Patents Examined by Daniel L Murphy
  • Patent number: 12292502
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to limitation of noise on light detectors using an aperture. One example embodiment includes a system. The system includes a lens disposed relative to a scene and configured to focus light from the scene onto a focal plane. The system also includes an aperture defined within an opaque material disposed at the focal plane of the lens. The aperture has a cross-sectional area. In addition, the system includes an array of light detectors disposed on a side of the focal plane opposite the lens and configured to intercept and detect diverging light focused by the lens and transmitted through the aperture. A cross-sectional area of the array of light detectors that intercepts the diverging light is greater than the cross-sectional area of the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Droz, Blaise Gassend, Caner Onal, David Hutchison
  • Patent number: 12290837
    Abstract: The embodiments disclose an ultrasonic transducer that can require a piezoelectric element attached to the transducer to be constantly under high pressure, and this required pressure can be provided and maintained by the transducer's design at all temperatures during its operation. The exemplary ultrasonic transducer can eliminate a failure of the bond between the piezoelectric element and a delay block by using the mechanical structure to hold all components in place while permitting the piezoelectric transducer to generate pulses of the desired frequency, frequency bandwidth, and pulse width without undesired echoes and/or attenuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Inventors: Dan Xiang, Uday Singh
  • Patent number: 12293249
    Abstract: A controller samples, after determination of a start of a user's press on a pressable input surface of a pressure sensing member, a value of an output voltage of the pressure sensing member, and determines whether one of a first condition and a second condition is satisfied to accordingly determine whether the user's press on the pressable input surface is terminated. The first condition represents that the sampled value of the output voltage is lower than a predetermined second voltage threshold. The second condition represents that the output voltage has converged to a base voltage. The base voltage is a value of the output voltage of the pressure sensing member with no user's press on the pressable input surface of the pressure sensing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kazumi Kambe, Akira Ito
  • Patent number: 12287403
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ultrasound imaging system including an ultrasound probe and a blood vessel visualization device. The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound generation device and is configured to detect one or more blood vessels. The blood vessel visualization device is configured to project a depiction of the blood vessel topography within a target area. The blood vessel visualization device can include one or more near-infrared/infrared emitters configured to generate infrared/near-infrared waves within the target area, one or more near-infrared/infrared sensors configured to detect the difference in reflective properties of tissue and blood vessels within the target area, and one or more visual light projectors configured to project a blood vessel visualization depiction of the blood vessel topography onto the target area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin, Anthony K. Misener
  • Patent number: 12287436
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transceiver (1) for a vehicle comprises a plastics housing (2), an ultrasonic diaphragm (3), a sound transducer element (4) for stimulating vibrations and detecting vibrations of the ultrasonic diaphragm (3), and an electrically conductive contact element (6), arranged in the interior (5) of the plastics housing (2), for making electrical contact with the sound transducer element (4), wherein the plastics housing (2) and the contact element (6) are directly and positively connected to one another by caulking of at least one plastics element (8) that is formed in one piece with the plastics housing (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Fabian Haag, Paul Bou Saleh, Hans Wilhelm Wehling
  • Patent number: 12282096
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of a LiDAR system to determine the distance of an object from the LiDAR system. Embodiments of the LiDAR system can use a coarse estimate of the distance of an object from the LiDAR system which is then used by a fast search to determine an estimate of the distance of an object from the LiDAR system within a precision threshold. In some embodiments the LiDAR system can use adaptive precision when determining the distance of an object from the LiDAR system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ali Ahmed Ali Massoud, Zhiping Jiang
  • Patent number: 12276746
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides sound source identification based on array measurement and sparse prior information, which uses a generalized minimax concave penalty function to apply a sparse constraint on a sound source reconstruction error, determines position information of a potential sound source according to a basic sound image generated by a conventional beamforming method, and generates an initial solution vector including a sound source position prior information in a specific way. Compared with using a random initial value and a zero initial value, computational efficiency of the disclosed sound field reconstruction method is improved. Further, an iterative convergence speed is improved by using a proximal gradient acceleration and an adaptive step size backtracking strategy, an optimal step size that can meet convergence is adaptively selected, and sound field reconstruction can be completed more quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tianyang Wang, Shilin Sun, Fulei Chu
  • Patent number: 12269060
    Abstract: An acoustic transducer system for projecting and sensing acoustic waves or sound in fluid is disclosed in accordance with the present disclosure and figures herein. The system includes a transducer array of a plurality of channels, each channel having an inlet and an outlet, and a reservoir containing a liquid solution. A first electrode is disposed proximate to the inlet and a second electrode is disposed proximate to the outlet. A voltage source, connected to the first and second electrodes, is configured to apply voltage across a length of the array of the channels to generate an electric field parallel to each channel. The electric field causes an electroosmotic flow of ions from the reservoir to the outlet, producing a plurality of acoustic waves or sound at the outlet. A method for projecting and sensing acoustic waves or sound in fluid using the acoustic transducer system is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
    Inventors: Francisco J. Diez-Garias, Thomas E. Hansen
  • Patent number: 12270945
    Abstract: An optical ranging device includes a light emitting section provided with a semiconductor laser element having a light emitting region whose length in a first direction is more than that in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The device measures the distance to an object based on the time from light emission from the light emitting section to reception of the light by a light receiving section. A plurality of light emitting regions may be provided in the light emitting section such that they are separated in the second direction and abut or partially overlap each other in the first direction so that the light emitting regions are continuous in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teiyu Kimura, Kenichi Yanai, Shinji Kashiwada, Yoshihide Tachino
  • Patent number: 12265183
    Abstract: A frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to: generate subbands in a frequency domain based on a range-dependent time domain baseband signal, classify each subband into a subband type, select processing parameters for each subband based on the respective subband type, and process each of the subbands using the selected processing parameters for the subband.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Kumar Bhargav Viswanatha, Jose Krause Perin, Rajendra Tushar Moorti, Mina Rezk
  • Patent number: 12265186
    Abstract: A robotic cleaning appliance includes a housing to which is coupled a surface treatment item and a sensor assembly with first and second transducers and an acoustic interface. The first sonic transducer transmits sonic signals through an acoustic interface and out of a first acoustic opening toward a surface beneath the robotic cleaning appliance. The sonic signals reflect from the surface as corresponding returned signals received by the second sonic transducer via a second acoustic opening port of the acoustic interface. A first annular ring is defined around the first acoustic opening port and a second annular rings is defined around the second acoustic opening port. The annular ring attenuate direct path echoes between the acoustic opening ports. The first and second acoustic opening ports are coupled the first and sonic transducers, respectively, via first and second horns; and the horns are tilted from orthogonal with the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: InvenSense, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniela Hall, Tony Lei, Zhongyang Li, Joe Youssef
  • Patent number: 12265182
    Abstract: A ladar system capable of operating in a ladar mode and an optical communication mode is disclosed. When operating in the ladar mode, a ladar transmitter and ladar receiver cooperate to transmit ladar pulses that are used for ranging to targets in a field of view. When operating in an optical communication mode, ladar pulses are used to transmit data messages to locations in the field of view that are determined to have devices that are capable of receiving the optically communicated data messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: AEye, Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Carlos Dussan, Allan Steinhardt, David Cook, Blair B. Lacorte
  • Patent number: 12267077
    Abstract: A DLL circuit includes: a time difference amplifier circuit that includes current sources for setting a time difference amplification factor and an input time difference range, and amplifies, to a first signal and a second signal which are input, a time difference between edges which are change points of logic levels respectively included in the first and second signals, using the current sources and outputting a first amplified signal and a second amplified signal obtained; a phase comparison circuit that calculates a phase difference between the first and second amplified signals output and outputs a phase difference signal indicating the phase difference calculated; and a variable delay circuit that delays the second signal by an amount of delay depending on the phase difference indicated by the phase difference signal output from the phase comparison circuit and outputs the delayed second signal as a delayed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Takumi Kato, Kazuo Matsukawa, Toshiaki Ozeki
  • Patent number: 12265157
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a solid-state image sensor that is exposed to reflection light from an object and accumulates signal charges; and a control arithmetic device that controls irradiation by an infrared light source and exposure of the solid-state image sensor. The solid-state image sensor includes: photoelectric converters that convert the reflection light from the object into the signal charges; and charge accumulators that accumulate the signal charges. The imaging device performs, within one frame period, m types of exposure sequences (m is an integer greater than or equal to four) for controlling the irradiation and the exposure; assigns the charge accumulators exclusively to the m types of exposure sequences; accumulates, into the charge accumulators, the signal charges obtained from n (n is an integer greater than or equal to three) of the photoelectric converters in at least one type of exposure sequence among the m types of exposure sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: MIRAXIA EDGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Minami, Takuya Asano, Takamasa Ando, Toshiya Fujii
  • Patent number: 12259473
    Abstract: An optical measurement device and an optical measurement method that can accurately measure a distance and a velocity by removing an influence of a nonlinear chirp of a laser in FMCW LiDAR. The optical measurement device includes a laser that outputs light of which a frequency is modulated; a photodetector; a heterodyne optical system that splits output light of the laser into two components, uses one as probe light, uses the other as reference light, adds a frequency shift to one of the probe light and the reference light, applies the probe light to an object, combines scattered light from the object and the reference light, and causes the combined light to be incident on the photodetector; an IQ detector; and an arithmetic operation processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Hidemi Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 12259497
    Abstract: An optical device includes an emitter operable to emit a first light wave. The optical device also includes a detector operable to detect a second light wave that is based on the first light wave. The second light wave is susceptible to being coupled with an undesired light wave that is based on the first light wave. The optical device further includes an interference filter disposed on the detector. The interference filter includes a first filter portion and a second filter portion having a first set of layers formed from a first material and a second set of layers formed from a second, different material. The interference filter is operable to attenuate undesired light waves in multiple distinct environments based on the first and second sets of layers in the second filter portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: David Josef Pramberger-Schriebl, Gerhard Eilmsteiner, Hannes Brandner
  • Patent number: 12253597
    Abstract: A sensor attachment is used in securing an ultrasonic sensor to a plate-like vehicle body member. The ultrasonic sensor is equipped with a cylindrical ultrasonic microphone extending in an axial direction perpendicular to a center axis line. The sensor attachment includes a cylinder which is fit in a through-hole in the vehicle body member and surrounds the ultrasonic microphone in a vehicle-mounted state where the ultrasonic sensor is mounted in the vehicle body member. The cylinder includes a through-hole facing portion which faces an inner surface of the through- hole in proximity thereto in a radial direction perpendicular to the center axis line in the vehicle- mounted state. The through-hole facing portion is designed to have a contact surface-decreasing structure which minimizes an area of contact with the inner surface of the through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taketo Harada, Keisuke Ueda
  • Patent number: 12253595
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and a device for determining relevant variables of an object in the environment of a motor vehicle by means of at least one ultrasonic, the method comprising: acquiring a measurement series of real sensor values for the at least one ultrasonic sensor, which sensor values represent the shortest distance between the object and the motor vehicle, wherein the sensor values are acquired cyclically with a specified time interval, modeling a series of sensor values for the at least one ultrasonic sensor by modeling the object movement using a state vector and a parameter vector, and modeling the distance sensing in accordance with the state vector and the parameter vector, and determining the state vector and the parameter vector by adapting the modeled sensor values to the measured real sensor values of the at least one ultrasonic sensor by means of an optimization method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Alex Tarasow, Daniel Gohlke
  • Patent number: 12253596
    Abstract: An approach for providing a lower cost real time location system in less trafficked areas of a building. This approach uses on-board audio capabilities of a mobile device to receive a room response trace resulting from a self-generated acoustic signal. By comparing the room response trace to a modeled room response trace, the location of the mobile device is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Sonitor Technologies AS
    Inventors: Wilfred Edwin Booij, Mattheus Franciscus Albertus Ten Veldhuis
  • Patent number: 12248100
    Abstract: A computing system may operate a LIDAR device to emit and detect light pulses in accordance with a time sequence including standard detection period(s) that establish a nominal detection range for the LIDAR device and extended detection period(s) having durations longer than those of the standard detection period(s). The system may then make a determination that the LIDAR detected return light pulse(s) during extended detection period(s) that correspond to particular emitted light pulse(s). Responsively, the computing system may determine that the detected return light pulse(s) have detection times relative to corresponding emission times of particular emitted light pulse(s) that are indicative of one or more ranges. Given this, the computing system may make a further determination of whether or not the one or more ranges indicate that an object is positioned outside of the nominal detection range, and may then engage in object detection in accordance with the further determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Mark Alexander Shand