Patents Examined by Daniel L Murphy
-
Patent number: 11231436Abstract: The flow rate of light scattering fluid is measured more easily and at a higher speed. A flow rate measuring method according to the present disclosure includes: generating two or more speckle images by continually imaging light scattering fluid to be measured, while defining time shorter than spatial correlation disappearance time corresponding to time in which spatial correlation between speckle patterns generated by the light scattering fluid disappears as exposure time, at a time interval shorter than the spatial correlation disappearance time; and calculating direction and speed of flow of the light scattering fluid from time variation of the speckle patterns between the two or more speckle images, in which the speckle images are imaged by using an imaging device mounted with an area sensor and a pixel group of a part of the area sensor or by using an imaging device mounted with a line sensor.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2018Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventors: Isamu Nakao, Noriyuki Kishii, Tetsuro Kuwayama, Kensei Jo
-
Patent number: 11217216Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mounting device for a fish finding apparatus and, more particularly, to a motorized mounting device which includes an adjustable length pole used to mount a sonar transducer or other device an angler may be interested in mounting to the end of the pole that enters the water. The pole is used to spin the transducer or other apparatus in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction with a switch that is adapted to be operated by the angler's foot or a wireless remote. The spin speed may also be adjusted as desired by a variable speed switch. The mounting device is configured to be secured to a boat or mounted on a boat troll motor whereby the adjustable pole is secured and spins independent of the troll motor shaft.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2020Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Inventor: Terry Vance
-
Patent number: 11215709Abstract: Example implementations relate to gathering audio data. For example, a system can include a range sensor to determine a location and distance of an object. The system can include a microphone to gather audio data at the location and from within a threshold proximity of the object. The system can include a computing device to determine a portion of audio data outside the threshold proximity of the object to remove.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2017Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Ricky Thomas Burks, Xiang Ma, Alan Man Pan Tam
-
Patent number: 11209542Abstract: An object detection device which determines an amplitude Ar of an ultrasonic wave received by a receiving unit, detects a frequency fr of the ultrasonic wave, sweeps a frequency fp of a pulse signal after a predetermined time has elapsed from start of generation of the pulse signal, and determines that the received ultrasonic wave is a reflected wave of the probe wave when the frequency fr after the amplitude Ar becomes a predetermined reference value or more from start of transmission of the probe wave makes the same change as the frequency fp. When an ultrasonic wave received by a receiver is determined to be a reflected wave of the probe wave, the object detection unit calculates a distance to an object based on a time from transmission of the probe wave to reception of the ultrasonic wave.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2019Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Yohei Suzuki, Taketo Harada, Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Takuya Nomura
-
Patent number: 11209541Abstract: A device comprises a processor coupled with an ultrasonic transducer coupled which is configured to emit an ultrasonic pulse and receive returned signals received after a ringdown period of the transducer and corresponding to the emitted ultrasonic pulse. The processor is configured to evaluate the returned signals to find a candidate echo, from an object located in a ringdown blind spot area, in a time window between one and two times the ringdown period; locate multiple echoes from the object of higher order than the candidate echo; validate the candidate echo as at least a secondary echo associated of the object; and determine, based on analysis of the returned signals, an estimated distance from the transducer to the object in the ringdown blind spot area, wherein the ringdown blind spot area is located between the transducer and a closest distance at which objects can be sensed by the transducer.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2020Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Chirp Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Florence Gris, Agnes Duval
-
Patent number: 11203039Abstract: An acoustic-electric transducer includes a connection part that has a first connection point able to contact a first contact in a terminal for processing the electrical signal, and a second connection point able to contact a second contact having a potential lower than the potential of the first contact, a microphone that transduces a sound inputted from an external source into an electrical signal, a changeover switch that switches between a non-mute state where the electrical signal is outputted to the terminal and a mute state where the electrical signal is not outputted to the terminal, and a current control circuit that makes a current flow between the first contact and the second contact until a predetermined time passes from the time when the connection part is connected to the terminal and reduces the current flowing between the first contact and the second contact after the predetermined time passes, the current control circuit being provided between the changeover switch and the connection part.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2020Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATIONInventors: Koichi Irii, Mika Yoshino, Kosumo Miyauchi, Hiroshi Akino
-
Patent number: 11194024Abstract: A LIDAR arrangement comprising a laser transmitter for transmitting pulses of a laser radiation to a measurement object, and a receiver for receiving pulses of the laser radiation backscattered from the measurement object, wherein the laser transmitter is configured to transmit a pulse sequence in which successive pulses respectively comprise a particular optical frequency shift to each other and wherein the receiver either includes a dispersive element for separating the pulses in time depending on the optical frequency by a frequency-based deflection, and a position resolution optical matrix transmitter on which the pulses separated in time by the dispersive element are mapped, or includes a frequency analyzer for the frequency-based separation of the pulses by superimposition with a reference radiation.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2018Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbHInventors: Nikolaus Schmitt, Thorsteinn Halldorsson
-
Patent number: 11187802Abstract: Embodiments describe a solid state electronic scanning LIDAR system that includes a scanning focal plane transmitting element and a scanning focal plane receiving element whose operations are synchronized so that the firing sequence of an emitter array in the transmitting element corresponds to a capturing sequence of a photosensor array in the receiving element. During operation, the emitter array can sequentially fire one or more light emitters into a scene and the reflected light can be received by a corresponding set of one or more photosensors through an aperture layer positioned in front of the photosensors. Each light emitter can correspond with an aperture in the aperture layer, and each aperture can correspond to a photosensor in the receiving element such that each light emitter corresponds with a specific photosensor in the receiving element.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2018Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: Ouster, Inc.Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
-
Patent number: 11181641Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes a LIDAR system with a waveguide array arranged in a first plane. The waveguide array is configured to generate a plurality of beams where each beam is transmitted from a respective waveguide in the array. The apparatus also includes a collimator configured to shape the plurality of beams into a fan of collimated beams having an angular spread in the first plane. Additionally, the apparatus includes a polygon scanner configured to adjust a direction of the fan in a second plane that is different than the first plane. A method is also provided employing the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2019Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: Blackmore Sensors & Analytics, LLCInventors: Stephen C. Crouch, Edward Joseph Angus, Michelle Milvich
-
Patent number: 11168982Abstract: A laser-based rangefinding instrument for, inter alia, golfing or hunting activities having an unique ergonomic design and an external multi-function switch for controlling display brightness, selectable display of differing distance units and a slope selection switch for enabling display of line of sight distance or angle of slope and “Compensated Golf Distance” angle corrected distance to a target.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2018Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignees: Laser Technology, Inc., Kama-Tech (HK) LimitedInventors: Jordan T. Vermillion, Scott M. Peterson, Neil T. Heeke, Eric A. Miller, Jeremy G. Dunne, David W. Williams
-
Patent number: 11169265Abstract: A dual frequency ultrasound transducer includes a high frequency (HF) transducer and a low frequency (LF) transducer that is positioned behind the high frequency transducer. An intermediate layer is positioned between the low frequency transducer and the high frequency transducer to absorb high frequency ultrasound signals. An alignment feature on the low frequency transducer is positioned with respect to a fiducial that is marked at a known position with respect to high frequency transducer elements of the HF transducer to align low frequency transducer elements of the LF transducer with the HF transducer elements.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2018Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc.Inventors: Guofeng Pang, Oleg Ivanytskyy, Hossein Amini, Robert Kolaja
-
Patent number: 11163077Abstract: A marine seismic sensor system includes a seismic node having at least one seismic sensor. The sensor is configured for sampling seismic energy when towed through a water column on a rope. The coupling can be adapted to modulate transmission of acceleration from the rope to the seismic node.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2018Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Ion Geophysical CorporationInventor: Dale J. Lambert
-
Patent number: 11163049Abstract: Sensors, sensor controllers, and sensor control methods may employ an echo-magnification technique to improve threshold-based echo detection. In one illustrative embodiment, a sensor controller includes: a transmitter, a receiver, and a processing circuit coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver. The transmitter drives a piezoelectric element to generate acoustic bursts. The receiver senses a response of the piezoelectric element to echoes of each acoustic burst. The processing circuit is operable to apply echo-detection processing to the response by: identifying an interval of the response representing at least a portion of a potential echo; deriving a modified response from the response by selectively magnifying the response during said interval; and using the modified response to detect an echo.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLCInventors: Marek Hustava, Michal Navratil, Pavel Kostelnik
-
Patent number: 11155364Abstract: Systems and methods for aircraft flight control rigging are described. An example system includes a first set of laser rangefinders to measure, for each laser rangefinder of the first set, a distance from the laser rangefinder to a respective target location on a fixed surface of an aircraft, and a second set of laser rangefinders to measure, for each laser rangefinder of the second set, a distance to a respective target location on a control surface of the aircraft. The example system also includes a processor to (i) receive signals indicative of the distance measured by each rangefinder and (ii) generate a first plot line graphic of the measured distances of each of the rangefinders of the first set to its respective target location and a second plot line graphic of the measured distances of each of the laser rangefinders of the second set to its respective target location.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2018Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Scott Charles Farner, Joseph Edward Dale Sharp, Randall Wade Dickson
-
Patent number: 11156081Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for operating and maintaining downhole wireless networks. The methods and systems utilize a downhole tool, such as a downhole tool comprising a communications device, to perform maintenance on the downhole wireless network, and for overcoming and/or correcting communications errors along the network. The downhole tool may also be used for updating and reprograming communication nodes in the downhole wireless network.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2018Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Mark M. Disko, Scott W. Clawson, Katie M. Walker, Renzo M. Angeles Boza, Limin Song
-
Patent number: 11150535Abstract: An optical signal transmitter includes a laser source configured to generate light with different wavelengths, respectively; a wavelength division (WD) demultiplexer configured to redirect the light in different directions based on the different wavelengths, respectively; and a lens array including an array of lenses configured to collimate the light from the WD demultiplexer for transmission in different directions, respectively. The optical signal transmitter may be implemented in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus. The optical signal transmitter may further include a 1×N splitter and a set of WD demultiplexers to increase the number of distinct optical signal transmissions.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2018Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Inventor: Henry Hung
-
Patent number: 11137498Abstract: A scanning rangefinding system includes a MEMS device with a scanning mirror that sweeps a beam in two dimensions. Actuating circuits receive angular extents and offset information and provide signal stimulus to the MEMS device to control the amount and direction of mirror deflection on two axes. The scan angle and offset information may be modified to create a repeating pattern of different fields of view.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2018Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: Microvision, Inc.Inventors: Jari Honkanen, P. Selvan Viswanathan, Robert James Jackson
-
Patent number: 11137507Abstract: The present invention discloses a near-sea-bottom hydrate detection system, which includes a ship-borne part and a deep-towing part. The ship-borne part includes: a comprehensive monitoring host, configured to send an acquisition triggering pulse signal, and transmit the signal to the deep-towing part; and receive near-sea-bottom information acquired by the deep-towing part, and determine a near-sea-bottom condition according to the near-sea-bottom information.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2017Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: The First Institute of Oceanography, SOAInventors: Baohua Liu, Yanliang Pei, Kaiben Yu, Yifan Huang, Zili Chen, Guangming Kan, Yanhong Lian, Keping Yan, Chunlei Jing, Le Zong
-
Patent number: 11134209Abstract: The present technology relates to a light receiving device, a control method, and an electronic apparatus capable of suppressing saturation of a sensor that receives light. A control unit performs exposure control to control, in accordance with a photometry result of a photometry sensor that performs photometry by receiving light, exposure of another sensor of which a light receiving surface that receives light is divided into a plurality of blocks, the exposure control being performed for each block. The present technology can be applied, for example, an electronic apparatus such as a digital camera that receives light.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2017Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Motoshige Okada
-
Patent number: 11123766Abstract: A high-voltage pulser circuit for Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) coils using a Capacitive Discharge push-pull converter. The present invention relates in particular to the operation of the converter into an Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) differential coil. The present invention reduces ringing of the coil current resulting in a smaller blind zone and a well-defined broadband ultrasonic wave from the coil. The pulser can be used to generate one or more cycles and work in either pulse-echo (same transmitter and receiver) or pitch-catch (different transmitter and receiver).Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: INNERSPEC TECHNOLOGIES, INCInventors: Stephen William Smith, Philip Haywood Cox