Puncture Resistance for High-Performance Tires

Optimizing focus tracking in optical systems used for analyzing samples by selectively steering focus-relevant reflections to a detector while preventing interference from stray reflections. The approach involves using beam-steering optics and filters to direct focus reflections toward a specific region of the detector free of interference. This allows focus tracking to be improved by steering relevant reflections away from the emission light to prevent interference. The technique involves using a filter with a coating that reflects the emission light toward the sensor and transmits irrelevant reflections. Behind the filter, a movable reflective surface steers the relevant reflections relative to the sensor, while an absorbent material prevents the irrelevant reflections.

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Preventing autonomous vehicle malfunctions caused by electromagnetic interference during autonomous driving. The method involves predicting areas with strong electromagnetic fields, warning the driver if the vehicle enters those areas, and restoring vehicle electronics to a previous state after exiting to mitigate errors. The prediction is based on updating navigation maps with external electromagnetic information. This allows anticipating interference areas and alerting the driver when entering to prevent malfunctions. The electronics are restored after leaving to compensate for any errors caused by the interference.

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A distance measuring device that improves accuracy by reducing noise in time-resolved measurements. The device uses tensor calculation to differentiate between true and false distance measurements. It performs tensor calculation on multi-dimensional tensors with time axes for each pixel. This allows checking if a detection signal is true by looking for other light detections within a range of that time. This reduces false detections due to noise by verifying if multiple detections occur within a certain time window.

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A laser source with multiple independently mode-locked channels operating at different wavelengths, all sourced by a common gain medium. The laser source uses V-cavity VECSELs with coupled resonators sharing a gain medium. The V-cavities have angled axes relative to the gain medium layers. This allows separate pulse trains at distinct wavelengths without interfering. The angled axes filter specific spectral subsets from the broad gain. The source tunes wavelengths by reorienting the couplers. It provides coherent multi-channel lasers without active stabilization.

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LIDAR system for autonomous vehicles that improves performance by reducing back reflections and amplifying signals. The LIDAR system has a splitter array to distribute the laser beams to multiple output ports. Optical isolators at the output ports suppress reflected signals. This prevents interference in the amplifier. The amplifier boosts the distributed beams before transmission. This reduces overall power requirements and allows lower power lasers. The splitter array and isolators also enable using higher power lasers without damaging the system. The distributed beams are combined for point cloud generation. This allows higher resolution images with lower power lasers.

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An optical engine for navigation devices like robotic cleaners that can distinguish between different types of surfaces. The engine has multiple light sources that are switched based on the surface type. It also has a barrier to prevent interference between the emitted light and reflected light from the different sources. The barrier protects the components and prevents crosstalk between the light sources.

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High-frequency switch circuit with improved isolation in cutoff state. The circuit has two transmission lines connected to input and output terminals, and a switch between them. When the switch is on, signal flows through the lines. But when the switch is off, it acts as a capacitor and the lines become open stubs, increasing isolation between input and output.

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Reducing distortion in multichannel optical transmission systems by dividing the input signal into bands, phase modulating each band separately, and then synchronously adding the modulated signals back together. This allows using multiple phase modulators without interference or distortion buildup between channels.

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Optical module for vehicles with a camera, light source, and protective lens that prevents multiple reflections from returning to the camera and causing image distortion. An optical deflection element, like a groove or cavity, is added to the protective lens to divert the reflected light away from the camera's optical path. This prevents the light from re-entering the camera lenses and causing secondary reflections. The deflection element can be a groove on the lens surface, prisms inside the lens, a cavity, or a light-absorbing material.

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LiDAR sensor for autonomous systems that can distinguish reflected signals from nearby LiDAR systems to improve accuracy and reliability in crowded environments. The LiDAR uses multiple lasers emitting light pulses at different wavelengths. The wavelengths are chosen to have distinct spectra and intensity levels. The LiDAR captures the reflected pulses and extracts the desired wavelength based on a reference signal. This allows distinguishing the target's reflected pulses from nearby LiDARs' pulses. The LiDAR uses time or wavelength multiplexing to emit pulses from multiple lasers in a cycle. The intensity and order can vary. By encoding the pulses, it makes it easier to separate the target's reflected signal from nearby LiDARs' pulses.

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Synchronizing image captures by a rotating LIDAR device and separate cameras with rolling shutter sensors to minimize parallax artifacts. The LIDAR and cameras are synchronized by adjusting shutter speeds, triggering at aligned positions, or adjusting external clock rates. This allows capturing images from the LIDAR and cameras at specific times while they rotate to match scenes and reduce motion-induced parallax.

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Optical transmission module for low loss and improved signal transmission in optical fiber systems. The module has an integrated substrate with a channel for light transmission. The channel has two inclined reflective surfaces and two refractive portions at each end. The refractive index of each portion is progressively increased or decreased in thickness direction. This provides collimation and guiding of light between the transmitter and receiver without an air gap. The transmitter and receiver are misaligned with the refractive portions and have light guides to connect them. This reduces divergence and interference compared to separate components. The integrated channel and guides improve optical coupling efficiency and signal transmission compared to conventional designs.

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A polarizing optics setup for coherent LIDAR systems that improves range and precision by reducing signal interference. The setup uses components like high extinction ratio linear polarizers, polarization beam splitters, and waveplates in the LIDAR path. This fixed polarization between transmitter and receiver resolves errors from backreflections and improves range measurements from targets that don't fully depolarize light. It also allows using larger viewing angles with liquid crystal waveplates in the enclosure window.

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A stray light stripper for a fiber laser combiner to prevent overheating and damage from stray light entering the combiner glass tube. The stripper is a feature on the combiner glass tube that allows stray light to escape and scatter rather than propagate further. It can be grooves, notches, etches, or a layer with a different refractive index on the tube surface. This prevents stray light from entering the fiber bundle and causing heating and damage, improving combiner and laser system performance.

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Testing lidar sensors using a roller test stand with separate optical paths for the lidar's emitted light and external test light. The lidar emits its own light, which is received by a trigger detector to generate a trigger signal. Separately, a transmitter emits test light in response to the trigger. The lidar receives both the lidar's own emitted light and the separate test light, which are separated optically. This allows testing the lidar's reception and processing capabilities without interference from its own emissions.

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Using the lidar sensor's own light source to clear obscurants like water, ice, frost, and fog from the sensor window. The light source emits pulses that are well absorbed by the obscurant, creating heat that melts, sublimates, or evaporates the obscurant. This reduces the blocking effect on the optical signals and improves the sensor's ability to see through the window and detect targets. The light source can be used to optimize absorption of the obscurant by the light, allowing the sensor to operate effectively in conditions where external wipers or heating might not be as effective due to gaps between windows or vacuum seals.

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Detecting contamination on the windows of a LiDAR sensor in a way that does not affect light transmission for sensing. The technique involves using separate transmitter and receiver modules with optically shielded gaps in between. The transmitter and receiver each have windows for transmitting/receiving the laser signals. Internal reflections from the windows are detected in the standard mode. In the detection mode, the transmitter/receiver windows have specific regions to monitor for contamination. By comparing internal reflections from these regions to normal reflections, contamination can be identified. This allows detecting window contamination without affecting the sensing light path.

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Light emitting module with reduced stray light on the irradiation surface. The module has a lens over the light source, and a cover over the lens. The cover has three regions: an inner region where light from the lens enters, a middle region around the inner region with higher diffusion, and an outer region. This configuration reduces stray light by having the cover's middle region with higher diffusion surrounding the inner region where light from the lens enters, preventing light from escaping sideways.

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Sensor apparatus and method to improve detection accuracy in multisensor applications by mitigating interference between sensors. The method involves collecting the output signals from multiple sensors, statistically combining them, and then filtering out interference frequencies specific to each sensor's drive frequency. This reduces cross-talk and noise from overlapping frequencies.

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Testing lidar sensors using a roller test stand to accurately simulate real-world scenarios. The testing involves separating the lidar's own emitted light from the simulated target light using optical elements. A trigger detector receives the lidar's emitted light and generates a trigger signal. The trigger is used to make the lidar's transmitting device emit second light at a different wavelength. This second light travels a separate optical path containing elements to simulate a diffuse reflection or transmission. The lidar receives both the original emitted light and the simulated target light on separate paths, allowing precise testing and verification of lidar functionality.

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