116 results about "Eye safety" patented technology

A method and apparatus for wireless power beaming consisting of a transmitter assembly (20), free space (40), and an optical-to-electric assembly (50). The transmitter assembly (20) has eye-safe lasers (26) that create a beam of light (90). The beam of light goes through free space (40) and impinges upon the surface of optical-to-electric assembly (50). Optical-to-electric assembly (50) has power conversion photodiode(s) (54) to convert the energy in the light (90) into electricity. Power Accounting (14) accounts for the power in the beam and controls the lasers to turn them off whenever radiation is not accounted for in the system.

A hybrid cable comprising an optical fiber, an intermediate layer surrounding the optical fiber, and an electrically insulating jacket surrounding the intermediate layer. The intermediate layers include a collection of metallic strands. The hybrid cable may be used to establish simultaneous electrical and fiber-optic connection between two communication devices. Thus, the two communication devices may simultaneously transfer optical signals through the optical fiber and perform any of various electrical functions (power transfer, eye safety control) through the metallic strands. For example, an optical transceiver may couple to an optical antenna unit through the hybrid cable. Such an optical transceiver may serve as part of a point-to-point link, a point-to-multipoint link, and / or, a link between a primary transceiver unit and an optical router.

The present invention is directed to systems and methods that provide enhanced eye safety for image projection systems. In particular, the instant invention provides enhanced eye safety for long throw laser projection systems.

An active cable that is configured to communicate over much of its length using one or more optical fibers, and that includes an integrated electrical connector at at least one end. The active cable includes an integrated eye safety controls to thereby reduce the chance of injury should the active cable be severed, or otherwise unplugged at an optical end, if any. The cable may be an electrical to optical cable, and electrical to electrical cable, or one of many other potential configurations.

A single-chip integrated circuit, sometimes called a controller, controls operation of a transceiver having a laser transmitter and a photodiode receiver. The controller includes memory for storing information related to the transceiver, and analog to digital conversion circuitry for receiving a plurality of analog signals from the laser transmitter and photodiode receiver, converting the received analog signals into digital values, and storing the digital values in predefined locations within the memory. Comparison logic compares one or more of these digital values with predetermined setpoints, generates flag values based on the comparisons, and stores the flag values in predefined locations within the memory. Control circuitry in the controller shuts off the laser transmitter in response to comparisons of signals with predetermined setpoints that indicate potential eye safety hazards.

A method for developing a map of objects in a region surrounding a location is disclosed. The method includes interrogating the region along a detection axis with a series of optical pulses and detecting reflections of the optical pulses that originate at objects located along the detection axis. A multi-dimensional map of the region is developed by scanning the detection axis about the location in at least one dimension. The reflections are detected via a single-photon detector that is armed using a sub-gating scheme such that the single-photon detector selectively detects photons of reflections that originate only within each of a plurality of zones that collectively define the detection field. In some embodiments, the optical pulses have a wavelength within the range of 1350 nm to 1390 nm, which is a spectral range having a relatively high eye-safety threshold and a relatively low solar background.

The invention relates to a laser-based light source comprising a laser device (1) adapted for generating laser light of a predetermined laser wavelength and emitting this laser light as a laser beam; a light-conversion device (2) for converting at least part of the laser light into converted light; a laser-output sensor (7) for determining a laser-output signal proportional to the output of laser light emitted by the laser device (1); a converted-light sensor (6) for determining a converted-light signal proportional to the output of converted light emitted by the light-conversion device (7); and a controller (9) which is adapted for receiving the laser-output signal and the converted-light signal, for determining a safe-to-operate parameter, based on the laser-output signal and the converted-light signal, and for controlling the operation of the laser-based light source, based on a comparison of the safe-to-operate parameter with a at least one predefined threshold. In this way, a laser-based light source is proposed which enables reliable eye-safety in an easy way.

A dermatologic hair-regrowth-inhibiting apparatus is disclosed which is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing is configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure. A light source and electrical circuit are contained within the housing. The circuit includes one or more batteries for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path within the housing includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for at least temporary hair-regrowth inhibition. A diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving bodily safety during exposure to an intense pulsed light source by diverging the light, such as with a diffuser. At a first position of the distal end of the light source the energy density of exit light from the distal end is substantially equal to the energy density of the light required for desired applications, such as effecting an aesthetic improvement without appearance of purpura or scarring, and at a second position of the distal end the radiance of the light emitted therefrom is significantly less than the radiance of the intense pulsed light. Eye safety is further enhanced by attaching at least one element of adjustable opacity to the handpiece of the light source, so that subcutaneously backscattered light may be absorbed by the at least one element.

The invention discloses a large dynamic wind field detection laser radar based on an all-fiber scanning F-P interferometer. The large dynamic wind field detection laser radar is characterized in that optical pulse emitted from a laser pulse generating unit points to detection atmosphere through a transmitting telescope; background noise of an echo signal is filtered by a background noise filtering unit; a reference signal and an atmospheric aerosol spectrum are scanned by a spectrum scanning unit; signal detection is realized by a single-photon detector; data acquisition and atmospheric wind velocity inversion are completed by a data acquisition unit and a processing unit. According to the large dynamic wind field detection laser radar, a back scattering spectrum of aerosol is scanned through a transmission spectrum and a reflective spectrum of the optical fiber F-P interferometer, and energy waste is avoided and influence of laser energy jitter on measurement is eliminated; weak atmospheric signals are detected by the single-photon detector; Doppler frequency shift symbols are discriminated by scanning a reference laser spectrum and the atmospheric aerosol spectrum simultaneously. The laser radar has the advantages of eye safety, large dynamic range of wind velocity measurement, long detection range and the like.

An electro-optical transceiver module having at least one parallel optical transmit lane and at least one parallel optical receiver lane, the module comprising optical receiver lane signal detection circuitry to detect a loss of signal on one or more of the receive lanes, and optical transmit lane control circuitry to control a optical transmit lane corresponding to the receive lane, on which a loss of signal was detected to transmit a signaling mode optical signal indicating the loss of signal on the receive lane. In a multiple lane parallel optic embodiment, and by signaling a loss of a signal on a per lane basis, a break or fault in a sub-set of fibers of a parallel optical link will not result in the entire parallel optic link being lost.