Patents Examined by Eric L Bolda
  • Patent number: 12782573
    Abstract: An inspection system, an extraction device, an inspection method, an extraction method, and a program that are capable of improving measurement accuracy are provided. An inspection system includes: a measurement device being arranged at a measurement point inside a tunnel, having a reference point, and acquiring a plurality of pieces of data including coordinate values and brightness values of a wall surface of the tunnel as point cloud data by using one or more beams irradiated in irradiation directions at a plurality of different angles to the reference point and receiving reflected light of the beam resulting from scanning the wall surface; a movement means for moving the measurement device to a plurality of measurement points inside the tunnel; and, in the point cloud data acquired by the measurement device for each measurement point, an extraction means for extracting data, based on a distance from the measurement point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2026
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Tsuji
  • Patent number: 12782529
    Abstract: Dirt on a viewing window of a lidar is detected using a laser beam transmitted into a detection region and detecting light that is present in the detection region. An intensity image is generated as a greyscale image of intensities of laser reflections from the light reflected and detected as a result of the transmission of the laser beam. A background light image is generated as a greyscale image of background light from the light detected without transmitting a laser beam. The intensity image and the background light image are analyzed with respect to common features. When a number of common features falls below a predetermined number, it is concluded that there is dirt on the viewing window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2026
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Andreas Scharf, David Peter
  • Patent number: 12785350
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is a distributed optical amplifier which includes: a pump light generator which generates pump light for optically exciting an optical transmission line; and a multiplexer which multiplexes n kinds (n is a positive integer) of light to be amplified and the pump light output from the pump light generator, and outputs the multiplexed light to the optical transmission line. When a center wavelength of the n kinds of light to be amplified is denoted as ?S1 to ?Sn and a zero-dispersion wavelength of the optical transmission line is denoted as ?0, intensity of the pump light generated by the pump light generator is suppressed at n kinds of wavelengths represented by 2×?0??S1 to 2×?0??Sn in comparison to intensity of other wavelengths of the pump light generated by the pump light generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2026
    Assignee: NTT, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroto Kawakami, Shoichiro Kuwahara, Yoshiaki Kisaka
  • Patent number: 12763542
    Abstract: An amplifier arrangement for increasing power and energy includes a multipass cell and at least one gain medium, wherein the multipass cell has concavely curved mirrors and the gain medium is arranged within the multipass cell in such a way that the pump radiation passes through the gain medium multiple times and is absorbed by the gain medium and wherein a laser beam to be amplified passes through the gain medium, characterized in that the mirrors are designed and arranged such that a White multipass cell is formed and the pump radiation and the laser beam to be amplified have large cross-sections at the positions at which mirrors, gain media and other optical components are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2026
    Inventor: Keming Du
  • Patent number: 12754317
    Abstract: A method includes receiving lidar data associated with remote sensing of moving water, and calibrating the lidar data, the calibration being based on one or more measurements contemporaneously measured with remote sensing of the moving water. The method includes refining the calibrated lidar data, the refinement being based on bubble detection associated with the moving water, where the refining includes discriminating between one or more signals associated with the bubble detection and one or more signals associated with non-bubble background detection. The method includes determining, from the refined lidar data, a bubble mask via feature detection based on depolarization ratio, and determining, based on the bubble mask, one or more bubble characteristics associated with the moving water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2026
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Damien Josset, David Wang, Brian Concannon
  • Patent number: 12754294
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a first deflection unit configured to deflect illumination light from a light source unit to scan an object and deflect reflected light from the object, a first light guiding unit configured to guide the illumination light from the light source unit to the first deflection unit and guide the reflected light from the first deflection unit to a light receiving unit, and a second light guiding unit configured to guide the illumination light from the light source unit to the light receiving unit, wherein the first light guiding unit includes a first passing region and a reflective region, and wherein the second light guiding unit is configured to guide, to the light receiving unit, light reflected in the reflective region without going through the object among the illumination light from the first deflection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2026
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masatsugu Nakano
  • Patent number: 12742865
    Abstract: The subject matter of this disclosure relates to a system, a method, and an apparatus for power monitoring and blockage detection in a lidar device. An example method includes: emitting, by a transmitter of a lidar device, an optical signal toward a maintenance area that is inside the lidar device and outside a field of view for the lidar device; measuring, by a power monitoring circuit of the lidar device, an intensity of an incident signal corresponding to the optical signal; comparing the measured intensity with a target intensity value; and adjusting, based on the comparison, an electrical control signal provided to the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2026
    Assignee: Velodyne Lidar USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Suresh Rangarajan, Oren Milgrome
  • Patent number: 12743051
    Abstract: A LIDAR system for scene surveying comprises a spatial light modulator for displaying a diffractive pattern comprising a hologram of a light footprint, and a light source for illuminating the diffractive pattern to form a holographic reconstruction of the light footprint on a holographic replay plane in the scene. The light footprint comprises an array of light features. The system comprises a display driver for controlling the spatial light modulator and changing the diffractive pattern with time. The diffractive pattern is changed with time such that each light feature of the array of light features scans a respective sub-area of the scene. The system comprises a detection system having a plurality of light detecting elements and that is configured such that each light detecting element detects light from a respective individual field of view within the scene. Each sub-area of the scene contains a plurality of individual fields of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2026
    Assignee: Dualitas Ltd
    Inventors: Timothy Smeeton, Abdullah Asmari, Gavin Fowler
  • Patent number: 12738707
    Abstract: An optical amplifying fiber includes: at least one single core portion doped with a rare-earth element; an inner cladding portion configured to enclose the at least one core portion, the inner cladding portion having a lower refractive index than maximum refractive index of each core portion; and an outer cladding portion configured to enclose the inner cladding portion, the outer cladding portion having a lower refractive index than refractive index of the inner cladding portion, wherein the inner cladding portion includes a plurality of air bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2026
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Takasaka, Koichi Maeda, Keiichi Aiso, Shinichi Arai, Ryuichi Sugizaki, Kazunori Mukasa, Yukihiro Tsuchida, Masanori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 12731953
    Abstract: A system for communicating supervisory information between amplifier nodes in an optical communication network utilizes modulation of an included pump source to superimpose the supervisory information on data signals (typically customer data signals) propagating between the amplifier nodes transmitted customer signals. The modulated pump appears as a modulated envelope on the amplified data signal exiting the amplifier node, and may be recovered by suitable demodulation components located at the second node (i.e., the destined receiver of the supervisory information). The supervisory information may include monitoring messages, provisioning data, protocol updates, etc., and is utilized as an input to an included modulator, which then forms a drive signal for the pump controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2026
    Assignee: II-VI DELAWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Aravanan Gurusami, Deepak Devicharan, Timothy K. Zahnley, Martin R. Williams
  • Patent number: 12730193
    Abstract: An example electronic system utilizing an optical ranging, proximity, and/or image sensor configured with retroreflective mechanisms to reduce unwanted optical noise at an optical radiation receiver are provided. The example ranging, proximity, and/or image sensor is configured to include a housing cap having a transmission opening and a receiving opening. The example sensor may further include an optical radiation source positioned to direct ranging optical radiation through the transmission opening toward a target object. An optical radiation receiver is positioned to receive ranging optical radiation reflected off the target object through the receiving opening. A retroreflective mechanism implemented on a surface of the housing cap directs unwanted optical noise back towards an unwanted optical noise source and away from the optical radiation receiver. Properties of the target object may be determined based on one or more properties of the ranging optical radiation received at optical radiation receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2026
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL N.V.
    Inventors: Wei Liang Keith Nguyen, Jelah Nieva Caceres
  • Patent number: 12710534
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lidar (1000) comprising an emitter (1100) and a receiver (1200), wherein the receiver (1200) comprises a discrete amplification photon detector (1210), wherein the receiver (1200) comprises a discriminator (1220), wherein the discriminator (1220) has an input connected to an output signal of the discrete amplification photon detector (1210), and wherein the discriminator (1220) is configured to output a signal indicating that the output signal of the discrete amplification photon detector (1210) is higher than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: ID QUANTIQUE SA
    Inventors: Alexander Dunning, Gianluca Boso, Felix Bussieres
  • Patent number: 12693305
    Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing laser beam characteristics in high-speed laser motion systems, wherein the characteristics include laser travel speed, velocity, and acceleration, wherein the high-speed laser motion systems comprise a laser for generating a laser beam, comprising determining a location of the first pin-hole sensor within the predetermined field of view; determining a location of the second pin-hole sensor within the predetermined field of view; defining a travel distance of the laser beam; measuring the amount of time to travel from the location of the first pin-hole sensor to the location of the second pin-hole sensor; and dividing the travel distance by the amount of time to travel from the location of the first pin-hole sensor to the location of the second pin-hole sensor to calculate the velocity of the laser beam between the first pin-hole sensor and the second pin-hole sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2026
    Inventors: Jacob C. Hay, Ron Aman, Stanley L. Ream
  • Patent number: 12674656
    Abstract: A system for checking the attitude angles of wheels is provided, in a manner that is known per se, with a vertical measuring or column 1 on which some transmitters and receivers of electromagnetic signals are installed—for example coherent light illuminators (typically lasers) and associated reflected light sensor—which overall define a group of distance sensors. According to the disclosure, the proposed system is produced using distance sensors appropriately fitted on a single vertical measuring structure which is positioned, on a side of a movement path, where the vehicle equipped with wheels moves, that has a substantially transverse direction with respect to the acquisition direction of the distance sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2026
    Assignee: VAMAG S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giovanni Crosta, Alessandro Ratti
  • Patent number: 12669588
    Abstract: A laser radar device includes: a light source; a mirror rotatable about a rotation shaft to reflect laser light emitted by the light source; a window; and a detector to detect laser light. The mirror has a low reflection area having a lower reflectance than the other region of the mirror, in a state where a mirror surface faces toward the light source, at position adjacent to the light source than the detector in an axial direction of the rotation shaft and adjacent to the window than a region where the laser light emitted by the light source hits for a first time in a radial direction of the rotation shaft. The window has an inclined posture in which a distance from the rotation shaft is shorter at position adjacent to the detector than at position adjacent to the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2026
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Asami, Kazuhisa Onda, Mitsuhiro Kiyono
  • Patent number: 12665379
    Abstract: A laser system for the generation of ultrashort optical pulses of light including an oscillator emitting low power and negatively chirped optical pulses with a spectral bandwidth W1, a dispersive connecting segment to maintain the sign of the chirp of the pulses of the oscillator, an optical amplifier for amplifying the optical light pulses and a negative group velocity dispersion segment for compensating phase contributions of the whole propagation process. During the propagation from the output of the oscillator to the end of the optical amplifier, the chirp of the light pulses will change once from negative to positive chirp. After a final compression stage ultrashort optical pulses can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignee: VALO Innovations GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Pape, Oliver Prochnow
  • Patent number: 12665394
    Abstract: In some implementations, a device may generate a data set including at least modal gain values and modal loss values for a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) slice. The device may determine, based on the data set, respective widths for a plurality of slices of an SOA using an autoregressive model. A width, of the respective widths, for a slice, of the plurality of slices, may be associated with a maximum conversion efficiency achievable for the slice at a given current density. The device may generate information indicating a geometry for the SOA based on the respective widths for the plurality of slices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventors: Yiyin Zhou, Amit Mizrahi, Michael C. Larson
  • Patent number: 12665374
    Abstract: A planar waveguide amplifier includes a planar waveguide including a flat plate-like core; a first cladding provided on a first principal face of the core; and a second cladding provided on a second principal face of the core, and signal light and pumping light travel into the planar waveguide so that the signal light and the pumping light propagate inside the core in such a manner that optical paths of the signal light and the pumping light overlap each other, and in a zig-zag manner, and the core is an amplification medium containing a rare-earth element serving as an active ion of a three-level system, and absorbs the signal light on the basis of a reduction in intensity of the pumping light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirosawa, Narito Samejima, Kenichi Uto
  • Patent number: 12656490
    Abstract: A large-scale and high-precision absolute distance measurement system based on an all-fiber femtosecond laser, including: a first all-fiber femtosecond laser, a second all-fiber femtosecond laser, a fiber optic splitter, a first fiber optic circulator, a wavelength division multiplexer, an achromatic fiber collimator, a first fiber optic combiner, a second fiber optic combiner, a second fiber optic circulator, a semiconductor laser, a first photodetector, a second photodetector, and a data acquisition and processing module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: Beijing Changcheng Institute of Metrology & Measurement, AVIC
    Inventors: Tengfei Wu, Jibo Han, Yu Bai, Lei Zhang, Linjie Lv, Xinliang Li
  • Patent number: 12631750
    Abstract: A method for Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensing of a scene is provided. The method includes performing, by a ToF sensor, a plurality of first ToF measurements using a first modulation frequency to obtain first measurement values. A respective correlation function of each of the plurality of first ToF measurements is periodic and exhibits an increasing amplitude over distance within a measurement range of the ToF sensor. The method additionally includes determining a distance to an object in the scene based on the first measurement values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: ifm group services gmbh
    Inventors: Armin Josef Schoenlieb, Hannes Plank