Patents Examined by Mark Hellner
  • Patent number: 11662437
    Abstract: A frequency modulated continuous wave LiDAR system is disclosed that may be scalable and integrated in compact and demanding environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: AQRONOS, INC.
    Inventors: Marin Iliev, Brenden Villars
  • Patent number: 11658452
    Abstract: Optical line amplifiers with on-board controllers and supervisory devices for controlling optical line amplifiers are provided for controlling bootstrap or power-up procedures when optical line amplifiers are initially installed in an optical communication network. The controllers may include non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store computer logic having instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processing devices to block an input to one or more gain units of the line amplifier and cause the line amplifier to operate in an Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) mode. In response to a detection of a valid power level of the line amplifier, the instructions can further cause the one or more processing devices to switch the line amplifier from the ASE mode to a regular mode and unblock the input to the one or more gain units of the line amplifier to allow operation of the line amplifier in the regular operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Choudhury A. Al Sayeed, Bing Liu, Damian Flannery, Jean-Luc Archambault
  • Patent number: 11652330
    Abstract: An optical amplifier device employing a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) that reduces the amount of residual pump power in the optical output of the amplifier is disclosed. The MZI amplifier employs two geometrically linear optical amplifier arms or two multi-spatial-mode racetrack optical amplifiers to amplify a signal with a pumping beam, with the signal output port having extremely low levels of residual pump power. The MZI optical amplifier is a silicon photonic integrated circuit, with all optical amplifiers, couplers, phase shifters, and optical attenuators formed of silicon photonic integrated circuit elements. The MZI optical amplifier may include one, two, or three MZI stages, and multiple MZI optical amplifiers may be used in parallel or sequentially to achieve higher overall signal gain or power. The MZI optical amplifier may employ Brillouin-scattering-based amplifiers, Raman-based integrated waveguide optical amplifiers, or Erbium-doped integrated waveguide optical amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignees: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Yale University
    Inventors: Anthony L. Lentine, Michael Gehl, Peter Rakich, Shai Gertler, Nils Otterstrom
  • Patent number: 11650322
    Abstract: A method for detecting incident laser radiation on a spacecraft, whereby incident radiation is detected separately in several discrete spectral ranges, the radiation recorded in the spectral ranges is converted into further processable electrical signals, and the signals are evaluated together. A device for detecting incident laser radiation on a spacecraft is configured to perform such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Jena-Optronik GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Schmidt, Thorben Haarlammert, Frank Kröber
  • Patent number: 11650318
    Abstract: A system comprises an optical heterodyne device, the optical heterodyne device configured to generate an overlap signal based upon: 1) a first optical signal output by a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) laser, wherein the first optical signal comprises an optical frequency chirp that is based upon an input voltage signal received by the FMCW laser; and 2) a second optical signal output by a reference laser. The system also includes a photodetector that is optically coupled to the optical heterodyne device, the photodetector configured to output an electrical beat signal based upon the mixing of the optical signals, wherein the electrical beat signal is representative of the mixed down optical signal. The system further includes a frequency analyzer system that generates, based upon the electrical beat signal, data that is indicative of linearity of the optical frequency chirp in the first optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: GM CRUISE HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: Ayan Chakrabarty, Vladimir Ilchenko, Kamel Benboudjema, Richard Kalantar Ohanian, Patrick Nercessian
  • Patent number: 11644576
    Abstract: A lidar system for detection of a gas comprises an optical transceiver for transmitting and receiving optical radiation. A method of operating the system comprises performing spatially scanned sensing measurements of the gas across a system field of view, and analyzing the sensing measurements to determine the presence and location of excess of the gas in the system field of view. Based on the determined location, an adjusted system field of view is determined and spatially scanned sensing measurements of the gas are performed across the adjusted system field of view to obtain sensing measurements at higher spatial resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: QLM Technology Limited
    Inventors: Xiao Ai, James Titchener, Alexander Dunning
  • Patent number: 11644543
    Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein refer to using LiDAR systems that uses a rotating polygon with a multi-facet mirror. Such multi-facet galvanometer mirror arrangements generate a point map that has reduced curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Innovusion, Inc.
    Inventors: Micah Ledbetter, Junwei Bao, Rui Zhang, Yimin Li
  • Patent number: 11637149
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an array substrate, a display device and a spatial positioning method of a display device. The display device includes a base substrate, a pixel layer arranged at a side of the base substrate, a light source structure having a same light exit direction as the pixel layer, a processing element. The light source structure emits collimation invisible light, the pixel layer includes a plurality of sub-pixels and at least one sensing pixel arranged between the sub-pixels, the at least one sensing pixel receives reflected light of the collimation invisible light emitted by the light source structure and reflected by an object to be positioned, the processing element is coupled with the sensing pixel and the light source structure, a distance from the object to the display device is calculated according to relevant data information of the collimation invisible light and the reflected light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaoliang Ding, Xue Dong, Haisheng Wang, Yingming Liu, Pengpeng Wang, Yangbing Li, Jiabin Wang, Ping Zhang, Likai Deng
  • Patent number: 11624834
    Abstract: An image sensor employed in a time-of-flight (TOF) sensing system includes a pixel array including plural pixels, each pixel including at least one photo diode and each pixel generating an amount of charge corresponding to an incident light, comparing circuitry configured to compare voltage levels, each voltage level individually changed based on the amount of charge outputted from each pixel, with a reference voltage to output a comparison result, and calibration circuitry configured to adjust the voltage levels equally based on the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Yujin Park, Sungwook Seo, Jeongeun Song, Jinuk Jeon, Ohjun Kwon, Hansang Kim, Kangbong Seo, Minseok Shin
  • Patent number: 11624814
    Abstract: Through discrimination of the scattered signal polarization state, a lidar system measures a distance through semi-transparent media by the reception of single or multiple scattered signals from a scattered medium. Combined and overlapped single or multiple scattered light signals from the medium can be separated by exploiting varying polarization characteristics. This removes the traditional laser and detector pulse width limitations that determine the system's operational bandwidth, translating relative depth measurements into the conditions of two surface timing measurements and achieving sub-pulse width resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignees: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, ASTRA LITE, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Thayer, Andrew W. Gisler, Steven Mitchell, Matthew Hayman
  • Patent number: 11622555
    Abstract: Optical remote sensing systems for quantifying aerial or aquatic fauna with respect to number of living organisms, such as animals, such as insects, birds, bats or aquatic organisms, and to biological specificity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: FaunaPhotonics Agriculture & Environmental A/S
    Inventor: Mikkel Brydegaard Sørensen
  • Patent number: 11619739
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system include one or more LIDAR pixels including a transmit optical antenna, a receive optical antenna, a first receiver, and a second receiver. The transmit optical antenna is configured to emit a transmit beam. The receive optical antenna is configured to detect (i) a first polarization orientation of a returning beam and (ii) a second polarization orientation of the returning beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: OURS TECHNOLOGY, LLC
    Inventors: Sen Lin, Andrew Steil Michaels
  • Patent number: 11619743
    Abstract: A system for generating a three-dimensional (3D) map of part of a field-of-view (FOV) of at least one detector of an active 3D scanner, comprising: the active 3D scanner, comprising: a mechanism configured to scan the FOV; at least one energy emitting source configured to emit energy pulses; and the at least one detector; and processing circuitry configured to: obtain information, wherein at least some of designation information is tracker-based designation information that is designated by a user of the system via a tracker that tracks a line-of-sight between the user and the FOV; selectively activate the energy emitting source to emit a subset of the energy pulses, in accordance with the information, including the tracker-based designation information, and in synchronization with the mechanism, to cover the part of the FOV; obtain current readings, from the detector, based on reflections of the subset of the energy pulses; and generate the 3D map based on the current readings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD.
    Inventors: Yoav Ophir, Dan Hakim, Assaf David, Tamir Demri
  • Patent number: 11619481
    Abstract: A six-DOF probe includes a retroreflector, a collection of target lights, and a stylus having a probe tip. A laser tracker measures a distance, a first angle, and a second angle to the retroreflector and captures an image of the illuminated target lights. A processor determines the three-dimensional coordinates of the probe tip based at least in part on the measured distance, measured first angle, measured second angle and on a central portion of the captured image, the size of the central portion based at least in part on the measured distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: FARO Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William W. Christine, Xiaoyu Cai, Max K. Kim
  • Patent number: 11619711
    Abstract: A scanning-system including transmit/receive paths, a transmitter, a receiver and a rotating-scanning-device. The transmitter emits radiation which propagates along an optical-axis on the transmit-path. The radiation from the target-object is detected by the receiver on the receive-path. The rotating-scanning-device includes an optical-system and a rotating-deflection-unit, which deflects the radiation of the transmit/receive paths. The optical-system includes a first-focusing-unit and a rotating-second-focusing-unit. The movements of the rotating-deflection-unit and the rotating-second-focusing-unit occur synchronously to ensure an alignment of the deflected radiation with the second-focusing-unit. The first-focusing-unit reproduces the radiation emitted by the transmitter on the rotating-deflection-unit so that the beam-diameter on the rotating-deflection-unit is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Annemarie Holleczek, Benjamin Schmidt, Mirko Hattass, Remigius Has
  • Patent number: 11619725
    Abstract: Blooming in a lidar measurement is recognized using a distance from a lidar reflection point determined in an active measurement and a passive measurement. A first distance value is determined in the active measurement, based on a signal duration of a laser pulse, and a second distance value is determined in the passive measurement, based on a triangulation of two-dimensional intensity measurements carried out from different measuring positions. Blooming is identified when the second distance value exceeds the first distance value by a pre-determined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Martin Meinke, David Peter, Sebastian Buck
  • Patent number: 11610286
    Abstract: A set of POIs of a point cloud are received at a first filter, where each POI of the set of POIs comprises one or more points. Each POI of the set of POIs is filtered. A set of neighborhood points of a POI is selected. A metric for the set of neighborhood points is computed. Based on the metric, whether to accept the POI, modify the POI, reject the POI, or transmit the POI to a second filter, to extract at least one of range or velocity information related to the target is determined. Provided the POI is accepted or modified, the POI is transmitted to a filtered point cloud; provided the POI is rejected, the POI is prevented from reaching the filtered point cloud; provided the POI is not accepted, modified, or rejected, the POI is transmitted to a second filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishna Toshniwal, Mina Rezk, Bruno Hexsel, Kumar Bhargav Viswanatha, Jose Krause Perin, Rajendra Tushar Moorti, James Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11609334
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical receiver to generate a plurality of data points associated with one or more return beams from a target of the LIDAR system, a processor, and a memory. The memory stores the plurality of data points and stores instructions that cause the LIDAR system to: perform a processing operation on a first data point of the plurality of data points to determine a second data point of the plurality of data points with which to modify the first data point; generate, as output of the processing operation, a first index to a first memory location of the first data point and a second index to a second memory location of the second data point; and generate a point cloud corresponding to the target based on the first data point as modified by the second data point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Khachatur Armenyan, Youye Xie, Jose Krause Perin, Amol Gole
  • Patent number: 11609331
    Abstract: A frequency shift light modulator includes a resonator and a diffraction grating including a plurality of grooves arranged in parallel in a displacement direction of the resonator, and the diffraction grating is provided on the resonator. By providing the diffraction grating on the resonator, it is easy to realize miniaturization and increase in accuracy of the frequency shift light modulator. Further, it is easy to realize application to a high frequency region in a MHz band, that is, high frequency modulation. It is possible to efficiently obtain an effect based on a combination of the resonator and the diffraction grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventor: Kohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 11609338
    Abstract: A method for detecting incident laser radiation on a spacecraft, whereby incident radiation is detected separately in several discrete spectral ranges, the radiation recorded in the spectral ranges is converted into further processable electrical signals, and the signals are evaluated together. A device for detecting incident laser radiation on a spacecraft is configured to perform such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Jena-Optronik GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Schmidt, Thorben Haarlammert