128results about How to "Wide dynamic range" patented technology

A thin-film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is disclosed. The oxide semiconductor layer includes a first area, a second area and a third area forming a well-type potential in the film-thickness direction. The first area forms a well of the well-type potential and has a first electron affinity. The second area is disposed nearer to the gate electrode than the first area and has a second electron affinity smaller than the first electron affinity. The third area is disposed farther from the gate electrode than the first area and has a third electron affinity smaller than the first electron affinity. At least an oxygen concentration at the third area is lower than an oxygen concentration at the first area.

Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging element including a pixel unit configured to include a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and a pixel signal readout unit configured to include an analog-digital conversion unit that carries out analog-digital conversion of a pixel signal read out from the pixel unit. Each one of the pixels in the pixel unit includes a plurality of divided pixels arising from division into regions different from each other in optical sensitivity or a charge accumulation amount. The pixel signal readout unit reads out divided-pixel signals of the divided pixels in the pixel. The analog-digital conversion unit carries out analog-digital conversion of the divided-pixel signals that are read out and adds the divided-pixel signals to each other to obtain a pixel signal of one pixel.

A method of providing visual documentation and information for a surgical procedure. The method includes, providing at least one video camera for generating a video signal in a digital format, capturing an image of an eye and displaying the image on a monitor. A first template is created having a graphical content pertinent to the eye. The first template is displayed such that the first template is overlaid contemporaneously with the image of the eye on a display monitor.

Long and short exposure time pixel information are input to pixel information. A long exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a long time and a short exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a short time are generated. A point spread function corresponding to the long exposure time image is computed as a long exposure time image PSF. A corrected image is generated using the short exposure time image, the long exposure time image, and the long exposure time image PSF. The corrected image is generated as a wide dynamic range image utilizing the pixel information for the long and short exposure time image. Utilizing the pixel information for the short exposure time image with little blurring, makes the corrected image a high quality corrected image with little blurring.

An apparatus, method and system that uses a Q-switched laser or a Q-seed source for a seed pulse signal having a controlled high-dynamic-range amplitude that avoids and/or compensates for pulse steepening in high-gain optical-fiber and/or optical-rod amplification of optical pulses. Optionally, the optical output is used for LIDAR or illumination purposes (e.g., for image acquisition). In some embodiments, well-controlled pulse shapes are obtained having a wide dynamic range, long duration, and not-too-narrow linewidth. In some embodiments, upon the opening of a Q-switch in an optical cavity having a gain medium, the amplification builds relatively slowly, wherein each round trip through the gain medium increases the amplitude of the optical pulse. Other embodiments use quasi-Q-switch devices or a plurality of amplitude modulators to obtain Q-seed pulses. These configurations provide optical pulses having wide dynamic ranges that ameliorate problems of pulse steepening, non-linear spectral broadening and the like in very-high-power MOPA devices.

A silicon microphone includes a silicon microphone device, on which four acoustic transducers are integrated, an integrated circuit device and a package for housing the devices in an inner space defined therein, and the four acoustic transducers have different values of sensitivity and, accordingly, different values of dynamic range; the analog acoustic signals are supplied from the four acoustic transducers to the integrated circuit device, and are converted to digital acoustic signals; the digital acoustic signal output from the acoustic transducers with relatively high sensitivity are normalized with respect to the digital acoustic signal output from the acoustic transducer with lowest sensitivity, and the normalized digital acoustic signals are selectively formed into a composite acoustic signal depending upon the sound pressure of sound waves so that the dynamic range is expanded without sacrifice of high sensitivity in the low sound pressure range.

A variable capacitor device using MEMS or micromachining techniques wherein thin-films of materials are deposited, patterned and etched to form movable micromechanical elements on the surface of a substrate composed of either semiconductor, glass, metal, or ceramic material. In one embodiment of the present invention to achieve higher frequency performance as well as other benefits, the substrate is comprised of Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramics (LTCC). The variable capacitor is an electrostatically actuated micromechanical device and if fabricated on a LTCC multi-layered substrate material has continuous electrical connections through the layers. The same LTCC substrate material can also be used to enclose the device by selectively removing a portion of the upper substrate so as to form a cavity. The two substrates are then bonded together to enclose and protect the variable capacitor. An integrated circuit can be incorporation onto the multi-level substrate structure to enable a electronic closed-loop controlled variable capacitor module. The integrated circuit is flip-chip bonded at the bottom of the substrate structure with appropriate electrical connections between the integrated circuit and the MEMS variable capacitor device. A variation of the present invention utilizes a zipper actuation method wherein the tuning ratio of the variable capacitor is increased to very high levels. Yet another variation of the present invention utilizes a differential gap between the top and bottom electrodes such that the actuation electrodes do not physically contact one another. Yet another implementation of the present invention uses an extra set of electrodes or mechanical mechanism so as to lock the value of the capacitor indefinitely. Yet another implementation uses shaped actuation electrodes so as to linearize the relationship between the applied actuation voltage and the resultant capacitance of the device.

A GaN-based semiconductor light-emitting device includes (A) a first GaN-based compound semiconductor layer 13 having n-type conductivity, (B) an active layer 15 having a multi-quantum well structure including well layers and barrier layers for separating between the well layers, and (C) a second GaN-based compound semiconductor layer 17 having p-type conductivity. The well layers are disposed in the active layer 15 so as to satisfy the relation d₁<d₂ wherein d₁ is the well layer density on the first GaN-based compound semiconductor layer side in the active layer and d₂ is the well layer density on the second GaN-based compound semiconductor layer side.

A charged particle beam detection system (10) that includes a Faraday cup detector array (FCDA) for position-sensitive charged particle beam detection is described. The FCDA is combined with an electronic multiplexing unit (MUX) (2) that allows collecting and intgrating the charge deposited in the array, and simultaneously reading out the same. The duty cycle for collecting the ions is greater than 98%. This multiplexing (2) is achieved by collecting the charge with a large number of small and electronically decoupled Faraday cups. Because Faraday cups collect the charge independent of their charge state, each cup is both a collector and an integrator. The ability of the Faraday cup to integrate the charge, in combination with the electronic multiplexing unit (2), which reads out and empties the cups quickly compared to the charge integration time, provides the almost perfect duty cycle for this position-sensitive charged particle detector (10). The device (10) measures further absolute ion currents, has a wide dynamic range from 1.7 pA to 1.2 μA with a crosstalk of less than 750:1. The integration of the electronic multiplexing unit (2) with the FCDA further allows reducing the number of feedthroughs that are needed to operate the detector (10).

An image processing method and apparatus for obtaining a wide dynamic range image, the method including: obtaining a plurality of low dynamic range images having different exposure levels for a same scene; generating motion map representing whether motion occurred, depending on brightness ranks of the plurality of low dynamic range images; obtaining weights for the plurality of low dynamic range images; generating a weight map by combining the weights and the motion map; and generating a wide dynamic range image by fusing the plurality of low dynamic range images and the weight map. According to the image processing method and apparatus, it is possible to accurately detect motion area using a rank map, obtain a wide dynamic range image at a higher operation speed, and reduce a possibility that a phenomenon such as color warping occurs by directly combining images without using a tone mapping process.

A plurality of images in which pixels are displaced from each other are obtained by displacing the optical path of light passing an image sensing device. The plurality of images have different exposure amounts in image sensing operations. In order to obtain an image with a high resolution and a broad dynamic range, a pixel of interest which suffers saturation or dark in one image is interpolated by pixels in the vicinity of the pixel of interest in an image sensed in a different exposure amount.

An imaging apparatus, includes: an imaging optical system; an image pickup device; and a control device which is configured to control the image pickup device, wherein the control device is configured to preliminarily decide an exposure order of a relatively short time exposure in a prescribed image size; an exposure with almost the same exposure time as the relatively short time in a smaller image size than the prescribed image size, and a relatively long time exposure in the prescribed image size, and to perform an imaging operation once by exposing the image pickup device by the decided exposure order.

The invention provides a solid-state image pickup device and method for realizing a higher sensitivity and a higher S/N ratio especially in the low-luminance region while maintaining a wide dynamic range. Plural pixels are integrated in an array configuration on a semiconductor substrate with each pixel having photodiode PD, which receives light and generates and stores photoelectric charge, transfer transistor Tr1, which transfers such photoelectric charge from such photodiode, floating diffusion FD, which transfers such photoelectric charge through such transfer transistor, additive capacitive element Cs, which is set connected via the floating diffusion to the photodiode, capacitive coupling transistor Tr2, which combines or divides the capacitance of such floating diffusion and the capacitance of such additive capacitive element, and reset transistor Tr3, which is connected to such additive capacitive element or floating diffusion; and the capacitance of the floating diffusion is smaller than that of the photodiode.

A solid-state imaging device includes a photoelectric conversion section configured to generate photocharges and a transfer gate that transfers the photocharges to a semiconductor region. A method for driving a unit pixel includes a step of accumulating photocharges in a photoelectric conversion section and a step of accumulating the photocharges in a semiconductor region. A method of forming a solid-state imaging device includes implanting ions into a well layer through an opening in a mask, implanting additional ions into the well layer through an opening in another mask, and implanting other ions into the well layer through an opening in yet another mask. An electronic device includes the solid-state imaging device.

An ultra-low noise, high gain interface pixel amplifier is provided with capability for single-photon readout of standard photodetectors at high electrical bandwidths for diverse spectral bandpass from the x-ray to long IR bands. The detector charge modulates a source follower whose output is double sampled to remove correlated noise by a compact stage that also provides optimum level shift for subsequent amplification of the full signal excursion. The level-shifted signal finally drives a compact amplifier that generates a robust end-to-end transimpedance. Single-photon readout of photodetectors at high electrical bandwidths in small pixel areas is thereby facilitated.

The invention relates to a radio frequency receiving and transmitting front end for a millimeter wave holographic imaging security check system, which comprises a millimeter wave voltage-controlled oscillator, a millimeter wave low-nose amplifier and a millimeter wave quadrature mixer, wherein the millimeter wave voltage-controlled oscillator is connected with the millimeter wave quadrature mixer; the millimeter wave low-nose amplifier is connected with the millimeter wave quadrature mixer; the millimeter wave voltage-controlled oscillator is used for generating a millimeter wave radio frequency signal to be transmitted to a target and a local oscillation signal to be fed back to the millimeter wave quadrature mixer directly; the millimeter wave low-nose amplifier is used for receiving the radio frequency signal carrying the scatter amplitude and phase information of the target to perform low-noise amplification; and the millimeter wave quadrature mixer is used for performing the quadrature mixing of the millimeter wave local oscillation signal directly fed back by the millimeter wave voltage-controlled oscillator and the radio frequency signal amplified by the millimeter wave low-nose amplifier. In the invention, after necessary preamplification and digital sampling treatment of the output signal, the millimeter wave holographic image of the target can be restored by using a millimeter wave holographic algorithm.

The present invention discloses a triaxial magnetoresistive sensor. It comprises a substrate integrated with a biaxial magnetic field sensor, a Z-axis sensor that has a sensing direction along Z-axis perpendicular to the two axes of the biaxial magnetic field sensor, and an ASIC. The biaxial magnetic field sensor comprises an X-axis bridge sensor and a Y-axis bridge sensor. The Z-axis sensor and the two-axis sensor are electrically interconnected with the ASIC. A single-chip implementation of the triaxial magnetic field sensor comprises a substrate, onto which a triaxial magnetic field sensor and an ASIC are stacked. The triaxial magnetic field sensor comprises an X-axis bridge sensor, a Y-axis bridge sensor, and a Z-axis bridge sensor. The above design provides a highly integrated sensor with high sensitivity, low power consumption, good linearity, wide dynamic range, excellent thermal stability, and low magnetic noise.

An amplifier characterized by gain and output power comprises: (i) at least one gain medium; (ii) at least one pump supplying optical power into the gain medium; and (iii) a controller controlling the gain and the output power of the amplifier. The controller includes a signal compression circuit to cover a wide dynamic range for optical input and output signals, so that resolution for low optical signals is better than resolution for high optical signals.

The present invention provides single molecule analyses of species of use in analytical, diagnostic or prognostic assays. In exemplary embodiments, the assays utilize samples prepared by novel methods, affording assays of unexpected sensitivity and robustness. The method is described in a non-limiting manner by reference to cytokine assays.

Provided is an image capturing apparatus (100) that can improve coding efficiency, and record a still image with a wide dynamic range and smooth moving images. The apparatus includes: an image capturing unit (110) capturing images by exposure for a first exposure time and a second exposure time longer than the first exposure time to generate a short-time exposure image and a long-time exposure image; a short-time exposure image storage unit (120) storing the short-time exposure image; a long-time exposure image storage unit (130) storing the long-time exposure image; a motion blur adding unit (140) generating a predicted image of the long-time exposure image by adding motion blur to the short-time exposure image; a subtracting unit (150) calculating a difference between the long-time exposure image and the predicted image to generate a difference image; and a coding unit (170) coding the short-time exposure image and the difference image.

A multilayer electronic module for photon counting such as in the solar blind region of the ultraviolet electromagnetic spectrum is provided.

The device comprises a photocathode for detecting photons and generating an electron output, a micro-channel plate for receiving the output electrons emitted from the photocathode in response to the photon input and amplifying same, readout circuitry and one or more bit-counting circuit layers used to count the electron output of the micro-channel plate.

An image sensor is provided which is capable of holding data for one frame period or longer and conducting a difference operation with a small number of elements. A photosensor is provided in each of a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each pixel accumulates electric charge in a data holding portion for one frame period or longer, and an output of the photosensor changes in accordance with the electric charge accumulated in the data holding portion. As a writing switch element for the data holding portion, a transistor with small leakage current (sufficiently smaller than 1×10⁻¹⁴ A) is used. As an example of the transistor with small leakage current, there is a transistor having a channel formed in an oxide semiconductor layer.

A pixel is provided with a photodiode region which includes a photoelectric conversion portion for receiving light and generating electrons, and a charge storage portion for storing electric charge. The pixel is configured in such a manner that an electron exclusion region is provided in the photodiode region with the diameter of a circle having the maximum diameter among circles that can exist in the surface of a region through which electrons can pass in the photodiode region as the width of an electron passage region in the photodiode region, and the width of the electron passage region is smaller than when the electron exclusion region is not provided.

The invention discloses an all-optical wavelength converting device based on non-linear optical waveguide. The device comprises a first optical coupler, an erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier, a polarization controller, a PPLN waveguide, an optical isolator, a second optical coupler and a pump optical wavelength selector, which are connected in sequence by optical paths in clockwise direction to form an annular cavity laser with the built-in PPLN optical waveguide. The first optical coupler and the second optical coupler respectively provide a signal light input port and a converted idle light output port for the external. The non-linear optical waveguide is the PPLN optical waveguide and the pump optical wavelength selector is a dual wavelength selector or a multiple wavelength selector. The pump light produced by signal light and the inner of the annular cavity by lasing carries out non-linear mutual interaction in the PPLN optical waveguide to generate converted idle light, so as to realize wavelength converting. The device can realize tunable wavelength converting of single-channel to dual-channel and single-channel to multi-channel (broadcasting type) and input and output tunable wavelength converting with the advantages of flexible converting function, compact and easily realizable structure and low cost.

An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixel portions, each including a photoelectric conversion section and a holding section. The holding section is configured to hold a mixed saturation signal containing a saturation signal overflowing a photoelectric conversion section of the same pixel portion and a saturation signal overflowing a photoelectric conversion section of another pixel portion which functions as a color mixture component. A color mixture correcting section is configured to correct a color mixture component contained in the mixed saturation signal read out of the holding section. A combining section is configured to combine a photoelectric conversion signal read out of the photoelectric conversion section and a corrected saturation signal corrected by the color mixture correcting section.

A physical quantity sensor detects physical quantity. The sensor includes a plurality of springs, which have different spring constants, respectively. The sensor has a wide detection range of the physical quantity without assembling multiple sensors. Therefore, the sensor can be minimized. Further, since the sensor has an excellent linearity of the output characteristics, the sensor has a wide dynamic range and a high sensitivity.

An image sensor captures an observation image formed on a light-receiving surface. An order adjustment unit makes the image sensor capture an original entire-area image being a picture of the observation image for an entire area of the light-receiving surface under a first exposure condition, and makes the image sensor capture a partial-area image being a picture of the observation image for only a partial area of the light-receiving surface under a second exposure condition. A synthesizing unit synthesizes the original entire-area image and the partial-area image to obtain an entire-area image having a wider dynamic range than the original entire-area image.

To transfer signal charges at high speed with small noise, there is provided a charge transfer apparatus including a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type, a charge transfer region of a conductivity type opposite to that of the semiconductor substrate that is formed in the semiconductor substrate and joined to the semiconductor substrate to form a diode, a signal charge input portion which inputs a signal charge to the charge transfer region, a signal charge output portion which accumulates the signal charge transferred from the charge transfer region, and a plurality of independent potential supply terminals which supply a potential gradient to the semiconductor substrate, wherein the signal charge in the charge transfer region is transferred by the potential gradient formed by the plurality of potential supply terminals.

A method for determining mantissa bit allocation of frequency domain audio data to be encoded, including by performing adaptive low frequency compensation on each frequency band of a set of low frequency bands of the data. The low frequency compensation includes steps of: performing tonality detection on the audio data to generate compensation control data indicative of whether each frequency band in the set has prominent tonal content; and performing low frequency compensation on each frequency band in the set having prominent tonal content, including by correcting a preliminary masking value for each frequency band having prominent tonal content, but not performing low frequency compensation on the audio data in any other frequency band in the set. Other aspects are audio encoding methods including such tonality detection and low frequency compensation steps, and a system configured to perform any embodiment of the inventive method.

To provide an imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data. The imaging device includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a sixth transistor, a seventh transistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor. The second circuit includes an eighth transistor. The imaging device can compensate variation in threshold voltage of an amplifier transistor included in the first circuit.