obtain an ambient brightness value; comparing the ambient brightness value with a preset brightness value; if the ambient brightness value is lower than the preset brightness value, calculating a duration in which the ambient brightness value is lower than the preset brightness value; comparing the duration with the preset time; if the duration reaches the preset time, displaying the virtual keyboard input interface on the screen of the electronic device, thereby improving the operation convenience of the electronic device. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090065683 | VEHICLE REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM - A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sensors which establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. The circuit produces an output that is a function of light sensed by glare and ambient light sensors. The circuit compares an output of a charge accumulation device with a reference, and the circuit selectively connects the glare sensor and the ambient light sensor with the charge accumulation device. The mirror system may include a display operable to project light through the reflective element and may control the intensity of the display as a function of the glare light and ambient light. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090084943 | Method and apparatus for ambient light detection - An imaging method and apparatus which use a pixel array for capturing images and for measuring ambient light conditions. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090152445 | Display device control based on integrated ambient light detection and lighting source characteristics - Systems and methods are provided for a display device including one or more methods for modifying the display brightness by automatically adapting to ambient lighting conditions. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090206237 | Phototransistor - A photo transistor has an active region ( | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090212198 | Method and Apparatus for a Light Fixture Having a Security Light and Permanently Mounted Wall-Washing LEDs - A light fixture ( | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090278032 | Method for regulating the backlighting of a display - A device for controlling the luminosity of an illuminating device, in particular for LC-display units in household appliances, includes a sensor which is used to detect the presence of a user, and a luminosity sensor. An exchange between two different luminosity values of the illuminating device according to the presence of a user and according to the surrounding luminosity takes place in a continuous manner. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090321616 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE - The resolution to the illuminance of light in photoelectric conversion is improved. A photoelectric conversion circuit | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100072351 | AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR WITH REDUCED SENSITIVITY TO NOISE FROM INFRARED SOURCES - Systems and methods are provided for detecting ambient light with reduced sensitivity to infrared sources. An electronic device may include an infrared sensor, an ambient light sensor, a decoder, and a processor. The infrared sensor may detect an intensity of infrared light. The ambient light sensor may be configured to detect incident light and to generate an electronic signal indicative of an intensity of visible light. The decoder may be configured to receive the intensity of infrared light and to generate an intensity of decoded infrared light. The processor, which may be coupled to the decoder and the ambient light sensor, may be configured to substitute an alternate electronic signal for the electronic signal if the intensity of infrared light exceeds a threshold amount. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100108863 | LIGHT-SENSIBLE CONTROL DEVICE FOR LIGHT STRING - A light-sensible control device for a light string has a housing of transparent or translucent material, a control circuit board with a photo sensor mounted in the housing and two conductive plates protruding from the housing as a plug. The housing is pervious to light so that the photo sensor detects ambient light passing through the housing from different directions. Based on the detected intensity of the ambient light, the control device determines whether the light string should be turned on or turned off. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100163713 | ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE SENSING APPARATUS - An electromagnetic wave sensing device and an operating method for the same are disclosed. The claimed device integrates signal transformation, operation and a sensing range configuration. Particularly, the sensing apparatus at least has two sensing units that respectively sense the ambient light and the electromagnetic wave with a specific range of spectrum. Moreover, a temperature sensor is further introduced to compensate the sensed signals by eliminating the temperature influence. Since the output of the sensing device can have a stable characteristic, the downstream manufacturers don't need to use different hardware or software to adapt different product conditions. The preferred embodiment is to provide one electromagnetic wave sensing device having at least two sensing units for respectively sensing different ranges of electromagnetic waves. After signal transformation, the signals are outputted according to the working mode configured by a control unit. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100187406 | INDOOR/OUTDOOR DETECTION - A light sensor is used to detect ambient light conditions. According to an example embodiment, a light sensor ( | 07-29-2010 |
| 20110068257 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - A photoelectric conversion apparatus is configured to include a plurality of pixels, a first output unit that detects a maximum value of signals output from the plurality of pixels, a second output unit that detects a minimum value of signals output from the plurality of pixels, and a signal output line via which to output signals of the first output unit and the second output unit such that when the maximum value is detected, the signal output line is charged by a source current flowing through the first output unit, while when the minimum value is detected, the signal output line is discharged by a sink current flowing through the second output unit. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110084198 | INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR INFORMATION DISPLAY SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE - An interior rearview mirror information display system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including an electrochromic reflective element. A display device is disposed behind a transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element and includes a display screen backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes supported by a circuit board disposed rearward of the fourth surface of the rear substrate. The light emitting diodes of the circuit board are disposed to the rear of the display screen to provide backlighting of the display screen when activated. Information displayed by the display device is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle. When the plurality of light emitting diodes is activated and the display device is displaying information, light emitted by the plurality of light emitting diodes passes through the display screen and through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110108709 | BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSOR - A backside illuminated image sensor includes a photodiode, formed below the top surface of a semiconductor substrate, for receiving light illuminated from the backside of the semiconductor substrate to generate photoelectric charges, a reflecting gate, formed on the photodiode over the front upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, for reflecting light illuminated from the backside of the substrate and receiving a bias to control a depletion region of the photodiode, and a transfer gate for transferring photoelectric charges from the photodiode to a sensing node of a pixel. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110114825 | Ambient Light Sensor - In an ambient light sensor according to the present invention, a current amplification portion which amplifies a light current obtained by a light receiving portion to generate an output signal includes: a current amplification stage that has: a first current mirror amplifier which is composed of a bipolar transistor, and a second current mirror amplifier which is composed of a field effect transistor connected in parallel with the first current mirror amplifier; and a changeover control circuit which monitors an amplified current input into the current amplification stage, and performs changeover control of the first and second current mirror amplifiers according to a value of the amplified current. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110139965 | Daylight Sensor Having a Rotatable Enclosure - A daylight sensor is adapted to be mounted to a surface in a space having a window, and has a rotatable enclosure for directing a lens of the daylight sensor towards the window. The daylight sensor includes a photosensitive circuit for measuring a light intensity in the space, and an enclosure for housing the photosensitive circuit. The lens directs light from the space towards the photosensitive circuit. The enclosure has a cover portion and a base portion adapted to be mounted to the surface. The cover portion is rotatable with respect to the base portion, so as to direct the lens towards the window after the base portion is mounted to the surface. The base portion may also include a cylindrical wall having a channel adapted to capture a snap of the cover portion, such that the snap may move angularly through the channel to allow for rotation of the cover portion with respect to the base portion. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110147570 | VEHICLE REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM - A vehicular interior rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly, which includes an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light and a glare light sensor operable to sense glare light. A control is operable to establish a reflectance level of a transflective electrochromic reflective element of the mirror assembly and is responsive to light detection by the ambient light sensor and/or the glare light sensor. A backlit video screen is disposed behind the reflective element and is operable to display information through the mirror reflector of the reflective element. A display intensity control adjusts display intensity responsive to a light detection by the glare light sensor and/or the ambient light sensor and as a function of a ratio of a glare light value sensed by the glare light sensor to an ambient light value sensed by the ambient light sensor. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110186714 | Adaptive De-Flicker Device and Method For Adaptive De-Flicker - The present invention discloses an adaptive de-flicker device and a method for adaptive de-flicker. The device includes: a light sensor for sensing ambient light and generating a corresponding sensed signal; a signal processor coupled to the light sensor, for generating a signal related to a frequency of the ambient light and a feedback signal according to the sensed signal generated by the light sensor; and an automatic gain control circuit coupled to the signal processor, for generating a control signal according to the feedback signal, to adjust the sensed signal by feedback controlling the light sensor, or to adjust the signal related to the frequency of the ambient light by feedback controlling the signal processor. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110240834 | Vision Equipment Comprising an Optical Strip with a Controlled Coefficient of Light Transmission - The invention relates to vision equipment including a translucent optical strip covering all or some of the visual field of the user of the said equipment and a device for projecting images onto the said strip in at least one zone of the visual field of the user, called the image-projection zone. The optical strip includes a plurality of zones covered by a layer of material with a controlled coefficient of light transmission, a zone at least covering the image-projection zone and in that the vision equipment also comprises a means for controlling the coefficient of light transmission capable of receiving status information and of controlling the coefficient of light transmission of each of the zones and independently of one another as a function of the said status information. The invention preferably applies to helmet visor equipment or head-up displays for an aircraft cockpit and to vision equipment in the motor vehicle field. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110266419 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING A REFLECTANCE OF MIRROR IN A VEHICLE - Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a reflectance of a mirror of a vehicle. A first sensor measures an ambient light condition outside the vehicle. A second sensor measures a glare from the mirror. A controller identifies a characteristic of the vehicle, and adjusts the reflectance of the mirror based on the characteristic, the ambient light condition, and the glare. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110290987 | AMBIENT LIGHT SENSING MODULE - The present invention provides an ambient light sensing module, which comprises a sawtooth signal generating circuit, an optical sensing unit, and a comparing unit. The sawtooth signal generating circuit produces a sawtooth signal. The optical sensing unit senses a light source and produces a light-sensing signal. The comparing unit produces a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal related to the intensity of the light source according to the light-sensing signal and the sawtooth signal so that the PWM signal can be used as the control signal of the electronic device. The ambient light sensing module further comprises at least a fuse for determining a processing parameter. A signal processing unit processes the light-sensing signal according to the processing parameter for outputting a converting signal. The comparing unit compares the converting signal with the sawtooth signal for producing the PWM signal. An adjusting unit produces an adjusting signal according to the PWM signal and the light intensity or according to the converting signal and the light intensity for controlling a trimming unit to trim the fuse and thus modifying the processing parameter. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20120018623 | ILLUMINATION UNIT - An illumination unit for illuminating large surfaces comprises a carrier device ( | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120037790 | ADJUSTABLY TRANSMISSIVE MEMS-BASED DEVICES - Modulator devices are selectably adjustable between at least two states, wherein the transmission and/or reflection of particular wavelengths of light are modified. Certain modulator devices are substantially uniformly adjustable over a wide range of wavelengths, including visible and infrared wavelengths. Other modulator devices are adjustable over visible wavelengths without significantly affecting infrared wavelengths. In addition, the modulator devices may be used in conjunction with fixed thin film reflective structures. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120119071 | VEHICLE REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM - An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element and ambient and glare light sensors. A control circuit is operable to establish a reflectance level of the reflective element. At least one of (a) the mirror system includes a charge accumulation device selectively connected with the ambient or glare light sensor and the control circuit establishes the ambient and glare light levels as a function of time for an output of the charge accumulation device to reach a reference level when connected to the respective light sensor, (b) a common element is used to measure outputs of the light sensors sequentially to correspond errors due to component variations, and (c) the mirror system includes temperature compensation of the glare and/or ambient light sensor and the temperature compensation is responsive to a reference light sensor that is substantially not exposed to light. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120126098 | Light Guiding Device - The present invention relates to a light guide device for the introduction of sunlight into the interior of a building, having a multitude of movably mounted light deflection surfaces which are adjustable by control means depending on the position of the sun. According to the present invention the light deflecting surfaces of the light guide device are formed by serially arranged deflecting blades which may be swiveled about swivel axes which are approximately parallel to each other, the blades being mounted on a blade holder which is rotatable about a rotational axis which is essentially perpendicular to the direction of the swivel axes. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120211645 | CONVEYOR STERILIZATION - A sterilizing system for sterilizing a continuous loop conveyor belt of a conveyor system is provided. The conveyor system includes a drive operatively connected to the conveyor belt and operative to move the belt between upper and lower flight paths. The upper flight path includes an exposed surface for receiving items. The sterilizing system includes a housing that is configured to at least partially cover the lower flight path. An ultraviolet light source is positioned in the interior of the housing. The light source is operative to emit ultraviolet light on the belt at the lower flight path to sanitize the belt. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20120292488 | OPTICAL SHUTTER DIMMING HELMET VISOR - Provided is a dimming helmet visor incorporating optical shutter technology therein for instantaneous conversion from a clear state to a dark state and vice versa. These visors find utility in helmets for anyone in changing lighting conditions outdoors, especially motorcyclists. The visor's optical shutter display is connected to a photodiode and a battery with both automatic and manual adjustment functionalities. A manual on/off switch is provided for power management. The photodiode responds to light intensity above a certain threshold and switches from a clear state to dark state in a matter of milliseconds once this threshold is reached. | 11-22-2012 |
| 20130048836 | ELECTRONICALLY SWITCHABLE OPTICAL DEVICE WITH A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL OPTICAL CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR OPERATING THE SAME - An electronically controllable optical device is provided which includes a cell maintaining an electro-optically controllable material, a photosensor associated with the cell, wherein the photosensor generates an input signal based on ambient light level, and a control circuit which receives the input signal and generates at least one output signal received by the cell. The device also includes a single switch connected to the control circuit, wherein actuation of the switch in predetermined sequences enables at least two of the following features of the device, a state change of the material, a system change between auto and manual modes, or a threshold value change for generation of the ambient light input signal, a device color change, a device tint change or a reset of the threshold value to the original factory setting. Methods of operation for the device are also provided. A control apparatus for the device is also disclosed. | 02-28-2013 |
| 20130062507 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT A SWITCHING PROCESS - The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for performing a switching operation with the aid of a operation element ( | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130105668 | REFLECTIVE DISPLAY DEVICE WITH LIGHT COMPENSATION MODULE | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130161493 | SWITCHABLE REFLECTIVE LAYER FOR WINDOWS & OTHER OPTICAL ELEMENTS - Reflective systems include a reflective element secured to an optical element. The reflective element is a switchable reflective layer that is switched by an alignment mechanism electrically coupled to a controller that sends data instructing the alignment mechanism that various light conditions exist. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20130248691 | Methods and Systems for Sensing Ambient Light - Disclosed methods and systems relate to sensing ambient light. Some disclosed implementations operate in connection with a wearable computing device, such as a head-mountable display. | 09-26-2013 |
| 20130341494 | Integrated proximity sensor and light sensor - Apparatuses and methods to sense proximity and to detect light. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an emitter of electromagnetic radiation and a detector of electromagnetic radiation; the detector has a sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation from the emitter when sensing proximity, and to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than the emitter when sensing visible light. The emitter may be disabled at least temporarily to allow the detector to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than the emitter, such as ambient light. In one implementation, the ambient light is measured by measuring infrared wavelengths. Also a fence having a non-IR transmissive material disposed between the emitter and the detector to remove electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter. Other apparatuses and methods and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20140001343 | ANTIGLARE APPARATUS HAVING A SELF-DIAGNOSIS MODE | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140054449 | FOCUS ADJUSTABLE APPARATUS - An embodiment of the invention provides a focus adjustable apparatus adapted to be disposed on a transparent substrate to modulate a plurality of rays passing through the transparent substrate. The focus adjustable apparatus includes a light modulation device, an eye tracking device, an eyesight status device and a controller. The light modulation device receives the rays from the transparent substrate and adjusts an emergent angle of each ray. The eye tracking device tracks a position of a user and estimates a distance between the user and the focus adjustable apparatus. The eyesight status device obtains an eyesight data of the user. The controller provides a control signal to drive the light modulation device by estimating the emergent angle of the each ray according to the distance between the user and the focus adjustable apparatus and the eyesight data of the user. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20140117214 | AMBIENT LUMINOSITY LEVEL DETECTION - A method wherein the updating of a counter is triggered when a photodiode reaches a discharge threshold. | 05-01-2014 |
| 20140252211 | AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR WITH AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL - An ambient light sensing method, comprising: acquiring the sensitivity settings, an exposure time and obtaining a sensing signal of a light sensor according to the sensitivity settings and the exposure time; determining whether the magnitude of the sensing signal is within a predetermined range when the sensing signal is available, wherein the predetermined range has an upper value and a lower value; updating the sensitivity settings and the exposure time of the light sensor according to the determined result for the magnitude of the sensing signal; and acquiring the sensing signal of the light sensor with the updated sensitivity settings and the updated exposure time. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140263977 | LIGHT MEASUREMENT AND/OR CONTROL TRANSLATION FOR DAYLIGHTING - Systems and methods are disclosed to translate a desired light level at a particular task location to a light level measured by a light sensor at a non-task location such as a wall location or a light switch location. For example, the light measured on the wall may be used to accomplish daylighting energy savings while maintaining a relatively constant illuminance value at the task location. Alternatively or additionally, up/down button presses at the wall location may be used to provide constant or consistent illuminance changes at the task location. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20150060649 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO AUTOMATICALLY REDUCE AN AMOUNT OF LIGHT INTERACTING WITH A VEHICLE DISPLAY - A method for controlling an intensity of light entering a vehicle is provided. The method includes determining an operational status of a display device in the path of the light entering the vehicle, and receiving, by a computing device, an intensity of light present in the vehicle using at least one light sensor. The method also includes comparing the intensity of light with a predefined intensity threshold, and activating a light damping mechanism when the measured light intensity exceeds the predefined intensity threshold and when the operational status of the display device is active, wherein the light damping mechanism facilitates at least one of reducing the intensity of light interacting with the display device and reducing light from the display device reflecting off a window. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150069221 | Sensor Having a Rotatable Enclosure - A daylight sensor is adapted to be mounted to a surface in a space having a window, and has a rotatable enclosure for directing a lens of the daylight sensor towards the window. The daylight sensor includes a photosensitive circuit for measuring a light intensity in the space, and an enclosure for housing the photosensitive circuit. The lens directs light from the space towards the photosensitive circuit. The enclosure has a cover portion and a base portion adapted to be mounted to the surface. The cover portion is rotatable with respect to the base portion, so as to direct the lens towards the window after the base portion is mounted to the surface. The base portion may also include a cylindrical wall having a channel adapted to capture a snap of the cover portion, such that the snap may move angularly through the channel to allow for rotation of the cover portion with respect to the base portion. | 03-12-2015 |
| 20150083897 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DAYTIME MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVING ASSISTANCE - A method for assisting the daytime driving of a motor vehicle, including the steps of: placing at least one variable-transmission screen between the driver of the motor vehicle and the road scene in front of the vehicle, measuring, by means of at least one sensor, the brightness of the road scene in front of the vehicle, and processing the brightness measurement signal to convert it into a signal for controlling the coefficient of transmission of the variable-transmission screen. In one embodiment, the method includes the further step of transmitting the control signal by remote control waves to a receiver fitted to the variable-transmission screen for modulating the coefficient of transmission of the variable-transmission screen as a function of the brightness measured by the sensor. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150136958 | LIGHT DETECTING DEVICE - A light detecting device is provided, comprising a substrate having a patterned metal layer formed thereon; a dielectric layer formed on the substrate, first pixel element formed on the dielectric layer, and a second pixel element. The dielectric layer at least has a first trench, and the first trench is positioned below the level of the first pixel element. The second pixel element comprises a buried portion formed correspondingly to the first trench, and an upper portion formed on the buried portion. The upper portion of the second pixel element is positioned at the same level of the first pixel element. | 05-21-2015 |
| 20150355521 | SEE-THROUGH DIMMING PANEL - A see-through dimming panel includes first and second transparent substrate layers and suspended-particle-device (SPD) layer therebetween. A first transparent conductor layer is between the first transparent substrate layer and the SPD layer, and a second transparent conductor layer is between the second transparent substrate layer and the SPD layer. A first electrode is electrically coupled to the first transparent conductor layer. Second and third electrodes are electrically coupled to opposite ends of the second transparent conductor layer. An electric potential difference applied between the first and second electrodes controls a transmittance level of the SPD layer. An electric potential difference applied between the second and third electrodes, which results in a transverse electric field, controls a speed at which the transmittance level of the SPD layer decreases when the electric potential difference applied between the first and second electrodes controls is decreased. | 12-10-2015 |
| 20160159287 | DISPLAY MIRROR ASSEMBLY - A display mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a housing and a glass element, and is configured to be turned to an on state and an off state. A peripheral support is disposed proximate a periphery of the glass element and configured to retain the glass element against the display module. The peripheral support includes a radio frequency shield integral therewith. An actuator device is disposed on a bottom surface of the housing and operably coupled with the glass element. The actuator device is adjustable to tilt the glass element in one direction, thereby moving the glass element to an off-axis position which approximately simultaneously changes the on/off state of the display module. The actuator device is adjustable to tilt the glass element in another direction, thereby moving the glass element to an on-axis position which approximately simultaneously changes the on/off state of the display module. | 06-09-2016 |
| 20080217516 | Photodetector - There is provided a photodetector applicable to communications requiring a high speed and broad dynamic range. When a photocurrent output of a photodiode | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080217517 | Monolithic ambient light detector - A monolithic ambient light detector. The detector includes on a single CMOS integrated circuit a photodiode matching almost perfectly the spectral response of the human eye and CMOS integrated circuitry for providing output digital signals indicating ambient light levels for controlling light intensity of electronic display monitors. The entire detector is fabricated on a single CMOS integrated circuit chip. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080217518 | ELECTRONIC DETECTING APPARATUS - An electronic detecting apparatus is provided for detecting an output of an external device such as a light emitter. The apparatus comprises a detector operative to detect a variable relating to the output of the external device, and a controller operative to receive a detector signal from the detector indicative of an initial non-steady state value of the detected variable. The controller is further operative to process the detector signal to generate a processed signal, the controller combining the detector signal and the processed signal to generate an output signal indicative of a future steady state value of the variable. The apparatus thus speeds up the time taken for the steady state value of the variable to be determined. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080217519 | Photoelectric conversion device - Provide is a photoelectric conversion device capable of correcting an optical signal with high accuracy and more adaptable to high-speed operations, including: an optical signal common output line ( | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080230682 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device is manufactured through steps in which a photoelectric conversion element and an amplifier circuit are formed over a first substrate with a release layer interposed therebetween, and the photoelectric conversion element and the amplifier circuit are separated from the first substrate. Output characteristics of the amplifier circuit are improved and the semiconductor device with high reliability is obtained. A manufacturing method of such semiconductor device includes steps of forming a metal layer having an opening portion over a substrate, forming an insulating layer over the entire surface of the substrate including the opening portion and the metal layer, forming a photoelectric conversion layer in a region which overlaps with the metal layer and is a layer over the insulating layer, forming an amplifier circuit, which amplifies an output current of the photoelectric conversion element by using a thin film transistor, in the opening portion in the metal layer, forming a protective layer over the photoelectric conversion element and the amplifier circuit, and separating the photoelectric conversion element and the amplifier circuit, together with the insulating layer, from the substrate through laser irradiation to the metal layer. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080230683 | LIGHT RECEIVING CIRCUIT - A light receiving circuit includes: a first transimpedance amplifier configured to convert an input signal to a voltage signal, the input signal being current-converted by a first photodiode; a second transimpedance amplifier connected to a light-shielded second photodiode, and being configured to output a reference voltage; a differential amplifier; a transconductance amplifier; a voltage source; and a conversion element. The differential amplifier has a first terminal and a second terminal, and amplifies a difference between the voltage signal inputted to the first terminal and a signal inputted to the second terminal. The transconductance amplifier receives as input a branch of the voltage signal and outputs a current signal to the second terminal. The voltage source superimposes an offset voltage on the output voltage of the second transimpedance amplifier. The conversion element is provided between the voltage source and the second terminal, and voltage-converts the current signal. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080251698 | SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL RECEIVER MODULE - There is provided a semiconductor optical receiver module that performs efficient heat dissipation, without incurring an increase in cost. The semiconductor optical receiver module includes a substrate provided on a package, a semiconductor photodetector provided on the substrate, a chip capacitor provided on the substrate, and a preamp IC provided on the package, without the intermediation of the substrate. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080290256 | Method and Device for Imaging an Interior of a Turbid Medium - The invention relates to a method and device ( | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080296476 | PIXEL SENSOR CELL FOR COLLECTING ELECTIONS AND HOLES - The present invention is a pixel sensor cell and method of making the same. The pixel sensor cell approximately doubles the available signal for a given quanta of light. The device of the present invention utilizes the holes produced by impinging photons in a pixel sensor cell circuit. A pixel sensor cell having reduced complexity includes an n-type collection well region formed beneath a surface of a substrate for collecting electrons generated by electromagnetic radiation impinging on the pixel sensor cell and a p-type collection well region formed beneath the surface of the substrate for collecting holes generated by the impinging photons. A circuit structure having a first input is coupled to the n-type collection well region and a second input is coupled to the p-type collection well region, wherein an output signal of the pixel sensor cell is the magnitude of the difference of a signal of the first input and a signal of the second input. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080308713 | VARIABLE GAIN CONSTANT BANDWIDTH TRANS-IMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER FOR FIBER OPTIC RATE SENSOR - A trans-impedance amplifier with gain control for a fiber optic rotation rate sensor. A variable gain amplifier having gain control based on keeping the amplifier output above a certain level. The gain control approach allows the amplifier bandwidth to remain constant. A gain control circuit includes a control device connected to ground and the amplifier feedback network. The input to the gain control circuit may be the amplifier output that has been filtered, or the input could be from an external circuit or microcontroller. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080308714 | Microprocessor Based Automatically Dimmable Eye Protection Device With Interruption Prevention - An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit in electrical communication with the shutter assembly. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a clear state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a microcontroller programmed to store a plurality of memory presets including at least one setting corresponding to the operation of the shutter assembly. At least two of the plurality of memory presets are individually configured for a specific type of welding. In another embodiment, an auto darkening eye protection device is provided, the device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit in electrical communication with the shutter assembly. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a clear state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a microcontroller programmed to monitor and store at least one parameter corresponding to the operation of the auto darkening eye protection device. In another embodiment, an auto darkening eye protection device is provided, the device comprising a shutter assembly, a control circuit in electrical communication with the shutter assembly, and a communication device in electrical communication with the control circuit. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a clear state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a microcontroller. The communication device enables communication between the control circuit and a computer via the communication device. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080308715 | RECEIVING APPARATUS - There may be provided a receiving apparatus including: a light receiving element which receives an optical signal and generates a current signal dependent on the optical signal; a conversion unit which converts the current signal into a voltage signal; a reference voltage generation unit which generates a reference voltage; a threshold voltage generation unit which generates, based on the voltage signal outputted from the conversion unit and the reference voltage outputted from the reference voltage generation unit, a threshold voltage signal having an amplitude smaller than an amplitude of the voltage signal with reference to substantially the center of amplitude range of the voltage signal and delayed by a predetermined time period from the voltage signal; and a comparison unit which compares the voltage signal outputted from the conversion unit with the threshold voltage signal outputted from the threshold voltage generation unit. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090008534 | Photodetector Circuit - A photodetecting circuit includes an adder that selectively adds outputs of a plurality of circuits for photodetection. Each of the circuits for photodetection includes: a element for photodetecting; a transimpedance amplifier for photodetection, with a first input terminal connected to the photodetecting element; a transconductance amplifier, with a first input terminal connected to an output terminal of the transimpedance amplifier; and a feedback circuit, connected between the output terminal of the transimpedance amplifier for photodetection and the first input terminal of the transimpedance amplifier for photodetection and applying feedback to keep fixed an output voltage of the transimpedance amplifier for photodetection. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090008535 | Differential amplifier circuit, operational amplifier circuit, light-receiving amplifier circuit using the same, function selection circuit, and light-receiving circuit using the same - A differential amplifier circuit, an operational amplifier circuit, and a light-receiving amplifier circuit using the same are provided, by which the influence of an on resistance of an analog switch is reduced during the switching of gain resistances. An NPN transistor Q | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090084942 | LIGHT RECEIVING CIRCUIT - A light receiving circuit includes: a transimpedance amplifier circuit which is connected to a light receiving element; a differential amplifier which operates by a predetermined current supplied by a current source to output a current corresponding to a differential signal between a signal outputted from the transimpedance amplifier circuit and a predetermined reference signal; a current mirror unit which outputs a current corresponding to the current outputted from the differential amplifier; and a conversion unit which converts the current outputted from the current mirror unit into voltage. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090090847 | OPTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND INFRARED DATA COMMUNICATION APPARATUS - An optical semiconductor device converts a light signal into an electric signal and amplifies the converted electric signal, and includes: a photodiode which converts a light signal into a current signal; another photodiode which converts a light signal into a current signal; a current amplifying circuit which includes an operational amplifier which amplifies an output current from the photodiode; and a current-voltage conversion circuit which converts an output current from the other photodiode into a voltage, wherein an output terminal of the current amplifying circuit is connected to an input terminal of the current-voltage conversion circuit. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090095884 | SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE - Disclosed herein is a semiconductor integrated circuit device such as a for-camera preprocessing LSI suitable for a semiconductor integrated circuit and having improved responsiveness. In a D/A converter circuit for generating a feedback signal for compensating for black level variation in a for-camera preprocessing LSI, first-conductivity-type MOSFETs as first current sources produce currents corresponding to digital signals. The digital signals are supplied to first-conductivity-type first differential MOSFETs and second-conductivity-type second differential MOSFETs, with the gates and drains of the first differential MOSFETs and the gates and drains of the second differential MOSFETs being connected together respectively. There is provided a differential amplifier circuit in which a bias voltage is supplied to a noninverting input terminal thereof and an inverting input terminal thereof is connected to an analog current output node which is the drains connected together of one sides of the first differential MOSFETs, and a resistive element is provided between the inverting input terminal and an output terminal thereof. A converted analog output voltage is generated at the output terminal, and a voltage equal to the bias voltage is supplied to drains of the other sides of the first differential MOSFETs. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090146048 | PHOTO DETECTING APPARATUS - A photo detection apparatus includes first and second photo detection elements which are connected in series to each other at a junction node. A spectral response characteristic of the first photo detection element is different than a spectral response characteristics characteristic of the second photo detection element. The photo detection apparatus further includes a signal generating circuit connected to the junction node and generating a light detection signal corresponding to a current extracted at the junction node. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090152444 | ILLUMINATION SENSOR - In an ambient light sensor according to the present invention, a current amplification portion which amplifies a light current obtained by a light receiving portion to generate an output signal includes: a current amplification stage that has: a first current mirror amplifier which is composed of a bipolar transistor, and a second current mirror amplifier which is composed of a field effect transistor connected in parallel with the first current mirror amplifier; and a changeover control circuit which monitors an amplified current input into the current amplification stage, and performs changeover control of the first and second current mirror amplifiers according to a value of the amplified current. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090184238 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging apparatus including: a pixel section having a plurality of pixels arranged into a matrix, each pixel containing a reset section for resetting an accumulation section by supplying a potential retained at a reset line; a correlation double sampling circuit for suppressing a noise signal contained in the pixel signal; and a control section where, of a first one of the pixels and a second one of the pixels connected to the same one of a signal output line, when the first pixel is determined as a pixel subject to reset operation for obtaining an output of the pixel signal corresponding to a first potential supplied by the reset section, a voltage level of the same one signal output line at the time of the reset operation is set with using a pixel signal corresponding to a second potential supplied by the reset section of the second pixel. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090194673 | Image detection apparatus - An image detection apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a conversion unit that converts an emitted radiation ray to an electric charge; a group of pixel units, each of the pixel units including a storage capacitor that stores an electric charge and a switching component connected to the storage capacitor; a plurality of data lines that respectively connect the switching components of the pixel units to first input terminals of a signal detection components so that, when a switching component is turned on, the storage capacitor connected thereto conducts to an input terminal of the signal detection components connected thereto; and a plurality of storage capacitor lines that are separate from each other and that connect the storage capacitors of the pixel units of the pixel group to second input terminals of the signal detection components corresponding to the respective pixel units. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090218477 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE SENSING SYSTEM - An image sensing apparatus having a pixel array with a plurality of pixels, comprises an amplification unit, wherein the amplification unit amplifies a difference-voltage between a voltage level input corresponding to signals output from the pixel array and a reference voltage level, outputs a non-inverted output signal to a first output signal line, and outputs an inverted output signal to a second output signal line and a switch short-circuiting the first output signal line and the second output signal line in response to a reset signal. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090224141 | LINEAR DISTRIBUTED PIXEL DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER HAVING MIRRORED INPUTS - A pixel circuit that partially incorporates an associated column amplifier into the pixel circuitry. By incorporating part of a mirrored amplifier into the pixel, noise from the pixel is reduced. | 09-10-2009 |
| 20090230290 | IMAGE SENSOR, IMAGE-SENSING APPARATUS USING THE IMAGE SENSOR, AND IMAGE-SENSING SYSTEM - An image sensor has a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit for processing signals from the photoelectric converter and outputting processed signals and a scanning circuit, disposed between the photoelectric converters, included in each of at least two adjacent pixels among a plurality of pixels aligned in a single direction. An edge pixel accommodates, in order from an edge of the image sensor toward an interior, a predetermined empty region, a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit. There is at least one position at which two adjacent pixels, the first of the two pixels accommodating, in order, a pixel circuit, a photoelectric converter and predetermined empty region, the second accommodating, in order, a predetermined empty region, a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit. The scanning circuit is disposed in the predetermined empty region between the two adjacent pixels. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090242741 | Solid-state image capturing apparatus, manufacturing method for the solid-state image capturing apparatus, and electronic information device - A solid-state image capturing apparatus is provided, where each of the pixels comprises a pixel light receiving section for converting incident light into a signal charge by photoelectric conversion, a charge storing section for storing the signal charge and generating a signal voltage in accordance with the stored signal charge, and an amplifying transistor for amplifying and outputting the signal voltage. A second-conductivity type semiconductor region, in which the amplifying transistor is formed, on the semiconductor substrate has an impurity concentration profile different from an impurity concentration profile of a different second-conductivity type semiconductor region, in which a peripheral circuit transistor that constitutes the peripheral circuit is formed. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090266976 | AMPLIFICATION WITH FEEDBACK CAPACITANCE FOR PHOTODETECTOR SIGNALS - Signals from an imager pixel photodetector are received by an amplifier having capacitive feedback, such as a capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA). The amplifier can be operated at a low or no power level during an integration period of a photodetector to reduce power dissipation. The amplifier can be distributed, with an amplifier element within each pixel of an array and with amplifier output circuitry outside the pixel array. The amplifier can be a single ended cascode amplifier, a folded cascode amplifier, a differential input telescopic cascode amplifier, or other configuration. The amplifier can be used in pixel configurations where the amplifier is directly connected to the photodetector, or in configurations which use a transfer transistor to couple signal charges to a floating diffusion node with the amplifier being coupled to the floating diffusion node. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090272882 | Method and Device for Detecting Weak Optical Signals - An optical detection device is disclosed. The device comprises a photoelectric unit, configured to sense incoming photons and to produce electrical signals pertaining to at least a few of the photons within a plurality of temporally resolved time-windows; an analog-to-digital unit, configured to generate digital representation of the electrical signals; and a digital integrating unit, configured to integrate the digital representation over at least part of the temporally resolved time-windows to provide integrated data corresponding to the photons. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090289173 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING THE SAME - The photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion circuit for outputting photocurrent generated in a photoelectric conversion element as output voltage subjected to logarithmic compression by a first diode element, a reference voltage generation circuit for outputting reference voltage subjected to logarithmic compression by a second diode element in accordance with the amount of current flowing to a resistors an arithmetic circuit for outputting an output signal obtained by amplifying a difference between the output voltage output from the photoelectric conversion circuit and the reference voltage output from the reference voltage generation circuit, and an output circuit for outputting current corresponding to the logarithmically-compressed output voltage output from the photoelectric conversion circuit by the output signal. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20100001173 | In-cell current subtraction for infrared detectors - Read-out cell systems are disclosed for image detectors, including infrared image detectors, that provide improved sensitivity by providing in-cell subtraction through the use of a voltage ramp signal generated using a reference pixel and a feedback amplifier. The ramp voltage is generated using a reference pixel and an amplifier having feedback. The ramp voltage is then provided to a plurality of read-out cells. The ramp voltage can be coupled to an input transistor to provide current subtraction prior to the integration node. The ramp voltage can also be provided to integration capacitors within the read-out cells to provide current subtraction directly to the integration node. Further, a temperature-independent fixed current source can also be utilized to further control current subtraction. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100019131 | PHOTODETECTOR AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT - A photodetector amplifier circuit that converts a photodetector signal photoelectrically into a photocurrent and controls on or off state of an output transistor according to the photocurrent. The photodetector amplifier circuit has a first control circuit that is connected to a control terminal of the output transistor and controls on or off state of the output transistor according to the photocurrent and a switch that is connected between the control terminal of the output transistor and a ground voltage terminal and if the output transistor is turned off, discharges the control terminal of the output transistor by making the control terminal of the output transistor conductive with the ground voltage terminal. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100051786 | PIXEL CIRCUIT - The present invention refers, inter alia, to pixel circuits. The pixel circuit according to embodiments of the invention may include a photo-sensitive device having charge storage capability connected to a sense node. The pixel circuit may further include an inverting amplifier which is able to amplify a voltage from the sense node to a voltage on an output node of the amplifier, when being operated in open-loop configuration; and a reset switch being able to connect the input and output nodes of the inverting amplifier and thus to reset the inverting amplifier to an operating point providing high open loop gain by temporarily establishing negative feedback. Moreover, the pixel circuit may include a low-pass filter at the output node of the inverting amplifier for limiting the signal frequencies passing to the readout node to those frequencies that contain useful signal information. Additional and alternative embodiments are specified and claimed. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100084542 | IMAGING DEVICE WITH SENSE AND COUPLE ELECTRODES - An imaging device for sensing an image of an object includes a negative feedback amplifier, a substrate, a sense electrode, a couple electrode and an insulation protection layer. The sense and couple electrodes are disposed above the substrate. The insulation protection layer covers the sense and couple electrodes. The sense electrode and the object form a sense capacitor. The couple electrode and the object form a couple capacitor. A negative input terminal of the negative feedback amplifier is electrically connected to the sense electrode, and the couple electrode is electrically connected to a signal output terminal of the negative feedback amplifier and a signal input terminal of the imaging device. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100108862 | PHOTODETECTOR - A photodetecting device | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100116969 | SIGNAL AMPLIFIER FOR OPTICAL RECEIVER CIRCUIT - A signal amplifier connected to a photodetector that converts a received optical signal to a current signal includes: a preamplifier converting the current signal to voltage and supplying the resultant voltage signal; a main amplifier amplifying the voltage signal supplied from the preamplifier and in which at least the input stage is made up from a differential circuit; two or more follower circuits provided between the preamplifier and the main amplifier and supplied with the voltage signal; resistors of equal resistance provided for each follower circuit on the paths between the output of the preamplifier and each input of the main amplifier; and a capacitor having one end connected to one of the resistors and the other end connected to ground. A low-pass filter for detecting the average potential of the voltage signal is configured by the capacitor and the resistor that is connected to the capacitor. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100140455 | SENSOR PIXELS, ARRAYS AND ARRAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREFOR - One sensor pixel includes amplifying transistor, coupled between first bias line and data line; switch transistor, operated by control line and coupled between data line and gate of amplifying transistor; storage capacitor, coupled to second bias line; and sensor being coupled to gate of amplifying transistor. Another sensor pixel includes first amplifying transistor coupled between first bias line and data line; second amplifying transistor being coupled between second bias line and data line; switch transistor being operated by control line and being coupled between data line and gates of first and second amplifying transistors; storage capacitor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors; and sensor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors. Further sensor pixel includes two photo transistors connected to first and second bias lines. Trap-assisted absorption, variable capacitor described for sensor pixels, and also biasing to reduce flicker and aging, and to compensate for aging, described for sensor pixels. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100140456 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - In a semiconductor device, where, with respect to a parasitic resistor in a current mirror circuit, a compensation resistor for compensating the parasitic resistor is provided in the current mirror circuit, the current mirror circuit includes at least two thin film transistors. The thin film transistors each have an island-shaped semiconductor film having a channel formation region and source or drain regions, a gate insulating film, a gate electrode, and source or drain electrodes, and the compensation resistor compensates the parasitic resistor of any one of the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode. In addition, each compensation resistor has a conductive layer containing the same material as the gate electrode, the source or drain electrodes, or the source or drain regions. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100148037 | PIXEL ARRAY WITH SHARED READOUT CIRCUITRY - A pixel array comprises a plurality of photo-sensitive elements arranged in rows and columns and readout circuitry for reading a value of a photo-sensitive element. Shared readout circuitry is provided for a pair of adjacent photo-sensitive elements. Adjacent instances of the shared readout circuitry are staggered with respect to one another. For a layout having shared readout circuitry for a pair of photo-sensitive elements, adjacent instances of the shared readout circuitry are offset by a horizontal distance of one column and a vertical distance of one row of the array. The shared readout circuitry can serve a pair of adjacent photo-sensitive elements in a row or column of the array, or a pair of photo-sensitive elements which are diagonally adjacent in the array. An improved yield and symmetry results from staggering instances of the shared readout circuitry. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100148038 | Light receiving circuit - Provided is a light receiving circuit including: a photodiode; a first amplifier including a feedback resistor connected between an input and an output of an inverting amplifier and having an input connected to a cathode of the photodiode; a second amplifier having a configuration similar to that of the first amplifier and having an input connected to an anode of the photodiode; a capacitor element connected between an output of the first amplifier and the input of the second amplifier; and a bias current control circuit that outputs a bias current to the input of the second amplifier according to a current value of the photocurrent, and controls an output voltage signal of the light receiving circuit according to an output of the second amplifier by using the bias current to adjust the sensitivity. The bias current control circuit changes the sensitivity according to the output of the second amplifier. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100176274 | METHODS AND MATERIALS FOR DETECTING LIGHT RELEASED FROM A LABELING MATERIAL USING SELF TRIGGERING EXCITATION. - The present disclosure relates generally to methods and materials for detecting light released from a labeling material using self triggering excitation. In particular, the present disclosure provides an architecture for a detection system that detects accumulated phase shifts in the form of a ring-oscillator frequency. The present disclosure provides devices for detection of a light released by a labeling material, the device comprising: a start-up circuit that provides power to a pulse generator block that drives an LED driver, a photodetector that detects the light released by a labeling material and provides a first signal; a variable reference that provides a second signal; a slicer for comparing the first signal to the second signal, wherein the slicer generates an output signal with a delay that triggers the pulse generator block after the start-up circuit is disabled; a frequency reference; and a frequency counter for comparing the output from the slicer to the frequency reference thereby producing a output signal. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100176275 | Multipurpose Photodetector Amplifier and Control Methods - In certain embodiments, a system is provided for image capture that includes a unit cell that includes a Capacitor TransImpedance Amplifier (CTIA) subcircuit, a Source Follower per Detector (SFD) subcircuit, and a Direct Injection (DI) subcircuit. The unit cell may operate using one of the subcircuits selected in response to a control signal. A column amplifier may be coupled to the unit cell. The column amplifier may be operable to receive an intermediate signal from the unit cell and couple components of the column amplifier corresponding to the selected subcircuit in response to the control signal. The column amplifier may generate an output signal from the intermediate signal using the coupled components of the column amplifier. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100193667 | ACQUISITION CIRCUIT COMPRISING A BUFFER CAPACITOR - The acquisition circuit comprises a second and third electronic switch connected in series between a photodetector and a first input terminal of an amplifier. A reference voltage is applied to a second input terminal of the amplifier, the reference voltage being applied between the photodetector and the second electronic switch by means of a fourth electronic switch. An integration capacitor and a first electronic switch are connected in parallel between the first input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier. A buffer capacitor is connected between a common terminal of the second and third electronic switches and a secondary voltage. The electrical capacitance of the buffer capacitor is at least equal to that of the integration capacitor. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100230582 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION MODULE - A photoelectric conversion module includes a photoelectric conversion element that converts an arriving optical signal transmitted via an optical fiber into an electrical signal, a signal output section that outputs a photoelectrically converted electrical signal to the exterior, an impedance matching circuit provided between an output electrode of the photoelectric conversion element and the signal output section, and a substrate upon which this impedance matching circuit is mounted, with the impedance matching circuit including a plurality of metallic coating layers formed upon the surface of the substrate with gaps being left between them, and a plurality of metallic connecting lines that electrically connect together adjacent ones of these metallic coating layers. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100237228 | CMOS Image Sensor Pixel With Internal Charge Amplifier - A CMOS image sensor in which each column of pixels is connected to a signal line that is coupled to a current source, and each pixel includes a charge amplifier having a common source configuration arranged such that a charge generated by its photodiode is amplified by the charge amplifier and transmitted to readout circuitry by way of the signal line. In one embodiment the charge amplifier utilizes an NMOS transistor to couple the photodiode charge in an inverted manner to the signal line while converting the charge to a voltage through a capacitor coupled between the signal line and photodiode (i.e., forming a feedback of the NMOS amplifier transistor). | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100237229 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROVIDED WITH THE PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE - An output terminal of a photoelectric conversion element included in the photoelectric conversion device is connected to a drain terminal and a gate terminal of a MOS transistor which is diode-connected, and a voltage V | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100243866 | IMAGING DEVICES AND METHODS FOR CHARGE TRANSFER - A pixel circuit having improved charge transfer including an amplifier having an input node electrically connected to a charge storage node of the pixel circuit, and a negative feedback control loop having a capacitance element electrically connected between the input node and an output node of said amplifier. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100252720 | LIGHT SENSING CIRCUIT AND METHOD THEREOF - A light detecting circuit and a light detecting method thereof are provided. The light detecting circuit includes a first resistor, a light sensor, a current source, and a first current mirror. The light sensor generates a corresponding photocurrent according to the illumination while being illuminated by the high brightness light beam. By dividing the photocurrent corresponding to the low brightness light beam from the photocurrent through the current source, the light detecting circuit can mainly detects the high brightness light beam, so that the detecting accuracy can be enhanced. Accordingly, when being applied to detect the high brightness light beam, the light detecting circuit can provide a sensing voltage in a wide enough range and a large enough sense scale, so that the sensing voltage is easy to be distinguished by the rear stage. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100276574 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH GLOBAL SHUTTER - An image sensor includes a photodiode to accumulate an image charge and a storage transistor to store the image charge. A transfer transistor is coupled between the photodiode and an input of the storage transistor to selectively transfer the image charge from the photodiode to the storage transistor. An output transistor is coupled to an output of the storage transistor to selectively transfer the image charge to a readout node and a reset transistor is coupled to the readout node. A controller is configured to apply a negative voltage to a gate of the storage transistor before activating the gate of the storage transistor to store the image charge. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100276575 | Direct Attach Optical Receiver Module and Method of Testing - A direct attach optical receiver module and a system and method for testing the direct attach optical receiver module are provided. An optical receiver module may include an optical detector and an integrated circuit with an integrated amplifier circuit and at least one integrated capacitor. In one example, the optical detector may be physically attached to the integrated circuit and the output port of the optical detector may be electrically coupled to the input port of the integrated circuit. In another example, a redistribution layer that includes a tuning inductor may be being physically attached between the optical detector and the integrated circuit. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100282946 | Low Noise Pixel Readout Circuit with High Conversion Gain - A pixel circuit of a CMOS image sensor is disclosed. At least two transfer transistors are configured to transfer integrated light signals of corresponding photodetectors to a first node. A reset transistor is configured to reset the first node to a predetermined reset voltage of a second node, and a source follower is configured to buffer the integrated light signals. In one embodiment, a capacitor is further connected between the first node and the second node to minimize influence of the effective capacitance including capacitance of a floating diffusion region and parasitic capacitance due to the photodetector and the transfer transistor. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100282947 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device is manufactured through steps in which a photoelectric conversion element and an amplifier circuit are formed over a first substrate with a release layer interposed therebetween, and the photoelectric conversion element and the amplifier circuit are separated from the first substrate. Output characteristics of the amplifier circuit are improved and the semiconductor device with high reliability is obtained. A manufacturing method of such semiconductor device includes steps of forming a metal layer having an opening portion over a substrate, forming an insulating layer over the entire surface of the substrate including the opening portion and the metal layer, forming a photoelectric conversion layer in a region which overlaps with the metal layer and is a layer over the insulating layer, forming an amplifier circuit, which amplifies an output current of the photoelectric conversion element by using a thin film transistor, in the opening portion in the metal layer, forming a protective layer over the photoelectric conversion element and the amplifier circuit, and separating the photoelectric conversion element and the amplifier circuit, together with the insulating layer, from the substrate through laser irradiation to the metal layer. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100282948 | OPTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - An optical semiconductor device comprises a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed on the first semiconductor region. The device further comprises a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type formed in a semiconductor layer, which is separated from the first and second semiconductor regions by an element separation region, and a fourth semiconductor region of the first conductivity type formed between a semiconductor substrate and third semiconductor region. The device further comprises a fifth semiconductor region of the first conductivity type formed across the semiconductor substrate and the first semiconductor region. An upper portion of the fifth semiconductor region penetrates into a specific depth of the first semiconductor region. Amplification of a current signal occurs when a reverse voltage is applied between the second semiconductor region and a surface portion of the third semiconductor region. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100294917 | Apparatus and Methods for Imaging - For imaging, an electromagnetic radiation sensor is used to produce an output when illuminated by a modulated laser light. In use, the output is determined by a laser Doppler signal illuminating the sensor. Various examples are described for achieving integration of on-chip processing onto the substrate providing the sensor. In one example, the output of the sensor is a logarithmic function of the illuminating laser Doppler signal. In another example, the output of the sensor is normalized. In another example, an amplifier arrangement is provided to amplify the output of the sensor, the amplifier gain being lower at DC than at the frequency range of the laser Doppler signal. In another example, a filter is integrated into the semiconductor device. In another example, a bandpass filter and frequency weighted filter are provided, and their outputs are processed to average values over time. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100294918 | Photodetection device - An electric charge storage method is used in which a photoelectric current generated in a photodiode is stored for a predetermined time period and the stored electric charge is amplified by an amplifier to obtain an output. Further, the storage time period is switched so that an output from the circuit has a characteristic of a piecewise linear approximation of a logarithm of an illuminance, permitting a sufficient resolution even in darkness. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20110024608 | AVALANCHE IMPACT IONIZATION AMPLIFICATION DEVICES - A semiconductor photodetector may provide charge carrier avalanche multiplication at high field regions of a semiconductor material layer. A semiconductor current amplifier may provide current amplification by impact ionization near a high field region. A plurality of metal electrodes are formed on a surface of a semiconductor material layer and electrically biased to produce a non-uniform high electric field in which the high electric field strength accelerates avalanche electron-hole pair generation, which is employed as an effective avalanche multiplication photodetection mechanism or as an avalanche impact ionization current amplification mechanism. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110042553 | Method and System for Optoelectronic Receivers Utilizing Waveguide Heterojunction Phototransistors Integrated in a CMOS SOI Wafer - A method and system for optoelectronic receivers utilizing waveguide heterojunction phototransistors (HPTs) integrated in a CMOS SOI wafer are disclosed and may include receiving optical signals via optical fibers operably coupled to a top surface of the chip. Electrical signals may be generated utilizing HPTs that detect the optical signals. The electrical signals may be amplified via voltage amplifiers, or transimpedance amplifiers, the outputs of which may be utilized to bias the HPTs by a feedback network. The optical signals may be coupled into opposite ends of the HPTs. A collector of the HPTs may comprise a silicon layer and a germanium layer, a base may comprise a silicon germanium alloy with germanium composition ranging from 70% to 100%, and an emitter including crystalline or poly Si or SiGe. The optical signals may be demodulated by communicating a mixer signal to a base terminal of the HPTs. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110062312 | OPTOELECTRONIC SUBASSEMBLY WITH INTEGRAL THERMOELECTRIC COOLER DRIVER - Optical subassemblies including optical transmit and receive subassemblies. The optical subassemblies comprise a housing, and first and second substrates mounted within the housing. Also disposed within the housing is a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) thermally coupled to the first substrate. An optical transmitter is mounted on the first substrate, and thermally coupled to the TEC. A TEC driver is mounted on the second substrate and electrically coupled to the TEC. In some embodiments a thermal resistance mechanism is provided for connecting the first substrate to the second substrate. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110062313 | NANOELECTRONIC DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIERS AND RELATED CIRCUITS HAVING GRAPHENE NANORIBBONS - A multiple transistor differential amplifier is implemented on a single graphene nanoribbon. Differential amplifier field effect transistors are formed on the graphene nanoribbon from a first group of electrical conductors in contact with the graphene nanoribbon and a second group of electrical conductors insulated from, but exerting electric fields on, the graphene nanoribbon thereby forming the gates of the field effect transistors. A transistor in one portion of the differential amplifier and a transistor in another portion of the differential amplifier are responsive to an incoming electrical signal. A current source, also formed on the graphene nanoribbon, is connected with the differential amplifier, and the current source and the differential amplifier operating together generate an outgoing signal responsive to the incoming electrical signal. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110079708 | SILICON PHOTODETECTION MODULE - A silicon photo-detection module is disclosed, in which a silicon photodiode detection unit and a parasitical vertical bipolar junction transistor amplification unit can be simultaneously formed by a CMOS process. The silicon photo-detection module has a silicon substrate, a silicon photodiode detection unit comprising a positive portion and a negative portion, and a parasitical vertical bipolar junction transistor amplification unit comprising a collector, a base, and an emitter. The silicon photodiode detection unit and the parasitical vertical bipolar junction transistor amplification unit are formed on the silicon substrate by a CMOS process. Besides, the positive and negative portions of the silicon photodiode detection unit are electrically connected respectively with the base and the collector of the parasitical vertical bipolar junction transistor amplification unit. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110101208 | PHOTOCURRENT MONITORING CIRCUIT - A low cost photocurrent monitoring circuit is provided. A photocurrent monitoring circuit, which performs monitoring by converting photocurrents output from a plurality of photodiodes (PD | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110180692 | OPTICAL RECEIVER CIRCUIT - An optical receiver circuit is configured as follows: a preamplifier and a reference voltage generating circuit are connected with a first ground potential wiring and a first power supply wiring, which are used in common, and are formed in a first region where elements are formed on a substrate to which the potential of the first ground potential wiring is supplied; a main amplifier is connected with a second ground potential wiring and a second power supply wiring, which are separated from the first ground potential wiring and the first power supply wiring, and is formed in a second region where elements are formed on the substrate to which the potential of the second ground potential wiring is supplied; and a substrate supply interval where a first substrate supply position at which the potential of the first ground potential wiring is supplied and a second substrate supply position at which the potential of the second ground potential wiring is supplied are closest to each other is large to an extent where a substrate permeability characteristic, in which noise is fully attenuated in an alternating current (AC) manner, is obtained. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110180693 | PHOTODIODE FRONT END WITH IMPROVED POWER SUPPLY REJECTION RATIO (PSRR) - An area effective system and method for improving power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) in an optical sensor front end, is provided. Moreover, low pass filter (LPF) that enables the reference voltage in the front end of the optical sensor, to be referred to the same substrate as that employed by the sensor. In one example, the LPF includes a capacitor, implemented using a Deep-N-Well (DNW) depletion capacitor, which is utilized to connect the reference voltage to the same substrate. Additionally, the DNW allows an area efficient realization of the LPF. The system and method disclosed herein improves the PSRR by a factor of around 40 dB for 5 MHz modulation. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110192958 | PHOTOSENSOR DEVICE WITH DARK CURRENT CANCELLATION - A photosensor device with dark current cancellation is disclosed. The photosensor device comprises a first and second photosensors, a first and second current replication circuits and a digital signal generator. The first photosensor has a first dark current but does not receive any photo signal. The second photosensor has a second dark current and receives a photo signal to generate photocurrent according to the photo signal. The first current replication circuit generates a replicated current according to the first dark current and injects the replicated current into the second photosensor for cancelling the second dark current from the second photosensor. The second photosensor is coupled to the second current replication circuit which generates charge and discharge currents according to the photocurrent of the second photosensor. The second current replication circuit is coupled to a digital signal generator which generates digital signals according to the charge and discharge functions, and the electrical characteristic of the digital signal is related to the intensity of the photo signal. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110215226 | PHOTOSENSITIVE STRUCTURE WITH CHARGE AMPLIFICATION - Presented invention describes the approach for manufacturing of the pixels for solid state imaging devices possessing a photon detection efficiency superior to those currently available. Formation of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) in close vicinity of the photodiode in such a way that accumulation area of the photodiode also represents its collector region allows for conversion of the photo carriers which cannot be accumulated in a regular 4T pixel, usually holes, into complimentary type carriers, usually electrons, that can be stored, read out and converted to electric signal. This transistor can be formed, for example, by creating a n+ region inside the surface p layer of the pinned photodiode. In the described structure the accumulation region is isolated from the surface and operation of the new pixel is otherwise similar to the 4T pixel operation. As a result, both main advantages of 4T pixel: low dark current and kTC noise cancellation are, therefore, preserved. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110215227 | Photosensitive Detector with Composite Dielectric Gate MOSFET Structure and Its Signal Readout Method - The present invention relates to a photosensitive detector with a composite dielectric gate MOSFET structure and its signal readout method. The MOSFET structure detector is formed on a p-type semiconductor substrate. N-type semiconductor regions locate on the two sides of the top part of the p-type semiconductor substrate to form a source and a drain. An underlying dielectric layer, a photo-electron storage layer, a top dielectric layer, and a control gate are stacked on the substrate in sequence. The top insulating dielectric layer can prevent the photoelectrons stored in the photo-electron storage layer from leaking into the control gate. The source and the drain are floating when photoelectrons are collected and injected into the photoelectron storing layer to be held therein. There is a transparent or semi-transparent window for detecting incident light forming on the substrate or gate surface. This invented detector has excellent scalability, basic compatibility with the flash memory fabricating technology, low leakage current, higher imaging speed than CCD, non-sensitivity to processing defects, larger dynamic range than other structures and higher accuracy of signal readout. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110278437 | OPTICAL RECEIVING CIRCUIT - Provided is an optical receiving circuit that reduces a distortion of an output pulse width with respect to an input signal by adjusting the division ratio for a voltage applied to resistors in a resistor network. The optical receiving circuit includes: a differential amplifier | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110315858 | OPTICAL RECEIVER ARCHITECTURE USING A MIRRORED SUBSTRATE - Techniques and architectures for providing a reflective target area of an integrated circuit die assembly. In an embodiment, a reflective bevel surface of a die allows an optical signal to be received from the direction of a side surface of a die assembly for reflection into a photodetector. In another embodiment, one or more grooves in a coupling surface of the die provide respective leverage points for aligning a target area of the bevel surface with a detecting surface of the photodetector. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120018621 | SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE AND PHOTODETECTION DEVICE - In a signal processing device of an embodiment, an integration circuit accumulates a charge from a photodiode in an integrating capacitor element, and outputs a voltage value according to the amount of charge. A comparator circuit, when the voltage value from the integration circuit has reached a reference value, outputs a saturation signal. A charge injection circuit, in response to the saturation signal, injects an opposite polarity of charge into the integrating capacitor element. A counter circuit performs counting based on the saturation signal. A holding circuit holds the voltage value from the integration circuit. An amplifier circuit outputs a voltage value that is K times (where K>1) larger than the voltage value held by the holding circuit. An A/D converter circuit sets a voltage value that is K times larger than the reference value as the maximum input voltage value, that is, a full-scale value, and outputs a digital value corresponding to the voltage value from the amplifier circuit. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120018622 | DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER WITH FUNCTION OF VARIABLE GAIN AND OPTICAL RECEIVER IMPLEMENTED WITH THE SAME - A differential circuit with a function of a variable gain without shifting the output cross point is disclosed. The differential circuit includes an amplifying stage and a control stage. The amplifying stage includes three units each having a pair of transistors, a pair of load resistors, and a pair of current sources. The second and third units each put between the first unit and the load resistor to bypass the current. The control stage includes two units and two current sources to compensate the current bypassed by the second or third unit to keep the DC output level substantially in constant. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120025063 | LINEAR/LOGARITHMIC CAPACITIVE TRANS-IMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT - A dual mode amplifier for photodiode output reads a photodiode providing a current input. An integration capacitor is connected to receive the current input and connected to a voltage output node. An input capacitor is also connected to receive the voltage input and drives an operational amplifier having an output connect to the voltage output node. A correlated double-sample (CDS) capacitor is connected to the voltage output node and a sample and hold circuit incorporating a sample and hold capacitor for sampling the CDS capacitor. A log function on (LOGON) switch is connected between the operational amplifier output and the voltage output node and a reset switch connected to short the photodiode. The LOGON switch sequentially operates in conjunction with the reset switch at the end of an integration time allowing the integration capacitor to retain an integrated current plus a log voltage by closing of the reset switch shorting the detector photodiode and offsetting the voltage on the integration capacitor into the negative voltage direction. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120025064 | OPTICAL SENSOR DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - In an optical sensor device employing an amorphous silicon photodiode, an external amplifier IC and the like are required due to low current capacity of the sensor element in order to improve the load driving capacity. It to increase in cost and mounting space of the optical sensor device. In addition, noise may easily superimpose since the photodiode and the amplifier IC are connected to each other over a printed circuit board. According to the invention, an amorphous silicon photodiode and an amplifier configured by a thin film transistor are formed integrally over a substrate so that the load driving capacity is improved while reducing cost and mounting space. Superimposing noise can also be reduced. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120068052 | OPTICAL RECEIVER CIRCUIT - An optical receiver circuit according to an embodiment includes a light receiving units configured to output a current according to input light, and an inverting amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal connected to the light receiving units, and a feedback circuit connected between the input terminal and the output terminal, and provided with a plurality of pairs of a pole and a zero on a negative real axis on a Laplace plane so that transimpedance characteristics show high gains of a plurality of steps on high-frequency side. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120091322 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE - A photoelectric conversion device has a first photoelectric converter which converts light into a current, a second photoelectric converter which converts light into a current, a first bipolar transistor which amplifies the current input to a base thereof from the first photoelectric converter, and outputs the amplified current from each of a plurality of emitters thereof, a second bipolar transistor which amplifies the current input to a base thereof from the second photoelectric converter, and outputs the amplified current from each of a plurality of emitters thereof, and a current adder which adds the current from one emitter of the plurality of emitters of the first bipolar transistor, and the current from one emitter of the plurality of emitters of the second bipolar transistor, thereby obtaining a sum current. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120132789 | DETECTION CIRCUIT WITH CORRELATED DOUBLE SAMPLING WITH IMPROVED ANTI-BLOOMING CIRCUIT - The detection circuit with correlated double sampling comprises two transimpedance amplifiers connected by means of a sampling capacitor. A photodiode is connected to the input of the first transimpedance amplifier. The circuit comprises an anti-blooming circuit connected between the input and output of the first transimpedance amplifier. The anti-blooming circuit comprises means for comparing the output voltage of the first transimpedance amplifier with a setpoint voltage defined by means of the output voltage of the second transimpedance amplifier. The means for comparing are connected to means for applying a feedback current to the input of the first transimpedance amplifier when the difference between the output voltage and the setpoint voltage reaches a limit value. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120153132 | ELEMENT CARRIER AND LIGHT RECEIVING MODULE - An element carrier has a mounting surface where at least one element outputting a high-frequency signal is disposed. A first dielectric layer has a first side surface partially forming the mounting surface and a first main surface connecting to the first side surface and extending in an intersecting direction intersecting with the mounting surface. A first wiring pattern is provided on the first main surface and extends from the first side surface. A second dielectric layer has a second side surface partially forming the mounting surface and a second main surface connecting to the second side surface and extending in the intersecting direction, and is provided on a part of the first main surface of the first dielectric layer where the first wiring pattern is provided. A second wiring pattern is provided on the second main surface of the second dielectric layer and extends from the second side surface. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120175503 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS - There is provided a photoelectric conversion apparatus capable of obtaining good photoelectric conversion characteristics regardless of a decrease in current amplification ratio of the phototransistor and manufacturing variations in phototransistor. The photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a photoelectric conversion element that generates a current by photoelectric conversion; a transistor that inputs a current generated by the photoelectric conversion element to a base thereof, amplifies the input current, and outputs the amplified current from an emitter; a logarithmic conversion unit that logarithmically converts the current output from the transistor; a current generating unit that outputs the current to the base of the transistor; and a current controlling unit that controls the output current of the current generating unit in a light shielding state of the photoelectric conversion element based on the signal logarithmically converted by the logarithmic conversion unit. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120175504 | Electrical isolators - The invention discloses an electrical isolator circuit comprising: an input stage comprising a transmitter of an opto-isolator; and an output stage comprising: a receiver of the opto-isolator; an active circuit in series with the receiver between the receiver and a power rail of the output stage; a first resistor connected to an output of the active circuit, and an input for the application of a predetermined voltage to the active circuit, the output stage being configured such that a varying output voltage is developed across the first resistor in response to input of a high voltage AC signal to the input stage. Ideally the output stage is operable to clamp the voltage across the receiver at the level of the predetermined voltage, thereby allowing for an increase in the load resistor and variable output resistor without increasing the time constant to unacceptably having regards to switching requirements. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120193518 | PHOTORECEPTOR CIRCUIT AND PHOTOCOUPLER - A photoreceptor circuit includes: a first amplifier circuit where a feedback resistor is coupled between an input and output of an inverting amplifier; a second amplifier circuit that has a configuration substantially identical to a configuration of the first amplifier circuit and supplies a bias current to the first amplifier circuit; a photodiode having an anode coupled to an input of the first amplifier circuit and a cathode coupled to an input of the second amplifier circuit; and a first resistor coupled between an output of the second amplifier circuit and the input of the first amplifier circuit. | 08-02-2012 |
| 20120217381 | VARIABLE GAIN AMPLIFIER COMPENSATING FREQUENCY RESPONSE THEREOF - A variable gain amplifier canceling the dependence of the frequency bandwidth thereof on the gain is disclosed. The variable gain amplifier includes a differential stage with a cascade transistor put between an amplifying transistor and a load resistor. The amplifier further includes a current supplier and a current extractor. The current supplier extracts a current flowing in the second transistor by supplying an additional current to the amplifying transistor. The current extractor adds the additional current flowing in the load resistor which is extracted by the additional current by the current supplier. The bias condition of the load resistor is kept substantially constant independent of the equivalent impedance of the cascade transistor. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120241598 | OPTICAL MODULE - The invention relates to an optical module | 09-27-2012 |
| 20120273659 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION CIRCUIT - There are provided a photodiode | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120273660 | OPTICAL INSPECTION METHOD AND OPTICAL INSPECTION APPARATUS - In the conventional contaminant particle/defect inspection method, if the illuminance of the illumination beam is held at not more than a predetermined upper limit value not to give thermal damage to the sample, the detection sensitivity and the inspection speed being in the tradeoff relation with each other, it is very difficult to improve one of the detection sensitivity and the inspection speed without sacrificing the other or improve both at the same time. The invention provides an improved optical inspection method and an improved optical inspection apparatus, in which a pulse laser is used as a light source, and a laser beam flux is split into a plurality of laser beam fluxes which are given different time delay to form a plurality of illumination spots. The scattered light signal from each illumination spot is isolated and detected by using a light emission start timing signal for each illumination spot. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120286143 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF - In a semiconductor device, power consumption is reduced. Further, a standby circuit is formed of a few elements, and thus increase in the circuit area of the semiconductor device is prevented. The standby circuit provided in the semiconductor device is formed of only one transistor and voltage supplied to the transistor is switched, whereby output current of the semiconductor device is controlled. As a result, the output current of the semiconductor device in a standby state can be substantially zero, so that the power consumption can be reduced. By using an oxide semiconductor for a semiconductor layer of a transistor, leakage current can be suppressed as low as possible. | 11-15-2012 |
| 20120298844 | OPTICAL RECEIVING DEVICE - An optical detecting device includes a light-detecting element for outputting an electrical signal, a pre-amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal, a signal line connected to an output of the pre-amplifier, and a resistor and a capacitor connected in series between the signal line and GND. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20120305753 | CIRCUIT FOR SETTING THE VOLTAGE POTENTIAL AT THE OUTPUT OF A PIN PHOTORECEIVER AND PHOTORECEIVER ASSEMBLY - A circuit sets an output potential at a radio frequency (RF) output of a pin photoreceiver that includes an ohmic terminal resistor connected between a supply voltage and the RF output. The circuit includes a control loop with an ohmic replication resistor having a resistance approximately equal to a resistance of the ohmic terminal resistor. The control loop further includes a sub-circuit configured to measure a voltage difference across the ohmic replication resistor and to reproduce the voltage difference as the supply voltage at an output terminal of the control loop. | 12-06-2012 |
| 20120312967 | PIXEL AND METHOD - In accordance with an embodiment, a pixel includes a first stage coupled to a second stage. The second stage includes a sampling capacitor and a subtraction capacitor. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20130068935 | LIGHT RECEIVING CIRCUIT - According to one embodiment, a light receiving circuit having a trans-impedance amplifier and an output circuit is provided. The trans-impedance amplifier includes a photodiode, a feedback resistor and a first transistor having a channel of a first conductive type. The photodiode converts an optical signal into an electrical signal. Ends of the feedback resistor are connected respectively to the photodiode and a node. A gate of the first transistor receives the electrical signal from the photodiode. A signal corresponding to a signal from a drain of the first transistor is output to the node. The output circuit includes a second transistor having a channel of the first conductive type, and generates an output signal from a drain of the second transistor. A gate of the second transistor is connected to the node. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130075594 | PHOTODETECTOR AND METHOD FOR DRIVING PHOTODETECTOR - Adverse effects of noise are reduced. A photodetector circuit, a difference data generation circuit, and a data input selection circuit are included. The photodetector circuit has a function of generating an optical data signal. A first data signal and a second data signal is input to the difference data generation circuit and the difference data generation circuit has a function of generating difference data of data of the first data signal and data of the second data signal. The data input selection circuit has a function of determining that the data of optical data signal is regarded as data of the first data signal or data of the second data signal. | 03-28-2013 |
| 20130140441 | IMAGE SENSOR PIXEL AND METHOD - In accordance with an embodiment, a 4T pixel includes a first switch having a control terminal and first and second current carrying terminals and an amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal. A second switch is coupled between the first switch and the amplifier. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130140442 | AMPLIFYING CIRCUIT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD, SOLID-STATE IMAGING ELEMENT, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging element including: a photoelectric conversion section configured to generate a charge according to received light; and a plurality of active elements configured to perform predetermined operation on the charge generated in the photoelectric conversion section, wherein a part of a gate electrode possessed by one of the active elements has a projection part buried in a substrate in which the photoelectric conversion section is formed. Thus, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of noise, and provide excellent image quality with a smaller area. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130161492 | SWITCHING CIRCUIT, CHARGE SENSE AMPLIFIER INCLUDING SWITCHING CIRCUIT, AND PHOTON COUNTING DEVICE INCLUDING SWITCHING CIRCUIT - A switching circuit, a charge sense amplifier, and a photon counting device are provided. The switching circuit configured to close and open a connection between a first terminal and a second terminal of a predetermined circuit element, includes: a first transistor comprising a source connected to the first terminal, a drain connected to the second terminal, and a gate; a second transistor comprising a drain, a source, and a gate connected to the drain of the second transistor; a current source configured to supply a current flowing through the drain and the source of the second transistor, to generate a gate voltage of the gate of the second transistor; and a multiplexer configured to receive the gate voltage, a reference voltage, and a control signal, and selectively apply the gate voltage or the reference voltage to the gate of the first transistor based on the control signal. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20130256514 | MULTI-MODE OPTOELECTRONIC OSCILLATOR - A multi-mode optoelectronic oscillator (MM-OEO) includes an OEO cavity having an input for receiving an RF signal and an RF output. The OEO cavity includes a) a first laser having a first laser output, a second laser having a second laser output, b) a modulator having i) a first input coupled to the first laser output, ii) a second input coupled to the second laser output, iii) a third input, iv) a first modulator output ,and v) a second modulator output, c) a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) having an input coupled to the first modulator output and having an SOA amplified output, d) a photodetector coupled to the SOA amplified output and having an output, and e) a coupler having an input coupled to the photodetector output and having a first output coupled to the third modulator input and a second output, whereby an amplified RF signal is produced at the OEO RF output. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130284902 | ANTI-BLOOMING CIRCUIT FOR INTEGRATING PHOTODIODE PRE-AMPLIFIERS - An input clamping circuit of a photo detector preamplifier is activated when an input transistor is turned off by an input overload, and the drain voltage of the input transistor is pulled toward ground by a current source. Even with extreme overloads, the operating conditions (Vgs and Id) of the input transistor remain within normal range. During normal operation, the clamping circuit is biased completely off, and has essentially no effect on circuit performance. Since the input FET itself, rather than a separate device, detects the onset of an overload, significantly improved clamping performance is realized without adding additional circuit complexity. The input transistor can be a FET. The preamplifier can be a cascode preamplifier. The clamping circuit can include a clamping FET or other clamping transistor gated by the input transistor drain. In embodiments, the clamping circuit increases current requirements of the preamplifier by no more than 25%. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20130284903 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR A FEEDBACK TRANSIMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER WITH SUB-40KHZ LOW-FREQUENCY CUTOFF - A system for a feedback transimpedance amplifier with sub-40 khz low-frequency cutoff is disclosed and may include amplifying electrical signals received via coupling capacitors utilizing a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) having feedback paths comprising source followers and feedback resistors. Gate terminals of the source followers mey be coupled to output terminals of the TIA. The feedback paths may be coupled prior to the coupling capacitors at inputs of the TIA. Voltages may be level shifted prior to the coupling capacitors to ensure stable bias conditions for the TIA. The TIA may be integrated in a CMOS photonics chip and the source followers may comprise CMOS transistors. The TIA may receive current-mode logic or voltage signals. The electrical signals may be received from a photodetector, which may comprise a silicon germanium photodiode differentially coupled to the TIA. Optical signals for the photodetector in the CMOS photonics chip may be received via optical fibers. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20130313413 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS - A photoelectric conversion apparatus has: a plurality of pixels having mutually different color filters, and generating pixel signals by a photoelectric conversion; a color selecting switch for selecting the pixel signals generated by the plurality of pixels having mutually different color filters; a first amplifier circuit for amplifying at mutually different gains the pixel signals generated by the pixels having mutually different color filters and selected by the color selecting switch; a reference voltage connecting switch for selecting a reference voltage; and a second amplifier circuit for amplifying at mutually different gains the reference voltages correspondingly to the pixel signals of mutually different colors. | 11-28-2013 |
| 20130334405 | OPTICAL RECEIVING CIRCUIT, DRIVING DEVICE FOR VIBRATION-TYPE ACTUATOR, AND SYSTEM - An optical receiving circuit of an embodiment of the present invention includes a photo detector configured to receive an optical pulse signal and a load connected to the photo detector. A circuit comprises the photo detector and a resistance component of the load. This circuit is configured to output a non-pulse signal. | 12-19-2013 |
| 20140021335 | MICROPROCESSOR BASED MULTI-JUNCTION DETECTOR SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE - The disclosure relates to a photodetector system including a multi-junction detector having a first junction configured to generate a first current when irradiated with a first optical radiation component within a first spectral range, and at least a second junction configured to generate a second current when irradiated with a second optical radiation component within a second spectral range that is different than the first spectral range. The photodetector system also comprises a microprocessor adapted to generate a first indication related to a first characteristic of the first optical radiation component based on the first current, and generate a second indication related to a second characteristic of the second optical radiation component based on the second current. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140034813 | CORNER CUBE ENHANCED PHOTOCATHODE - Techniques are disclosed for improving the quantum efficiency of photocathode devices. The techniques allow for an increase in the optical thickness of the photocathode device, while simultaneously allowing for an increase in the probability of electron escape into the vacuum of the device. The techniques are particularly useful in detector and imaging. In one embodiment, a photocathode device is provided that has an array of corner cubes fabricated in a surface of the photocathode. The corner cube array is made of the same material as the photocathode layer. The device may be, for example, a detector or image intensifier that operates in the UV, visible, and IR light spectrums, and may further include a gain medium, anode, and readout device. Techniques for forming the device are also provided. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140061441 | OPTICAL MODULE - An optical module includes: a light-receiving element configured to receive an optical signal and convert the optical signal to an electrical signal; a transmission line configured to transmit an electrical signal; and an amplifier element configured to amplify an electrical signal that is output from the light-receiving element and transmitted through the transmission line, wherein characteristic impedance of the transmission line connecting the light-receiving element and the amplifier element is higher than input impedance of the amplifier element. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140070077 | OPTICAL SENSOR DEVICE - An optical sensor device includes a light emitter for emitting, to a living body, lights having two wavelengths and blinking at a predetermined frequency, and a light receiver for receiving the lights from the living body. The light receiver outputs first and second detection signals corresponding to the respective wavelengths. A filter circuit extracts, from the first and second detection signals, modulation signals that are obtained with amplitude modulation of signals of the predetermined frequency. The modulation signals are amplified by a post-amplifier and are taken into an arithmetic processing unit after being converted to digital signals by an AD converter. The arithmetic processing unit calculates DC components and AC components of the first and second detection signals by employing the modulation signals converted the digital signals. | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140084144 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTOELECTRONIC RECEIVERS UTILIZING WAVEGUIDE HETEROJUNCTION PHOTOTRANSISTORS INTEGRATED IN A CMOS SOI WAFER - A method and system for optoelectronic receivers utilizing waveguide heterojunction phototransistors (HPTs) integrated in a CMOS SOI wafer are disclosed and may include receiving optical signals via a top surface of a photonically-enabled CMOS chip; and generating electrical signals in the chip utilizing one or more HPTs that detect optical signals. The HPTs may comprise a base and a split collector, with the split collector comprising a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer and a germanium layer. The thickness of the germanium layer may be such that carriers in the base do not interact with defects from an interface between the SOI layer and the germanium layer. The electrical signals may be amplified by amplifiers, the outputs of which may be utilized to bias the HPTs by a feedback network. An electrode formed longitudinally in the direction of light travel through the HPTs may bias the base of the HPTs. | 03-27-2014 |
| 20140091207 | SENSOR PIXELS, ARRAYS AND ARRAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREFOR - One sensor pixel includes amplifying transistor, coupled between first bias line and data line; switch transistor, operated by control line and coupled between data line and gate of amplifying transistor; storage capacitor, coupled to second bias line; and sensor being coupled to gate of amplifying transistor. Another sensor pixel includes first amplifying transistor coupled between first bias line and data line; second amplifying transistor being coupled between second bias line and data line; switch transistor being operated by control line and being coupled between data line and gates of first and second amplifying transistors; storage capacitor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors; and sensor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors. Trap-assisted absorption, variable capacitor described for sensor pixels, and also biasing to reduce flicker and aging, and to compensate for aging, described for sensor pixels. | 04-03-2014 |
| 20140097331 | LIGHT RECEPTION CIRCUIT AND LIGHT RECEPTION DEVICE - A light reception circuit includes a direct current (DC) level shift circuit that shifts a DC voltage level of a first signal or a second signal and outputs a third signal or a fourth signal, or outputs both of the third signal and the fourth signal so that a DC voltage level of the first signal output from a cathode of a photodiode that generates a signal by photo conversion and a DC voltage level of the second signal output from an anode of the photodiode agree, and a differential amplifier that amplifies a difference between the third signal and the second signal, between the first signal and the fourth signal, or the third signal and the fourth signal, based on the third signal, the forth signal output from the DC level shift circuit, impedance of the DC level shift circuit being lower than input impedance of the differential amplifier. | 04-10-2014 |
| 20140110566 | OVERLOAD PROTECTION FOR AMPLIFIER OF PHOTODIODE SIGNAL - A method for sensing includes connecting an input of a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) to a first terminal of a sensor, which generates a current in response to an input signal that is incident on the sensor, the signal comprising pulses of a characteristic duration. A resistor is connected in series between a second terminal of the sensor and a power supply, which is set to drive the sensor at a selected voltage. A capacitor is connected to the second terminal in parallel with the sensor and the TIA and in series with the resistor. An upper limit is set on the current that is to be input to the TIA from the sensor, and respective values of the resistor and the capacitor are chosen, responsively to the characteristic duration of the pulses and the selected voltage, to prevent the current input to the TIA from exceeding the upper limit. | 04-24-2014 |
| 20140117213 | PHOTOELECTRIC SENSOR - A photoelectric sensor that eliminates close range detection blind areas without shortening the detection distance. The photoelectric sensor includes a current-limiting resistor and a photoelectric diode connected in series for converting an optical signal to an electric signal for use. Two ends of the current-limiting resistor are connected in parallel with at least one shunt branch. The shunt branch includes a shunt resistor and a switch circuit connected in series. The switch circuit is switched on when the voltage across two ends of the current-limiting resistor is greater than a predetermined voltage value depending on the shunt branch and is switched off when the voltage across two ends of the current-limiting resistor is less than the predetermined voltage value. | 05-01-2014 |
| 20140158866 | AMPLIFIER AND OPTICAL RECEIVER - An amplifier circuit includes: a first transistor and a second transistor of which collectors/drains are coupled to a first power-source via a first load-impedance-element and the first power-source via a second load-impedance-element, respectively; a gain-adjustment-resistance-element that is connected to an emitter/source of the first transistor and an emitter/source of the second transistor; a first current-source and a second current-source that are connected to the emitters/the sources of the first transistor and the second transistor respectively, and a second power-source; a third transistor and a fourth transistor of which collectors/drains are connected to the first power-source and bases/gates are connected to the first load-impedance-element and the second load-impedance-element, respectively; a first feedback-resistance-element that is connected to a base/gate of the first transistor and an emitter/source of the third transistor; and a second feedback-resistance-element that is connected to a base/gate of the second transistor and an emitter/source of the fourth transistor. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140239160 | HIGH-SPEED OPTICAL RECEIVER MODULE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - Provided is a photoreceiver module. The module includes: a ceramic substrate formed by stacking a plurality of metallic layers and a plurality of ceramic layers; a high frequency transmission line formed on the ceramic substrate and configured to transmit a high frequency electrical signal; a photodetector mounted on the ceramic substrate and configured to convert the high frequency electronic signal; a power supply line supplying DC power to the photodetector; and a high frequency connector connected to the high frequency transmission line and configured to deliver the high frequency electrical signal to an outside. The photodetector is mounted on a stepped hole manufactured in the ceramic substrate, and a height of each contact point of the photodetector and the high frequency transmission line is corrected by the stepped hole. | 08-28-2014 |
| 20140284458 | LIGHT RECEIVING CIRCUIT AND PHOTOCOUPLER - A light receiving circuit includes a light receiving element, a transimpedance amplifier, a delay circuit and a comparator. The transimpedance amplifier is configured to convert the current signal into a first voltage. The comparator includes first to third current control elements each including first to third electrodes and configured to control current of the third electrode by voltage of the second electrode. The first voltage is inputted to the second electrode of the first current control element. Output voltage of the delay circuit is inputted to the second electrode of the second current control element. A second voltage is inputted to the second electrode of the third current control element. The comparator is configured to compare output current of the first current control element with sum of output current of the second current control element and output current of the third current control element. | 09-25-2014 |
| 20140284459 | LIGHT RECEIVING CIRCUIT - According to one embodiment, a light receiving circuit includes a light receiving element, a differential circuit, a fifth transistor, and first and second current sources. The differential circuit includes an amplifier and a bias circuit. The amplifier includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a first feedback resistor. The amplifier is configured to convert a current from the light receiving element into a voltage. The bias circuit includes a third transistor, a fourth transistor, and a second feedback resistor. A reference voltage is supplied to a control electrode of the fourth transistor. The second and third transistors are included in a current mirror circuit. A fifth transistor has a control electrode connected to a connection point between the first and second transistors. A voltage signal switched to a high level or a low level according to a change of an optical signal is outputted. | 09-25-2014 |
| 20140312210 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS - An object of the present invention is to provide a photoelectric conversion apparatus which can enhance photo responsibility. A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes: a photoelectric conversion element configured to output a photo current generated by a photoelectric conversion; a detecting unit configured to detect a potential of an output terminal of the photoelectric conversion element; a feedback input unit configured to input a feedback signal based on the potential detected by the detecting unit; a current detecting unit configured to detect the photo current; and a current amplifier unit configured to generate an amplified current based on the photo current detected by the current detecting unit, and to output the amplified current to the feedback input unit, wherein the feedback input unit outputs a current derived by adding the photo current to the amplified current. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140332671 | PHOTON COUNTING CONTROLLER, RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS, AND CONTROL METHOD OF PHOTON COUNTING CONTROLLER - The photon counting controller includes an amplification controller to charge an input electrical signal, to amplify the input electrical signal, and to discharge the charged electrical signal, a charge controller to control a charge and a discharge of the electrical signal of the amplification controller based on a received feedback signal, and a measuring controller to compare voltage of the amplified electrical signal with reference voltage and to count photons based on a result of comparison. | 11-13-2014 |
| 20140339399 | PULSED ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION DETECTION DEVICE - An electromagnetic radiation detection circuit includes a photodetector transforming the received electromagnetic radiation into an electric current. A bias circuit is connected to the photodetector. An amplifying circuit has an input terminal coupled to the photodetector. An amplifying transistor has a first low-impedance electrode forming the input terminal of the amplifying circuit and a second low-impedance electrode coupled to an output terminal of the detection circuit. The transistor is configured to conduct the current applied on the first electrode. A high-impedance electric load is connected to the second electrode to deliver a voltage representative of the electric current originating from the photodetector. | 11-20-2014 |
| 20140361150 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPTICAL IMAGING WITH A RESONANT AMPLIFIER ASSEMBLY - An optical imaging apparatus includes an optical signal source, an optical signal detector apparatus, and a resonant amplifier assembly. The optical signal source is configured (i) to generate an optical signal including a carrier signal and an imaging signal, and (ii) to guide the optical signal to a sample. The optical signal detector apparatus is configured (i) to detect a modified optical signal from the sample, and (ii) to generate an electrical image signal based on the modified optical signal. The electrical image signal includes a background component and a modulated image signal corresponding to an image of the sample. The resonant amplifier assembly is electrically coupled to the optical signal detector apparatus and is configured (i) to isolate the modulated image signal from the background component, (ii) to amplify the modulated image signal, and (iii) to rectify the modulated image signal. | 12-11-2014 |
| 20140367556 | PHOTODETECTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (IC) HAVING ASENSOR INTEGRATED THEREON FOR SENSING ELECTROMAGNETICINTERFERENCE (EMI) - A photodetector integrated circuit (IC) having an electromagnetic interference (EMI) sensor integrated therein is provided for sensing EMI at the photodetector. Integrating the EMI sensor into the photodetector IC ensures that the EMI sensor is in proximity to the photodetector so that any EMI that is sensed is actually EMI to which the photodetector is exposed. The sensed EMI may then be used for a number of reasons, such as to determine the root cause of damage to circuitry of the system, to determine the point in time at which an EMI event occurred, or to trigger a warning when a determination is made that an EMI limit has been reached. | 12-18-2014 |
| 20140367557 | OPTICAL RECEIVER MODULE - An optical detector module includes a carrier, a photodetector secured to a top surface of the carrier and having a light detecting portion, an anode terminal, and a cathode terminal, an amplifier circuit secured to the top surface of the carrier and having a first edge, an input terminal, and a GND terminal. The input terminal and the GND terminal are located along the first edge. A first wire connects the anode terminal to the input terminal, and to a composite component secured to the top surface of the carrier and having a metal portion and a resistive portion integrated together. The metal portion is in contact with the carrier. A capacitor, having a top surface electrode and a bottom surface electrode is secured to the carrier. | 12-18-2014 |
| 20150014518 | HIGH-SPEED TRANSIMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER - A transimpedance amplifier includes a first inverter having a first input node and a first output node. The first input node is configured to receive an input signal. A second inverter has a second input node and a second output node. The second input node connects to a reference voltage terminal. The first inverter and the second inverter are configured to provide a differential output voltage signal between the first output node and the second output node. A first amplifier is configured to provide feedback to the first input node and a second amplifier is configured to provide feedback to the second input node. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150034806 | FEEDBACK-BASED TRANS-IMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER WITH PROGRAMMABLE INPUT IMPEDANCE - In at least some examples, a communication device includes a photo-diode to convert an optical signal into an electrical current and a feedback-based trans-impedance amplifier to amplify the electrical current. The communication device also includes a transmission line between the photo-diode and the feedback-based trans-impedance amplifier. The feedback-based trans-impedance amplifier includes a programmable input impedance that has been matched to an impedance of the transmission line. | 02-05-2015 |
| 20150041628 | LIGHT SENSITIVE CIRCUIT, LIGHT SENSING PANEL HAVING THE LIGHT SENSITIVE CIRCUIT AND DISPLAY APPARATUS HAVING THE LIGHT SENSING PANEL - A light sensitive circuit includes a light sensing capacitor and a driving transistor. The light sensing capacitor is configured to sense light of a predetermined one or more wavelengths. The driving transistor includes a gate electrode electrically connected to the light sensing capacitor and is configured to generate a light sensing current according to a voltage of the gate electrode in the driving transistor. A light sensing accuracy and a light sensing signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the display apparatus including a plurality of such light sensing capacitors may be improved relative to ones that do not include such light sensing capacitors. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150048241 | SENSOR PIXELS, ARRAYS AND ARRAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREFOR - One sensor pixel includes amplifying transistor, coupled between first bias line and data line; switch transistor, operated by control line and coupled between data line and gate of amplifying transistor; storage capacitor, coupled to second bias line; and sensor being coupled to gate of amplifying transistor. Another sensor pixel includes first amplifying transistor coupled between first bias line and data line; second amplifying transistor being coupled between second bias line and data line; switch transistor being operated by control line and being coupled between data line and gates of first and second amplifying transistors; storage capacitor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors; and sensor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors. Trap-assisted absorption, variable capacitor described for sensor pixels, and also biasing to reduce flicker and aging, and to compensate for aging, described for sensor pixels. | 02-19-2015 |
| 20150069220 | OPTICAL RECEIVER MODULE INCLUDING PLURALITY OF PHOTO DETECTORS - An optical receiver module includes: a circuit board; a plurality of photo detectors mounted on a first surface of the circuit board; a plurality of amplifiers mounted on the first surface; a plurality of anode wiring patterns that are respectively formed between anode terminals of the photo detectors and the amplifiers on the first surface; a plurality of cathode wiring patterns that are respectively formed between cathode terminals of the plurality of photo detectors and the plurality of amplifiers on the first surface; and an electrode formed on a second surface of the circuit board or in an inner layer of the circuit board so as to include a region in which the plurality of cathode wiring patterns are formed. The plurality of cathode wiring patterns are respectively electrically connected to the electrode. | 03-12-2015 |
| 20150076329 | SIGNAL FILTERING DEVICE - A signal filtering device is provided. A photoelectric conversion unit is used to convert a light signal into an electric signal, and an input signal adjusting unit is used to decrease a DC component of the electric signal flowing through a DC filtering unit and adjust an AC component of the electric signal. | 03-19-2015 |
| 20150083896 | OPTICAL SENSOR ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR LIGHT SENSING - An optical sensor arrangement ( | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150325619 | SEMICONDUCTOR SENSOR STRUCTURES WITH REDUCED DISLOCATION DEFECT DENSITIES AND RELATED METHODS FOR THE SAME - Non-silicon based semiconductor devices are integrated into silicon fabrication processes by using aspect-ratio-trapping materials. Non-silicon light-sensing devices in a least a portion of a crystalline material can output electrons generated by light absorption therein. Exemplary light-sensing devices can have relatively large micron dimensions. As an exemplary application, complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor photodetectors are formed on a silicon substrate by incorporating an aspect-ratio-trapping technique. | 11-12-2015 |
| 20150338275 | Optical Transmission Module - An optical transmission module includes a first member having a bottom portion, sidewalls and an opening, a second member joined to a sidewall end surface of the first member and sealing the opening, a light-emitting element mounted on an inner surface of the second member, an interconnection formed on the inner surface of the second member and extending inside and outside the first member across the sidewalls of the first member, and electrodes formed on outer surfaces of the sidewalls of the first member. The second member transmits therethrough light outputted from the light-emitting element. One end portion of the electrode is electrically connected to one end portion of the interconnection extending outside the first member. The other end of the electrode is soldered to an interconnection formed on a substrate surface on which the optical transmission module is mounted. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150340538 | LATERAL GE/SI AVALANCHE PHOTODETECTOR - A lateral Ge/Si APD constructed on a silicon-on-insulator wafer includes a silicon device layer having regions that are doped to provide a lateral electric field and an avalanche region. A region having a modest doping level is in contact with a germanium body. There are no metal contacts made to the germanium body. The electrical contacts to the germanium body are made by way of the doped regions in the silicon device layer. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150365060 | TRANSIMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER AND LIGHT RECEPTION CIRCUIT - A transimpedance amplifier includes a first current source, a second current source, an output amplifier, and a bias circuit. The first current source includes a first cascode circuit with two transistors. The second current source includes a second cascode circuit with two transistors. The output amplifier includes a first input terminal to which an output of the first cascode circuit is input and a first output terminal at which an output voltage corresponding to a photocurrent is output. The bias circuit is connected between the first and second current sources. The photocurrent at a phototerminal corresponds to a first current from the first current source subtracted from a sum of a second current from the second current source and a first feedback current from the output amplifier. | 12-17-2015 |
| 20160065150 | LIGHT RECEIVING CIRCUIT AND LIGHT COUPLING DEVICE - A light receiving circuit includes an inverting amplification circuit, a first light receiving element, a first circuit, and a charging circuit. The inverting amplification circuit includes an input terminal and an output terminal. The first light receiving element is connected between the input terminal and a reference potential terminal. The first circuit includes a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor and a capacitor. The first resistor second resistor connected through a connection point. The first resistor is connected between the input terminal and the connection point, and the second resistor connected between the output terminal and the connection point. The third resistor is connected between the connection point and connection node, and the capacitor is connected between the connection node and the reference potential terminal. The charging circuit connected between the power supply terminal and the connection node. | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160079447 | OPTICAL SENSOR ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR GENERATING AN ANALOG OUTPUT SIGNAL - An optical sensor arrangement ( | 03-17-2016 |
| 20160079936 | TRANS-IMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER ARRANGEMENT AND CONTROL MODULE - A trans-impedance amplifier arrangement has an input configured to receive an output from a photo-detector, a current monitoring circuit configured in use to provide a current monitor signal dependent on a current through the photo-detector, and an output configured to output said current monitor signal to a control module, said output further configured to receive control information from said control module. A control module is configured to receive the current monitor signal and to provide the control information. | 03-17-2016 |
| 20160094191 | OPTICAL RECEIVER TO ENHANCE DYNAMIC RANGE THEREOF - An optical receiver with an expanded dynamic range for an input current is disclosed. The optical receiver includes a photodiode to generate a photocurrent, a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) to convert the photocurrent into a voltage signal, a dummy TIA with an arrangement same with those of the TIA to generate a reference, a differential amplifier to amplify a difference between the voltage signal and the reference, a current source to extract a portion of the photocurrent, and a level detector to detect an average photocurrent and adjust the reference based on the average photocurrent. | 03-31-2016 |
| 20160134250 | SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY WITH THRESHOLD CURRENT SETTING CIRCUIT - A semiconductor device includes a first trans-impedance amplifier, a second trans-impedance amplifier, a peak hold circuit, a comparator and a threshold current setting circuit. The first trans-impedance amplifier converts a first current signal generated by a first photodiode, into which an optical signal is input, into a first voltage signal. The second trans-impedance amplifier converts a second current signal generated by a second photodiode, to which an optical signal is blocked, into a second voltage signal. The peak hold circuit holds the peak value of the first voltage signal. The comparator outputs a pulse on the basis of the first and second voltage signals. The threshold current setting circuit draws out a threshold current. | 05-12-2016 |
| 20160138972 | OPTICAL SENSOR DEVICE - An optical sensor device includes a light emitter for emitting, to a living body, lights having two wavelengths and blinking at a predetermined frequency, and a light receiver for receiving the lights from the living body. The light receiver outputs first and second detection signals corresponding to the respective wavelengths. A filter circuit extracts, from the first and second detection signals, modulation signals that are obtained with amplitude modulation of signals of the predetermined frequency. The modulation signals are amplified by a post-amplifier and are taken into an arithmetic processing unit after being converted to digital signals by an AD converter. The arithmetic processing unit calculates DC components and AC components of the first and second detection signals by employing the modulation signals converted the digital signals. | 05-19-2016 |
| 20160141430 | AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE RECEIVER - A method of operating an avalanche photodiode includes providing an avalanche photodiode having a multiplication region capable of amplifying an electric current when subject to an electric field. The multiplication region, in operation, has a first ionization rate for electrons and a second, different, ionization rate for holes. The method also includes applying the electric field to the multiplication region, receiving a current output from the multiplication region, and varying the electric field in time, whereby a portion of the current output is suppressed. | 05-19-2016 |
| 20160170080 | DETECTOR, PREAMPLIFIER SELECTION APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS | 06-16-2016 |
| 20160190188 | IMAGING DEVICE INCLUDING UNIT PIXEL CELL - An imaging device includes: a unit pixel cell comprising: a photoelectric converter generating an electric signal and comprising a first and second electrodes and a photoelectric conversion film located therebetween, the first electrode being located on a light receiving side of the photoelectric conversion film, a signal detection circuit detecting the electric signal and comprising a first transistor and a second transistor that are connected to the second electrode, the first transistor amplifying the electric signal, and a capacitor circuit comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor having a capacitance value larger than that of the first capacitor that are serially connected to each other, the capacitor circuit being provided between the second electrode and a reference voltage; and a feedback circuit comprising the first transistor and an inverting amplifier and negatively feeding back the electric signal to the second transistor via the first transistor and the inverting amplifier. | 06-30-2016 |
| 20160195432 | OPTICAL TRANSCEIVER MODULE | 07-07-2016 |
| 20190146027 | APPARATUS COMPRISING A SEMICONDUCTOR-BASED PHOTOMULTIPLIER AND METHOD REGARDING GAIN STABILIZATION | 05-16-2019 |
| 20080230684 | Gain Control System for Visible Light Communication Systems - An optical receiver having a photodetector, a variable gain amplifier, and a gain control circuit is disclosed. The photodetector generates a photodetector output signal related to an intensity of light received by the photodetector, the photodetector output signal being characterized by a peak-to-peak signal value. The variable gain amplifier amplifies the photodetector output signal to generate a receiver output signal that is coupled to an external device, the variable gain amplifier having a gain that is determined by a gain control signal. The gain control circuit receives the receiver output signal and generates the gain control signal therefrom. The gain control signal causes the gain of the variable gain amplifier to decrease as a function of the peak-to-peak signal value to reduce changes in the output signal amplitude as a function of the input light signal amplitude. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080290257 | Automatic Gain Control in Photodetectors - The amount of gain applied to a photodetector such as a photomultiplier tube (PMT) is limited to an amount that does not cause the applied PMT bias voltage to overdrive, hence damage, the PMT. Techniques for limiting the PMT gain are implemented in a way that does not interfere with the precision with which the PMT gain may be established (by selection of a reference level) below that limited level. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20100065723 | Real-Time Gain Compensation for Photo Detectors Based on Energy Peak Detection - A method, process and apparatus for compensating for changes to the gain of photo detectors in a nuclear imaging apparatus is disclosed. Specifically, embodiments detect positron annihilation event pulses using photo detectors. Changes to the gain of the photo detectors are compensated for by determining the relationship of a detected event pulse peak with a target event pulse peak. Based on the difference between these two peaks, a corrected gain is determined in a closed-loop control system. The corrected gain can be used to compensate for temperature changes that can affect the gain of the photo detectors. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20130234007 | LIGHT RECEIVING CIRCUIT - A light receiving circuit includes a photodiode, a transimpedance amp having a feedback resistor, an electric current comparator and an automatic threshold control circuit that includes a current mirror circuit for forming a current according to the mirror effect. With this light receiving circuit, regardless of how powerful the input light signal is, low pulse width distortion characteristics can be achieved. | 09-12-2013 |
| 20130240716 | METHOD OF VARYING GAIN OF AMPLIFYING PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND VARIABLE GAIN PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE - Provided is a method of varying the gain of an amplifying photoelectric conversion device and a variable gain photoelectric conversion device which are capable of achieving both signal processing under low illuminance and high-current processing under high light intensity, and thereby capable of securing a wide dynamic range. An amplifying photoelectric conversion part includes a photoelectric conversion element and amplification transistors forming a Darlington circuit. The sources and the drains of field-effect transistors are connected to the bases and the emitters of the amplification transistors, respectively. The gates of the field-effect transistors each function as a gain control part. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20080258047 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, A METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, A SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR THE SAME, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion; a dummy pixel; a differential circuit; a reset voltage supplying section; and a common phase feedback circuit. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20090084944 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME - The semiconductor device includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode which is shielded from light, a first circuit group including a voltage follower circuit, a second circuit group, and a compensation circuit, in which an output from the first photodiode is inputted to the voltage follower circuit of the first circuit group, an output from the first circuit group is inputted to the compensation circuit, and an output from the second photodiode is inputted to the compensation circuit through the second circuit group. By adding or subtracting these inputs in the compensation circuit, an output fluctuation due to temperature of the first photodiode is removed. Note that a reference potential is supplied to the first photodiode so that an open circuit voltage is outputted, and a potential is supplied to the second photodiode so that a forward bias is applied to the second photodiode. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090108177 | Image Sensor and Related Method with Functions of Repairing Column Readout Circuits - An image sensor capable of repairing column readout circuits includes a pixel array, a column readout circuit array, an addressing unit and a repairing unit. The column readout circuit array includes a plurality of column readout circuit group and a redundant column readout circuit group, which is placed on a side of the plurality of column readout circuit groups and consists of a specific number of redundant column readout circuits. The repairing unit is utilized for shifting in order pixel column groups, which are originally coupled to column readout circuit groups starting from a first column readout circuit group having defects, to couple to the column readout circuit groups next to the first column readout circuit group and the redundant column readout circuit group. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090236500 | DARK CURRENT AND LAG REDUCTION - The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate reducing dark current and lag in a CMOS imaging System-on-Chip (iSoC) sensor. For instance, a vertical output driver can output a signal upon a node connected to gates of reset transistors and/or gates of transfer transistors of pixels in the pixel array while operating in rolling shutter mode and/or global shutter mode. Further, a pre-charger can transition a voltage of the node to a first voltage level. Moreover, a booster can further adjust the voltage of the node from the first voltage level to a second voltage level. The booster can have variable drive capability that enables varying operation thereof according to at least one degree of freedom (e.g., speed of the booster proceeding to the second voltage level, frequency of yielding charge to the node, the second voltage level, or timing of the booster and the pre-charger, . . . ). | 09-24-2009 |
| 20100200733 | Systems and methods for tuning optical ring resonators - Various embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for monitoring and tuning detector and modulator resonators during operation. Aspects of the present invention use DC balanced coding of data in optical signals tune and monitor the performance of a resonator. Whether the resonator is being used as a modulator or a detector, the intensity of the light coupled into the resonator is DC balanced and varies as a function of the data being transmitted. Average intensity variations of the light scattered from the resonator are converted into an electronic feedback signal, which is used to determine appropriate levels of thermal and electronic tuning applied to the resonator. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100213352 | CURRENT SUBTRACTION PIXEL - A pixel for detecting at least a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum may be provided. The pixel includes a detector element for detecting at least a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, a bias point coupled to an output of the detector element for applying a biasing voltage to the detector element and capable of affecting the electrical output of the first detector element, an interface-trap charge pump coupled to the output of the bias point for charge pumping current from the detector, a collection point coupled to the output of the bias point for accumulating an electrical output of the detector element, and an output point for providing an electrical output of the pixel. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100219330 | Optoelectronic sensor - The invention relates to an optoelectronic sensor having a transmitter ( | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100224762 | Optoelectronic sensor - An optoelectronic sensor includes at least one light transmitter for the transmission of light signals into a monitored zone and at least one light receiver for the reception of transmitted light signals. In this respect, the received light signals are converted into electrical received signals in the light receiver. The light signals transmitted by the light transmitter are each generated on the basis of an output signal spread in accordance with a frequency spreading technique (spread spectrum) and provided with an offset applied for the generation of a unipolar signal. The electrical received signals can be supplied to a high-pass filter in the light receiver. Means for interference suppression are provided to automatically measure repeatedly or continuously respective then current interference; to analyze it in the time domain and/or in the frequency domain; and to compensate it at least substantially in dependence on the respective result of the interference analyses. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20110049335 | ELECTRICAL TERMINATION CIRCUIT FOR A TRAVELING-WAVE OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICE - An electrical termination circuit for a traveling wave optoelectronic device is disclosed. The electrical termination circuit is constructed to reflect a portion of a radio-frequency signal back into the optoelectronic device. The reflected signal is out of phase with the applied radio-frequency signal at a frequency of a detrimental spectral feature or a bump in an electro-optical transfer characteristic of the optoelectronic device. The amplitude and the phase of the reflected signal are selected so as to suppress the detrimental spectral feature without a significant reduction in the efficiency of electro-optical or optical-electrical transformation of the optoelectronic device. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110108710 | PORTABLE RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGE DETECTOR AND RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGE GENERATION SYSTEM - Provided are a portable radiographic image detector capable of transmitting with a smaller number of transmissions the read results of dark reads performed a plurality of times when an offset calibration or the like is carried out, and a radiographic image generation system using the portable radiographic image detector. The portable radiographic image detector comprises: a sensor panel in which a plurality of radiation detector elements are disposed in a two-dimensional shape; a storage means for storing dark read values outputted from the radiation detector elements under the condition that radiation is not irradiated; a calculation means for calculating the offset correction value for each of the radiation detector elements, based on a plurality of dark read values obtained from the outputs of the radiation detector elements at every dark read of a plurality of times of dark reads performed in advance; a communication means for transmitting the offset correction value for each of the radiation detector elements to an | 05-12-2011 |
| 20140091208 | OPTICAL MEASURING APPARATUS AND OPTICAL MEASURING MICROCHIP - There is provided an optical measuring apparatus including a control unit that compensates detection light generated from a reaction area in a microchip, based on optical information from a detection-light-quantity calibration area. | 04-03-2014 |
| 20140117215 | LIGHT SENSOR ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION IN A LIGHT SENSOR ARRANGEMENT - A light sensor arrangement according to the proposed principle comprises at least one first unshielded well (D | 05-01-2014 |
| 20140339400 | METHOD FOR OPERATING OPTICAL SENSOR CIRCUIT, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING DISPLAY APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH OPTICAL SENSOR CIRCUIT - In a method of operating an optical sensor circuit ( | 11-20-2014 |
| 20140353471 | DARK CURRENT CALIBRATION FOR A PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE - An imaging circuit includes at least one photosensitive device that provides an output in response to at least one photon and a compensation circuit configured to provide dark current compensation for the output of said photosensitive device. The applied compensation uses temperature information and temperature dependent calibration information. | 12-04-2014 |
| 20150069222 | SENSOR DEVICE WITH DARK CURRENT COMPENSATION AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - The present invention discloses a sensor device with dark current compensation and control method thereof. The sensor device includes: a sensor circuit, for sensing a physical property or a chemical property to generate an analog sensing signal; a dark current compensation circuit, which is coupled to the sensor circuit, for processing the analog sensing signal and generating an analog compensated signal according to a reference signal; and a convertor circuit, which is coupled to the dark current compensation circuit, for generating a digital sensing signal according to the analog compensated signal. | 03-12-2015 |
| 20150330835 | MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MEASURING SIGNAL LIGHT QUALITY - There is provided a measurement apparatus of measuring signal light quality. The measurement apparatus may include: a tunable wavelength filter configured to be input signal lights having different power levels; a measure configured to measure an optical power level of light passing through the tunable wavelength filter; and a controller configured to calculate a non-linear noise component and a spontaneous emission component of a signal light based on the measured optical power levels, the optical power levels being measured at different transmission frequencies for each of the signal lights having the different power levels in response to a control of the transmission frequency of the tunable wavelength filter. | 11-19-2015 |
| 20160076938 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROL OF AVALANCHE PHOTO-DIODE CHARACTERISTICS FOR HIGH SPEED AND HIGH GAIN APPLICATIONS - A device that may include a DC power supply coupled to a fixed current source; an APD; a DC voltage regulator that comprises a regulating transistor, arranged to maintain a regulated voltage at a fixed value over different APD currents; a temperature control module that is arranged to maintain a portion of the temperature control module at a fixed temperature; and compensation circuit that comprises a compensation component that is thermally coupled to the APD. A voltage drop over the compensation component is smaller than a voltage drop over the APD. A sum of (a) a current that pass through the APD and (b) a current that passes through the compensation component is fixed. The portion of the temperature control module is thermally coupled to the compensation component and to the APD | 03-17-2016 |
| 20160109366 | PHOTOMETER AND METHOD FOR COMPENSATING FOR AMBIENT TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN A PHOTOMETER - A photometer and associated method includes a source of radiation to be directed through a sample and a detector stage configured to measure radiation after passing through the sample. A voltage follower circuit is connected to the detector and is configured to provide an output signal which varies as a function of the detector output voltage and which varies as a function of the ambient temperature. A processing subsystem is configured to determine a temperature compensation factor from the voltage follower circuit output signal. | 04-21-2016 |
| 20090072126 | Light source frequency detection circuit for image sensor - An apparatus for measuring the power frequency of a light source includes a photo-sensor, a modulator, and a logic unit. The photo-sensor generates an electrical signal that is responsive to light incident thereon from the light source. The modulator generates a modulated signal based on the electrical signal that toggles at a rate substantially proportional to the power frequency of the light source. The logic unit is coupled to receive the modulated signal and determine its toggling frequency. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090289174 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROVIDED WITH THE SAME - Objects are to accumulate electric charge in a capacitor so that light intensity can be detected even when the amount of incident light is small, and to operate a photoelectric conversion device without increasing the number of elements such as a constant current source or a switch. The photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion circuit, a capacitor, and a comparator for comparing a potential of one electrode of the capacitor with a second potential. The photoelectric conversion circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element and an amplifier circuit for amplifying an output current from the photoelectric conversion element In the capacitor, a first potential is supplied through a first switch, and charging or discharging is performed through a second switch in accordance with the current amplified by the amplifier circuit. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20100051787 | PHOTODETECTOR - A photodetector includes a photoelectric conversion circuit that generates a first voltage by converting a first current generated in accordance with the illuminance of incident light into log-compressed voltage; a temperature compensation circuit that generates a second voltage by performing temperature compensation for the first voltage and generate a second current by converting the second voltage into current; and a digital signal generation circuit that generates a clock signal having an oscillation frequency depending on the second current, counts pulses of the clock signal for a certain period, and generates a digital signal using the count value for the certain period as data. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100127160 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT COMPRISING AN ARRAY OF SINGLE PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODES - Integrated circuit ( | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100140457 | SEMICONDUCTOR APPARATUS, SOLID STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE USING THE SAME, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THEM - The invention provides a semiconductor apparatus provided with at least one set of buried channel type first conductive type MOS transistor and surface channel type first conductive type MOS transistor on the same substrate, in which a first conductive type impurity region is provided below a gate electrode of the buried channel type and surface channel type MOS transistors and between source drain regions. Further, the invention provides a solid state image pickup device having a photoelectric conversion portion and a pixel including a plurality of transistors formed in correspondence to the photoelectric conversion portion, in a substrate, wherein the plurality of transistors includes a buried channel type first conductive type MOS transistor and a surface channel type first conductive type MOS transistor, and a first conductive type impurity region is provided below a gate electrode of the buried channel type and surface channel type MOS transistors and between source drain regions. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20120001059 | IMAGING PIXELS AND RELATED METHODS - An improved CMOS pixel with a combination of analog and digital readouts to provide a large pixel dynamic range without compromising low-light performance using a comparator to test the value of an accumulated charge at a series of exponentially increasing exposure times. The test is used to stop the integration of photocurrent once the accumulated analog voltage has reached a predetermined threshold. A one-bit output value of the test is read out of the pixel (digitally) at each of the exponentially increasing exposure periods. At the end of the integration period, the analog value stored on the integration capacitor is read out using conventional CMOS active pixel readout circuits. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120056078 | COORDINATED IN-PIXEL LIGHT DETECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS - A method and apparatus of coordinated in-pixel light detection is provided. In one aspect, the method includes implementing an N-number of avalanche photodiodes inside a pixel circuit of a light detection circuit. The method also includes coordinating an output of the N-number of avalanche photodiodes through a counter circuit. The method further includes reducing a deadtime of the light detection circuit by a factor of ‘N’ through the N-number of avalanche photodiodes and the counter circuit operating in concert. The method furthermore includes measuring an intensity of a light through the light detection circuit. N-number of avalanche photodiodes is in a common well of a semiconductor technology. N-number of avalanche photodiodes is fabricated on a deep submicron semiconductor technology. A fill factor of the pixel circuit improves and a deadtime reduces through fabrication of the avalanche photodiodes in a common well. Also, a photon count rate increases through reducing the deadtime. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20130015332 | PHOTODETECTORAANM KOZUMA; MunehiroAACI IseharaAACO JPAAGP KOZUMA; Munehiro Isehara JP - Provided is a photodetector in which narrowing of a detecting range of light is suppressed. The photodetector includes a photodetector circuit for outputting a first optical data signal and a second optical data signal in which values are determined in accordance with an illuminance of incident light, an analog arithmetic circuit to which the first optical data signal and the second optical data signal are input and in which an arithmetic processing is performed with the use of the first optical data signal and the second optical data signal, and a switching circuit for switching an arithmetic processing in the analog arithmetic circuit between an addition operation and a subtraction operation of the first optical data signal and the second optical data signal. | 01-17-2013 |
| 20130062508 | Photonic assisted optical under-sampling with non- uniform sample intervals - An apparatus and method are disclosed to digitize an input electrical signal. A sequence of nonuniformly spaced optical pulses impinges an optical modulator, where the pulses are modulated by the electrical input signal, the optical pulses being detected by one or more photoreceivers, the photoreceiver outputs being electrically sampled in analog-to-digital converters and then processed in a digital signal processor (DSP) in order to measure the electrical input signal. The series of nonuniform pulses are formed by interleaving L uniformly spaced pulse streams each of repetition period T and where f | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130187031 | SENSOR APPARATUS, PRODUCTION METHOD AND DETECTION APPARATUS - A sensor apparatus including at least one analog and one digital circuit component and an analog/digital converter for converting analog signals of the analog circuit component into digital signals for the digital circuit component, and vice versa, wherein the analog circuit component and the digital circuit components include at least one module for electronically implementing a function, and wherein one of the modules of the analog circuit component is embodied as a sensor device for detecting optical radiation and one of the modules of the digital circuit component is embodied as a signal processing device for processing digital signals. In order to enable improved integration into application-based sensor devices, the circuit components including the analog/digital converter are integrated as an integrated circuit in a chip and the chip is manufactured as a semiconductor structure using 1-poly technology. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130284904 | Methods and Devices for Optically Determining A Characteristic of a Substance - Optical computing devices are disclosed. One exemplary optical computing device includes an electromagnetic radiation source configured to optically interact with a sample and first and second integrated computational elements arranged in primary and reference channels, respectively, the first and second computational elements are configured to be either positively or negatively correlated to the characteristic of the sample. The first and second integrated computational elements produce first and second modified electromagnetic radiations, and a detector is arranged to receive the first and second modified electromagnetic radiations and generate an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the sample. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20140042304 | IMAGING PIXELS AND RELATED METHODS - An improved CMOS pixel with a combination of analog and digital readouts to provide a large pixel dynamic range without compromising low-light performance using a comparator to test the value of an accumulated charge at a series of exponentially increasing exposure times. The rest is used to stop the integration of photocurrent once the accumulated analog voltage has reached a predetermined threshold. A one-bit output value of the test is read out of the pixel (digitally) at each of the exponentially increasing exposure periods. At the end of the integration period, the analog value stored on the integration capacitor is read out using conventional CMOS active pixel readout circuits. | 02-13-2014 |
| 20140061442 | SHIFT REGISTER WITH TWO-PHASE NON-OVERLAPPING CLOCKS - According to one embodiment, a method includes generating a first clock signal and a second clock signal with non-overlapping clock phases. The method may further include latching, by a plurality of master latches of a shift register, a plurality of values at a plurality of inputs of the master latches in response to a particular type of logical transition of the first clock signal. The method also includes latching, by a plurality of slave latches of the shift register, a plurality of output values of the plurality of master latches at a plurality of inputs of the slave latches in response to a particular type of logical transition of the second clock signal. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140231628 | LIGHT-RECEIVING DEVICE, LIGHT RECEIVER USING SAME, AND METHOD OF FABRICATING LIGHT-RECEIVING DEVICE - An apparatus includes a flip-chip semiconductor substrate, a light detection element configured to be formed over the flip-chip semiconductor substrate and to have a laminate structure including a first semiconductor layer of a first-conductive-type, a light-absorption layer formed over the first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer of a second-conductive-type formed over the light-absorption layer, an inductor configured to be connected to the light detection element over the flip-chip semiconductor substrate, an output electrode for bump connection configured to output a current generated by the light detection element through the inductor, a bias electrode for bump connection configured to apply a bias voltage to the light detection element through a bias electrode, and a line configured to cause a metal line of the inductor and the light detection element to be connected to the output electrode or the bias electrode. | 08-21-2014 |
| 20140346325 | DIGITAL DETECTOR - The present disclosure provides a digital detector apparatus for use with a sensor unit is provided wherein the sensor unit includes an emitter device and a receiver device, the receiver device having a capacitance. The digital detector apparatus comprises at least a first input port, first output port, and a second output port; and an A/D converter circuit wherein an input of the A/D converter circuit is coupled to the first input port for receiving an output of the receiver device; wherein the first output port of the digital detector apparatus is coupled for charging and discharging the capacitance of the receiver device; the second output port of the digital detector apparatus is coupled for driving the emitter device; and the A/D converter circuit derives a sensor output value from the output of the receiver device during a number of charging and discharging cycles. A digital smoke detector and a method of generating an output signal in a digital detector are also provided. | 11-27-2014 |
| 20150021464 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - When a level of a signal output from a pixel is higher than a comparison level, the signal output from the pixel is converted into a digital signal during a first period by using a first reference signal. If the level of the signal output from the pixel is lower than the comparison level, the signal output from the pixel is converted into a digital signal during a second period that is longer than the first period by using a second reference signal. | 01-22-2015 |
| 20150129749 | Method and Device for Measuring Flicker Value of Liquid Crystal Modules - A method for measuring flicker value of a liquid crystal module and related device are proposed. The method includes: providing flicker images to a liquid crystal module; applying a measure unit to scan the liquid crystal module to convert luminance of the liquid crystal into voltage signals to obtain analog luminance signals of the liquid crystal module; receiving the analog luminance signals from the measure unit and converting the analog luminance signals of the measure unit into digital luminance signals; performing Fourier transformation of the digital luminance signals to obtain magnitude of specific frequency wave; obtaining flicker value of the liquid crystal module through the magnitude of specific frequency wave. By using the present invention, the common voltage signal applied on the liquid crystal module is adjusted based on the flicker value of the liquid crystal module measured in real time. Therefore quality of liquid crystal module products is raised. | 05-14-2015 |
| 20080283733 | Contactless switches - Switch including a support control organ in motion relative to a fixed device, the organ and the support being in such a relationship that a plurality of distinct relative positions produce differentiatable data producing different effects. One of the organ or the support includes at least one laser diode emitting a light beam and at least one photodetector, the other including a least one zone situated in the path of the laser beam and provided with computer-generated holograms forming elementary coding cells in order to perform spatial coding of the relative organ/support position. The beam sent by the laser diode is diffracted by the holograms in order to form a binary optical code which can be read by the photodetector and directly and instantaneously transformed into a binary electronic code. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090050792 | Optically powered drive circuit and method for controlling a semiconductor switch - An optically powered drive circuit and a method for controlling a first semiconductor switch are provided. The optically powered drive circuit includes a photovoltaic cell configured to receive a first light signal from a fiber optic cable and to output a first voltage in response to the first light signal. The optically powered drive circuit further includes an energy storage device electrically coupled to the photovoltaic cell configured to store electrical energy received from the first voltage and to output a second voltage. The optically powered drive circuit further includes an electrical circuit electrically coupled to both the photovoltaic cell and the energy storage device. The electrical circuit is energized by the second voltage. The electrical circuit is configured to receive the first voltage and to output a third voltage in response to the first voltage for controlling operation of the first semiconductor switch. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090224143 | SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND IC CARD SYSTEM - A semiconductor integrated circuit capable of protection from card hacking, by which erroneous actions are actively induced by irradiation with light and protected secret information is illegitimately acquired, is to be provided. Photodetectors, configured by a standard logic process, hardly distinguishable from other circuits and consumes very little standby power, are mounted on a semiconductor integrated circuit, such as an IC card microcomputer. Each of the photodetectors, for instance, has a configuration in which a first state is held in a static latch by its initializing action and reversal to a second state takes place when semiconductor elements in a state of non-conduction, constituting the static latch of the first state, is irradiated with light. A plurality of photodetectors are arranged in a memory cell array. By incorporating the static latch type photodetector into the memory array, they can be arranged inconspicuously. Reverse engineering by irradiation with light can be effectively prevented. | 09-10-2009 |
| 20090236503 | Housing with a sensed power switch - A housing with a sensed power switch includes a shell, a motherboard power switch, and a sensed switch module. The motherboard power switch is located in the shell for turning on or off the computer. The sensed switch module is located in the shell, and has a sensing element and a control circuit. The sensing element is pasted onto the shell and corresponds to a sensing area located outside of the shell. The control circuit is electrically connected with the sensing element and the motherboard power switch. When a sensing object approaches the sensing area, the sensing element outputs a pulse signal to the control circuit. The control circuit outputs a control signal to control the motherboard power switch to turn on or turn off the computer according to the pulse signal. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090283664 | Optically-Triggered Power System and Devices - A power device is provided in an optically-triggered power system having a controller for generating electrical control signals and a converter for converting the electrical control signals to optical control signals. The power device includes a pair of terminals and a P-body region provided adjacent an N | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100019133 | PHOTOSENSITIVE CHIP - The present invention discloses a photosensitive circuit comprising a photosensitivity unit, a capacitance and a switch unit. The photosensitivity unit is capable of receiving a received light, and the capacitance is capable of storing a photoelectric current corresponding to the received light. The switch unit is used to respectively provide the positive voltage of the capacitance to a comparison unit at a first time period, and the negative voltage of the capacitance to a comparison unit at a second time period. The comparison unit outputs a detection value according to the positive voltage and the negative voltage of the capacitance, the detection value is related to the distance between an object and the photosensitive circuit. The present invention further disclose a photosensitive chip to drive a luminescent unit to provide a detective light. The photosensitive chip comprises a sampling clock generator, the ambient light sensor unit, a proximity sensor unit and a driving clock generator. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100084543 | VOLTAGE CONVERTING CIRCUIT - A voltage converting circuit for converting a first voltage signal into a second voltage signal for supplying voltage for an electronic component includes a photoelectric coupler and a connector. The photoelectric coupler includes a light-emitting element and a photosensor. The light-emitting element includes a first terminal configured for receiving the first voltage signal. The photosensor includes a first terminal connected to a power supply, and a second terminal configured for outputting the second voltage signal. The connector configured for connecting the photosensor and the electronic component. When the first voltage signal is at a high level, the light-emitting element emits light to turn on the photosensor, the power supply makes the voltage level of the second voltage signal sent out by the photosensor to satisfy a voltage demand of the electronic component. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100102208 | CIRCUIT AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A CIRCUIT - A circuit and method for operating a circuit with a terminal for connecting a photodiode to output an output current dependent on the photocurrent of the photodiode, with a resistance device for generating a voltage drop dependent on a photocurrent of the photodiode, with a control loop connected to the resistance device for generating the output current dependent on the photocurrent, with a switching means connected to the terminal with first switch positions for a first operating mode for operating the photodiode in the reversed bias and with second switch positions for a second operating mode for operating the photodiode in the photovoltaic mode, wherein in the first operating mode in the first switch positions of the switching means, the resistance device and the control loop are bridged and/or are not connected, and in the second operating mode in the second switch positions of the switching means, the terminal is connected to the resistance device. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100193668 | Optical Scanning Type Photoelectric Switch - There is provided an optical scanning type photoelectric switch capable of facilitating control of holding a set detection sensitivity, wherein first and second reflection surfaces with different reflection factors are built as reference objects in the optical scanning type photoelectric switch, and arranged in a measurement invalid range in rotation of a scanning mirror, a light projection path, a light reception path, a laser light source LD and a light receiving element, which are used for scanning in the measurement area, are shared, and when a light reception intensity of the white second reflection surface is smaller than a “reference light reception intensity (white)”, a light projection driving section is controlled to increase the light projection intensity. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100282949 | PHOTOCONDUCTIVE SWITCH PACKAGE - A photoconductive switch is formed of a substrate that has a central portion of SiC or other photoconductive material and an outer portion of cvd-diamond or other suitable material surrounding the central portion. Conducting electrodes are formed on opposed sides of the substrate, with the electrodes extending beyond the central portion and the edges of the electrodes lying over the outer portion. Thus any high electric fields produced at the edges of the electrodes lie outside of and do not affect the central portion, which is the active switching element. Light is transmitted through the outer portion to the central portion to actuate the switch. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110168875 | SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND IC CARD SYSTEM - A semiconductor integrated circuit capable of protection from card hacking, by which erroneous actions are actively induced by irradiation with light and protected secret information is illegitimately acquired, is to be provided. Photodetectors, configured by a standard logic process, hardly distinguishable from other circuits and consumes very little standby power, are mounted on a semiconductor integrated circuit, such as an IC card microcomputer. Each of the photodetectors, for instance, has a configuration in which a first state is held in a static latch by its initializing action and reversal to a second state takes place when semiconductor elements in a state of non-conduction, constituting the static latch of the first state, is irradiated with light. A plurality of photodetectors are arranged in a memory cell array. By incorporating the static latch type photodetector into the memory array, they can be arranged inconspicuously. Reverse engineering by irradiation with light can be effectively prevented. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110174960 | ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE-RESISTANT CONTROL DEVICE - An EMI-resistant control device for providing a control signal may include an optical glass fiber connector housing adapted to be connectable to an apparatus for providing the control signal to the apparatus for controlling operation thereof. The EMI-resistant control device may also include a carbon nanotube optical switch mounted in the optical glass fiber connector housing. The carbon nanotube optical switch may include a plurality of light sensitive carbon nanotubes adapted to connect a voltage source to an output of the EMI-resistant control device in response to an optical signal being received by the optical glass fiber connector housing. The optical glass fiber connector housing directs the optical signal onto the plurality of light sensitive carbon nanotubes. The voltage source provides the control signal to the apparatus. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20120037792 | PHOTO-SENSITIVE COMPOSITE FILM, METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME, AND PHOTO-SWITCHED DEVICE COMPRISING THE SAME - A photo-sensitive composite film is disclosed, which includes plural metal nano-particles and a porous anodized aluminum oxide film. The nanoparticles can be hollow or solid with unrestricted shapes of varying diameters and lengths. The plural metal nanoparticles are completely contained in holes and attached to the bottom of the holes of the anodized aluminum oxide film, and the electrical conductivity of the photo-sensitive anodized aluminum oxide film can be changed by light exposure on the metal nanoparticles from surfaces of the anodized aluminum oxide film. The structure of the photo-sensitive anodized aluminum oxide film of the present invention is uncomplicated and the manufacturing steps thereof are simple, and therefore the photo-sensitive anodized aluminum oxide film of the present invention is of great commercial value. Also, a method of manufacturing the above photo-sensitive composite film and a photo-switched device including the same are disclosed. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120126100 | Photoelectric Switch - A photoelectric switch can be widely applied with a function to sensuously and intuitively display a light-receiving amount as an artificial numeric value in a given range. A preset display value “100” is set to an average value of sampled light-receiving amounts (S | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120228480 | OPTICALLY-CONTROLLED SHUNT CIRCUIT FOR MAXIMIZING PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL EFFICIENCY - An optically-controlled shunt (OCS) circuit includes a switch and a light sampler. The light sampler is coupled to the switch and is configured to sample light at a photovoltaic (PV) cell corresponding to the OCS circuit and to turn on the switch when the sampled light comprises insufficient light for the PV cell. The light sampler may also be configured to turn off the switch when the sampled light comprises sufficient light for the PV cell. The light sampler may further be configured to partially turn on the switch when the sampled light comprises adequate light for the PV cell and to turn off the switch when the sampled light comprises full light for the PV cell. The switch could include a transistor, and the light sampler could include a photodiode. | 09-13-2012 |
| 20130026349 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION APPARATUS, FOCUS DETECTING APPARATUS, AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes: a sensor cell unit for a non-inverting output, via a first non-inverting amplifier to a common output line, of a signal generated by a photoelectric conversion element; a first memory cell unit for holding the signal inputted from the common output line to a first memory capacitor, and for performing a non-inverting output of the signal held by the first memory capacitor, via a second non-inverting amplifier to the common output line; a transfer unit for non-inverting or inverting, via an amplifier, the signal in the common output line, and for outputting the signal non-inverted or inverted to the common output line; a transfer switch arranged between an input terminal of the transfer unit and the common output line; and a feedback switch arranged between an output terminal of the transfer unit and the common output line. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130032699 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COUNTING PHOTONS - A device for counting photons includes a detector unit that is configured to generate an detected signal. A switching unit is configured to be impinged upon by the detected signal and to trigger a switching state for each detection pulse so as to generate a state signal. A sampling unit is configured to sample the state signal at a predetermined sampling frequency. A serial-parallel converter unit is configured to parallelize the serially generated sampled data by grouping successive sampled data into a sampled data packet. An evaluation unit is configured to evaluate the binary values of sampled data packets so as to identify a partial counter result indicating the number of switching state changes occurring in the switching unit, and to add partial counter results identified in individual clock cycles. | 02-07-2013 |
| 20130105669 | ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT FOR OPTICAL CONTROL OF A FLIP-FLOP | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130187032 | Safety Photoelectric Switch - A photoelectric switch reduces a cost load of a user while ensuring its protection function inherent to safety equipment without impairing its safety function, and an optical scanning type photoelectric switch is provided with a muting function settable by the user, which is a function of temporarily invalidating sensing of part or the whole of a protection area, and is provided with two output systems, with respect to each of which the muting function is settable and on each output of which an inspection signal is superimposed at a different timing in a time-division manner. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130193314 | OPTICAL OPERATING ELEMENT, MORE PARTICULARLY PUSHBUTTON OR SWITCH - An optical operating element comprises a light-emitting transmitter, an optical receiver, a prism, and a cover. The prism has a side surface that is an active sensor area, and the prism is arranged below the cover such that the active sensor area is oriented substantially parallel to the underside of the cover. The cover has a sensor region which is above the active sensor area and which has a transmittance of at most 99%, at most 95%, at most 90%, at most 80% or at most 50%. Light emitted by the transmitter is guided through the prism and passes through the active sensor area and the cover. The emitted light reflected at an object enters through the sensor region and the active sensor area and is guided through the prism to the receiver. A change in reflection is identified by an evaluation circuit and is interpreted as switching. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130292551 | Photoelectric Switch and Photoelectric Switch Housing Thereof - A photoelectric switch includes a base having a tubular wall surrounding an axis, and a cover coupled to the base and including a rib unit that cooperates with the tubular wall to confine a rolling chamber. The rib unit has at least one portion overlapping the tubular wall. A light passage extends through the rolling chamber and two diametrically opposite sides of the tubular wall. A photoelectric unit is enclosed by the base and the cover, and includes a light emitter and a light receiver disposed respectively on two opposite ends of the light passage, and a rolling member disposed in the rolling chamber and movable between a blocking position to block the light passage and a non-blocking position to unblock the light passage. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130292552 | LIGHT DETERMINATION CIRCUIT - A light determination circuit having a laser module and a detection circuit is provided. The detection circuit comprises a threshold voltage determination unit, a comparison unit and a switch unit. The threshold voltage determination unit determines a threshold voltage corresponding to the laser module. The comparison unit is for comparing a voltage level at a first node of the laser module with the threshold voltage to output a switch signal. The switch unit is controlled by the switch signal to switch the voltage level at an output end of the detection circuit. When the laser module is conducted, the voltage level at the first node is lower than the threshold voltage, the switch signal controls the switch unit, such that the output end outputs a high level voltage and vice versa. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130320199 | OPTICALLY CONTROLLED SILICON CARBIDE AND RELATED WIDE-BANDGAP TRANSISTORS AND THYRISTORS - An optically active material is used to create power devices and circuits having significant performance advantages over conventional methods for affecting optical control of power electronics devices and circuits. A silicon-carbide optically active material is formed by compensating shallow donors with the boron related D-center. The resulting material can be n-type or p-type but it is distinguished from other materials by the ability to induce persistent photoconductivity in it when illuminated by electromagnetic radiation with a photon energy in excess of the threshold energy required to photoexcite electrons from the D-center to allowed states close to the conduction band edge, which varies from polytype to polytype. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20140034814 | MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SENSOR SWITCH - A sensor switch includes a housing having a receiving chamber defined by top and bottom walls and a multi-sided chamber surrounding wall, and a light emitter and a light receiver disposed outwardly of the surrounding wall at two opposite positions. The surrounding wall is formed with two light passage holes which are aligned respectively with the light emitter and the light receiver to permit a light path to extend therethrough. The bottom wall has a bottom inclined wall face that forms an included angle of from -80 degrees to 80 degrees with respect to a first axis. A rolling member is movable in the receiving chamber to alternately block and unblock the light path when moving to and fro on the bottom wall. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140034815 | SELF-POWERED PHOTODETECTOR AND METHOD OF FABRICATION THEREOF - A self-powered photodetector is provided including: a photovoltaic sensor element for generating an electrical charge under exposure to electromagnetic radiation; a charge storage section for accumulating the electrical charge generated by the photovoltaic sensor element; an electrical load configured to be powered by the accumulated electrical charge from the charge storage section and outputs a signal in response thereto, the signal being analyzable to determine a measurement of the electromagnetic radiation; and a switch for controlling a flow of the accumulated electrical charge from the charge storage section to the electrical load for powering the electrical load. There is also provided a wireless receiver for analyzing a signal from the self-powered photodetector to provide a measurement of the electromagnetic radiation, a photodetector system including the self-powered photodetector and the wireless receiver, and a method of fabricating the self-powered photodetector. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140061443 | TWO-STATE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK AVALANCHE DIODE - A negative feedback avalanche diode for detecting the receipt of a single photon is described. The photodetector comprises a load element having two load states, one characterized by high impedance and the other characterized by low impedance. The load state of the load element is controlled by a control signal generated within the negative feedback avalanche diode itself. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140103198 | SENSOR DEVICE - A sensor device has a display part that displays a numerical value and a character on a casing and at least three switches. The switches have an up switch and a down switch. The up switch has a function of changing the numerical value to increase and also the down switch has a function of changing the numerical value to decrease. Each switch has a different function and each switch has a different symbol. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20140145069 | PACKAGED LIGHT DETECTOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES WITH NON-IMAGING OPTICS FOR AMBIENT LIGHT AND/OR OPTICAL PROXMITY SENSING, METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME, AND SYSTEMS INCLUDING THE SAME - Packaged light detector semiconductor devices (PLDSDs), methods for manufacturing PLDSDs, and systems including a PLDSD are described herein. In an embodiment, a PLDSD includes a light detector die having a surface including an active photosensor region, and a non-imaging optical concentrator including an entrance aperture and an exit aperture axially aligned with one another and with the active photosensor region. A molding material forms the non-imaging optical concentrator and encapsulates at least a portion of the surface of the light detector die that extends beyond the exit aperture of the non-imaging optical concentrator. The non-imaging optical concentrator concentrates light from the entrance aperture toward the exit aperture and onto the active photosensor region. In certain embodiments, a reflective material is disposed on an inner surface of the non-imaging optical concentrator, and a light transmissive molding material fills at least a portion of an inner volume of the non-imaging optical concentrator. | 05-29-2014 |
| 20140183340 | OPTICALLY CONTROLLED MEMS SWITCH AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME - The present embodiments are directed towards the optical control of switching an electrical assembly. For example, in an embodiment, an electrical package is provided. The electrical package generally includes a micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) device configured to interface with an electrical assembly, the MEMS device being operable to vary the electrical assembly between a first electrical state and a second electrical state, a MEMS device driver in communication with the MEMS device and being operable to produce high voltage switching logic from an electrical signal, and an optical detector in communication with the MEMS device driver and configured to produce the electrical signal from an optical signal produced by a light source in response to an applied current-based electrical control signal. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140203174 | WELL TOOL HAVING OPTICAL TRIGGERING DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRICAL POWER DELIVERY - A method of controlling electrical power delivery to a well tool can include transmitting trigger light via an optical waveguide to a circuit in a well, and the circuit delivering the electrical power to the well tool in response to the circuit receiving the trigger light. A circuit for supplying electrical power to at least one well tool can include a photodiode which receives light from an optical waveguide in a well, a voltage increaser which increases a voltage output by the photodiode, and an electrical energy storage device which receives electrical energy via the voltage increaser, whereby the electrical power can be supplied to the downhole well tool from the storage device. | 07-24-2014 |
| 20140231629 | TILT SWITCH - A tilt switch includes a housing defining a chamber and including a frusto-conical inner wall surface having a cone angle which is less than or equal to 90 degrees, and a tapered bottom inner wall surface that defines a bottom end of the chamber, that tapers downwardly from a bottom end of the frusto-conical inner wall surface and that forms a cone angle which is greater than 90 degrees. A light emitter and a light receiver are disposed respectively at two opposite sides of the chamber. A rolling element is rollable in the chamber between blocking and unblocking positions, where the rolling element blocks and unblocks light emitted from the light emitter, respectively. | 08-21-2014 |
| 20140239161 | Pixel Array With Global Shutter - A pixel comprises a pinned photodiode for generating charges in response to incident radiation and a sense node. A transfer gate is positioned between the pinned photodiode and the sense node for controlling transfer of charges to the sense node. A reset switch is connected to the sense node for resetting the sense node to a predetermined voltage. A first buffer amplifier has an input connected to the sense node. A sample stage is connected to the output of the first buffer amplifier and is operable to sample a value of the sense node. A second buffer amplifier has an input connected to the sample stage. | 08-28-2014 |
| 20140246567 | Method and Apparatus for a Switch Having a Light Pipe for Combined LED Display and Light Level Sensing - An electrical wiring device includes a manually adjustable switch, a light emitting diode (LED), a light level sensor, and a microcontroller. The wiring device also optionally includes an occupancy sensor. Light level is sensed through a light pipe and light is emitted by the LED through the same light pipe. When the manually adjustable switch is positioned to energize a load, the LED is deactivated and ambient light level is sensed by light sensors through the light pipe. The ambient light level is compared to a minimum ambient light level to determine if the load will be energized. Alternatively, the LED is deactivated and the ambient light level is sensed through the light pipe when the switch is positioned to de-energize the load. This ambient light level is stored and compared to the minimum ambient light level at a time when the switch is later positioned to energize the load. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140263978 | SELF-CALIBRATION METHOD FOR A PHOTOELECTRIC LIQUID LEVEL SWITCH AND APPARATUS USING THE SAME - The invention relates to a self-calibration method for a photoelectric liquid level switch and apparatus using the same. The apparatus has a control module, a light emitting module and a light sensing module. The light emitting module emits a light beam into a container. The light sensing module then detects a reflected light beam. The control module acquires two values respectively standing for a first liquid level status and a second liquid level status. When a default threshold value is beyond a range between the two values, the control module calculates a new threshold value in the range between the two values. The control module then replaces the default threshold value with the new threshold value. The threshold value is adjustable for any kind of liquid. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140263979 | PHOTOCONDUCTIVE SWITCH WITH IMPROVED LIFE SPAN - Methods, devices and systems enhance the operation and lifespan of photoconductive switches. A photoconductive switch is described that includes a photoconductive material with a first face and a second face, as well as a first contact and a second contact that are positioned above a top surface and below a bottom surface of the photoconductive material, respectively. The first and the second contacts enable establishment of an electric field across the photoconductive material, where the electric field includes enhancement regions around the periphery of the first and second contacts. Further, the photoconductive material is dimensioned relative to the first and the second contacts, as well as first radiation extent and divergence, to allow a first incident radiation that enters the photoconductive material through the first face to propagate through the photoconductive material toward the second face and reach one or more regions of electric field enhancement with substantially reduced intensity. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20150041629 | Device and Method for Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System Photonic Switch - In one embodiment, a micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) photonic switch includes a first plurality of collimators and a first mirror array optically coupled to the first plurality of collimators. The first mirror array includes a first plurality of first MEMS mirrors integrated on a first substrate and a first plurality of first photodiodes integrated on the first substrate, where the photodiodes are disposed in interstitial spaces between the MEMS mirrors. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150349182 | PHOTOCONDUCTIVE SWITCH - A photoconductive switch comprising a photoconductive material and first and second contacts provided on said photoconductive material, wherein said first and second contacts comprise a plurality of interdigitated tracks, the tracks of each contact being separated from the tracks of the other contact by a photoconductive gap, the tracks being curved such that the minimum photoconductive gap measured in a first direction remains substantially similar regardless of the orientation of the first direction. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20160197215 | Generation of Flexible High Power Pulsed Waveforms | 07-07-2016 |
| 20110284726 | MULTI-FUNCTION LIGHT LEVEL SETPOINT CONTROL - A system may include a light sensor, an actuator having a range of motion, and a circuit adapted to establish a light level setpoint in response to the light sensor and the actuator. The circuit may be adapted to perform a first function when the actuator is in a first region of the range of motion and a second function when the actuator is in a second region of the range of motion. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20120126099 | METHOD FOR REDUCING GLARE FROM LIGHT SOURCES THROUGH WINDSCREENS - A method of reducing glare may include sensing a first light source with a second vehicle, and sensing a second light source with a first vehicle and oscillating a first light source ICF between a substantially opaque state and a substantially clear state on a first schedule. A second windscreen ICF may be oscillating between the substantially opaque state and the substantially clear state on a second schedule different from the first schedule. A position of the light source may be sensed and an eye position of the occupant estimated. An intersecting region of the selectively-darkenable ICF, which is located substantially along a line from the position of the light source to the eye position, is calculated. The intersecting region of the ICF is darkened, such that a reduced amount of light from the light source passes through the intersecting region. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20080258048 | Detection Module - A detection module for detecting electro-magnetic radiation comprises a photosensor, a current integration circuit and an arithmetic unit fits the integration samples to a predetermined time dependency of the integrated current and computes an accumulated electrical charge accumulated over the integration time interval from the fit. Notably, the detection module is employed in an optical imaging apparatus to image e.g. a woman's breast by way of near-infrared light. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20110114826 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DARK CURRENT AND BLOOMING SUPPRESSION IN 4T CMOS IMAGER PIXEL - A method and apparatus for operating an imager pixel that includes the act of applying a relatively small first polarity voltage and a plurality of pulses of a second polarity voltage on the gate of a transfer transistor during a charge integration period. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110192959 | SMALL PIXEL FOR CMOS IMAGE SENSORS WITH VERTICALLY INTEGRATED SET AND RESET DIODES - A pixel of an image sensor, the pixel includes a floating diffusion. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110248149 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE SAME - According to one embodiment, a solid-state image sensing device for reading out, via an output circuit, a reset signal and a pixel signal from a pixel unit which performs photoelectric conversion includes a comparator which compares a signal read out from the pixel unit with a reference signal, a counter which counts clocks input until a pulse signal indicating a comparison result from the comparator is obtained, and a counter controller which prevents the counter from performing an operation of stopping pixel signal counting, based on an output result of the reset signal from the comparator. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110272558 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM - An image sensing apparatus comprises a pixel and a driving unit, wherein the driving unit includes a buffer circuit including a first PMOS transistor and a first NMOS transistor, and letting V | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110284727 | CCD CHARGE TRANSFER DRIVE DEVICE - A CCD charge transfer drive device includes: a timing signal generation unit that generates a first timing signal group including N timing signals representing CCD drive pulses; a control signal generation unit that generates a first control signal when a level change of any of the N timing signals is detected, the first control signal indicating a first enable period that is k times as long as one cycle of a system clock signal (k is an integer that is equal to or larger than N/2 and is closest to N/2); a time-division multiplexing unit that time-division multiplexes the N timing signals in the first enable period by time-division multiplexing two signals per cycle of the system clock signal; and a demultiplexing unit that demultiplexes the time-division multiplexed signal into the N timing signals. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110297815 | MATERIALS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES - A photodetector is described along with corresponding materials, systems, and methods. The photodetector comprises an integrated circuit and at least two optically sensitive layers. A first optically sensitive layer is over at least a portion of the integrated circuit, and a second optically sensitive layer is over the first optically sensitive layer. Each optically sensitive layer is interposed between two electrodes. The two electrodes include a respective first electrode and a respective second electrode. The integrated circuit selectively applies a bias to the electrodes and reads signals from the optically sensitive layers. The signal is related to the number of photons received by the respective optically sensitive layer. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110303827 | METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM PROVIDING A STORAGE GATE PIXEL WITH HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE - A method, apparatus and system are described providing a high dynamic range pixel. An integration period has multiple sub-integration periods during which charges are accumulated in a photosensor and repeatedly transferred to a storage node, where the charges are accumulated for later transfer to another storage node for output. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20120001060 | HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGE SENSOR WITH IN PIXEL MEMORY - A high dynamic range CMOS image sensor is disclosed. The pixels of the image sensor incorporate in-pixel memory. Further, the pixels may have varying integration periods. The integration periods are determined, in part, by the signal stored in the in-pixel memory from previous integration periods. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120037791 | IMAGE SENSOR - An image sensor includes a band gap reference unit configured to provide a reference voltage having a predetermined voltage level, a storage unit configured to store the reference voltage, a switch configured to selectively connect the storage unit to the band gap reference unit, and a ramp signal generation unit configured to receive an input voltage corresponding to the reference voltage stored in the storage unit and generate a ramp signal. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120056079 | HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE CMOS PIXEL AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - A method of operating a CMOS pixel is disclosed. The CMOS pixel includes a photodiode (PPD), a transfer gate coupled to the PPD, and an anti-blooming drain coupled to the transfer gate. A potential barrier is formed between a potential well underlying the PPD and the transfer gate. Charge is accumulated in the potential well in response to electromagnetic radiation during a first integration time. Excess charge is removed from the potential well to the anti-blooming drain that exceeds the first potential barrier. A size of the potential barrier is increased. Charge is accumulated in the potential well during a second integration time. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120056080 | High Dynamic Range CMOS Pixel and Method of Operating Same - A method of operating a CMOS pixel is disclosed. The CMOS pixel includes a photodiode (PPD), a transfer gate coupled to the PPD, and an anti-blooming drain coupled to the transfer gate. A potential barrier is formed between a potential well underlying the PPD and the transfer gate. Charge is accumulated in the potential well in response to electromagnetic radiation during a first integration time. Excess charge is removed from the potential well to the anti-blooming drain that exceeds the first potential barrier. A size of the potential barrier is increased. Charge is accumulated in the potential well during a second integration time. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120091323 | SENSOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - Provided is a sensor integrated circuit capable of reducing a signal transmission time from a sensor circuit to a signal processing time without impairing the accuracy of a final value. The sensor circuit | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120097842 | IMAGING PIXELS WITH SHIELDED FLOATING DIFFUSIONS - An imaging system may include imaging pixels. Each imaging pixel may include floating diffusion metal lines associated with a floating diffusion node in that imaging pixel, pixel output metal lines associated with a pixel output, and additional metal lines. The floating diffusion metal lines node may be at least partially surrounded by the pixel output metal lines. Because the floating diffusion metal lines are at least partially surrounded by the pixel output metal lines, the parasitic capacitance between the floating diffusion metal lines and the additional metal lines may be reduced. A source-follower transistor in each imaging pixel may provide a gain between the floating diffusion metal lines and the pixel output metal lines. Due to the Miller effect, the gain induced by the source-follower transistor may reduce the parasitic capacitance between the floating diffusion metal lines and the pixel output metal lines. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120153133 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING A LINEAR IMAGE SENSOR HAVING MULTIPLE OUTPUTS - A Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) image sensor includes a linear array of photodetectors. The photodetectors in the linear array are arranged into distinct sub-arrays with each sub-array including two or more photodetectors. An output channel is connected to each sub-array of photodetectors. Each output channel includes a horizontal CCD shift register and an output structure connected to an end of the horizontal CCD shift register in a linear arrangement with respect to each other. Each successive output channel is disposed on an alternate side of the linear array. Every other output channel is disposed on an alternate side of the linear array. One or more dark reference pixels can be connected to one or more additional shift register elements in the horizontal CCD shift registers. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120235026 | IMAGE SENSOR PIXEL AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - An image sensor pixel and a driving method thereof are provided. The image sensor pixel comprises a photodiode, a sensing capacitor, a static transistor and a dynamic transistor. A first terminal of the photodiode is coupled to a bias line. A control terminal of the static transistor is coupled to a static gate line, and a first terminal of the static transistor is coupled to a first terminal of the sensing capacitor and a second terminal of the photodiode. A control terminal of the dynamic transistor is coupled to a dynamic gate line, and a first terminal of the dynamic transistor is coupled to a second terminal of the sensing capacitor. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20120248294 | Imaging Device - An imaging device includes a circuit board having a wiring line formed as part of an upper surface thereof; an electronic component mounted on the circuit board; a frame body mounted on the circuit board so as to surround the electronic component, and having connection electrodes formed on or above an upper surface thereof and external terminals formed on or above at least one of a side surface and a lower surface thereof which are electrically connected to the connection electrodes; an imaging element having a light-receiving section located in a central portion of an upper surface thereof, the imaging element being mounted on the upper surface of the frame body so as to cover an opening of the frame body; and a lens barrel having a lens, which is bonded to an outer periphery of the upper surface of the frame body so as to cover the imaging element. | 10-04-2012 |
| 20120267515 | Talbot-Illuminated Imaging Devices, Systems, and Methods for Focal Plane Tuning - A Talbot-illuminated imaging system for focal plane tuning, the device comprising a Talbot element, a tunable illumination source, a scanning mechanism, a light detector, and a processor. The element generate san array of focused light spots at a focal plane. The tunable illumination source shifts the focal plane to a plane of interest by adjusting a wavelength of light incident the Talbot element. The scanning mechanism scans an object across an array of focused light spots in a scanning direction. The light detector determines time-varying light data associated with the array of focused light spots as the object scans across the array of light spots. The processor constructs an image of the object based on the time-varying data. | 10-25-2012 |
| 20120280113 | CORRELATED DOUBLE SAMPLING - Apparatus and a method for correlated double sampling using an up-counter for parallel image sensors. All bits of a counter are set to one. An offset signal is compared to a first reference signal to define a first period during which the counter is incremented. After the first period, all bits of the counter are inverted. A sensor signal is compared to a second reference signal to define a second period during which the counter is incremented to generate a correlated double sampling value. | 11-08-2012 |
| 20120318963 | Large Swing Sample and Hold Buffer Circuit for Image Sensor Analog Signal Chains - A switched capacitor sample and hold buffer that can be used, for example, in a CMOS image sensor. The switched capacitor sample and hold circuit has large output swings, low noise and reduced capacitor area compared to the traditional switched capacitor approach. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20130026348 | PHOTOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER, IMAGE READING DEVICE, AND IMAGE READING METHOD - A photoelectric transducer being capable of image reading in any one of a color reading mode and a monochrome reading mode includes a color reading sensor, a monochrome reading sensor, and an unnecessary-charge draining unit. The unnecessary-charge draining unit ( | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130119241 | SENSOR STATE MAP PROGRAMMING - Systems and methods are provided to implement a state map to control operations of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. The state map can be a table comprising one or more locations. Each of the locations can comprise a destination state to define the operations of the sensor and an exit criterion to advance to a next location in the state map. For example, an operation sequence can be implemented using the state map to instruct the CMOS sensor to perform a specific set of operations. Further, a data value to represent the destination state and/or a variable input can be stored in a writable address of a register. Thus, a simplified architecture can be provided to implement CMOS sensor operation states, for instance, to improve interactions between real time and non-real time signals and to increase functionality of the CMOS sensor. | 05-16-2013 |
| 20130161494 | SIGNAL SAMPLING CIRCUIT AND IMAGE SENSOR HAVING THE SAME - A signal sampling circuit includes: a signal output unit configured to output a level signal to an output node in response to a control signal; a signal sampling unit coupled to the output node and configured to sample the level signal in a sampling period; a first current sinking unit configured to sink a constant current from the output node; and a second current sinking unit configured to sink a current from the output node after a time point where the control signal is deactivated. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20130175436 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE SENSITIVE SENSOR ELEMENT OR ARRAY - A high dynamic range sensitive sensor element or array is provided which uses periodic sampling phase domain integration techniques to accurately capture high and low intensity images. The sensor element of the present invention is not limited by dynamic range characteristics exhibited by prior art solid-state pixel structures and is thus capable of capturing a full spectrum of electromagnetic radiation to provide a high quality output image. | 07-11-2013 |
| 20130299680 | SENSOR PIXELS, ARRAYS AND ARRAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREFOR - One sensor pixel includes amplifying transistor, coupled between first bias line and data line; switch transistor, operated by control line and coupled between data line and gate of amplifying transistor; storage capacitor, coupled to second bias line; and sensor being coupled to gate of amplifying transistor. Another sensor pixel includes first amplifying transistor coupled between first bias line and data line; second amplifying transistor being coupled between second bias line and data line; switch transistor being operated by control line and being coupled between data line and gates of first and second amplifying transistors; storage capacitor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors; and sensor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors, Further sensor pixel includes two photo transistors connected to first and second bias lines. Trap-assisted absorption, variable capacitor described for sensor pixels, and also biasing to reduce flicker and aging, and to compensate for aging, described for sensor pixels. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20140077071 | METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM PROVIDING A STORAGE GATE PIXEL WITH HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE - A method, apparatus and system are described providing a high dynamic range pixel. An integration period has multiple sub-integration periods during which charges are accumulated in a photosensor and repeatedly transferred to a storage node, where the charges are accumulated for later transfer to another storage node for output. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140103197 | PIXEL READ METHOD - A method for reading a pixel, including at least two integration periods, at least one of said periods including at least one integration sub-period, wherein an output value of the pixel is determined by taking into account the amounts of photogenerated charges contained in the pixel at the end of each of said periods and the amount of photogenerated charges stored in a photodiode of the pixel beyond a threshold during said at least one sub-period. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20140353472 | Enhanced dynamic range imaging - A pixel element for an imaging sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate, a radiation-sensitive element configured to generate electric charges in response to incident radiation, a charge accumulation region provided in the semiconductor substrate configured to accumulate at least a portion of the electric charges, and an electrode arranged on the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the charge accumulation region. The electrode is electrically insulated from the semiconductor substrate such as to form an inversion region in the semiconductor substrate that connects to the charge accumulation region when a voltage is applied to said electrode. | 12-04-2014 |
| 20150311240 | DEEP WELL PHOTODIODE FOR NIR IMAGE SENSOR - An active pixel image sensor includes a photodiode structure which enables high near-infrared modulation transfer function and high quantum efficiency, with low pinning voltage for a medium- to large-size pixel. The photodiode includes a shallow photodiode region and a deep photodiode region both of a first dopant type, where the length of the shallow photodiode region is larger than the length of the deep photodiode region; and a shallow depleting region and a deep depleting region both of a second dopant type. The deep depleting region surrounds the deep photodiode region on at least two opposite sides. | 10-29-2015 |
| 20160094234 | ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER FOR IMAGE PIXELS - One or more analog-to-digital converters and methods for analog-to-digital conversion are provided. The analog-to-digital converter comprises a ramp generator and a direct current (DC) generator respectively configured to apply a ramp voltage waveform and a DC voltage waveform to a comparator. During a pixel signal level conversion, a first portion of the ramp voltage waveform is applied to the comparator. A control circuit then makes a determination regarding an output of the comparator. If the output corresponds to a first output, or first logic state, the ramp voltage generator applies a second portion of the ramp voltage waveform to the comparator. If the output corresponds to a second output, or second logic state, the DC generator adjusts the DC voltage waveform applied to the comparator. | 03-31-2016 |
| 20080283732 | Optical Potentiometer with Temperature Drift Compensation - A potentiometer is disclosed which comprises an opaque screen element ( | 11-20-2008 |
| 20140110567 | DETERMINING RELATIVE TIMING OFFSET IN DIFFERENT ELECTRONIC PATHWAYS USING INTERNAL SIGNALS - A process and system including a detector having a photosensor therein that outputs a signal and a plurality of after-pulse detector devices independently connected to the photosensor via respective pathways. The after-pulse detector devices each detecting an after-pulse in the signal, where the after-pulse represents an after-event in the photosensor triggered from a previous photon generating event. The system further includes a processing device that receives an indication of the detection of the after-pulse from each of the plurality of after-pulse detector devices and determines a relative delay between the respective pathways based on timing the received indications, and includes a memory that stores the relative delay in association with an identification of the corresponding after-pulse detector devices. | 04-24-2014 |
| 20150014519 | DETERMINING RELATIVE TIMING OFFSET IN DIFFERENT ELECTRONIC PATHWAYS USING INTERNAL SIGNAL - A process and system including a detector having a photosensor therein that outputs a signal and a plurality of after-pulse detector devices independently connected to the photosensor via respective pathways. The after-pulse detector devices each detecting an after-pulse in the signal, where the after-pulse represents an after-event in the photosensor triggered from a previous photon generating event. The system further includes a processing device that receives an indication of the detection of the after-pulse from each of the plurality of after-pulse detector devices and determines a relative delay between the respective pathways based on timing the received indications, and includes a memory that stores the relative delay in association with an identification of the corresponding after-pulse detector devices. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20090101800 | WAVELENGTH MEASUREMENT SYSTEM - A fiber optic interrogator includes a broadband optical source, at least one beam splitter directing output of the optical source to an array of fiber optic gratings, at least one linear transmission or reflection filter, at least one optical receiver and at least one amplifier associated with each receiver. In one aspect of the invention, a linear transmission filter is used to convert the change in center wavelength of a grating reflectivity spectrum to a change in intensity, which is proportional to the change in the grating central wavelength. In another aspect of the invention, a pair of opposite-sloped linear transmission filters are utilized to normalize the received and filtered reflections with respect to total optical power. In another aspect of the invention, the optical source is pulsed, and return pulses from each fiber optic grating to be measured are sampled by the interrogator at different times. In another aspect of the invention, the source driver randomizes ripple phase versus wavelength to reduce wavelength measurement error. In another aspect of the invention, active closed-loop circuits are added to the receiver amplifiers to stabilize the amplifier output. In yet another aspect of the invention, a temperature-controlled compensating array of fiber optic gratings is interrogated each time the measurement array of gratings is interrogated. In still another aspect of the invention, a fast reset analog integrator is added to the amplifier stage(s) to improve the signal detection threshold. In another aspect of the invention, the wavelength measurement is compensated for the effects of one grating shading another. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090189059 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CROSS-OVER BOND-WIRES FOR TIA INPUT - Systems and methods are provided for improving electromagnetic interference resistance in sensor-amplifier configurations. A sensor receives a stimulus and generates a current in response to the stimulus. The current is propagated to an amplifier circuit via a pair of cross-over bond-wires creating two counter rotating loop antennae where electromagnetic interference currents induced in one loop cancel interference currents induced in the second loop such that only the sensor current is propagated to the amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit then amplifies the propagated sensor signal. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090256063 | Image Intensifying Device - An image intensifying device includes a lens that is positioned at a light input that forms an image of a scene. The image intensifying device also includes an image intensifier tube that includes a photocathode that is positioned to receive the image formed by the lens. The photocathode generates photoelectrons in response to the light image of the scene. The image intensifier tube also includes a microchannel plate having an input surface comprising the photocathode. The microchannel plate receives the photoelectrons generated by the photocathode and generating secondary electrons. An electron detector receives the secondary electrons generated by the microchannel plate and generates an intensified image of the scene. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20100012822 | IMAGER SYSTEM - An imager system is disclosed comprising a image intensifier and a CMOS image sensor. The system provides fast capture speed and high sensitivity. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100224763 | SELECTIVE CHANNEL CHARGING FOR MICROCHANNEL PLATE - Techniques are disclosed that can be used to increase the dynamic range of a microchannel plate (MCP) device, thereby eliminating the need for conventional techniques such as gating. In one example embodiment, an MCP device is provided that includes a plurality of channels, each channel for amplifying a photoelectron input to the channel and for producing an electron cloud at its output. The device further includes one or more charging switches associated with each channel for allowing charging current to flow so as to charge that channel in response to producing an electron cloud. In some such example cases, the plurality of channels and the one or more switches are implemented in silicon, and the one or more charging switches turn on only in the presence of the electron cloud produced at the corresponding channel output. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20120006977 | OPTICAL AMPLIFIER AND LIGHT RECEIVING DEVICE - An optical amplifier includes an optical signal path that optically couples an input port and an output port, and transmits an optical signal input from the input port to the output port; an optical amplification medium that is arranged in the optical signal path, and amplifies the optical signal in a predetermined amplification wavelength band; and an optical filter that is arranged between the optical amplification medium and the output port in the optical signal path, flattens gain wavelength characteristics of the optical amplification medium in the amplification wavelength band, and attenuates amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) at a center of the amplification wavelength band more greatly than ASE at both sides of the amplification wavelength band among ASE that occurs in the optical amplification medium on the optical signal amplified by the optical amplification medium. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20130134297 | SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND OPTICAL SENSOR DEVICE USING THE SAME - A resistor array is provided in an element array. A mean value of a characteristic-value distribution is associated with a median of combined resistance values obtained by the element array. An array of trimming information pieces corresponding to combined resistance values larger than the median is set in a descending order of ‘15’ to ‘8’ in decimal number, and an array of trimming information pieces corresponding to combined resistance values less than the median is set in an ascending order of ‘0’ to ‘7’ in decimal number. A circuit converts trimming information derived from the trimming information generation circuit to generate element selection information for selecting turn-off resistors to obtain combined resistance values from the resistor array. Thus, the number of melted-and-cut fuses involved in generation of trimming information associated within the range of “mean value±2σ” in the distribution is reduced. | 05-30-2013 |
| 20130140443 | OPTICAL AMPLIFIER - An optical amplifier includes: an optical amplification unit implementing optical amplification on an optical signal input from an input end to output the amplified optical signal from an output end to a device through a transmission line; a branching unit branching light from the output end, where the light contains reflected-light or/and optical feedback; a photo-detector receiving the branched light and detecting optical level of the received light; and a control circuit reducing an amount of optical amplification of the optical amplification unit in case where the detected optical level becomes more than or equal to a first threshold. The control circuit normalizes the amount of optical amplification in case where a variation of the optical level detected by the photo-detector becomes less than or equal to a second threshold, where the variation of the optical level has been brought by the reduction of the amount of optical amplification. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20140001344 | SWITCHED MODE NIGHT VISION DEVICE POWER SUPPLY | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140001345 | PHOTOELECTRIC SENSOR AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AMPLIFICATION OF RECEIVED LIGHT INTENSITY IN PHOTOELECTRIC SENSOR | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140027622 | Microplasma Night Vision Device - A photon sensing and amplification device including a photocathode, a transparent electrode opposed from the photocathode, and a plasma chamber positioned between the photocathode and the transparent electrode, wherein the plasma chamber houses an ionizable gas. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140158867 | OPTICAL AMPLIFIER AND FAILURE DETECTION METHOD - An optical amplifier includes an optical amplifying fiber configured to receive input light so that the input light travels through the optical amplifying fiber; an excitation light generator configured to supply excitation light to the optical amplifying fiber to optically amplify the input light as the input light travels through the optical amplifying fiber; and a processor configured to determine whether a failure has occurred in the optical amplifier, based on a change in power of the excitation light and a change in power of the input light. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140291487 | Differential Optical Receiver for Avalanche Photodiode and SiPM - A device and method to immune an APD or SiPM optical receiver against photodetector voltage supply variation is presented. A differential trans-impedance amplifier includes one input connected to the photodetector and the other input connected to a high voltage supply variation sensing device. The sensing element includes a circuit replicating the impedance of the photodetector. | 10-02-2014 |
| 20140291488 | Optical Receiver with Fast Recovery Time - A photoelectric receiver circuit for converting an optical signal to an electrical signal is presented. The receiver includes a photodetector connected between a transimpedance amplifier input and a high voltage supply providing a bias voltage to the photodetector. A high voltage supply variation sensing element is connected between the high voltage supply and a current controlled current source, where the current controlled source output is connected to the input of the transimpedance amplifier. A current limiter is connected between the high voltage supply and a high voltage source. The photocurrent passing through the current limiter lowers the high voltage supply and is detected by the sensing element. Current from the sensing element is processed at the input of the transimpedance amplifier to minimize the current into the transimpedance amplifier, limiting the saturation of the amplifier, thus improving recovery time when a high optical power pulse impinges the photodetector. | 10-02-2014 |
| 20090121119 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion device capable of detecting light from weak light to strong light and relates to a photoelectric conversion device having a photodiode having a photoelectric conversion layer; an amplifier circuit including a transistor; and a switch, where the photodiode and the amplifier circuit are electrically connected to each other by the switch when intensity of entering light is lower than predetermined intensity so that a photoelectric current is amplified by the amplifier circuit to be outputted, and the photodiode and part or all of the amplifier circuits are electrically disconnected by the switch so that a photoelectric current is reduced in an amplification factor to be outputted. According to such a photoelectric conversion device, light from weak light to strong light can be detected. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20110204213 | LIGHT AMPLIFICATION CIRCUIT AND PHOTOCOUPLER - A light amplification circuit includes a photodiode PD with an epi-sub structure, an I/V conversion circuit that converts current output from the PD into a voltage, and a correction circuit that removes charge and discharge current, which is cause by a parasitic capacitance of the photodiode, from current output from the PD between the PD and the I/V conversion circuit. | 08-25-2011 |
| 20150102209 | OPTICAL SENSOR ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR LIGHT SENSING - An optical sensor arrangement ( | 04-16-2015 |
| 20080272280 | Cascaded image intensifier - A cascaded image intensifier device is presented. In one embodiment the device comprises: at least two sections in cascade, each of a first section and a last section out of the at least two sections including a photocathode unit adapted to convert photons to electrons and a screen unit adapted to convert electrons to photons; wherein the first section includes a reducing element adapted to: (i) reduce ion-caused degradation of a photocathode unit of the first section, and (ii) reduce a number of photons exiting from the first section from a first value to a second value; and wherein the last section outputs a number of photons that equals or exceeds the first value. Also disclosed are methods and systems using the disclosed cascaded image intensifier device. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080290260 | Night-vision system including field replaceable image intensifier tube - A night vision system has an image intensifier tube that may be installed or replaced without requiring realignment of the optics. A first locating feature may be coupled to the image intensifier tube to align the first locating feature with an input optical axis of the image intensifier tube. A second locating feature may be coupled to the image intensifier tube to align the second locating feature with the output optical center of the image intensifier tube and form an image at a predetermined location along the output optical axis. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090026353 | Photomultiplier Tube and Radiation Detecting Device - A vacuum vessel is configured by hermetically joining a faceplate ( | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090045325 | Electron bombarded image sensor array device as well as such an image sensor array - The invention relates to an electron bombarded image sensor array device comprising a vacuum chamber having a photocathode capable of releasing electrons into said vacuum chamber when exposed to electromagnetic radiation impinging on said photocathode, electric field means for accelerating said released electrons from said photocathode towards an anode spaced apart from said photocathode in a facing relationship to receive an electron image from said photocathode, said anode being constructed as an back thinned image sensor array having electric connecting pads and being mounted to a carrier using mounting means, said carrier having electric connecting pads to feed electric signals from said image sensor array finally outside said vacuum chamber. The invention also relates to an image sensor array to be used in such a device. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090108180 | Advanced Image Intensifier Assembly - An advanced image intensifier assembly provides enhanced functionality. A grounded photocathode provides shielding from electromagnetic interference, improving the ability to work in multiple light conditions. Bi-directional wireless communication and non-volatile storage allow critical information to be permanently stored and read wirelessly at a scanning station, easing in identification of units. Because bi-directional communication components can be embedded within an image intensifier assembly, existing end-user night vision devices can be upgraded by simply replacing the image intensifier assembly. For enhanced safety, a programmable shutdown capability is provided. This renders the device inoperative in the absence of continuous input, either wireless or manual, from an authorized operator, thus rendering the device useless if captured by enemy combatants. Finally, direct 1-volt operation enables the device to be powered by, for example, a single AA battery. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20100102209 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SEALING AN IMAGE INTENSIFIER DEVICE - A sealing structure for an optical device, such as an image intensifier device, is provided. The optical device includes an evacuated housing and an anode positioned within the evacuated housing. An interior sealing member extends from the anode. An exterior sealing member extends from a component of the image intensifier device, wherein the exterior sealing member is positioned to extend adjacent to and substantially parallel with the interior sealing member such that a gap is defined between the sealing members. A seal cup is positioned for sealing engagement with both the interior sealing member and the exterior sealing member to substantially maintain a vacuum condition within the housing. | 04-29-2010 |
