Patents Examined by Gordon J. Stock, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10989625
    Abstract: A vehicle (9) headlight measurement system instrumentation structure (1) comprises: a support structure (3); a vehicle calibration assistance structure (4), which is carried by the support structure (3) and includes a headlight aiming device (40), configured to facilitate alignment or calibration of a headlight (90) of the vehicle (9), the vehicle (9) being positioned within a service area (8); a processing system (11) configured to receive, from the headlight aiming device (40), data correlated with a light beam emitted by the headlight (90) and to provide, through an interface (10), an informative indication relating to an operating condition of the headlight (90), where the processing system (11) includes a communication port (12) connectable to an electronic control unit (91) of the vehicle (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: NEXION S.P.A.
    Inventor: Giulio Corghi
  • Patent number: 10989526
    Abstract: The present invention is a device for the complete acquisition of the shape of an object by means of a plurality of image sensors arranged around a space for image capture. Image sensors capture a plurality of images that are carried to a reconstruction system formed from said plurality of images corresponding to different views of the object. Document EP2511653 discloses a system where the object falls through the trap area so that there is no type of fastener or support which hides some part of the object. The present invention is a device for the acquisition and reconstruction of objects characterized by the use of an actuator serving as launcher and configured so that the object is positioned at the point of capture of images at either zero or very close to zero speed to improve the resolution of each image without blurring due to movement, even with relatively long exposure times. Additionally, the actuator is configured so that the fall of the object is such that it prevents damage by the impact effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: INSTITUTO TECHNOLÓGICO DE INFORMÁTICA UPV CIUDAD POLITÉCNICA DE LA INNOVACIÓN
    Inventor: Juan Carlos Pérez Cortés
  • Patent number: 10989795
    Abstract: A system and method for analyzing a surface of an object is provided. The system includes a 3D measurement device operable to acquire a plurality of points on the surface of the object and determine 3D coordinates for each of the points. The system further includes processors operably coupled to the 3D measurement device. The processors are responsive to computer instructions when executed on the processors for performing a method comprising: generating a point cloud from the 3D coordinates of the plurality of points; extracting a first set of points from the plurality of points; defining a first reference geometry through the first set of points; measuring at least one first metric from each of the points in the first set of points to the first reference geometry; and identifying a nonconforming feature based at least in part on the at least one first metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Oliver Zweigle, Aleksej Frank, Johannes Buback
  • Patent number: 10983445
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus, method, and system are described herein. An example inspection apparatus includes an optical system and an imaging system. The optical system may be configured to output an illumination beam incident on a target including one or more features, the illumination beam polarized with a first polarization when incident on the target. The imaging system may be configured to obtain intensity data representing at least a portion of the illumination beam scattered by the one or more features, where the portion of the illumination beam has a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. The inspection apparatus may be further configured to generate image data representing an image of each of the feature(s) based on the intensity data, and determine a measurement of a parameter of interest associated with the feature(s) based on an amount of the portion of the illumination beam having the second polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Nitesh Pandey, Zili Zhou, Gerbrand Van Der Zouw, Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij, Armand Eugene Albert Koolen, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Martinus Hubertus Maria Van Weert, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Shu-jin Wang, Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer, Alok Verma
  • Patent number: 10983044
    Abstract: In-situ optical spectroscopic monitoring, characterization and feedback control of extraction and purification processes of compounds such as oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes and cannabinoids derived from plant material are described. Liquids from an extraction or purification process flow down an optically transparent tube, such as one made of glass. An in-situ optical monitoring assembly is configured to be mounted onto the tube to measure optical properties of the liquid extract or liquid condensate as it flows in the tube. Optical properties of the flowing liquid may include optical transmittance, reflectance, photoluminescence, scattering, absorbance, turbidity, nephelometry, polarimetry and colorimetry. The output of the optical monitoring assembly can be used to display spectral and other about the flowing liquid, set alarms to notify an operator of a predetermined condition such as a set point, and used to control extraction or purification process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Arometrix, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Metting, Jonathan K. Bunn, Timothy G. Collins, Hasso Von Bredow, George Atanasoff
  • Patent number: 10976218
    Abstract: In some examples, an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) device may include a laser source to emit a plurality of laser beams. Each laser beam may include a different pulse width. A control unit may analyze, for each laser beam, a backscattered signal from a device under test (DUT). The control unit may generate, for each backscattered signal, a trace along the DUT. Further, the control unit may generate, based on an analysis of each trace along the DUT, a combined trace that identifies optical events detected along the DUT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: VIAVI SOLUTIONS FRANCE SAS
    Inventors: Jean Paul Bonche, Olivier Receveur
  • Patent number: 10976236
    Abstract: Light detection systems for measuring light (e.g., in a flow stream) are described. Light detection systems according to embodiments include a light scatter detector, a brightfield photodetector and an optical adjustment component configured to convey light to the light scatter detector and to the brightfield photodetector. Systems and methods for measuring light emitted by a sample (e.g., in a flow stream) and kits having a light scatter detector, a brightfield photodetector and a beam splitter component are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventors: Jizuo Zou, Matthew Bahr, Eric D. Diebold
  • Patent number: 10962474
    Abstract: A system includes a detector and a computing device communicatively coupled to the detector. The detector detects spatial or temporal spectral features of a light beam after transmission of the light beam through a turbulent or aberrated medium and generate a measurement signal indicative of the spectral feature. The computing device receives the measurement signal and a comparative signal indicative of a spectral feature of the light beam prior to or after transmission of the light beam through the medium. The computing device compares the measurement signal and the comparative signal and determines, based on the comparison of the measurement signal and the comparative signal, one or more values related to variations in refractive indices of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Joseph Talghader, Merlin Lyn Mah
  • Patent number: 10962762
    Abstract: A portable inspection unit is provided. The portable inspection unit may include a unit body, a flexible cable, and an imager housing. The flexible cable may extend from the unit body and the imager housing may be disposed at a distal end of the flexible cable. The portable inspection unit may include a grasper that extends and retracts from the imager housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: INSPECTRON, INC.
    Inventors: Tye L. Newman, Brent F. Lyons
  • Patent number: 10955340
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer readable storage medium for determining a glossiness value of a skin of a user are provided. In an embodiment, a polarized light having a property value is emitted from a portable light source towards the portion of the skin of the user. The portable light source is coupled to a handheld device. The polarized light is cast on the portion of the skin of the user from the portable light source. Reflected light reflected from the portion of the skin of the user is measured using a sensor coupled to the handheld device. The reflected light has a property value. A ratio between the property values of the emitted polarized light and the measured reflected light is determined using a processor of the handheld device. The glossiness value of the portion of the skin of the user is determined based on the determined ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Andreas Bock, Thomas Welss
  • Patent number: 10935399
    Abstract: An apparatus for sensing a value of a property includes: an optical sensor having a single mode optical fiber responsive to the property; an optical interrogator having a tunable laser to transmit polarized light to the optical sensor, a photo-detector to receive sensor light, and a controller configured to process the received light and output the value of the property; and a passive random depolarizer disposed between the tunable laser and the single mode optical fiber and having (i) a first polarization maintaining (PM) optical fiber of length L1 having a first fast optical axis and a first slow optical axis and (ii) a second PM optical fiber of length L2 having a second fast optical axis and a second slow optical axis rotationally spliced to the first PM optical fiber in which the second fast and slow optical axes are offset from the first fast and slow optical axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventor: Dan Raymond Provenzano
  • Patent number: 10935478
    Abstract: A particle detecting device is provided. The particle detecting device includes a base, a detecting element, a micro pump and a drive control board. The base includes a detecting channel, a beam channel and a light trapping region. The detecting element includes a microprocessor, a particle sensor and a laser transmitter. The particle sensor is disposed at an orthogonal position where the detecting channel intersects the beam channel. When the micro pump, the particle sensor and the laser transmitter are enabled under the control of the microprocessor, the gas outside the detecting channel is inhaled into the detecting channel. When the gas flows to the orthogonal position where the detecting channel intersects the beam channel, the gas is irradiated by the projecting light source from the laser transmitter, and projecting light spots generated are projected on the particle sensor for detecting the size and the concentration of suspended particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: MICROJET TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hao-Jan Mou, Chin-Chuan Wu, Chih-Kai Chen, Ching-Sung Lin, Chi-Feng Huang, Yung-Lung Han, Chun-Yi Kuo
  • Patent number: 10931366
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe optical fiber sensing systems, methods and structures disclosing a distributed fiber sensor network constructed on an existing, live network, data carrying, optical fiber telecommunications infrastructure to detect temperatures, acoustic effects, and vehicle traffic—among others. Of particular significance, sensing systems, methods, and structures according to aspects of the present disclosure may advantageously identify specific network locations relative to manholes/handholes and environmental conditions within those manholes/handholes namely, normal, flooded, frozen/iced, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignees: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
    Inventors: Ting Wang, Ming-Fang Huang, Tiejun Xia, Glenn Wellbrock, Yaowen Li, Philip Ji
  • Patent number: 10928327
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for measurement of spatial properties of a moving surface coating containing flake pigment are provided herein. An exemplary apparatus includes a movable surface adapted to receive the surface coating. A motion device is in mechanical communication with the movable surface. A light source provides a beam of light directed at a preselected interrogation zone through which the movable surface passes during movement thereof. A light detection device detects light reflected from the preselected interrogation zone and produces an output. A computing device is configured to determine one or more spatial properties of the surface coating based upon the output. One or more of the light source, the light detection device, or the computing device are configured to adjust for the movement of the surface coating through the preselected interrogation zone as a variable that affects measurement of reflected light by the light detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS IP CO., LLC
    Inventors: Larry E. Steenhoek, Hardeep Singh Gill, Ken S. Schermacher
  • Patent number: 10924681
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes an angle control unit configured to change a tilt angle by tilting an imaging sensor, a first determination unit configured to determine a first area from among a plurality of areas in an image, an evaluation value acquisition unit configured to acquire a contrast evaluation value of each of second areas excluding the first area among the plurality of areas by changing the tilt angle through the angle control unit, and a second determination unit configured to determine the tilt angle for each area based on the contrast evaluation value acquired by the evaluation value acquisition unit, and determining the tilt angle of the image sensor based on the tilt angle determined for each area. The angle control unit tilts the image sensor so as to obtain the tilt angle determined by the second determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Natsuko Sato
  • Patent number: 10921117
    Abstract: A multi-core fiber includes multiple optical cores, and for each different core of a set of different cores of the multiple optical cores, a total change in optical length is detected. The total change in optical length represents an accumulation of all changes in optical length for multiple segments of that different core up to a point on the multi-core fiber. A difference is determined between the total changes in optical length for cores of the set of different cores. A twist parameter and/or a bend angle associated with the multi-core fiber at the point on the multi-core fiber is/are determined based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Froggatt, Justin W. Klein, Dawn K. Gifford, Stephen T. Kreger
  • Patent number: 10914687
    Abstract: An apparatus for the optical detection of inner walls includes at least one camera, an optical imaging arrangement, and an illumination arrangement. The apparatus is configured to record in a panoramic view by means of the camera a plurality of regions of an inner wall which are axially offset from one another. The apparatus is distinguished by virtue of the illumination arrangement having at least two different functional states, wherein a first brightness distribution emitted by the illumination arrangement is assigned to a first functional state, the brightness distribution differing from a second brightness distribution in at least one second functional state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: SAC SIRIUS ADVANCED CYBERNETICS GMBH
    Inventor: Christoph Wagner
  • Patent number: 10908513
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method, computer program and a metrology apparatus for measuring a process effect parameter relating to a manufacturing process for manufacturing integrated circuits on a substrate. The method comprises determining for a structure, a first quality metric value for a quality metric from a plurality of measurement values each relating to a different measurement condition while cancelling or mitigating for the effect of the process effect parameter on the plurality of measurement values and a second quality metric value for the quality metric from at least one measurement value relating to at least one measurement condition without cancelling or mitigating for the effect of the process effect parameter on the at least one measurement value. The process effect parameter value for the process effect parameter can then be calculated from the first quality metric value and the second quality metric value, for example by calculating their difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Marc Johannes Noot, Simon Gijsbert Josephus Mathijssen, Kaustuve Bhattacharyya, Jinmoo Byun, Hyun-Su Kim, Won-Jae Jang, Timothy Dugan Davis
  • Patent number: 10890441
    Abstract: A shape inspection apparatus for inspecting a strip-shaped body includes: a line sensor camera; a first illumination light source and a second illumination light source; a measurement control unit; and a data processing unit. The measurement control unit controls the lighting timings and light emission time periods as well as the line image acquisition timing based on a line speed so that overlapping of photographing ranges does not occur between a first line image acquired within a light emission time period of the first illumination light source and a second line image acquired within a light emission time period of the second illumination light source. The data processing unit calculates an inclination of the surface of the strip-shaped body based on a differential line image obtained based on the first line image and the second line image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Sonoda, Nobuhiro Furuya
  • Patent number: 10883927
    Abstract: A hemoglobin detecting device includes a shell component connected with a fixing part that engages with an outer side of a smart device. A processor unit, a light source, a light detection module and a transmission unit are mounted inside the shell component. The light source generates a first light beam, and the light detection module receives a second light beam that is generated when the first light beam travels through an analyte solution and is reflected. The processor unit determines whether the absorption spectrum of the analyte solution matches a target spectrum, and generates a result information according to the detection. The transmission unit transmits the result information to the smart device and displays an indication of the result. The hemoglobin detecting device provides a fast and accurate way to detect blood in a stool solution, and can be applied to and cooperate with all kinds of smart devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Redeye Biomedical Inc.
    Inventors: Shuo-Ting Yan, I-Hua Wang