IP Library Granted Patent US 10,948,640
Granted Patent B2
US 10,948,640 · App. 16/103,625 · Granted Mar 16, 2021

Sensor window with a set of layers configured to a particular color and associated with a threshold opacity in a visible spectral range wherein the color is a color-matched to a surface adjacent to the sensor window

Inventors: Georg J. Ockenfuss (Santa Rosa, CA); Scott Rowlands (Santa Rosa, CA); Markus Bilger (Santa Rosa, CA)
Assignee: VIAVI Solutions Inc.
G02B5/281G01J1/0488G01J1/4228
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,948,640
App. No.
16/103,625
Granted
Mar 16, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sensor window may include a substrate and a set of layers disposed onto the substrate. The set of layers may include a first subset of layers of a first refractive index and a second set of layers of a second refractive index different from the first refractive index. The set of layers may be associated with a threshold transmissivity in a sensing spectral range. The set of layers may be configured to a particular color in a visible spectral range and may be associated with a threshold opacity in the visible spectral range.

Claims (55)

1. A sensor window, comprising:

a substrate; and

a set of layers disposed onto the substrate,

wherein the set of layers includes a first subset of layers of a first refractive index and a second set of layers of a second refractive index different from the first refractive index,

wherein the set of layers is associated with a threshold transmissivity in a sensing spectral range,

wherein the set of layers is configured to a particular color in a visible spectral range and is associated with a threshold opacity in the visible spectral range, and

wherein the particular color is color-matched to a surface adjacent to the sensor window.

2. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the set of layers is configured such that a color shift of the particular color is less than 12 ΔE for angles of incidence between approximately 0 degrees and approximately 30 degrees.

3. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the threshold transmissivity is greater than 80% in the sensing spectral range.

4. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the sensing spectral range is from approximately 600 nanometers to approximately 2500 nanometers.

5. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the sensing spectral range is from approximately 800 nanometers to approximately 1600 nanometers.

6. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the threshold opacity is greater than 80% in the visible spectral range.

7. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the set of layers is associated with greater than 80% reflectance for at least a portion of the visible spectral range.

8. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the set of layers includes at least one of:

a germanium layer,

a silicon-germanium layer,

a hydrogenated silicon layer,

a hydrogenated germanium layer,

a hydrogenated silicon-germanium layer

a silicon layer,

a silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) layer,

an aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) layer,

a titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) layer,

a niobium pentoxide (Nb 2 O 5 ) layer,

a tantalum pentoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) layer, or

a magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ) layer.

9. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the first refractive index is greater than approximately 3.5.

10. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the second refractive index is less than approximately 2.0.

11. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the set of layers includes a third subset of layers with a third refractive index that is different from the first refractive index and the second refractive index.

12. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is chemically strengthened glass.

13. The sensor window of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one of:

a hydrophobic layer,

an oleophobic layer,

a protective layer,

an anti-reflectance layer,

a heat generating layer,

an anti-icing layer, or

an out of band blocker layer.

14. The sensor window of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one intermediate layer disposed between a first one or more layers of the set of layers and a second one or more layers of the set of layers.

15. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the particular color is color-matched within 5 ΔE to the surface adjacent to the sensor window.

16. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the set of layers form a plurality of channels to direct a plurality of wavelengths of light.

17. The sensor window of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of channels include at least 64 channels.

18. The sensor window of claim 1 , wherein the sensor window is deposited in an optical path of set of optical sensors.

19. A sensor window, comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of layers disposed onto the substrate,

wherein one or more layers of the plurality of layers are associated with a threshold transmissivity in a sensing spectral range,

wherein the one or more layers are configured to a particular color in a visible spectral range and is associated with a threshold opacity in the visible spectral range, and

wherein the particular color is color-matched to a surface adjacent to the sensor window.

20. The sensor window of claim 19 ,

wherein the sensor window is included in a vehicle,

wherein the surface is a body of the vehicle, and

wherein the particular color is color-matched to within 5 ΔE of a body color of the vehicle.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 73189/0873 Recorded May 28, 2026
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
Reel/Frame 075642/0381 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2025
From: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC; INERTIAL LABS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073571/0137 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 21, 2025
From: INERTIAL LABS, INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.; VIAVI SOLUTIONS LICENSING LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 073189/0873 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2018
From: OCKENFUSS, GEORG J.; ROWLANDS, SCOTT; BILGER, MARKUS
To: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 046645/0941 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62642354 · Mar 13, 2018
Related Publication 20190285784A1 · Sep 19, 2019
Cited By (6)
US 12,196,611 US 12,298,545 US 12,298,546 US 12,345,641 US 12,422,604 US 12,481,028