Patents Examined by Eric L Bolda
  • Patent number: 11575199
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a light phased array antenna and a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) including the same. The present invention provides a light phased array antenna including: a light distributing unit configured to receive light from a laser generator and distribute the received light to a plurality of antenna element waveguides; a phase modulating unit configured to modulate a phase of light propagated through the antenna element waveguides by applying an electric field to the plurality of antenna element waveguides; and a light output unit configured to output light modulated in the phase modulating unit, in which the light distributing unit, the phase modulating unit, and the light output unit include a base part and an optical waveguide provided on the base part and including the plurality of antenna element waveguides, and a LiDAR including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: GWANGJU INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Nan Ei Yu, Kyung Hun Han, Victor Yurlov
  • Patent number: 11567208
    Abstract: Described herein is a system, a method and a processor-readable medium for spatial profiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Baraja Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Federico Collarte Bondy, Cibby Pulikkaseril
  • Patent number: 11563300
    Abstract: An optical system for suppressing signal noise on an optical fiber, including an input power signal; a pump laser configured to receive the input power signal; a phase modulator coupled to the pump laser configured to modulate, in response to the input power signal, a phase of the pump laser to increase a stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold of the pump laser, wherein the pump laser is further configured to: increase a power at the pump laser to be greater than the SBS threshold; generate a back scattering power based on the power of the pump laser being greater than the increased SBS threshold; and limit an output power signal of the pump laser based on the generated back scattering power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Youichi Akasaka, Tadashi Ikeuchi
  • Patent number: 11561093
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for facilitating estimation of a spatial profile of an environment based on a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based technique. In one arrangement, the present disclosure facilitates spatial profile estimation based on directing light over one dimension, such as along the vertical direction. In another arrangement, by further directing the one-dimensionally directed light in another dimension, such as along the horizontal direction, the present disclosure facilitates spatial profile estimation based on directing light in two dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: BARAJA PTY LTD
    Inventors: Rebecca Lodin, Cibby Pulikkaseril, Federico Collarte Bondy
  • Patent number: 11555902
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an automatic gain control (AGC) unit to reduce the dynamic range, reducing processing power and saving circuit area and cost. The system detects a return beam of a light signal transmitted to a target, having a first dynamic range in a time domain. An analog to digital converter (ADC) generates a digital signal based on the return beam. A processor can perform time domain processing on the digital signal, convert the digital signal from the time domain to a frequency domain, and perform frequency domain processing on the digital signal in the frequency domain. The AGC unit can measure a power of the return beam, and apply variable gain in the frequency domain to reduce a dynamic range of the return beam to a second dynamic range lower than the first dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Esha John, Kumar Bhargav Viswanatha, Rajendra Tushar Moorti, Mina Rezk
  • Patent number: 11557872
    Abstract: Fiber optic amplification includes a photonic crystal fiber coupled to a pump laser through a first coupler. The pump laser emits a first electromagnetic radiation wave into the photonic crystal fiber at a first oscillation frequency and a second electromagnetic radiation wave into the photonic crystal fiber at a second oscillation frequency equaling the first oscillation frequency. The first and second electromagnetic radiation waves interact to generate a signal comprising an electromagnetic radiation wave at a third oscillation frequency and an idler comprising a fourth electromagnetic radiation wave at a fourth oscillation frequency to be generated and amplified through parametric amplification. Parametric amplification is achieved by four wave mixing. The photonic crystal fiber emits a parametric output signal based on the four wave mixing. A nonlinear crystal frequency doubles the parametric output signal through second-harmonic generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: L. Brandon Shaw, Rafael R. Gattass, Rajesh Thapa, Lynda E. Busse, Ishwar D. Aggarwal, Daniel L. Rhonehouse, Jasbinder S. Sanghera, Jason Auxier
  • Patent number: 11558554
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a light source, an image sensor and a processing unit. The image sensor alternatively captures a first bright image, a first dark image, a second bright image and a second dark image, wherein the first bright image is captured with a first exposure time corresponding to activation of the light source within a first time interval, the first dark image is captured with the first exposure time corresponding to deactivation of the light source within the first time interval, the second bright image is captured with a second exposure time corresponding to activation of the light source within a second time interval, and the second dark image is captured with the second exposure time corresponding to deactivation of the light source within the second time interval, wherein the second exposure time is longer than the first exposure time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventors: Guo-Zhen Wang, Shiaw-Yu Jou
  • Patent number: 11543505
    Abstract: An optoelectronic module including a light emitter to generate light to be emitted from the module; a plurality of spatially distributed light sensitive elements arranged to detect light from the emitter that is reflected by an object outside the module; and one or more dedicated spurious-reflection detection pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: AMS SENSORS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Jens Kubacki, Jim Lewis, Miguel Bruno Vaello Paños, Michael Lehmann, Stephan Beer, Bernhard Buettgen, Daniel Pérez Calero, Bassam Hallal
  • Patent number: 11536813
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an optical subsystem with an optical axis. The optical subsystem includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, a first optical lens to transmit the optical beam, an optical window to reflect a first portion of the optical beam to generate a LO signal, an optical scanner to transmit a second portion of the optical beam to a target to scan the target to generate a target return signal, a second optical lens to transmit the LO signal and the target return signal to a PD, and the PD to mix the target return signal with the LO signal to extract range and velocity information. The LO signal is disposed to be decentered from the optical axis on the second optical lens to increase a percentage of an overlap of the LO signal and the target return signal on a detection plane of the PD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Inventors: Keith Gagne, Adrian Cort, Oguzhan Avci, Kevin Pollock, Pierre Hicks, Mina Rezk, Behsan Behzadi, Gautam Prabhakar
  • Patent number: 11536815
    Abstract: An optoelectronic module including a light emitter to generate light to be emitted from the module, a plurality of spatially distributed light sensitive elements arranged to detect light from the emitter that is reflected by an object outside the module, and one or more dedicated spurious-reflection detection pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: AMS SENSORS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Jens Kubacki, Jim Lewis, Miguel Bruno Vaello Paños, Michael Lehmann, Stephan Beer, Bernhard Buettgen, Daniel Pérez Calero, Bassam Hallal
  • Patent number: 11515681
    Abstract: Provided is a laser module that receives a first laser beam and outputs a second laser beam different from the first laser beam, the laser module including an optical system configured to modulate the first laser beam into the second laser beam and output the second laser beam, a first mirror disposed on an optical path of the first or second laser beam defined in the laser module, the first mirror reflecting the first laser beam to the optical system, a first sensor disposed adjacent to the first mirror and configured to sense the first laser beam incident to the first mirror, a second mirror disposed on the optical path to reflect the second laser beam to an outside of the laser module, and a first driver connected to the second mirror and configured to rotate the second mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Won Bae Cho, Moon Youn Jung
  • Patent number: 11509110
    Abstract: A broadband optical amplifier for operation in the 2 ?m visible wavelength band is based upon a single-clad Ho-doped fiber amplifier (HDFA). A compact pump source uses a combination of discrete laser diode with a fiber laser (which may be a dual-stage fiber laser) to create a pump output beam at a wavelength associated with creating gain in the presence of Ho ions (an exemplary pump wavelength being 1940 nm). The broadband optical amplifier may take the form of a single stage amplifier or a multi-stage amplifier, and may utilize a co-propagating pump and/or a counter-propagating pump arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Cybel, LLC.
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Delavaux, Robert E. Tench, Alexandre Amavigan
  • Patent number: 11502474
    Abstract: An optical material including: a silica host; and a Praseodymium dopant; wherein the Praseodymium atoms are configured to form nanoclusters in the silica host. In addition, the optical material may include an Ytterbium co-dopant. The nanoclusters include Ge, Te, Ta, Lu and/or F, Cl to minimize multi-phonon quenching. Moreover, the nanoclusters may be encapsulated in a low phonon energy shell to minimize energy transfer to the host matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Thorlabs, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert M. Pafchek
  • Patent number: 11500062
    Abstract: Techniques of deriving audio signals using frequency modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) LIDAR use an acceleration-based algorithm in which an audio signal is based on a difference in velocity between two up-chirps or two-down-chirps. Such an acceleration-based algorithm takes less computation, results in fast processing, boosts the high frequency component of the audio signals which the velocity-based algorithm lacks, and improves the subjective intelligibility. For example, in the acceleration-based algorithm, the DC components may be safely ignored in many cases. In such cases, the system does not require a band-pass filter as in the conventional systems, thus reducing computational burden. Moreover, the acceleration-based algorithm emphasizes high frequencies that form a more realistic depiction of human speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: DSCG Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Xiyong Zhang
  • Patent number: 11493615
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that detect an electromagnetic signal in a constant interference environment. In one embodiment, the electromagnetic signal is a light signal. A constant interference detector may detect false signal “hits” generated by constant interference, such as bright light saturation, from valid signals. The constant interference detector determines if there is constant interference for a time period that is greater than a time period of the valid signal. In one embodiment, if a received signal exceeds a programmable threshold value for a programmable period of time, when compared to previously stored ambient light, a control signal is generated to inform the next higher network layer of a sudden change in ambient light. This control signal can be used to either discard the present return or process the signal in a different way. A constant interference detector may be a component of a LIDAR system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: VELODYNE LIDAR USA, INC.
    Inventors: Pravin Kumar Venkatesan, Roger Jullian Pinto, Jianghui Su, Abhilash Goyal
  • Patent number: 11493602
    Abstract: A photonic, integrated circuit chip can have a frequency comb laser configured to generate a plurality of wavelengths, a plurality of modulators, one respective modulator for each wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths, the plurality of modulators being aligned in series with each of the plurality of modulators being tuned to a respective one of the wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths, a connector configured to convey a drive signal for each modulator of the plurality of modulators, a semiconductor optical amplifier configured to receive light exiting from the plurality of modulators, and a chip having present thereon the frequency comb laser, the plurality of modulators, and the semiconductor optical amplifier. The plurality of modulators can be configured to produce a single beam of time-interleaved, multiple-wavelength output laser light. A mobile system, such as a satellite, can also have the photonic, integrated circuit chip as a component thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Guangning Yang, Jeffrey Chen
  • Patent number: 11493612
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a light source, a detector, an equalizer and a processing circuitry. The light source is configured to emit a pulse having a first output value and a first frequency response. The detector is configured to detect a reflected wave of the pulse and convert the reflected wave to a first electric signal. The reflected wave of the pulse is received after the pulse is reflected by an object. The equalizer is configured to equalize the first electric signal using tap coefficients to generate a second electric signal. The tap coefficients are based on at least either one of the first output value and the first frequency response. The processing circuitry is configured to estimate a distance to the object based on the second electric signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hidenori Okuni, Tuan Thanh Ta, Satoshi Kondo, Akihide Sai
  • Patent number: 11489311
    Abstract: An optical amplifier may include an optical fiber to propagate a forward optical signal in a path of propagation of the optical amplifier. The optical fiber may have an input end face that is angled non-perpendicular to the path of propagation. The optical amplifier may include an optical component, in optical communication with the input end face of the optical fiber, to direct a backward optical emission away from the path of propagation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventors: Guansan Chen, Sheldon McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 11476938
    Abstract: A Raman pumping device (10) for amplifying a data optical signal in a fiber optic transmission system, comprising first and second ports (12a, 12b) through which the data optical signal may respectively enter and exit the Raman pumping device (10), a Raman pump source (14) for generating a Raman pump signal, and at least one combiner (16) for combining the Raman pump signal with the data optical signal. The Raman pumping device (10) allows for selectively combining the Raman pump signal generated by the same Raman pump source (14), or at least parts of the same Raman pump source (14) codirectionally or counterdirectionally with the data optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: XIEON NETWORKS S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Tiago Mestre, Carlo Marques, Anton Schex, Lutz Rapp
  • Patent number: 11476635
    Abstract: An optically amplified repeater system includes optical transmission paths, a multi-channel optical amplifier, one or more Raman amplification pumping light sources, and a wavelength multiplexer. The multi-channel optical amplifier includes K simultaneous pumping light sources, N optical amplification media, and one or more optical couplers, and simultaneously amplifies, with the K simultaneous pumping light sources, light intensities of optical signals that pass through the N optical amplification media and propagate through the optical transmission paths. Light intensities of the wavelength band of the optical signals is Raman amplified by the Raman amplification pumping light. A light intensity of the Raman amplification pumping light output from the one or more Raman amplification pumping light sources is determined in accordance with characteristic differences between the optical signals passing through the optical transmission paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Mizuno, Akira Isoda, Kohki Shibahara, Mitsunori Fukutoku, Yutaka Miyamoto