Patents Examined by Frank J McGue
  • Patent number: 11105913
    Abstract: A RADAR control apparatus includes a range identifier configured to identify a scan range that is a radial distance from the range identifier, and a control unit configured to receive the scan range and cause a RADAR pulse generation unit to emit a RADAR pulse train that is a pattern of RADAR pulse waves including: a type of RADAR pulse wave; a number of each type of RADAR pulse wave; a RADAR pulse wave duration or RADAR pulse wave width; a RADAR pulse wave amplitude; a temporal spacing between each RADAR pulse wave; a sequential order for the type and the number of RADAR pulse waves; and/or at least one sector of space surrounding the RADAR pulse generation unit through which the RADAR pulse waves will propagate. The control unit is configured to continuously adapt the pattern of RADAR pulses in accordance with the received scan range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: WÄRTSILÄ SAM ELECTRONICS GMBH
    Inventor: Kai Hanisch
  • Patent number: 11099273
    Abstract: Systems and methods for enhanced blazed array and/or phased array sonar systems are described herein. In one aspect, a sonar system includes a blazed sonar array and/or phased sonar array having: at least one transducer connected to a housing of a vehicle; a transmitter, in electrical communication with the at least one transducer, causing the transducer to emit at least one sonar signal, the sonar signal having a Doppler sharpening pulse length and the vehicle having a Doppler sharpening velocity; a receiver, in electrical communication with the at least one transducer, for receiving signals from at least one transducer, the received signals corresponding to acoustic signals captured by the at least one transducer; and a processor, in electrical communication with the transmitter and receiver, arranged to control the Doppler sharpening pulse length and generate a 3D image based on the received signals, Doppler sharpening pulse length, and Doppler sharpening velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: HADAL, INC.
    Inventor: Richard J. Rikoski
  • Patent number: 11099256
    Abstract: A device for processing radar signals is suggested, the device comprising: (i) a memory, which is arranged to store radar data and (ii) an accessor comprising a DMA engine, wherein the accessor is arranged to access data of the memory via the DMA engine, to filter the accessed data, and to forward the filtered data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andre Roger, Christian Schmid, Romain Ygnace
  • Patent number: 11092667
    Abstract: An apparatus for calibration of vehicle sensors comprising a target structure and an alignment structure. The target structure comprises a portable arrangement, including a number of folding legs configurable into at least a first position. The target structure is further operable to be reconfigured to accommodate a variety of vehicles having different sensor placements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignees: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jeremy Harmer, Dan Newkirk, Robert Meitzler
  • Patent number: 11086011
    Abstract: A target detection device mounted in a vehicle includes: a radar specification unit; a same target determination unit; and an image specification unit that specifies, as image target position information, an image detection region of an image detection target detected on the basis of a captured image, the image detection region representing the position of the image detection target relative to the base point on an XY-plane with the X-axis representing the vehicle width direction of the vehicle and the Y-axis representing the vehicle length direction of the vehicle. The image specification unit sets the Y-axis range of the image detection region in the Y-axis direction on the basis of the bearing from the base point to each of the two X-directional ends of the image detection target in the captured image and of an expected width minimum value and an expected width maximum value in the X-axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Sakai, Yohei Masui, Ryoma Niihara, Takashi Maeda, Takeshi Nanami, Minoru Nakadori
  • Patent number: 11088465
    Abstract: A unit cell of for a phased array antenna includes a base plate, a first dielectric layer projecting from the base plate, and a first conductive layer disposed on a side of the first dielectric layer, the first conductive layer includes a ground pillar, a first ground member spaced apart from a first edge of the ground pillar, and a first signal member disposed between the ground pillar and the first ground member, wherein: the first signal member is electrically insulated from the ground pillar and the first ground member, and an edge of the first signal member is configured to capacitively couple to the first edge of the ground pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignees: The MITRE Corporation, The Government of the United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Wajih Elsallal, Jamie Hood, Al Locker, Rick W. Kindt
  • Patent number: 11067427
    Abstract: An antenna apparatus that comprises processing circuitry that transmits a transmission signal by at least one transmitter and that receives at least two reception signals by at least one receiver. The antenna apparatus is used for topology measurement and can switch to outright fill level measurement if there is a deviation from a threshold for a quality measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: VEGA GRIESHABER KG
    Inventor: Roland Welle
  • Patent number: 11069984
    Abstract: A radiating element for a phased array antenna includes a first dielectric layer, a first conductive layer disposed on a first side of the first dielectric layer, the first conductive layer including a first member comprising a first stem and a first impedance matching portion, wherein the first impedance matching portion comprises at least one projecting portion projecting from a first edge of the first impedance matching portion, and a second member spaced apart from the first member, the second member including a second impedance matching portion, wherein the second impedance matching portion comprises at least one other projecting portion projecting toward the first edge of the first impedance matching portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: The MITRE Corporation, The Government of the United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Wajih Elsallal, Jamie Hood, Al Locker, Rick W. Kindt
  • Patent number: 11061106
    Abstract: Disclosed is method of computing a round trip delay between a pair of nodes, the method comprising transmitting at least one beacon at a known transmit time from each of the nodes; measuring the times-of-arrival of the beacons at other of the nodes; and estimating a round trip delay between the nodes from the measured times-of-arrival and the transmit times; and correcting the round trip delay for either or both of a frequency offset between the nodes and relative motion between the nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: Mark Hedley, David Eric Humphrey
  • Patent number: 11061131
    Abstract: A mode S Interrogation Side Lobe Suppression System (ISLS) for an electronically scanned interrogator is described. One aspect introduces the 90° phase offset between the main and control beams thereby enabling the full power capability of the TRU to be effectively utilized and the effective beamwidth in Mode S to be sharply defined. The system allows the transmission of the simultaneous ISLS pulse of a Mode S all-call interrogation to be transmitted using the same array as is used by the main beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: LEONARDO MW LTD.
    Inventor: Euan Thomas
  • Patent number: 11047986
    Abstract: An LED taillight with an integrated GPS tracking system is disclosed therein. The GPS tracking system is hidden behind the LED portion of the LED taillight so that the GPS tracking system is not noticeable by someone inspecting a trailer on which the LED taillight is installed. Additionally, power sent to the LED taillight to power the LEDs also recharge a battery associated with the GPS tracking system and power the GPS tracking system during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: ANYTREK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Haijian Zeng
  • Patent number: 11047970
    Abstract: A multi-mode radar system, radar signal processing methods and configuration methods, including using predetermined, range/mode-specific pushing windows to perform windowing on range and velocity object data before performing an FFT on the windowed object data matrix to generate a three-dimensional object matrix including range, velocity and angle data. The individual windows have an angular spectral response that corresponds to a combined angular coverage field of view of the transmit and receive antennas for the corresponding mode to minimize the total weighted energy outside the main lobe and to provide increasing spectral leakage outside the combined angular coverage field of view with angular offset from the main lobe to push out much of the spectral leakage into regions where leakage tolerance is high due to the corresponding combined angular coverage field of view of the transmit and receive antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sachin Bharadwaj, Sriram Murali
  • Patent number: 11035946
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems through which a wireless access point (AP) can determine the location of a client device with a high degree of accuracy. The AP uses CIR measurements for a plurality of directional beams used to communicate with the client device to determine a respective amplitude of a Line-of-Sight (LOS) path between the AP and the client device for each beam. The AP identifies a high-LOS-amplitude subset of the beams and, based on predefined radiation patterns associated with the beams included in the high-LOS-amplitude subset, determines a direction of the LOS path between the AP and the client device. The AP also determines a Time-of-Flight (ToF) for radio frames exchanged between the AP and the client device via the plurality of directional beams and uses the ToF to determine a distance between the AP and the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Ioannis Pefkianakis, Kyu-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 11035931
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a computer-implemented method for generating a display of radar returns. A geometry data structure is accessed that identifies characteristics of a region of interest including dimensions and movement of one or more objects in the region of interest. A pulse of a plurality of rays is transmitted from an antenna position into the region of interest and the velocities of returns of the rays are captured at a receiver position after the rays have interacted with the one or more objects. Each ray return is assigned into one of a plurality of bins based on the velocity of that ray. A Fourier transform is performed using the binned data to obtain a system response at discrete time intervals. The system response at the discrete time intervals is transformed into Doppler velocity data, and the Doppler velocity data is stored and displayed on a graphical user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Ansys, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Kipp
  • Patent number: 11029387
    Abstract: A radar system with frequency conversion includes a signal generator configured to generate an input signal at a first frequency. A transmitting interposer is configured to receive the input signal from the signal generator. The transmitting interposer includes a transmitting front-end module configured to upconvert the input signal at the first frequency to an outgoing radar signal at a second frequency greater than the first frequency, and a transmitting antenna module having a plurality of transmitting patches configured to radiate the outgoing radar signal. A receiving interposer is configured to transmit an output signal to the signal generator. The receiving interposer includes a receiving antenna module having a plurality of receiving patches configured to capture an incoming radar signal at the second frequency, and a receiving front-end module configured to downconvert the incoming radar signal at the second frequency to the output signal at the first frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Florian G. Herrault, Hasan Sharifi, Robert G. Nagele, Igal Bilik
  • Patent number: 11022674
    Abstract: If a vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus is equipped with four radars disposed at each of the four corners of the body of a vehicle in order to detect an object around the vehicle, the interfere of the radio waves of the radars likely to occur. As a result, the accuracy for detecting an object by the radars will deteriorate. Specifically, if two of detection areas are adjacent to each other of the radars overlaps with each other and the two of the radars transmits radio waves at the same time, the interfere of the radio waves will occur in the overlapping area. In view of this, the four radars are divided into two groups such that the detection areas of two radars within the group aren't adjacent to each other and transmission period of one of the groups and that of the other of the groups are repeated alternately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Koji Takeuchi, Takuya Kaminade, Yoji Honma
  • Patent number: 11016168
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by a computing system of a vehicle, providing one or more instructions configured to cause a first radar antenna to broadcast a modulated radar chirp signal. The modulated radar chirp signal may include data. The method includes receiving a first return signal that corresponds to the modulated radar chirp signal reflected off of an object in an environment. The method includes calculating a location for the object using the first return signal. The method includes receiving, from a second radar antenna, a second return signal indicating that the modulated radar chirp signal was received by the second radar antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Lyft, Inc.
    Inventors: Farzad Cyrus Foroughi Abari, Romain Clément, Helen Ruth Lurie
  • Patent number: 11018757
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 11009469
    Abstract: An automated high-speed method for inspecting metal around fasteners and a computer-controlled apparatus for performing that inspection method. The apparatus comprises a multi-motion inspection head mounted on a scanning bridge, a robotic arm, or a robotic crawler vehicle. The multi-motion inspection head comprises a millimeter waveguide probe and a motorized multi-stage probe placement head that is operable for displacing the waveguide probe along X, Y and Z axes to achieve multiple sequenced motions. The waveguide probe is attached to a mandrel that is rotatably coupled to an X-axis (or Y-axis) stage for rotation about the Z axis. Smart servo or stepper motors with feedback control are used to move the waveguide probe into place and then scan across or around a fastener head to inspect for cracks that may be under paint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Gary E. Georgeson, Steven K. Brady, Donald D. Palmer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11002849
    Abstract: A driving lane detection device of the present disclosure includes: an object detector, a vehicle detector, and a driving lane detector. The object detector generates object data relating to a distance and direction from the vehicle to an object and a movement direction of the object based on one or more reflection waves that are a radar signal transmitted by a radar device and reflected by the one or more object. The vehicle detector detects each object as at least one of a parallel-running vehicle running in a same direction as the vehicle or an oncoming vehicle running in an opposite direction to the vehicle, based on the object data. The driving lane detector detects a driving lane based on the distance and direction from the vehicle to at least one of the detected parallel-running and the detected oncoming vehicles and lane information on at least one of lane widths and a number of lanes of a road on which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohito Mukai, Tomohiro Yui, Yoshinao Kawai