Trw Limited

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

John Joseph Berenz

George W McIver

Barry Dunbridge

Gregory A Shreve

Joseph W Niesen

Dean Tran

Charles A Lee

G Conrad Dalman

Ronald A DePace

Thomas J Roth

Luis M Rochin

Neal Joshua Schneier

Kenichi Nakano

Mark Kintis

Jon Kelly Wallace

Alfred Euinam Lee

Farid Khairallah

Pei-Ming Daniel Chow

Paul S Lee

William D Bjorndahl

Jay S Pearlman

Martin M LaCon

Wayne W Lam

Michael V Aust

A free space optical bus system and method are provided for connecting two units of circuitry across a free space gap. A first unit of circuitry includes a multiplexer that combines a plurality of bus signals to obtain an electronic combined signal and a laser that is driven by the electronic combined signal to transmit an optical signal. A second unit of circuitry is separated from the first unit of circuitry by a free space gap. The second unit of circuitry includes a photodetector that receives the optical signal and transforms it into an electronic composite signal and a demultiplexer that divides the composite signal into a plurality of constituent signals.

Free space optical bus

A method for helping to control a vehicle occupant protection device () includes taking an image of the vehicle interior with a digital imager () having an array of pixels (). A contiguous portion of the image less than the entire image is selected. At least one image enhancement technique is applied to the selected image portion. The enhanced image portion is combined with the other portions of the image to make an enhanced image. The enhanced image is analyzed to detect at least one of features and characteristics of the enhanced image. Alternatively, a selected non-contiguous group of the pixels () of the imager () are read out, as representative of the entire image, to estimate the illumination levels across the entire array of pixels. In one aspect, the imager shutter () speed may be controlled to enhance the image.

Enhancement of vehicle interior digital images

An imaging system () for providing vehicle security and convenience features that employs face recognition software to identify and track a person. The system () employs infrared emitters () that emit an infrared signal along a predetermined field-of-view, and an infrared sensor (), such as a CMOS sensor used as a video signal array, that receives reflected infrared illumination from objects in the field-of-view. A processor () including the face recognition software, is employed to detect human faces to identify and track the person. Once a face is detected, it can be compared to a data base to identify the person. Various applications for the imaging system () to provide driver convenience and security include determining driver identification as the driver approaches the vehicle, determining if a potential thief is in the vehicle by face recognition, providing driver seat adjustment, rear and side mirror adjustment and steering wheel adjustment, providing vehicle speed control, automatically starting the vehicle, etc.

Application of human facial features recognition to automobile security and convenience

A vehicle occupant airbag deployment system () that detects, identifies and tracks a person () in the passenger seat () of a vehicle (), and provides a signal for no fire, soft fire or hard fire of the airbag () depending on the location of the person () in a crash event. The airbag deployment system () employs infrared emitters () that emit an infrared signal towards the passenger seat () of the vehicle () and an infrared detector () that receive reflected radiation from objects in the seat (). Processing circuitry (), including face recognition software, is employed to detect human face features to provide the necessary detection and tracking of the person (). In this manner, the system () prevents the airbag () from firing if the seat () is not occupied by a person (), prevents the airbag () from firing if a person () is detected, but is too close to the airbag (), and provides a soft fire if a person () is detected, but is within a soft fire range of the airbag ().

Human presence detection, identification and tracking using a facial feature image sensing system for airbag deployment

A human presence detection system ( ) that employs a frame differencing technique for subtracting out background interference from images generated by the system. The system ( ) includes an infrared source ( ) that generates a beam of infrared radiation, and an infrared detector ( ) that receives infrared radiation reflected from objects in the path of the beam. Face recognition software is employed to determine the presence of a person ( ) from the reflected radiation. The infrared source ( ) is pulsed on and off and the detector ( ) is synchronously shuttered to the pulses so that image frames are generated at different times, where one frame includes reflected radiation and background radiation and another frame includes only background radiation. The frames are subtracted to separate out the background radiation. In one embodiment, the detector ( ) includes a pixel array of photodiodes ( ) and first and second capacitor storage sites ( ) for storing the image frames on a single CMOS chip ( ). The storage sites ( ) are subtracted in a summation device ( ) that is also on the CMOS chip ( ). In an alternate embodiment, the frames are stored and subtracted at an off-chip site.

Optimized human presence detection through elimination of background interference

An imaging system ( ) for providing vehicle safety features that employs face recognition software to identify and track a person. The system ( ) employs infrared emitters ( ) that emit an infrared signal along a predetermined field-of-view, and an infrared sensor ( ), such as a CMOS sensor used as a video signal array, that receives reflected infrared illumination from objects in the field-of-view. A processor ( ) including the face recognition software, is employed to detect human faces to identify and track the person. Once a face is detected, it can be compared to a data base to identify the person. Various applications for the imaging system ( ) for providing vehicle safety features include identifying the driver or passenger for personalizing the vehicle's airbags, providing pre-crash collision avoidance, providing blind spot detection, providing vehicle crash recording, and providing a warning signal if the driver appears drowsy.

Application of human facial features recognition to automobile safety

A system for providing recognition of an approaching object located in a distant no-light environment includes an illumination source for transmitting light to the distant object and an imaging device for detecting the light radiation reflected from the distant object to generate an image of the distant object corresponding thereto. The system also includes an independent digital signal processor for calculating a desired optical magnification of a lens of the imaging device as a function of a distance between the imaging device and the distant object and generates a voltage corresponding thereto. The digital signal processor applies the voltage to the digital zoom circuitry of the imaging device to adjust the magnification of the lens so that the image of the distant object is held in a fixed dimension.

Method and system for improving camera infrared sensitivity using digital zoom

A complementary heterojunction field effect transistor (CHFET) in which the channels for the p-FET device and the n-FET device forming the complementary FET are formed from gallium antimonide (GaSb) or indium antimonide (InSb). An n-type HFET structure is grown, for example, by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) in order to obtain the highest electron or hole mobility. The complementary p-type HFET is formed by p-type doping of a cap layer thereby eliminating the need for two implants for channel doping. In order to reduce the complexity of the process for making the CHFET, a common gold germanium alloy contact is used for both the p and n-type channel devices, thereby eliminating the need for separate ohmic contacts, resulting in a substantial reduction in the number of mask levels and, thus, complexity in fabricating the device.

Gallium antimonide complementary HFET

A method of making a micro-miniature switch device ( ), which has at least one member ( ) movable relative to a substrate ( ) upon which the device is provided, includes providing a layer of sacrificial non-photolithography material upon a stratum connected to the substrate. A template is provided via photolithographing step that uses a photoresist material upon a stratum connected to the substrate. A layer is provided to include at least a portion of the movable member. The photoresist material and the sacrificial non-photolithography material are removed using photoresist developer. Preferably, at least two photolithography process steps utilize a single photolithographic mask. Also preferably, substrate material is removed to create a recess and at least one channel into the substrate, wherein the channel intersects the recess. At least a portion of the movable member is provided at a location within the recess and at least a portion of the movable member is provided at a location within the channel.

Efficient method of making micro-miniature switch device

A micro-miniature switch apparatus (,) includes a substrate (,) having a surface (,) with first and second channels (,) extending from the surface (,) into the substrate (,). The first and second channels (,) are spaced apart from each other, with a channel axis (,) extending longitudinally through the first and second channels (,). A body (,) that is movable relative to the substrate (,) includes two arms (,). Each of the arms (,) extends into one of the first and second channels (,) to support the body (,) for movement relative to the substrate (,) between first and second electrical conditions of the switch apparatus (,).

Micro-miniature switch apparatus

An RF switch formed as a micro electro-mechanical switch (MEMS) which can be configured in an array forming a micro electro-mechanical switch array (MEMSA). The MEMS is formed on a substrate. A pin, pivotally carried by the substrate defines a pivot point. A rigid beam or transmission line is generally centrally disposed on the pin forming a teeter-totter configuration. The use of a rigid beam and the configuration eliminates the torsional and bending forces of the beam which can reduce reliability. The switch is adapted to be monolithically integrated with other monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) for example from HBTs and HEMTs, by separating such MMICs from the switch by way of a suitable polymer layer, such as polyimide, enabling the switch to be monolithically integrated with other circuitry. In order to reduce insertion losses, the beam is formed from all metal, which improves the sensitivity of the switch and also allows the switch to be used in RF switching applications. By forming the beam from all metal, the switch will have lower insertion loss than other switches which use SiO2 or mix metal contacts.

Micro-electro system (MEMS) switch

A switched resonator formed from a series capacitor and a single microstrip transmission line with a plurality of RF switches to connect it to ground along its length. The microstrip transmission line is grounded at one end and the RF switches are used to tune its length. The other end of the microstrip transmission line is connected to the capacitor to form a resonator. The resonant frequency of the resonator is varied by grounding the center conductor through RF switches connected to ground at different points along its length, which effectively varies the electrical length of the transmission line connected to the capacitor thereby forming a switched resonator. The switched resonator is suitable for use with a single VCO to provide relatively wideband tuning of the significantly reduced size due to the use of a single VCO.

MEMS switched resonators for VCO applications

A transistor according to the invention for simultaneously providing at least two current-voltage characteristics includes a base, a collector, and an emitter. At least one of the base, collector, and emitter includes a first layer grown using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The first layer includes a first strip having a first doping characteristic created using focused ion beam processing. A second strip has a second doping characteristic created by focused ion beam processing. A middle section of undoped material is located between the first and second strips. A resonant tunneling junction is grown on the first layer using MBE and includes a plurality of layers.

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San Pedro, CA, United States of America

John Joseph Berenz