Patents Examined by John B. Sotomayor
  • Patent number: 9377529
    Abstract: A meteorological radar installed on board an aircraft, including a mechanical support fixed to a bulkhead of a nose of the aircraft, wherein an antenna is mounted on the mechanical support to enable turning mobility around an axis of rotation. The antenna includes a pedestal, on which at least one blade, extending radially along the axis of rotation, is installed. A free side of the blade, along which a plurality of radiating elements is distributed, perceptibly has the shape of a portion of conic in a plane including the axis of rotation. Because the blade is mobile only in rotation along the axis of rotation, and the selection of the emission/reception direction is performed electronically, not mechanically, the space and length requirements of the meteorological radar are fixed, whether the meteorological radar is in operation or not, and are determined based on the eccentricity and parameter of the conic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventor: Patrick Lieven
  • Patent number: 9377527
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for efficiently packing nodes within an electromagnetic state space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Harry Marr, Charles T. Hansen, Brian Pierce
  • Patent number: 9372261
    Abstract: A radar device according to an embodiment includes a transmission unit, a reception unit, and a processing unit. The transmission unit emits a transmission wave relating to a frequency-modulated transmission signal. The reception unit receives a reflected wave acquired by reflecting the transmission wave on an object as a reception signal. The processing unit detects object data corresponding to the object from the reception signal, outputs the object data to the vehicle control device that controls the vehicle, and removes object data satisfying the removal condition that is a condition used for determining whether or not object data is to be removed from an output target for the vehicle control device and includes at least the distance and the relative speed of the object data with respect to the speed of the vehicle as conditions from output targets for the vehicle control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventors: Masatoshi Aoki, Hisateru Asanuma, Yasuhiro Kurono
  • Patent number: 9372262
    Abstract: A device for judging a likelihood of a collision between a vehicle and a target is provided. The device comprises: a target detection sensor and an ECU. The ECU comprises: a CPU; an orientation determining unit configured to enable the CPU to determine the orientation of a target relative to a reference vehicle in which the device for judging a likelihood of a collision is mounted, using information which is detected by the target detection sensor; a change-amount detecting unit configured to enable the CPU to detect an amount of temporal change in the orientation of the target; and a determining unit configured to enable the CPU to determine a likelihood of a collision between the reference vehicle and the target under a condition that the amount of temporal change in the orientation of the target is a predetermined threshold or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryo Takaki
  • Patent number: 9372263
    Abstract: A radar system for discriminating between sources of radar interference and targets of interest. The system includes a transmitter for transmitting radar signals into a region, a receiver for receiving return signals of the radar signals returned from within the region, and a processor for processing the return signals to discriminate between return signals returned from a first object and return signals returned from a second object where the return signals from the second object comprise both zero and non-zero Doppler components and interfere with the return signals from the first object. The radar system is operable for discriminating between the return signals when the return signals are received at a distance from the second object which is less than a proximity limit based on the geometry of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Cambridge Consultants Limited
    Inventors: Gordon Kenneth Andrew Oswald, Craig Duncan Webster, Allan Geoffrey Smithson
  • Patent number: 9360361
    Abstract: There is disclosed herein a method of measuring and profiling a process liquid in a process vessel. The process liquid includes an emulsion layer between two media of differing dielectric constants. An electromagnetic signal is generated and transmitted along a probe, defining a transmission line, extending into the vessel. The transmission line comprises a conductor in contact with the process liquid with an insulating coating on the conductor to maximize signal penetration in the process liquid. A reflected signal is received from the transmission line and a programmed controller is operatively connected to the probe for measuring characteristics of reflected signal energy along the transmission line for profiling the emulsion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Magnetrol International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Flasza, Feng Tang
  • Patent number: 9361352
    Abstract: A method and system is provided that applies attribute- and topology-based change detection to objects that were detected on previous scans of a medium. The attributes capture properties or characteristics of the previously detected objects, such as location, time of detection, detection strength, size, elongation, orientation, etc. The locations define a three-dimensional network topology forming a constellation of previously detected objects. The change detection system stores attributes of the previously detected objects in a constellation database. The change detection system detects changes by comparing the attributes and topological consistency of newly detected objects encountered during a new scan of the medium to previously detected objects in the constellation database. The change detection system may receive the attributes of the newly detected objects as the objects are detected by an object detection system in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventor: David W. Paglieroni
  • Patent number: 9354299
    Abstract: There is provided a radar apparatus. A derivation unit derives target information which is information relating to a target detected on the basis of a transmission signal of which a frequency changes with a predetermined cycle and a reception signal corresponding to a reflected wave coming from an object at which a transmission wave corresponding to the transmission signal is reflected. A determination unit determines reliability of the target information. A decision unit decides whether the detected target is true or false, based on the target information. The decision unit changes a method of deciding whether the target is true or false in accordance with a determination result of the reliability by the determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishimori, Masayuki Kishida, Hisateru Asanuma, Masatoshi Aoki
  • Patent number: 9354307
    Abstract: There are provided an ultra-wideband radar imaging system comprising an antenna with at least one receiver and a plurality of transmitters operating in multi-static mode, method of operating thereof and volume visualization unit to be used in conjunction with the multi-static ultra-wideband radar imaging system. The method comprises: receiving by said at least one receiver a plurality of signals, each respectively representing return data in a channel associated with the receiver and one of the transmitters among said plurality of transmitters, thus giving rise to a plurality of spatial data channels; among said plurality of spatial data channels selecting data channels for further processing; and providing volume visualization by processing data corresponding merely to the selected spatial data channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: CAMERO-TECH LTD.
    Inventors: Amir Beeri, Ron Daisy
  • Patent number: 9354308
    Abstract: A method for monitoring movement of a surface using ground based radar interferometry measurements includes identifying micro climates on the surface and determining boundaries of the micro climates on the surface. One or more first sensors are arranged at a measurement site for measuring first atmospheric conditions at the measurement site. One or more additional sensors are arranged in each of the micro climates for measuring atmospheric conditions in the micro climates. An atmospheric correction is determined for each of the micro climates. The atmospheric correction for each micro climate is based on the first atmospheric conditions at the measurement site and the atmospheric conditions at the micro climate. The ground based radar interferometry measurements are performed across the surface, and the ground based radar interferometry measurements within the boundary of each micro climate are corrected using the atmospheric correction for the micro climate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Curt Conquest
  • Patent number: 9354303
    Abstract: A signal processing device is provided. The device includes an echo signal input unit for receiving echo signals resulted from transmission signals reflected on an object. The transmission signals are transmitted from a transmission source at transmission timings at predetermined time intervals, at least one of the transmission timings shifted from the other timings in time. The device includes a complex reception signal generator for generating complex reception signals, a phase calculator for calculating a phase change amount of the complex reception signals with respect to a reference phase, a phase corrector for phase-correcting the complex reception signals and outputting the corrected signals, and a Doppler processor for performing Doppler processing on the corrected signals and outputting the Doppler-processed signals as Doppler echo signals of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunobu Asada, Akira Okunishi, Koji Dai, Sae Takemoto
  • Patent number: 9348016
    Abstract: There is provided a radar apparatus configured to emit a transmission wave, to receive a reflected wave as a reception signal, and to derive target information including at least position information of a target from peak signals which are extracted by performing FFT processing for a beat signal that is generated from the reception signal. A determination unit is configured to determine whether a specific peak signal exists at a frequency that is distant from a frequency of the peak signal existing at a first frequency by a frequency of one selected peak signal selected from the plurality of peak signals. An exclusion unit is configured to exclude the target information corresponding to the selected peak signal from an output object of the radar apparatus when the specific peak signal exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventor: Hisateru Asanuma
  • Patent number: 9348017
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining a misalignment of a radar sensor of a vehicle ascertains a misalignment angle of the misalignment using a weighted averaging of calculated differences between first and second angles of radar reflectors relative to various axes. Also described is a device for ascertaining this misalignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Siegbert Steinlechner
  • Patent number: 9348014
    Abstract: A radar apparatus for a vehicle includes a radar unit provided at an inner side of a radiator grill for a vehicle, a multi-layer transmission cover which is fitted into the radar unit and on a front surface of which a plurality of transmission layers through which a radar beam radiated through the radar unit transmits are formed, and a mounting portion in which a connection body formed by connecting the multi-layer transmission cover to the radar unit is connected to a vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Seung Mok Lee, Bock Cheol Lee, Phil Jung Jeong, Hyun Gyung Kim, Young Sub Oh, Dong Eun Cha
  • Patent number: 9348015
    Abstract: An integrated rainfall calculation method using X-band dual-polarimetric radar measurement data includes a precipitation classification step of classifying hydrometeors into four types of snow, rain/snow, rain and non-meteorological target through a fuzzy logic technique using a correlation coefficient (cross correlation coefficient, ?hv), features of a measured differential propagation phase (?dp(r)) or differential propagation phase (?dp) and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as input variables (input feature vector); a specific differential phase calculation step of separately calculating a specific differential phase by applying a specific differential phase using a total difference of differential phase and signal-attenuation corrected reflectivity for the rain among the classified hydrometeors and applying a specific differential phase calculated using a filtering method for the other hydrometeors; and a rainfall calculation step of calculating rainfall by using a relation between the specific differential
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Sang Hun Lim
  • Patent number: 9348021
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing adaptive motion compensation to remove translational movement between a sensor and a target using data from the sensor. After whitening, data can be processed to select a target and focus frequency components. Dynamic sliding window processing can be performed on processed time domain data to estimate an instantaneous range rate for the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Aaron C. Wallace
  • Patent number: 9348020
    Abstract: Systems and methods involve generating a baseband signal, up-converting the baseband signal to a radar signal frequency, filtering a lower sideband of the up-converted signal, and transmitting the filtered up-converted signal. Systems and methods also involve receiving a return signal, down-converting the return signal using a signal having a frequency offset from the up-converted signal, filtering the upper sideband of the down-converted return signal, and producing a baseband return signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: VERMEER MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: Alan Wilson-Langman, Kenneth J. Ryerson, Walter Rothe
  • Patent number: 9341708
    Abstract: A radio waves receiving unit receives horizontally polarized waves and vertically polarized waves of radio waves radiated from an object at a radiation angle. An image generation unit generates a horizontally polarized waves image and a vertically polarized waves image based on the horizontally polarized waves and the vertically polarized waves, respectively. A polarization ratio calculation unit calculates, for each radiation angle, a polarization ratio which is a ratio of intensity of the horizontally polarized waves to the vertically polarized waves based on the horizontally polarized waves image and the vertically polarized waves image. A refractive index calculation unit calculates a refractive index of the object based on a change between polarization ratios of two different radiation angles. A road surface condition recognition unit recognizes a condition of a road surface based on the refractive index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsunori Nakamura, Hiroshi Satoh
  • Patent number: 9335409
    Abstract: A bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging system and method include: combining each radar return pulse from airborne radar platforms with a sinusoid; deskewing each reduced radar return pulse; estimating motion parameters based on a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE); performing MLE motion correction to generate motion-corrected radar return pulses; acquiring position and velocity estimates of the airborne radar platforms and scattering locations; defining bistatic range and velocity vectors; defining new bistatic range and velocity vectors in a new set of orthogonal axes; projecting vector distance differences between the radar scattering locations along the new set of orthogonal axes to generate new range and velocity measurements along the new set of orthogonal axes; converting the new range and velocity measurements to map Doppler frequency into cross-range; and forming a bistatic SAR image in range and cross-range based on cross-range extent derived from the Doppler frequency mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Theagenis J. Abatzoglou, Johan E. Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 9335410
    Abstract: A spotlight synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image is generated by directing randomly a beam of transmitted pulses at a set of two or more areas using a steerable array of antennas. Each area is illuminated by an approximately equal number of the transmitted pulses. Then, a reconstruction procedure is applied independently to received signals from each area due to reflecting the transmitted pulses to generate the image corresponding to the set of areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Dehong Liu, Petros Boufounos