An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror casing and a transflective reflective element. The transflective reflective element has an electrochromic active region, and a plurality of user input elements is disposed outside of the electrochromic active region and below the electrochromic active region. Each of the individual user input elements is a touch or proximity sensor. A plurality of display elements is disposed behind the transflective reflective element at the electrochromic active region, and each display element is selectively activated by activation of a respective user input element. Each of the individual display elements and its associated respective one of the individual user input elements are located local to one another such that a cognitive relationship between actuation by a user of a respective user input element and activation of its associated display element is established.

Interior rearview mirror system

A laser beam machining method and a laser beam machining device capable of cutting a work without producing a fusing and a cracking out of a predetermined cutting line on the surface of the work, wherein a pulse laser beam is radiated on the predetermined cut line on the surface of the work under the conditions causing a multiple photon absorption and with a condensed point aligned to the inside of the work, and a modified area is formed inside the work along the predetermined determined cut line by moving the condensed point along the predetermined cut line, whereby the work can be cut with a rather small force by cracking the work along the predetermined cut line starting from the modified area and, because the pulse laser beam radiated is not almost absorbed onto the surface of the work, the surface is not fused even if the modified area is formed.

Laser processing method and laser processing apparatus

Methods for ultrashort pulse laser processing of optically transparent materials. A method for scribing transparent materials uses ultrashort laser pulses to create multiple scribe features with a single pass of the laser beam across the material, with at least one of the scribe features being formed below the surface of the material. This enables clean breaking of transparent materials at a higher speed than conventional techniques. Slightly modifying the ultrashort pulse laser processing conditions produces sub-surface marks. When properly arranged, these marks are clearly visible with side-illumination and not clearly visible without side-illumination. In addition, a method for welding transparent materials uses ultrashort laser pulses to create a bond through localized heating. The ultrashort pulse duration causes nonlinear absorption of the laser radiation, and the high repetition rate of the laser causes pulse-to-pulse accumulation of heat within the materials. The laser is focused near the interface of the materials, generating a high energy fluence at the region to be welded. This minimizes damage to the rest of the material and enables fine weld lines.

Transparent material processing with an ultrashort pulse laser

A laser processing method which can highly accurately cut objects to be processed having various laminate structures is provided. An object to be processed comprising a substrate and a laminate part disposed on the front face of the substrate is irradiated with laser light L while a light-converging point P is positioned at least within the substrate, so as to form a modified region due to multiphoton absorption at least within the substrate, and cause the modified region to form a starting point region for cutting. When the object is cut along the starting point region for cutting, the object 1 can be cut with a high accuracy.

Laser processing method

A control system and apparatus for use with an ultra-fast laser is provided. In another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus includes a laser, pulse shaper, detection device and control system. A multiphoton intrapulse interference method is used to characterize the spectral phase of laser pulses and to compensate any distortions in an additional aspect of the present invention. In another aspect of the present invention, a system employs multiphoton intrapulse interference phase scan. Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention locates a pulse shaper and/or MIIPS unit between a laser oscillator and an output of a laser amplifier.

Control system and apparatus for use with ultra-fast laser

A method and system for locally processing a predetermined microstructure formed on a substrate without causing undesirable changes in electrical or physical characteristics of the substrate or other structures formed on the substrate are provided. The method includes providing information based on a model of laser pulse interactions with the predetermined microstructure, the substrate and the other structures. At least one characteristic of at least one pulse is determined based on the information. A pulsed laser beam is generated including the at least one pulse. The method further includes irradiating the at least one pulse having the at least one determined characteristic into a spot on the predetermined microstructure. The at least one determined characteristic and other characteristics of the at least one pulse are sufficient to locally process the predetermined microstructure without causing the undesirable changes.

Methods and systems for thermal-based laser processing a multi-material device

A precision, laser-based method and system for high-speed, sequential processing of material of targets within a field are disclosed that control the irradiation distribution pattern of imaged spots. For each spot, a laser beam is incident on a first anamorphic optical device and a second anamorphic optical device so that the beam is controllably modified into an elliptical irradiance pattern. The modified beam is propagated through a scanning optical system with an objective lens to image a controlled elliptical spot on the target. In one embodiment, the relative orientations of the devices along an optical axis are controlled to modify the beam irradiance pattern to obtain an elliptical shape while the absolute orientation of the devices controls the orientation of the elliptical spot.

High-speed, precision, laser-based method and system for processing material of one or more targets within a field

Methods and systems for processing a device, methods and systems for modeling same and the device

Method and apparatus for laser marking by ablation

A method and system for processing at least one microstructure which is part of a multi-material device containing a plurality of microstructures is provided. The at least one microstructure has a designated region for target material removal. The method includes generating a laser beam, modifying the laser beam to obtain a modified laser beam, and sequentially and relatively positioning the modified laser beam into at least one non-round spot having a predetermined non-round energy distribution on the designated region to remove the target material in the designated region. The predetermined non-round energy distribution covers an area of the designated region such that energy is more efficiently coupled into the designated region for the non-round energy distribution than energy coupled into the designated region for a round energy distribution covering the same area.

Donald J. Svetkoff

Papers

Methods and systems for thermal-based laser processing a multi-material device

High-speed, precision, laser-based method and system for processing material of one or more targets within a field

Methods and systems for processing a device, methods and systems for modeling same and the device

Method and apparatus for laser marking by ablation

Method and system for processing one or more microstructures of a multi-material device