Patents by Inventor Olivier Pothier

Olivier Pothier 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: 11915438
    Abstract: The method of determination of a depth map of a scene comprises generation of a distance map of the scene obtained by time of flight measurements, acquisition of two images of the scene from two different viewpoints, and stereoscopic processing of the two images taking into account the distance map. The generation of the distance map includes generation of distance histograms acquisition zone by acquisition zone of the scene, and the stereoscopic processing includes, for each region of the depth map corresponding to an acquisition zone, elementary processing taking into account the corresponding histogram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics France
    Inventors: Manu Alibay, Olivier Pothier, Victor Macela, Alain Bellon, Arnaud Bourge
  • Publication number: 20240015400
    Abstract: A method includes dividing a field of view into a plurality of zones and sampling the field of view to generate a photon count for each zone of the plurality of zones, identifying a focal sector of the field of view and analyzing each zone to select a final focal object from a first prospective focal object and a second prospective focal object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Darin K. Winterton, Donald Baxter, Andrew Hodgson, Gordon Lunn, Olivier Pothier, Kalyan-Kumar Vadlamudi-Reddy
  • Patent number: 11800224
    Abstract: A method includes dividing a field of view into a plurality of zones and sampling the field of view to generate a photon count for each zone of the plurality of zones, identifying a focal sector of the field of view and analyzing each zone to select a final focal object from a first prospective focal object and a second prospective focal object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics SA, STMicroelectronics, Inc., STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventors: Darin K. Winterton, Donald Baxter, Andrew Hodgson, Gordon Lunn, Olivier Pothier, Kalyan-Kumar Vadlamudi-Reddy
  • Publication number: 20230079355
    Abstract: A method includes dividing a field of view into a plurality of zones and sampling the field of view to generate a photon count for each zone of the plurality of zones, identifying a focal sector of the field of view and analyzing each zone to select a final focal object from a first prospective focal object and a second prospective focal object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Darin K. Winterton, Donald Baxter, Andrew Hodgson, Gordon Lunn, Olivier Pothier, Kalyan-Kumar Vadlamudi-Reddy
  • Patent number: 11528407
    Abstract: A method includes dividing a field of view into a plurality of zones and sampling the field of view to generate a photon count for each zone of the plurality of zones, identifying a focal sector of the field of view and analyzing each zone to select a final focal object from a first prospective focal object and a second prospective focal object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS SA, STMICROELECTRONICS, INC., STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
    Inventors: Darin K. Winterton, Donald Baxter, Andrew Hodgson, Gordon Lunn, Olivier Pothier, Kalyan-Kumar Vadlamudi-Reddy
  • Patent number: 11500097
    Abstract: A method includes emitting, by a single sensor of a device, a signal into a region; receiving, by the single sensor, a reflected signal; and detecting motion in a detection cone comprising a central axis based on the reflected signal, wherein detecting motion comprises detecting a first type of motion from a first position to a second position, and detecting a second type of motion from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics SA, STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventors: Giovanni Scozzola, Olivier Pothier
  • Publication number: 20220308173
    Abstract: Method, having detecting from a first histogram signal delivered by a sensor device, successive sets of targets at respective successive instants, determining for a current set of current detected targets, a current histogram output, the current histogram output having for each current detected target of the current set, a current group of parameters stored in a memory including a confidence indicator, performing a matching operation between the current set of detected targets and previous sets of detected targets stored in the memory, and performing a filtering operation of at least one parameter of the current group of parameters of at least some of the current detected targets of the current set, on the basis of the result of the matching operation, the filtering operation being weighted on the basis of at least the confidence indicators of current and previous sets of detected targets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Olivier Pothier, Victor Macela, Thierry Lebihen, Arnaud Bourge
  • Publication number: 20220196834
    Abstract: A method can be used to detect the presence an object within a field of view of a time-of-flight sensor. A histogram generated by the time-of-flight sensor is obtained. The histogram includes a number of bins associating a number of detected photons to a given acquisition time. A portion of the bins of the histogram is transformed into points in a transformed domain that features a first area containing only points associated to bins representative of the presence of the object and a second area having only points associated to bins not representative of the presence of the object. The bins of the histogram representative of the presence of the object are identified from the points located in the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Olivier Pothier, Philippe Legeard, Donald Baxter, Edward Hawkins
  • Publication number: 20220191402
    Abstract: A method includes dividing a field of view into a plurality of zones and sampling the field of view to generate a photon count for each zone of the plurality of zones, identifying a focal sector of the field of view and analyzing each zone to select a final focal object from a first prospective focal object and a second prospective focal object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Darin K. Winterton, Donald Baxter, Andrew Hodgson, Gordon Lunn, Olivier Pothier, Kalyan-Kumar Vadlamudi-Reddy
  • Publication number: 20220005214
    Abstract: The method of determination of a depth map of a scene comprises generation of a distance map of the scene obtained by time of flight measurements, acquisition of two images of the scene from two different viewpoints, and stereoscopic processing of the two images taking into account the distance map. The generation of the distance map includes generation of distance histograms acquisition zone by acquisition zone of the scene, and the stereoscopic processing includes, for each region of the depth map corresponding to an acquisition zone, elementary processing taking into account the corresponding histogram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Manu Alibay, Olivier Pothier, Victor Macela, Alain Bellon, Arnaud Bourge
  • Patent number: 11138749
    Abstract: The method of determination of a depth map of a scene comprises generation of a distance map of the scene obtained by time of flight measurements, acquisition of two images of the scene from two different viewpoints, and stereoscopic processing of the two images taking into account the distance map. The generation of the distance map includes generation of distance histograms acquisition zone by acquisition zone of the scene, and the stereoscopic processing includes, for each region of the depth map corresponding to an acquisition zone, elementary processing taking into account the corresponding histogram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS SA
    Inventors: Manu Alibay, Olivier Pothier, Victor Macela, Alain Bellon, Arnaud Bourge
  • Patent number: 11086000
    Abstract: A method for acquiring tracking points belonging to a trajectory of a target object in motion, includes: emitting a radiation towards the target object; receiving a reflection of the radiation from the target object in respective fields of view of each detection zone of a network of detection zones; processing the reflection by determining distances separating the target object from an origin point by measuring a time of flight of the radiation in each detection zone; determining a degree of coverage of each detection zone; and estimating, based on the distances and on the degree of coverage of each detection zone, a position of a tracking point corresponding to a position of an extremity of the target object inside a respective detection zone chosen in a direction of motion of the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED, STMICROELECTRONICS S.A.
    Inventors: Victor Macela, Ed Hawkins, Olivier Pothier, Manu Alibay
  • Patent number: 10796191
    Abstract: An example device has optical emitters for emitting incident radiation within a field of view and optical detectors for receiving reflected radiation. Based on the incident radiation and the reflected radiation, a histogram indicative of a number of photon events that are detected by the optical detectors over time bins is generated. The time bins is indicative of time differences between emission of the incident radiation and reception of the reflected radiation. The device further includes; a processor programmed to iteratively process the histogram by executing an expectation-maximization algorithm to detect a presence of objects located in the field of view of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics SA, STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
    Inventors: Francois De Salivet de Fouchecour, Stuart McLeod, Donald Baxter, Olivier Pothier, Thierry Lebihen
  • Publication number: 20200097752
    Abstract: An embodiment device includes: a plurality of optical emitters configured to emit incident radiation within a field of view of the device; a plurality of optical detectors configured to receive reflected radiation and to generate a histogram based on the incident radiation and the reflected radiation, the histogram being indicative of a number of photon events detected by the plurality of optical detectors over a plurality of time bins, the plurality of time bins being indicative of a plurality of time differences between emission of the incident radiation and reception of the reflected radiation; and a processor configured to iteratively process the histogram by executing an expectation-maximization algorithm to detect a presence of objects located in the field of view of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Francois De Salivet de Fouchecour, Stuart McLeod, Donald Baxter, Olivier Pothier, Thierry Lebihen
  • Publication number: 20190385320
    Abstract: The method of determination of a depth map of a scene comprises generation of a distance map of the scene obtained by time of flight measurements, acquisition of two images of the scene from two different viewpoints, and stereoscopic processing of the two images taking into account the distance map. The generation of the distance map includes generation of distance histograms acquisition zone by acquisition zone of the scene, and the stereoscopic processing includes, for each region of the depth map corresponding to an acquisition zone, elementary processing taking into account the corresponding histogram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Manu Alibay, Olivier Pothier, Victor Macela, Alain Bellon, Arnaud Bourge
  • Publication number: 20190331798
    Abstract: A method includes emitting, by a single sensor of a device, a signal into a region; receiving, by the single sensor, a reflected signal; and detecting motion in a detection cone comprising a central axis based on the reflected signal, wherein detecting motion comprises detecting a first type of motion from a first position to a second position, and detecting a second type of motion from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Giovanni Scozzola, Olivier Pothier
  • Patent number: 10445892
    Abstract: The method of determination of a depth map of a scene comprises generation of a distance map of the scene obtained by time of flight measurements, acquisition of two images of the scene from two different viewpoints, and stereoscopic processing of the two images taking into account the distance map. The generation of the distance map includes generation of distance histograms acquisition zone by acquisition zone of the scene, and the stereoscopic processing includes, for each region of the depth map corresponding to an acquisition zone, elementary processing taking into account the corresponding histogram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS SA
    Inventors: Manu Alibay, Olivier Pothier, Victor Macela, Alain Bellon, Arnaud Bourge
  • Patent number: 10429940
    Abstract: An electronic device includes at least one laser source configured to direct laser radiation toward a user's hand. Laser detectors are configured to receive reflected laser radiation from the user's hand. A controller is coupled to the at least one laser source and laser detectors and configured to determine a set of distance values to the user's hand for each respective laser detector and based upon a time-of-flight of the laser radiation. The controller also determines a hand gesture from among a plurality of possible hand gestures based upon the sets of distance values using Bayesian probabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventor: Olivier Pothier
  • Patent number: 10379619
    Abstract: A method for controlling an apparatus, includes steps of: determining distance measurements of an object in a first direction, using distance sensors defining between them a second direction different from the first direction, assessing a first inclination of the object in relation to a second direction based on the distance measurements, and determining a first command of the apparatus according to the inclination assessment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics SA, STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventors: Marc Drader, Jérémie Teyssier, Olivier Pothier
  • Patent number: 10303254
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a laser source configured to direct laser radiation toward a user's hand. A laser detector is configured to receive reflected laser radiation from the user's hand. A controller is coupled to the laser source and laser detector and configured to determine a plurality of distance values to the user's hand based upon a time-of-flight of the laser radiation, calculate a mean absolute deviation (MAD) value based upon the plurality of distance values, and identify whether the user's hand is moving in a first or second gesture based upon the MAD value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventor: Olivier Pothier