Systems and methods for maintaining autonomous vehicle operator awareness are provided. A method can include determining, by a computing system, an awareness challenge for an operator of a vehicle. The awareness challenge can be based on object data. The awareness challenge can have one or more criteria. The criteria can include a challenge response interval, a response time, and an action for satisfying the awareness challenge. The method can include initiating, by the computing system, a timer measuring elapsed time from a start time of the challenge response interval. The method can include communicating to the operator, by the computing system, a soft notification indicative of the awareness challenge during the challenge response interval. The method can include determining, by the computing system, whether the operator provides a user input after the response time interval and whether the user input corresponds to the action for satisfying the awareness challenge.

A package for moving a platform in six degrees of freedom, is provided. The platform may include an optoelectronic device mounted thereon. The package includes an in-plane actuator which may be a MEMS actuator and an out-of-plane actuator which may be formed of a piezoelectric element. The in-plane MEMS actuator may be mounted on the out-of-plane actuator mounted on a recess in a PCB. The in-plane MEMS actuator includes a plurality comb structures in which fingers of opposed combs overlap one another, i.e. extend past each other's ends. The out-of-plane actuator includes a central portion and a plurality of surrounding stages that are connected to the central portion. The in-plane MEMS actuator is coupled to the out-of-plane Z actuator to provide three degrees of freedom to the payload which may be an optoelectronic device included in the package.

In an optical device, an elastic support unit includes a pair of levers which face in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction, a pair of first torsion support portions which are connected between the levers and the base, a pair of second torsion support portions which are connected between the pair of levers and the movable unit, and a first link member that bridges the levers. The levers and the first link member define a light passage opening. Each of connection positions between the levers and the first torsion support portions is located on a side opposite to the movable unit with respect to the center of the light passage opening in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. A maximum width of the light passage opening in the second direction is defined by a gap between the levers in the second direction.

The present disclosure relates to a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) package featuring a flat plate having a raised edge around its perimeter serving as an anti-stiction device, and an associated method of formation. A CMOS IC is provided having a dielectric structure surrounding a plurality of conductive interconnect layers disposed over a CMOS substrate. A MEMS IC is bonded to the dielectric structure such that it forms a cavity with a lowered central portion the dielectric structure, and the MEMS IC includes a movable mass that is arranged within the cavity. The CMOS IC includes an anti-stiction plate disposed under the movable mass. The anti-stiction plate is made of a conductive material and has a raised edge surrounding at least a part of a perimeter of a substantially planar upper surface.

A method of manufacturing a micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) assembly includes mounting a micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) actuator to a metal plate. An image sensor assembly is mounted to the micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) actuator. The image sensor assembly is electrically coupled to the micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) actuator, thus forming a micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) subassembly.

In an optical device, a base and a movable unit are constituted by a semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor layer, an insulating layer, and a second semiconductor layer in this order from one side in a predetermined direction. The base is constituted by the first semiconductor layer, the insulating layer, and the second semiconductor layer. The movable unit includes an arrangement portion that is constituted by the second semiconductor layer. The optical function unit is disposed on a surface of the arrangement portion on the one side. The first semiconductor layer that constitutes the base is thicker than the second semiconductor layer that constitutes the base. A surface of the base on the one side is located more to the one side than the optical function unit.

A mirror unit 2 includes a mirror device 20 including a base 21 and a movable mirror 22, an optical function member 13, and a fixed mirror 16 that is disposed on a side opposite to the mirror device 20 with respect to the optical function member 13. The optical function member 13 is provided with a light transmitting portion 14 that constitutes a part of an optical path between the beam splitter unit 3 and the fixed mirror 16. The light transmitting portion 14 is a portion that corrects an optical path difference that occurs between an optical path between the beam splitter unit 3 and the movable mirror 22 and the optical path between the beam splitter unit 3 and the fixed mirror 16. The second surface 21b of the base 21 and the third surface 13a of the optical function member 13 are joined to each other.

An optical module 1A includes a mirror unit 2 including a movable mirror 22 and a fixed mirror 16, a beam splitter unit 3, a light incident unit 4, a first light detector 6, a second light source 7, a second light detector 8, a holding unit 130, a first mirror 51, a second mirror 52, and a third mirror 53. The holding unit 130 holds the first light detector 6, the second light detector 8, and the second light source 7 so as to face that same side, and to be aligned in this order. A length of an optical path between the unit 3 and the detector 6 is shorter than a length of an optical path between the unit 3 and the detector 8, and a length of an optical path between the unit 3 and the source 7.

An optical module 1 includes: a mirror unit 2 including a base 21, a movable mirror 22, and a fixed mirror 16; a beam splitter unit 3 that is disposed on one side of the mirror unit 2 in a Z-axis direction; a light incident unit 4 that causes measurement light L0 to be incident to the beam splitter unit 3; a first light detector 6 that is disposed on the one side of the beam splitter unit 3 in the Z-axis direction, and detects interference light L1 of measurement light which is emitted from the beam splitter unit 3; a support 9 to which the mirror unit 2 is attached; a first support structure 11 that supports the beam splitter unit 3; and a second support structure 12 that is attached to the support 9 and supports the first light detector 6.

The present disclosure relates to a microphone. In some embodiments, the microphone may comprise a substrate, a diaphragm, a backplate, and a sidewall stopper. The substrate has an opening disposed through the substrate. The diaphragm is disposed over the substrate and facing the opening of the substrate. The diaphragm has a venting hole overlying the opening of the substrate. A backplate is disposed over and spaced apart from the diaphragm. A sidewall stopper is disposed along a sidewall of the venting hole of the diaphragm and thus is not limited by a distance between the movable part and the stable part. Also, the sidewall stopper does not alternate the shape of movable part, and thus will less likely introduce crack to the movable part. In some embodiments, the sidewall stopper may be formed like a sidewall stopper by a self-alignment process, such that no extra mask is needed.