Patents Examined by Hovhannes Baghdasaryan
  • Patent number: 11768275
    Abstract: A Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) system includes one or more emitter elements configured to emit optical signals responsive to respective emitter control signals, one or more detector elements configured to detect incident photons for respective strobe windows of operation between pulses of the optical signals and at respective delays that differ with respect to the pulses, and at least one control circuit. The at least one control circuit is configured to generate the respective emitter control signals to differently operate the one or more emitter elements based on the respective strobe windows of operation of the one or more detector elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Inventors: Robert Henderson, Tarek Al Abbas, Neil Calder, Hod Finkelstein
  • Patent number: 11762090
    Abstract: A transducer system for locating fish in water beneath ice. A cable coupled with a transducer housing both physically suspends the housing at a selected depth and a selected angular orientation and conveys sonar data to a display unit on the surface. First and second transducers are mounted in the housing and generate the sonar data. The transducers are mounted so as to have different relative angular orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Inventor: Troy D. Simonton
  • Patent number: 11754679
    Abstract: An electro-optical distance meter includes a light source configured to emit light for distance measurement, a detector configured to receive the light and generate a distance measurement signal, a calculator configured to measure the distance from the distance measurement signal, an external optical path configured to guide the light from the light source to a target as measurement light, an internal optical path configured to guide the light from the light source directly to the detector as reference light, and a liquid shutter that can select one of the external and internal optical paths as the optical path through which the light from the light source travels by switching a region of light-blocking liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Nishita, Takashi Takahashi, Tatsuya Kojima, Saki Horita
  • Patent number: 11754680
    Abstract: A LADAR system includes a transmitter configured to emit a directed optical signal. The LADAR system includes an optical aperture through which the directed optical signal is emitted. The optical aperture receives a return optical signal that is based on the directed optical signal. The system includes a detector to generate a measurement by comparing an attribute of the return optical signal to a predefined threshold. The measurement is based on an amount of backscatter in the return optical signal. The system includes an obstructive element that is controllable, based on the measurement, to move either into or out of a path of the return optical signal. The obstructive element is configured to block the return optical signal at least partly. The system includes a focal plane located in the path of the return optical signal. The obstructive element is disposed between the optical aperture and the focal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Timothy P. Johnson, Matthew J. Klotz, Ian S. Robinson
  • Patent number: 11747433
    Abstract: Various implementations described herein are directed to a device having a housing configured for mounting to a watercraft. The device may include a power interface configured to receive power from a power source. The device may include a network interface configured to receive marine data from a plurality of different data sources. The device may include a sonar interface configured to receive sonar data from a sonar device. The device may include a display interface coupled to the power interface, the network interface, and the sonar interface. The display interface may be configured to receive power from the power interface, receive marine data from the network interface, receive sonar data from the sonar interface, and provide power, marine data, and sonar data to a remote marine display that is separate from the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Navico, Inc.
    Inventors: Pablo Eynon, Paul Robert Bailey, Chris Richardson
  • Patent number: 11747444
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for implementing LiDAR-based object detection and classification are described herein. An object detection system includes a feature extraction and object identification (FEOI) circuit to: receive segmented data of an environment around the object detection system, the segmented data obtained using a light imaging detection and ranging (LiDAR) system, oriented with respect to a direction of travel; compute spatial and structural parameters of a segment of the segmented data; and use the spatial and structural parameters with a machine learning model to obtain a classification of the segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rita Chattopadhyay, Monica Lucia Martinez-Canales
  • Patent number: 11740341
    Abstract: A system for ultrasound beamforming is provided, including a sampled analog beamformer, an array of ultrasound transducers, and a high voltage amplifier coupled to the sampled analog beamformer and the array of ultrasound transducers. The sampled analog beamformer includes a sampled analog filter for filtering an incoming analog signal and adding a fractional delay, and transmitting a filtered analog ultrasound signal. The array of ultrasound transducers further transmits the filtered analog ultrasound signal. The high voltage amplifier drives transducers in the array of ultrasound transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Mikael Mortensen, Eric G. Nestler, J. Brian Harrington, Jeffrey G. Bernstein
  • Patent number: 11740208
    Abstract: A delay line control circuit includes a pseudo-random number generator and a random phase generator circuit coupled to the pseudo-random number generator. The pseudo-random number generator is configured to produce a predetermined sequence of pseudo-random values. The random phase generator circuit is configured to randomize an access sequence for capacitors of a delay line. The random phase generator circuit includes a sequence register, an adder, and gating circuitry. The sequence register is configured to a store a value identifying one of the capacitors to be accessed. The adder is coupled to the sequence register, and is configured to increment the value stored in sequence register. The gating circuitry is coupled to the pseudo-random number generator and the adder. The gating circuitry is configured to pass one of the pseudo-random values to the adder for addition to the value stored in the sequence register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Prashuk Jain, Ravikumar Pattipaka, Vajeed Nimran Parambil Abdul Raheem, Sandeep Kesrimal Oswal
  • Patent number: 11723762
    Abstract: Methods and systems for performing 3-D LIDAR measurements of objects simultaneously illuminated by two or more beams of light in the far field are described herein. A 3-D LIDAR based measurement device simultaneously emits at least two beams of light into a three dimensional environment from different locations. A portion of the three dimensional environment is simultaneously illuminated by the two or more light beams at a distance of at least five meters from the LIDAR device. However, the two or more light beams do not overlap at a distance less than five meters from the LIDAR device. The beams of light are slightly divergent, having highest intensity at the device and steadily lower intensity further away. By overlapping illumination beams in the far field, but not near the LIDAR device, overall intensity is maintained at moderate levels throughout the field of view of the LIDAR device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: VELODYNE LIDAR, INC.
    Inventors: David S. Hall, Mathew Noel Rekow, Pieter J. Kerstens
  • Patent number: 11726208
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, and devices for autonomous vehicle localization using a Lidar intensity map. A system is configured to generate a map embedding using a first neural network and to generate an online Lidar intensity embedding using a second neural network. The map embedding is based on input map data comprising a Lidar intensity map, and the Lidar sweep embedding is based on online Lidar sweep data. The system is further configured to generate multiple pose candidates based on the online Lidar intensity embedding and compute a three-dimensional (3D) score map comprising a match score for each pose candidate that indicates a similarity between the pose candidate and the map embedding. The system is further configured to determine a pose of a vehicle based on the 3D score map and to control one or more operations of the vehicle based on the determined pose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Shenlong Wang, Andrei Pokrovsky, Raquel Urtasun Sotil, Ioan Andrei Bârsan
  • Patent number: 11719785
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for transmitting data via a vehicle data bus from an ultrasonic system, which comprises at least one ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver, to a data processing device, wherein predetermined signal profile characteristics are extracted from the echo signal received by the at least one ultrasonic receiver of the ultrasonic system. Echo signal data, which represent signal profile characteristics extracted from the echo signal, is created. Said echo signal data is transmitted from the ultrasonic system via the vehicle data bus to the data processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: ELMOS SEMICONDUCTOR SE
    Inventor: Dennis Kreiss
  • Patent number: 11714170
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed toward measuring a three dimensional range to a target. A transmitter emits light toward the target. An aperture may receive light reflections from the target. The aperture may direct the reflections toward a sensor that comprises rows of pixels that have columns. The sensor is offset a predetermined distance from the transmitter. Anticipated arrival times of the reflections on the sensor are based on the departure times and the predetermined offset distance. A portion of the pixels are sequentially activated based on the anticipated arrival times. The target's three dimensional range measurement is based on the reflections detected by the portion of the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Semiconuctor, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerard Dirk Smits
  • Patent number: 11686844
    Abstract: A distance measurement device includes a light source, a polarization optical member, a reflective member, a first light-receiving element, and a second light-receiving element. The reflective member varies a scan angle for scanning an object to be measured with light from the light source and reflects the light from the light source for each varied scan angle. The polarization optical member guides the light reflected by the reflective member to the object to be measured. The light-receiving element receives reflected light after the light guided by the polarization optical member is reflected by the object to be measured. In a case where the scan angle of the reflective member is a specific angle, the light-receiving element receives the light reflected by the reflective member and the polarization optical member in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Ogo
  • Patent number: 11662465
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that facilitate a scanning light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device configured to provide an asymmetric illumination pattern. An example system includes a rotatable base configured to rotate about a first axis and a mirror assembly. The mirror assembly is configured to rotate about a second axis, which is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The system also includes an optical cavity coupled to the rotatable base. The optical cavity includes a photodetector and a photodetector lens arranged so as to define a light-receiving axis. The optical cavity also includes a light-emitter device and a light-emitter lens arranged so as to define a light-emission axis. At least one of the light-receiving axis or the light-emission axis forms a tilt angle with respect to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Davis, Blaise Gassend
  • Patent number: 11662432
    Abstract: A survey tool for determining position and orientation (P&O) thereof relative to a construction site is provided herein. The survey tool may include: a moveable platform wherein the moveable platform is configured to rotate at least one two-axis electro-optic deflection unit mounted on the moveable platform; at least one light source coupled to the two-axis electro-optic deflection unit configured to project a light beam, wherein steering of the light beam is carried out by operating at least one of: the two-axis electro-optic deflection unit, and the moveable platform, and wherein the light beam forms a projection onto surfaces within the construction site; at least one sensor configured to record at least one of: a steering angle and, a distance between the survey tool and said point; and at least one computer processor configured to determine the P&O of the survey tool relative to the construction site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: LIGHTYX SYSTEMS LTD.
    Inventors: Tomer Shaul Elran, Uri Yehuday
  • Patent number: 11662492
    Abstract: Seismic image processing including filtering a three-dimensional (3D) seismic image for random noise attenuation via multiple processors. The filtering includes receiving a 3D image cube of seismic image data, decomposing the 3D image cube into 3D sub-cubes for parallel computation on the multiple processors, designing and applying a two-dimensional (2D) adaptive filter for image points on 2D image slices of the 3D sub-cubes via the multiple processors to give filtered 3D sub-cubes, and summing the filtered 3D sub-cubes to give a filtered 3D image cube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Saleh A. Dossary, Jiaxiang Ren
  • Patent number: 11644575
    Abstract: A technique is provided to more easily measure a distance of a target from a ground surface or a ceiling surface. A surveying device has a laser scanner part and a total station in a unitary manner. The surveying device includes a TS functional part, a laser scanner part, and a distance calculator. The TS functional part positions a reflective prism by using laser light. The laser scanner part performs laser scanning of a ground surface along a vertical plane containing the reflective prism and an optical axis for the laser positioning to obtain a laser scanned point cloud. The distance calculator calculates a distance between the ground surface and the reflective prism on the basis of one or multiple points, which are extracted from the laser scanned point cloud and in proximity to a straight line connecting the reflective prism and a specific plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Nishita
  • Patent number: 11630191
    Abstract: Various aspects of the subject technology relate to a mobile support platform for vehicle sensor calibration. The mobile support platform includes a chassis, lift posts on the chassis configured to interface with one or more lift points on a vehicle and raise the vehicle, and a set of wheels mounted to the chassis configured to carry the vehicle through a calibration sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GM Cruise Holdings LLC.
    Inventor: James Nee
  • Patent number: 11624815
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for the modulation of an acoustic field for providing tactile sensations. A method of creating haptic feedback using ultrasound is provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of ultrasound waves with a common focal point using a phased array of ultrasound transducers, the common focal point being a haptic feedback point, and modulating the generation of the ultrasound waves using a waveform selected to produce little or no audible sound at the haptic feedback point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: ULTRAHAPTICS IP LTD
    Inventors: Thomas Andrew Carter, Benjamin John Oliver Long, Sriram Subramanian
  • Patent number: 11614517
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods are disclosed for reducing interference between an active illumination device and external radiation sources, for example, other active illumination devices operating within the vicinity. A disclosed system includes one or more active illumination devices, each configured to emit an illumination signal and also to receive a returned portion of its respective illumination signal with at least one sensor. At least one of the active illumination devices is capable of detecting interference caused by an external source, for example, an illumination signal emitted from another active illumination device. As a result of detecting the interference, the receiving active illumination device changes the timing of its subsequent illumination signals and sensor operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: nLIGHT, Inc.
    Inventor: Bodo Schmidt