541 results about "Focused beams" patented technology

An improved method of and apparatus for real-time continual nanometer scale position measurement by beam probing as by laser beams and the like, both fixed and oscillating or scanning, over an atomic and other undulating surface such as gratings or the like, relatively moving with respect to the probing beams; and providing, where desired, increased detection speeds, improved positioning sensing response, freedom from or relaxed requirements of strict control on probing oscillation amplitude, and multi-dimensional position measurement with focused beam probes and the like.

A method and system is described where a plurality of position reference devices use short-range wireless communication protocols to transmit positioning assistance data to nearby mobile devices, and the mobile devices use the assistance data to model errors and re-calibrate their positioning systems. The short-range communication methods include NFC, RFID, Bluetooth®, short-range 802.11, Wi-Fi Direct, and high frequency focused beams such as 60 GHz. The position reference devices are passive or active NFC tags, passive or active RFID tags, other devices that include such tags as their components, Bluetooth®-enabled devices, 60 GHz-enabled devices, and 802.11 access points that can lower their transmit power. The reference devices are located at various indoor and outdoor locations such as smart posters, kiosks, ATM machines, malls, store checkout counters, store security gates, wireless access points, cellular base-stations, tollbooths, traffic lights, and street lamp posts.

A method for permanently removing hair utilizes the hair shaft and hair ducts to transmit light into the tissue sustaining the hair follicle, thereby permanently destroying or modifying the tissue in a manner which desirably mitigates hair growth. The method includes the steps of covering the patient's skin area with a high reflectance substance so as to substantially protect all skin components other than those sustaining the hair. The hair is optionally shaved or pulled out, and then the skin is illuminated with either a large-area electromagnetic radiation field for simultaneous destruction of multiple hair-follicles, or alternatively with a tightly-focused beam which destroys one hair at a time. Optionally, the beam may be rapidly scanned so as to destroy single hairs quickly in succession. The surrounding skin region is left substantially free of injury. This mitigates pain and enhances post hair removal healing.

A surface inspection apparatus and a method are provided which include an illumination system configured to focus a beam of radiation at a non-orthogonal incidence angle to form an illumination line on a surface substantially in a plane of incidence of the focused beam. The apparatus and method further include a collection system configured to image the illumination line onto an array of detectors oriented parallel to the illumination line. The collection system includes an imaging lens for collecting light scattered from the illumination line, a focusing lens for focusing the collected light, and the array of detectors, each configured to detect a corresponding portion of the illumination line. The collection system may be configured to image the illumination line such that the width of the imaged illumination line on the array of detectors is larger than the pixel size of the detectors along the same direction.

An apparatus capable of tracking a target, comprising at least one near-field focused antenna comprising an array of elements and a phase shifter to form multiple fixed beams in the near-field, a sensor capable of sensing the location of the target, and a controller capable of accepting position information and capable of activating the proper fixed beam along a course so as to enable the near-field focused beams to track the target. The array of elements may be substantially linear and the sensor may be optical, mechanical, thermal, or sonic position detection subsystems.

An objective optical system for focusing light from a light source onto optical recording media includes an aperture control filter with a diffractive optical function formed as a glass plate with an aperture control structure on one side and a diffractive optical structure, such as a plastic diffractive optical element adhered to the glass plate on the other side, and an objective lens. The objective optical system focuses three light beams of three different wavelengths at three different numerical apertures onto desired positions of three different recording media with substrates of different thicknesses, such as a BD (or an AOD), a DVD, and a CD, that introduce different amounts of spherical aberration in the focused beams. The objective optical system provides compensating spherical aberration to the three light beams while keeping constant the distance between the aperture control filter with a diffractive optical function and the objective lens.

Provided is system for aiding a welding operator in positioning a welding device. The system includes a welding device and a light source coupled to the welding device, wherein the light source is configured to generate a focused beam of light that is configured to illuminate a weld location. The configuration of the light source's illumination may provide for aligning and positioning of the welding device relative to a work piece or other surface.

A laser pet toy including a light source with a focused beam of light of a predetermined shape and programmable random travel across an opaque surface such as a floor or wall to create an engaging image for a pet to play with the image for entertainment or exercise.

A method and system is described where a plurality of position reference devices use short-range wireless communication protocols to transmit positioning assistance data to nearby mobile devices, and the mobile devices use the assistance data to re-calibrate their positioning systems. In some embodiments, mobile device includes an accelerometer and the accelerometer measurements are used to calculate an updated velocity of the mobile device and an updated position of the mobile device based on the accelerometer measurements and previous velocity and position of the mobile device. The short-range communication methods include NFC, RFID, Bluetooth®, short-range 802.11, Wi-Fi Direct, and high frequency focused beams such as 60 GHz. The position reference devices are passive or active NFC tags, passive or active RFID tags, other devices that include such tags as their components, Bluetooth®-enabled devices, 60 GHz-enabled devices, and 802.11 access points that can lower their transmit power.

The present Broadband Link System supplements the existing Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications link with an additional, separate high speed Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel to provide additional data communication capacity for aircraft. This Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel is typically a uni-directional (Ground-To-Air) link directed via a focused beam to selected aircraft which are operational in the coverage area of the Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel. The routing of the various data transmissions on both the Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications link and the Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel are managed in a unified manner to maximize the utilization of the two transmission facilities.

An archery arrow carries a light transmitting nock plus a light assembly, which comprises a light source positioned so that the light source is visible through the nock, a switch having normally open electrical contacts, and closable upon momentary contact with a magnetic field, and circuitry interconnecting a battery, the switch, and the light source for permitting illumination of the light source when the magnetic field is sensed. By this invention, the light assembly may be free of a housing and occupies a first bore of the nock and a second bore of the arrow shaft rearward end. A unique system for retaining a battery and protecting against high G force, plus a focused beam LED are other optional, advantageous features.

In a method for manufacturing an article (1), particularly a prototype of a product or component, a tool prototype or spare part, by using selected laser melting, for the application onto the article (1) of a layer (13) or portion of a second metallic material, which is different from the material of the first metallic powder (4), a tape (12), sheet (14), foil or three-dimensional pre-form (18) of a second material is applied to the article (1) and is heated by a focused laser or electron beam (6) to a specified temperature such that the tape (12), sheet (14), foil or pre-form, respectively, are made molten by the electron laser beam (6), wherein the focused beam (6) is applied to a given area corresponding to a selected cross-sectional area of the model of the article (1) under formation of a new layer or part made of second material integral with the article (1).

One or more embodiments of the presently described invention provide a method for fabricating an all-back contact photovoltaic cell. The method includes the steps of depositing a semiconductor layer on a non-opaque substrate, increasing a level of crystallinity of the semiconductor layer by exposing it to a focused beam of energy, doping the semiconductor layer with first and second dopants on one side to create at least two doped regions, and providing electrical contacts to the doped regions by depositing a conductive layer on the semiconductor layer so that the electrical contacts are on the same side of the semiconductor layer while incident light strikes the layer from an opposing side.

An optical coupler has a waveguide coupled to a grating of multiple scattering units, each scattering unit having a first scattering element formed of a shape in a polysilicon gate layer and a second scattering element formed of a shape in a body silicon layer of a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) integrated circuit (IC). The couplers may be used in a system having a coupler on each of a first and second IC, infrared light being formed into a beam passing between the couplers. Vias may be interposed in third ICs between the first and second ICs. The couplers may be configured with nonuniform width of scattering elements to produce Gaussian or focused beams.

The present invention relates to sonar beamforming systems and methods, using a forward-looking sonar having transmit and receive transducer arrays with a beamforming device and at least one side-looking sonar having dynamically range-focused beams. The forward-looking sonar provides for obstacle avoidance and undersea survey. The systems include one-dimensional transmit and receive transducer arrays with beamforming electronics, a computing controller such as, for example, a personal computer host controller. The arrays and beamforming electronics can be packaged in a hermetically sealed housing unit and mounted in Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV). The side-looking sonar system includes for example, 32-element, one-dimensional arrays that are mounted on either side of the UUVs. Further, a downward looking Bathymetric sonar may be mounted on the underside of the vehicle for high-resolution mapping.

There is provided an optical assembly (100) comprising an optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and a lens arrangement (120). The lens arrangement (120) is spatially disposed relative to the fiber arrangement (220, 230) so as to be capable of providing an axial substantially collimated beam of radiation in response to receiving radiation from the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and capable of providing a focused beam of radiation to the optical fiber arrangement (220, 330) in response to receiving substantially collimated radiation to the lens arrangement (120). The assembly (100) further comprises a configuration of elements (110, 130, 200, 260) for spatially disposing the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) relative to the lens arrangement (120). The configuration of elements (110, 130, 200, 260) provides for independent adjustment of relative lateral position between the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and the lens arrangement (120) in relation to axial position of the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) relative to the lens arrangement (120). Such independent adjustment assists in fabrication of the assembly (100).

Methods, devices and systems of an optical sensor for spatially smart 3-D object measurements using variable focal length lenses to target both specular and diffuse objects by matching transverse dimensions of the sampling optical beam to the transverse size of the flat target for given axial target distance for instantaneous spatial mapping of flat target, zone. The sensor allows volumetric data compressed remote sensing of object transverse dimensions including cross-sectional size, motion transverse displacement, inter-objects transverse gap distance, 3-D animation data acquisition, laser-based 3-D machining, and 3-D inspection and testing. An embodiment provides a 2-D optical display using 2-D laser scanning and 3-D beamforming optics engaged with sensor optics to measure distance of display screen from the laser source and scanning optics by adjusting its focus to produce the smallest focused beam spot on the display screen. With known screen distance, the angular scan range for the scan mirrors can be computed to generate the number of scanned spots in the 2-D display.

A processing method including steps for splitting a single beam into a plurality of beams including a zero-order diffracted beam, by diffracting the single beam by a diffractive element, for turning an array of focused beam spots obtained from the plurality of beams about the center of the zero-order diffracted beam according to the direction of an array of welding points where parts mounted on a circuit board are welded to the board, for causing a spot interval between focused beam spots in the array to agree with the interval between the plurality of welding points by adjusting the distance from the diffractive element to the board, and for increasing the intensity of the plurality of beams, to a welding intensity, and connecting the parts by simultaneously irradiating the welding points with the focused beam spots in the array having the determined direction and spot interval.

Devices for detecting particle sizes and distributions using focused light scattering techniques, by passing a sample through a focused beam of light, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the devices include one or more lasers, whose light is focused into a narrow beam and into a flow cell, and dispersions are passed through the flow cell using hydrodynamic sample injection. In another embodiment, a plurality of lasers is used, optionally with hydrodynamic sample injection. Particles pass through and scatter the light. The scattered light is then detected using scatter and extinction detectors, and, optionally, fluorescence detectors, and the number and size of the particles is determined. Particles in the size range of 0.1 to 10 μm can be measured. Using the device, significantly smaller particles can be detected than if techniques such as EQELS, flow cytometry, and other conventional devices for measuring biological particles.

A cylindrical mirror or lens is used to focus an input collimated beam of light onto a line on the surface to be inspected, where the line is substantially in the plane of incidence of the focused beam. An image of the beam is projected onto an array of charge-coupled devices parallel to the line for detecting anomalies and / or features of the surface, where the array is outside the plane of incidence of the focused beam. For inspecting surface with a pattern thereon, the light from the surface is first passed through a spatial filter before it is imaged onto the charge-coupled devices. The spatial filter includes stripes of scattering regions that shift in synchronism with relative motion between the beam and the surface to block Fourier components from the pattern. The spatial filter may be replaced by reflective strips that selectively reflects scattered radiation to the detector, where the reflective strips also shifts in synchronism with the relative motion.

Apparatus is for additive layer manufacturing of an article from a material which can be rendered solid locally by application of a focused beam of laser radiation at a planar focal plane. The apparatus includes at least two laser beams, respective scanners for each laser beam for scanning the respective laser beams over a planar field, and a support movable stepwise to allow successive manufacturing layer cycles and for supporting material within the field. The entire planar field is common to each scanner and at least one scanner is tilted with respect to the planar field, and the at least one scanner is provided with a lens arranged to generate a focal plane tilted with respect to that scanner.

A method of welding metal components together including moving a laser beam in a first direction along an interface between a pair of metal components such that in the vicinity of the focused beam, metal from each component is vaporized to produce a keyhole in a pool of molten metal. The laser beam is oscillated in a direction different from (e.g., transverse to) the first direction such that the keyhole oscillates through the pool of molten metal and molten metal fills into the keyhole as the position of the keyhole changes. A laser welding apparatus achieves oscillation of the laser beam using optical elements in the path of the laser beam, for example trepanning optics located within an expanded portion of the laser beam.

Vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) windows (10) that employ glass-bump spacers (50) and two or more glass panes (20) are disclosed. The glass-bump spacers are formed in the surface (24) of one of the glass panes (20) and consist of the glass material from the body portion (23) of the glass pane. Thus, the glass-bump spacers are integrally formed in the glass pane, as opposed to being discrete spacer elements that need to be added and fixed to the glass pane. Methods of forming VIG windows are also disclosed. The methods include forming the glass-bump spacers by irradiating a glass pane with a focused beam (112F) from a laser (110). Heating effects in the glass cause the glass to locally expand, thereby forming a glass-bump spacer. The process is repeated at different locations in the glass pane to form an array of glass-bump spacers. A second glass pane is brought into contact with the glass-bump spacers, and the edges (28F, 28B) sealed. The resulting sealed interior region (40) is then evacuated to a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere.

In a radiation-pressure elastography technique for transmitting a ultrasound focused beam into a test object body and diagnosing the hardness thereof, it is required to consider high sensitivity and safety.In the present invention, the focused beam is transmitted to two positions as a means for displacing a tissue and exciting a shear wave. In addition, time control is performed in such a manner that a transmit beam serves as a burst-chirp signal, and ultrasound waves are transmitted and received while sweeping a transmit frequency. On this occasion, when the distance between the two focused points and the transmit frequency become integral multiple of the wavelength, two waves interfere with each other, thereby obtaining a large amplitude. Furthermore, when the transmit frequency becomes equal to a resonance frequency peculiar to the tissue, the amplitude also becomes larger. Accordingly, a small intensity of transmit waveform enhances sensitivity. In addition, transmission using the burst-chirp signal facilitates widening of a bandwidth of the transmit frequency, enabling usage of a frequency highly sensitive for a target measurement site. Optional number of focused points and arbitrary positions thereof allow a wide area to be covered.

A reduced glare projector style headlight assembly (10) comprises a light source (14), a reflector (12) and an optical lens (18). An opaque mask (16) is positioned between the lens (18) and the reflector (12) for creating an upper shadow region in the focused beam pattern (28) to shield on-coming traffic. The mask (16) includes a transition region (32) proximate its top edge (22) for allowing a limited amount of projected light to pass through the mask (16), into the upper shadow region in the focused beam pattern (28). In several embodiments, the mask (16) is applied or otherwise affixed to a transparent substrate (20) which also supports the transition region (32). To combat undesirable chromatic effects, a color filter (38) can be positioned in the light path (26) for disrupting selective wavelengths of light energy. As alternative approaches, the transparent substrate (20) and / or the lens (18′) can be doped with a color filtering material or composition.

Retroreflective lenticular systems employing a focusing array and a retroreflector array optically coupled to the focusing array. The focusing array is provided on a first surface and the retroreflector array is provided on an opposing second surface. The retroreflector array includes an array of retroreflective elements alternating with separation areas and disposed in energy exchange relationship with respect to the focusing array. The focusing array includes a plurality of focusing lenses configured to illuminate only the retroreflective elements with focused beams at least at some angles and to focus the incident beam only onto the separation areas at other angles. The intermittent illumination of retroreflective elements provides variable retroreflectivity of at least portions of the system and enhances the system visibility and conspicuity in the reflected light.

Acoustic waves exhibit a a streaming force that pushes objects along the direction of sound propagation. Precise motions require well-focused beams. The technique of time-reversal acoustics (TRA) overcomes beam distortions introduced by propagation along irregular paths to focus sound without knowledge of the medium properties. TRA requires a small receiver to be placed at a point of desired focus. The invention disclosed refines TRA by introducing data matching schemes to extend the points of focus beyond the location points of the receivers. With as few as two receivers, a large region can be manipulated with well-focused acoustic beams and with no receiver at a desired point of focus. Applications are described in drug delivery in medicine; environmental fluid contaminant control; and in oil exploration, for retrieving oil stuck in underground pockets.

The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus for IR four-wave mixing polarization microscopy. The imaging apparatus comprises a pump beam source for generating an infrared pump beam; a probe beam source for generating a probe beam (search beam); a polarizer for linearly polarizing the pump beam and probe beam; a beam combiner which synchronizes temporally and overlaps spatially the polarized pump beam and probe beam on the same axis; a scanner for two-dimensionally scanning the combined pump beam and probe beam; an optical focusing system for focusing the scanned pump beam and probe beam on a local point of the sample; a collecting optical system for collecting the beam which is formed by that the focused beams are interacted with the sample and of which phase is anisotropically retarded by nonlinear birefringence of the sample and forming a parallel beam; a dichroic beam splitter for removing the infrared pump beam out of the parallel beam and splitting the probe beam of which phase is anisotropically retarded; a polarizing beam splitter for converting the split and ansotripically phase-retarded probe beam into linerly polarized beams having their axes perpendicular to each other; a photodetector for detecting an intensity of each of the converted linerly polarized beams; a polarization differential detector for detecting a polarization difference based on the detected intensities of the linerly polarized beams; and a data analyzer for acquiring the detected polarization difference signal and extracting a spectrospcopic information corresponding to the strength of molecular vibrational coherence of the sample.