372 results about "Spatial change" patented technology

Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus and methods for converting spatially homogeneously polarized light into spatially inhomogeneously polarized light having a fast axis orientation that varies in a smooth and continuous manner over a pupil aperture. A space-variant waveplate referred to herein as a polarization converter includes an optically transmissive window characterized by a symmetric stress birefringence that provides at least λ/4 retardance and, more particularly, λ/2 retardance over an annular region centered about the optical axis of the window. Structural embodiments of the polarization converter include a mechanical compression housing and a thermal compression housing. Radially and azimuthally polarized vortex beams including cylindrical vector beams and counter-rotating beams can be generated from uniformly plane polarized input beams propagating through the polarization converter. Low-order polarization vortex beams can be optically combined to produce higher-order scalar vortex beams. Embodiments of the invention are also directed to various optical illumination and imaging systems utilizing the apparatus and methods described herein.

A three-dimensional imaging method and system illuminates an object to be imaged with a light pattern that is formed from two or more light sub-patterns. The sub-patterns can each encompass the visible light spectrum or can be spatially varying intensity sub-patterns that each correspond to a red, green, or blue component. The light pattern is generated by a slotted planar member or an optical filter.

A capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducer with control of elevation phase through alternating bias polarity is disclosed. Such control of elevation phase results in simple ultrasonic probes with excellent slice thickness attributes. Furthermore, tight spatial variation of phase results in an effective way to achieve transmit aperture and apodization control. Further still, such capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducers can achieve elevation focus without the need of a lossy mechanical lens.

A method and apparatus for the manipulation of colloidal particulates and biomolecules at the interface between an insulating electrode such as silicon oxide and an electrolyte solution. Light-controlled elektrokinetic assembly of particles near surfaces relies on the combination of three functional elements, the AC electric field-induced assembly of planar aggregates; the patterning of the electrolyte/silicon oxide/silicon interface to exert spatial control over the assembly process; and the real-time control of the assembly process via external illumination. The present invention provides a set of fundamental operations enabling interactive control over the creation and placement of planar arrays of several types of particles and biomolecules and the manipulation of array shape and size. The present invention enables sample preparation and handling for diagnostic assays and biochemical analysis in an array format, and the functional integration of these operations. In addition, the present invention provides a procedure for the creation of material surfaces with desired properties and for the fabrication of surface-mounted optical components. This invention is also for a method and apparatus to direct the lateral motion and induce the assembly into planar arrays of cells on semiconductor surfaces in response to temporally and spatially varying electric fields and to projected patterns of illumination.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and applications involving the actuation of a semi-insulative working fluid by electromechanical forces based on electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) and liquid dielectrophoresis (liquid DEP) mechanisms that are controlled by the frequency, but not the magnitude, of an AC voltage (i.e., ‘frequency-addressable). In the various apparatus embodiments of the invention, a single, frequency-addressable electrode pair includes at least one electrode that has a spatially-varying dielectric coating thickness and thus a spatially-varying electrode gap wherein at least a portion of which a volume of a working fluid can stably reside under no influence of an applied voltage. In an exemplary aspect, a frequency-addressable, bistable apparatus includes at least one wider gap and one narrower gap associated, respectively, with a thicker and a thinner dielectric coating thickness of the electrode(s). The working fluid resides in only one of the at least two gap regions only under the influence of capillary force. A brief burst of AC voltage at a selected high frequency or low frequency will move the liquid from one gap region to another (and back) by one of an EWOD-based and a DEP-based force. In an alternative aspect, an analog apparatus has a continuous, spatially-varying electrode gap in which the dielectric coating thickness on the electrodes varies smoothly in an inverse manner. Various applications to a display device, fiber optic coupler and attenuator, controlled liquid volume dispensers, spotting arrays, well plate apparatus, and others are presented, along with control methods.

A method and apparatus for the manipulation of colloidal particulates and biomolecules at the interface between an insulating electrode such as silicon oxide and an electrolyte solution. Light-controlled electrokinetic assembly of particles near surfaces relies on the combination of three functional elements: the AC electric field-induced assembly of planar aggregates; the patterning of the electrolyte/silicon oxide/silicon interface to exert spatial control over the assembly process; and the real-time control of the assembly process via external illumination. The present invention provides a set of fundamental operations enabling interactive control over the creation and placement of planar arrays of several types of particles and biomolecules and the manipulation of array shape and size. The present invention enables sample preparation and handling for diagnostic assays and biochemical analysis in an array format, and the functional integration of these operations. In addition, the present invention provides a procedure for the creation of material surfaces with desired properties and for the fabrication of surface-mounted optical components. This invention is also for a method and apparatus to direct the lateral motion and induce the assembly into planar arrays of cells on semiconductor surfaces in response to temporally and spatially varying electric fields and to projected patterns of illumination.

A method and apparatus for reducing speckle in a laser illumination system uses a despeckle device including an optical retarder providing an odd integer multiple of substantially half-wave retardation for light emitted from a coherent laser in the laser illumination system. The near half-wave optical retarder has a substantially constant retardance and a spatially varied slow axis. The spatially varied slow axis imposes a phase mask on the beam of light, which provides sub-resolution optical phase modulation to a resolution spot on the detector. The near half-wave optical retarder is actuated mechanically or electrically to vary the sub-resolution optical phase modulation within an integration time of the detector.

Techniques are described for modeling layered facial reflectance consisting of specular reflectance, single scattering, and shallow and deep subsurface scattering. Parameters of appropriate reflectance models can be estimated for each of these layers, e.g., from just 20 photographs recorded in a few seconds from a single view-point. Spatially-varying specular reflectance and single-scattering parameters can be extracted from polarization-difference images under spherical and point source illumination. Direct-indirect separation can be employed to decompose the remaining multiple scattering observed under cross-polarization into shallow and deep scattering components to model the light transport through multiple layers of skin. Appropriate diffusion models can be matched to the extracted shallow and deep scattering components for different regions on the face. The techniques were validated by comparing renderings of subjects to reference photographs recorded from novel viewpoints and under novel illumination conditions. Related geometry acquisition systems and software products are also described.

A method, processor and computed tomography (CT) machine for generating images utilizing high and low sensitivity data collected from a flat panel detector having an extended dynamic range. Hardware modifications for extending the dynamic range include grouping pixel rows and pixel columns into clusters of two. The sensitivity of the rows/columns is modified by positioning optical masks that have different transparencies for different rows/columns. Software modifications for extending the dynamic range include taking two correlated exposure scan measurements at each angle and combining the two data sets into one scan prior to image reconstruction. This method uses a spatially varying pixel exposure method where several adjacent pixels are clustered and each cluster has a different sensitivity. The signals of these clusters are combined to form one image effectively producing an increased dynamic range. The flat panel imager may be an a-Si:H based flat panel detector for use in X-ray imaging, including cone beam computer tomography (CBCT).

A base station analysis system and method that may employ commercially-available mobile device platforms is disclosed. The base station analysis application enables a service technician to locate nearby base stations in the field, determine which base stations are functioning properly, and retrieve information associated with the base stations. The mobile device displays nearby base stations on a street map relative to the location of the mobile device in an embodiment. The mobile device preferably displays the spatially-varying signal strength for the active base stations to enable the service technician to locate dead spots in the coverage. The mobile device displays a reality augmented view having graphical icons which represent base stations embedded within a street-view image obtained by the mobile device camera in a preferred embodiment. When a service technician selects a base station icon, installation information describing the base station is provided.

A system and methods for building a map non-invasively (i.e. mapping of occluded and non-occluded obstacles) based on a small number of wireless channel measurements. Approaches for building an obstacle map are based on coordinated space, random space and frequency sampling, such that the sparse representation of the map in space, wavelet or spatial variations, are exploited in order to build the map with minimal sensing.

A camera includes a lens and a sensor. A dynamic mask is arranged at an aperture plane between the lens and the sensor, and a static mask is arranged immediately adjacent to the sensor. Angular, temporal or spatial variations in light rays acquired of a scene by the sensor are mapped to individual pixels of the sensor.

An optical diffraction grating includes a substrate and a diffraction surface comprising, for example, diffraction grooves. The diffraction grating has a spatially varying diffraction efficiency which increases or decreases as a function of distance from a reference location at which an incident light beam is received at the grating. Spatially varying the diffraction efficiency of the grating may be accomplished by selectively changing or modifying one or more grating design parameters such as the shape, size, depth, profile, pitch, and optical properties of the diffraction grooves at predetermined locations on the grating.

Methods and systems for compression of digital images (still or motion sequences) are provided wherein predetermined criteria may be used to identify a plurality of areas of interest in the image, and each area of interest is encoded with a corresponding quality level (Q-factor). In particular, the predetermined criteria may be derived from measurements of where a viewing audience is focusing their gaze (area of interest). In addition, the predetermined criteria may be used to create areas of interest in an image in order to focus an observer's attention to that area. Portions of the image outside of the areas of interest are encoded at a lower quality factor and bit rate. The result is higher compression ratios without adversely affecting a viewer's perception of the overall quality of the image.

An imager (200) including a spatially varying optical element (204) which moves while the imager records a sequence of images. The optical element (204) can be an intensity reduction filter, a spectral or polarization filter, or a refractive or reflective element. Because the optical element (204) moves between frames, each scene portion is captured under a range of imaging conditions. A spatially varying intensity reduction filter enables imaging of each scene portion using multiple, different exposure to generate a high dynamic range image. A spatially varying spectral or polarization filter enables measurement of the spectral or polarization characteristics of radiation from each scene portion. A refractive or reflective element enables imaging of scene portions under various focal characteristics, thereby providing depth information and producing an image which is focused everywhere. A refractive or reflective element is used to apply different vertical and/or horizontal shifts to the different frames, thereby generating an enhanced-resolution image.

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments an X-Ray energy target includes composite material that varies spatially in thermal properties, and in some embodiments, the composite material varies spatially in strength properties. In some embodiments, the spatial variance is a continuum and in other embodiments, the spatial variance is a plurality of distinct portions.

The invention relates to an earth face evapotranspiration remote sensing inversion method and system based on MODIS data. The earth face evapotranspiration remote sensing inversion method comprises the following steps that (1), a research area is confirmed, relative MODIS data porducts in the research area are achieved and pretreated; (2), a scatter diagram of space change information is built by the utilization of the pretreated MODIS data products, a remote sensing inversion of pixel sized surface evaporation ratio EF is conducted; (3), according to the relative MODIS data products, remote sensing inversions of pixel sized surface net radiation Rn and soil heat flux G are conducted; (4), according to the surface evaporation ratio EF, the surface net radiation Rn and the soil heat flux G, a remote sensing inversion of pixel sized earth face evapotranspiration LE is conducted. The earth face evapotranspiration remote sensing inversion method only needs to input the MODIS data, the problem that the current evapotranspiration remote sensing inversion usually needs more ground observation data to assist is solved, and the earth face evapotranspiration remote sensing inversion method can be used for the evapotranspiration remote sensing inversion in the area with no data or with few data.

A multifunctional dielectric gradient metasurface optical device has a layer of nanoscale dielectric gradient metasurface optical antenna elements deposited on a substrate layer, arranged with spatially varying orientations, shapes, or sizes in the plane of the device such that the optical device has a spatially varying optical phase response capable of optical wavefront shaping. The spatially varying optical phase response is a spatial interleaving of multiple distinct phase profiles corresponding to multiple optical sub-elements, thereby providing multifunctional wavefront shaping in the single optical element.

A system and method of dynamically localizing a measurement of parameter characterizing tissue sample with waves produced by spectrometric system at multiple wavelengths and detected at a fixed location of the detector of the system. The parameter is calculated based on impulse response of the sample, reference data representing characteristics of material components of the sample, and path lengths through the sample corresponding to different wavelengths. Dynamic localization is effectuated by considering different portions of a curve representing the determined parameter, and provides for the formation of a spatial map of distribution of the parameter across the sample. Additional measurement of impulse response at multiple detectors facilitates determination of change of the measured parameter across the sample as a function of time.

The temperature distribution associated with a design of an integrated circuit is calculated by convoluting a surface power usage represented by a power matrix with a heat spreading function. The heat spreading function may be calculated from a simulation of a point source on the integrated circuit using a finite element analysis model of the integrated circuit or other techniques. To account for spatial variations on the chip, the heat spreading function may be made dependent on position using a position scaling function. Steady-state or transient temperature distributions may be computed by using a steady-state or transient heat spreading function. A single heat spreading function may be convolved with various alternative power maps to efficiently calculate temperature distributions for different designs. In an inverse problem, one can calculate the power map from an empirically measured temperature distribution and a heat spreading function using various de-convolution techniques. While the forward problem is analogous to image blurring, the inverse problem is analogous to image restoration.

An optical wavelength routing device utilizes a free space optical beam propagating therethrough is provided. The device includes at least one optical fiber input, at least one optical fiber output, an optical element having an actuator with at least one tilt axis and a diffraction element having a surface thereon. The device also includes an optical beam-splitting element having spatially varying optical properties. An optical beam transfer arrangement is positioned between the optical element and the diffraction element such that tilt actuation of the optical element elicits a proportional change in an angle of incidence of the optical beam onto the diffraction element, wherein the center of rotation for the angular change is the surface of the diffraction element. Optical routing between the fiber input and the fiber output can be configured by the positioning of the optical element.