Patents by Inventor David Wyland

David Wyland has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10048357
    Abstract: In accordance with certain embodiments of the present technology, edges of light drive pulses, which are produced by a light source driver and are used to drive a light source, are aligned with edges of light reference pulses that have a predetermined fixed delay relative to light timing pulses. This way, light pulses are emitted by the light source at precisely known times, so that accurate time-of-flight (TOF) measurements can be made. Additionally, edges of shutter drive pulses, which are produced by a shutter driver and are used to drive a gated light detector, are aligned with edges of shutter reference pulses that have a predetermined fixed delay relative to shutter timing pulses. This way, the gated light detector is shuttered on at precisely known times, so that accurate TOF measurements can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: David Wyland
  • Patent number: 9866208
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and subsystems for use with a timing generator having an output driver at which a timing signal having timing pulses is output. A method includes controlling the timing generator to cause the output driver to output a timing signal having an expected duty cycle, and filtering the timing signal to produce a DC voltage having a magnitude indicative of an actual duty cycle of the timing signal. The method also includes converting the DC voltage to a digital value indicative of the actual duty cycle of the timing signal. The method can also include comparing the digital value to an expected value corresponding to the expected duty cycle, and using results of the comparing to determine an error associated with the timing generator and/or produce a calibration table that can be used to calibrate the timing generator and/or calibrate a measurement made using the timing generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LINCENSING, LLC
    Inventor: David Wyland
  • Publication number: 20160365846
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and subsystems for use with a timing generator having an output driver at which a timing signal having timing pulses is output. A method includes controlling the timing generator to cause the output driver to output a timing signal having an expected duty cycle, and filtering the timing signal to produce a DC voltage having a magnitude indicative of an actual duty cycle of the timing signal. The method also includes converting the DC voltage to a digital value indicative of the actual duty cycle of the timing signal. The method can also include comparing the digital value to an expected value corresponding to the expected duty cycle, and using results of the comparing to determine an error associated with the timing generator and/or produce a calibration table that can be used to calibrate the timing generator and/or calibrate a measurement made using the timing generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventor: David Wyland
  • Publication number: 20160363654
    Abstract: In accordance with certain embodiments of the present technology, edges of light drive pulses, which are produced by a light source driver and are used to drive a light source, are aligned with edges of light reference pulses that have a predetermined fixed delay relative to light timing pulses. This way, light pulses are emitted by the light source at precisely known times, so that accurate time-of-flight (TOF) measurements can be made. Additionally, edges of shutter drive pulses, which are produced by a shutter driver and are used to drive a gated light detector, are aligned with edges of shutter reference pulses that have a predetermined fixed delay relative to shutter timing pulses. This way, the gated light detector is shuttered on at precisely known times, so that accurate TOF measurements can be made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventor: David Wyland