Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited

Niles Co., Ltd.

Fumitoshi Kobayashi

Kenichi Nakama

Keiji Tsunetomo

Harunobu Yoshida

Naoko Hikichi

Tatsumi Tokuda

Hideki Imanishi

Masahide Wakisaka

Katsuhide Shimmo

Yukinari Sekiguchi

Katsuhide Shinmou

An optical module is provided in which recesses are formed in a sol-gel layer applied to a surface of a lens array substrate, each of the recesses having a capability to fit an optical fiber therein. The optical module comprises a planar microlens array substrate having a plurality of microlenses formed in one surface thereof; and an alignment recess array including a plurality of alignment recesses which are formed in a material applied to the other surface of the microlens array substrate by means of a mold with the center of each alignment recess being aligned to the center of a corresponding one of the microlens. The optical module may comprise a plurality of optical fibers each end thereof is adhered to the alignment recesses.

Optical module and method for fabricating the same

An optical module is provided in which the angles of the optical fibers to be inclined with respect to the planar microlens array may be regulated at the same time when respective optical axes of the microlenses and respective optical fibers are passively aligned. The optical module of the present invention comprises a planar microlens array having a plurality of microlenses formed in one surface thereof, a planar fitting transparent substrate having a plurality of micro fitting recesses formed in one surface thereof, a planar first guide plate having a plurality of micro guide holes opened therethrough, a planar second guide plate having a plurality of micro guide holes opened therethrough, and a plurality of optical fibers each end thereof having a micro fitting convex portion.

Optical module having stacked guide substrates and method for assembling the same

The present invention provides an object-sensing device capable of estimating the presence of an object attached on a sensing surface, the kind of the object and the state of the object. An image is formed by a lens with light via the sensing surface, and the light is received by a light-receiving element portion in which a plurality of micro-light-receiving elements are arranged. In the object detection mode, totally reflected light from the sensing surface is received by the light-receiving element portion. The components are arranged at an angle that allows total reflection when there is no object, and does not allow the total reflection condition to be satisfied when there is an object. In the light scattering object detection mode, scattered light from the sensing surface is received by the light-receiving element portion. A signal pattern is obtained by joining detection signal levels of the micro-light-receiving elements in accordance with the arrangement of the micro-light-receiving elements. An increase portion or a drop portion of the signal pattern that appears in accordance with the presence of the object or a difference in the state thereof is analyzed, so that the kind and the state of the object such as a rain drop, muddy water, fogging, ice or the like are estimated.

Deposit detector and controller using the detector

A method and an apparatus for aligning the longitudinal direction of grooves of a diffraction grating to a predetermined direction. The method and apparatus detect a diffracted light pattern sent from the diffraction grating, and displace the diffraction grating such that the direction of an arranging direction obtained from the diffracted light pattern is aligned in the predetermined direction.

Method and apparatus for aligning diffraction grating

A deposit detector in which deposit on a detection surface has a surface shape effect, and generation of a flashing phenomenon caused by irregular reflection of the light incident on the deposit from the outside is estimated. In a deposit detection mode, light emitted from a light source () for total reflection and total-reflected from the detection surface is received by a light-receiving element unit (). Each element is disposed at such an angle that the light undergoes total reflection when no deposit is present or the condition of total reflection is not satisfied when deposit is present. Further, in a light-scattering deposit detection mode, light emitted from a scattering light source () and scattered by the detection surface is received by the light-receiving element unit (). In an extraneous light quantity increase detection mode, extraneous light is received by the light-receiving element unit (). Light detection signal generated while changing the mode is analyzed by a deposit estimation unit (), and deposition of rain drops and increase in incident extraneous light quantity are detected to estimate generation of irregular reflection (flashing phenomenon) caused by the shape effect of deposit.

Deposit detector and control device using it

When an end surface of a silica optical fiber and another optical element are to be optically coupled to each other, according to the invention, the optical fiber is treated so that a core of the optical fiber is protruded from a clad of the optical fiber at an end portion of the optical fiber to form a protrusion shaped like a truncated cone or like a cone. On this occasion, the refractive index of the surrounding medium is selected to be in a range of from 1.35 to 1.60. Preferably, the area of the top surface of the truncated cone is not larger than &#x2155; as large as the area of the bottom surface of the truncated cone. Further preferably, the side surface of the core protrusion is inclined at an angle of 30 degrees to 75 degrees, both inclusively, with respect to the central axis of the core.

Optical fiber coupling system

An object sensor is provided, which has a high object detection rate with respect to an object such as a raindrop adhering to a detection surface, and which is capable of detecting the presence/absence of an object with a high sensitivity. A light source, a detection surface, a focusing lens, and a plurality of photodetecting elements of a photodetecting unitform a focusing system of equal magnification that is capable of catching an image in a size smaller than an object to be detected. Light emitted from the light sourceis incident on the detection surfacevia a prismat a predetermined incident angle. Without a raindrop, the total internal reflection condition is satisfied as shown by a pathof a beam, so that the beam is subjected to the total internal reflection. Then, the beam passes through a prism, and is focused on a photodetecting surface of the photodetecting unitby the focusing lens. On the other hand, with a raindrop, the total internal reflection condition is not satisfied as shown by a trailof a beam, so that the beam passes therethrough and is not focused on the photodetecting unit. A difference in signal level is determined on the photodetecting element basis, so that an object covering the detection surfaceis detected.

Adhering substance detector and controller using the same

An optical module according to the invention includes an optical fiber, a planar lens, and a flat plate-like transparent member for optically coupling the optical fiber and the planar lens to each other. The transparent member has a nearly spherical concave portion formed in a surface of the transparent member. An end surface of the optical fiber is inserted into the concave portion of the transparent member so as to abut thereon and bonded and fixed thereinto. Further, a surface of the transparent member opposite to the surface in which the concave portion is formed is joined to a surface of the planar lens to make an optical axis of the optical fiber coincident with an optical axis of the planar lens. The concave portion is filled with a filler material having a refractive index higher than that of the transparent member to thereby fix the optical fiber.

Optical module

An optical module is provided in which any conjugate ratio in an optical axis direction may be easily realized, the time duration for alignment may be shortened by using a passive alignment technique, and a large degree of may be obtained for any optical design. The optical module comprises a planar microlens array, a transparent substrate for adjusting a conjugate ratio of the optical module, and a guide substrate for optical fibers. The planar microlens array consists of a planar transparent substrate, in one surface thereof a plurality of circular microlenses are formed and arrayed. The transparent substrate includes a plurality of micro fitting recesses formed and arrayed in one surface thereof. The guide plate includes a plurality of micro guide holes opened therethrough.

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Osaka, Japan

Fumitoshi Kobayashi