Patents Examined by Isam A. Alsomiri
  • Patent number: 12169259
    Abstract: A reflective sonar imaging system is provided. The system includes a reflective sonar imaging assembly. The reflective sonar imaging assembly includes a receiving aperture, a reflective surface defining a concave shape, and a receiver positioned between the reflective surface and the receiving aperture. The system also includes a display and processing circuitry. The reflective surface is configured to cause sonar returns to be reflected as reflected sonar returns toward the receiver. The sonar returns enter the reflective sonar imaging assembly through the receiving aperture, and the receiver is configured to receive the reflected sonar returns. The receiver is configured to generate sonar return data using the reflected sonar returns that are received, and the processing circuitry is configured to receive the sonar return data and generate one or more sonar images based on the sonar return data. The display is configured to present the sonar image(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Navico, Inc.
    Inventors: Jayme J. Caspall, Bin Gao, Andrew Chambers, Dustyn P. Pendergraft, Oscar Villalvazo
  • Patent number: 12169241
    Abstract: Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for spatial and temporal encoding of transmission in full synthetic transmit aperture imaging to achieve optimal spatial and contrast resolution and large signal-to-noise ratio for medical imaging applications with fewer signal transmissions, which can be equal to or less than the number of array elements within the aperture. In some aspects, a method of signal transmission is disclosed that includes a sequence of one or more sets of transmissions on a plurality of elements with unique, random, and/or optimized combinations of waveforms using amplitude and phase, and/or delay encoding. Sets of echoes corresponding to the sequence are beamformed such that fewer transmissions are needed than the number of array elements within the aperture, while maintaining complete spatial sampling of the aperture as if sampled according to a full set of synthetic transmit aperture transmissions on the same aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: DECISION SCIENCES MEDICAL COMPANY, LLC
    Inventor: Dustin E. Kruse
  • Patent number: 12167724
    Abstract: A geofenced autonomous aquatic drone for repelling sharks from a shoreline. The drone employs a buoyant housing resembling a portion of a predator such as an orca whale. A battery positioned within the drone is recharged through a floating inductive charging station. A transmitter unit coupled to at least one under water transducer introduces certain sounds, such as reproduction of orca whale or dolphin calling sounds. A propulsion system controlled a microprocessor receives location information via DGPS for providing a geofence around an area to be patrolled. The drone travels within the geofence area, monitored by the DGPS receiver, while said transducer produces certain sounds and or a solution of shark repellant is dispensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Inventor: Craig D. Allmendinger
  • Patent number: 12161508
    Abstract: Provided are an ultrasonic imaging method and device, and a storage medium. The ultrasonic imaging method includes: acquiring an ultrasonic echo signal; segmenting the ultrasonic echo signal into a first predetermined number of sub-echo signals according to scan depths; performing amplitude apodization on each sub-echo signal with a predetermined window function to obtain processed sub-echo signals; completing ultrasonic imaging according to the processed sub-echo signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Beijing BOE Technology Development Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jijing Huang, Zhiming Yang, Zongmin Liu, Mengjun Hou, Dawei Tang, Qiong Wu
  • Patent number: 12164025
    Abstract: A synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) system utilizes a novel timing and pointing method to illuminate and process data from multiple receive channels over one or more elevation swaths. The system further utilizes cross-track interferometry to improve accuracy of three-dimensional mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: The Tomorrow Companies Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Pollard, James R. Carswell
  • Patent number: 12160276
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to utilizing ultrasonic transducers and receivers to implement directional sound in combination with gesture detection in an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM). In one embodiment, a set of ultrasound transducers transmits positional ultrasound pulses to identify the player and/or his gesture, as well as an audio carrier signal, e.g., through a direction speaker, providing directional sound based on the feedback from the ultrasound pulses. Further, embodiments may implement air haptics in both or either of the transmitted pulses of the ultrasonic transducers and/or the audio signal from the directional speaker to provide an enhanced user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Stefan Keilwert
  • Patent number: 12158548
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with acoustic fingerprint identification of devices are described. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a target acoustic fingerprint from acoustic output of a target device. A similarity metric is generated that quantifies similarity of the target acoustic fingerprint to a reference acoustic fingerprint of a reference device. The similarity metric is compared to a threshold. In response to a first comparison result of the comparing of the similarity metric to the threshold, the target device is indicated to match the reference device. In response to a second comparison result of the comparing of the similarity metric to the threshold, it is indicated that the target device does not match the reference device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew T. Gerdes, Guang C. Wang, Timothy D. Cline, Kenny C. Gross
  • Patent number: 12158063
    Abstract: A method for predicting a risk of early screen-out in a near-well zone based on distributed fiber acoustic sensing (DAS) is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST PETROLEUM UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Xiyu Chen, Jingze Li, Yongming Li, Tai Chang, Le He, Juhui Zhu
  • Patent number: 12156762
    Abstract: Ultrasound devices are described. The ultrasound devices may be flexibly configured to output a certain number of multilines per channel of ultrasound data and to process certain channels of ultrasound data per processing cycle. The ultrasound device may then be configured to either output more multilines per channel and process fewer channels per processing cycle, or output fewer multilines per channel and process more channels per processing cycle. In other words, the circuitry may be configured to change to a configuration with increased resolution and increased processing time or to a configuration with decreased resolution and decreased processing time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: BFLY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Hamid Soleimani, Nevada J. Sanchez
  • Patent number: 12158544
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that utilize an internal optical path in lidar applications. An example method includes causing at least one light-emitter device to emit a plurality of light pulses toward a rotatable mirror. The rotatable mirror (i) reflects at least a first light pulse of the plurality of light pulses into an external environment; and (ii) reflects at least a second light pulse of the plurality of light pulses into an internal optical path. The method also includes receiving, by a photodetector, (i) a reflected light pulse comprising a reflection of the first light pulse caused by an object in the external environment; and (ii) the second light pulse received via the internal optical path. The internal optical path is defined at least in part by one or more internal reflectors that reflect the second light pulse toward the rotatable mirror such that the rotatable mirror reflects the second light pulse toward the photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Blaise Gassend, Jason Watson
  • Patent number: 12152907
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a measurement device capable of measuring distance to an object. The measurement device comprises an illumination optical system configured to emit irradiation light having a predetermined pattern onto an object through a first optical path and a second optical path different from each other, and an observation system configured to observe a first light source image projected onto the object through the first optical path and a second light source image projected onto the object through the second optical path. The illumination optical system is configured to focus light through the first optical path and light through the second optical path on predetermined positions in a plan view of the object viewed along a traveling direction of the irradiation light. The measurement device measures a distance to the object based on the first light source image and the second light source image observed by the observation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keiji Murata
  • Patent number: 12153168
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. In an example, the LiDAR system includes a laser source, a scanner, a beam deflecting unit, and a controller. The laser source is configured to emit a laser beam towards an object. The scanner is configured to receive a returned laser beam from the object, and deflect the returned laser beam towards a beam deflecting unit to form a first laser beam traveling along a first direction. The first direction deviates from a reference direction by a deviation angle. The beam deflecting unit is configured to receive the first laser beam, and deflect the first laser beam to form a second laser beam towards a photosensor. The controller is configured to dynamically control a deflection angle of the beam deflecting unit to cause the second laser beam to be deflected towards the photosensor to compensate the deviation angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: BEIJING VOYAGER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chao Wang, Wenbin Zhu, Yonghong Guo, Lingkai Kong
  • Patent number: 12146402
    Abstract: Methods and devices for imaging wells using ultrasound is described. The devices include a modular imaging device having a telemetry module and a radial imaging module and/or forward imaging module. The radial imaging module includes a ring shaped phased array ultrasonic transducer array for generating images on the length of a wellbore. Various lens and housing configurations for the radial imaging module are described. The forward imaging module includes an ultrasonic transducer comprising one or more elements and having an adjustable viewpoint for generating images of obstructions found in a wellbore. Advanced imaging modes for a radial imaging module include multiple aperture and spiral wave imaging mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: DarkVision Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Graham T. Manders, Osman S. Malik, Stephen E. Robinson, Jay Roderick Hope
  • Patent number: 12145671
    Abstract: A LiDAR system is provided. The LiDAR system includes a first data transmission apparatus, a second data transmission apparatus, a rotator, and a central shaft. The first data transmission apparatus and the second data transmission apparatus are located in the LiDAR system. The rotator is connected with the central shaft through a bearing, the rotator is connected to a bearing rotor, and the central shaft is connected to a bearing stator. The first data transmission apparatus includes a first optical module and a second optical module. The second data transmission apparatus includes a third optical module, a coupling optical system, and a fourth optical module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: SUTENG INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Dinglong Ma
  • Patent number: 12149883
    Abstract: A method of autonomously preventing fouling of a submerged vessel, the method comprising: activating, by one or more computing devices, a at least one transducer and at least one sensor at a first area; generating, by one or more computing devices, a predetermined sound wave from the at least one transducer; monitoring, by one or more computing devices, data collected by the at least one sensor; altering, by one or more computing devices, the at least one transducer, wherein the alteration is based on the data collected by the at least one sensor; and autonomously adjusting, by one or more computing devices, at least one of the at least one transducer, wherein at least one of the transducers is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Inventors: James DiLorenzo, Peter Schibly
  • Patent number: 12140676
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to imaging LiDARs with optical antennas fed by optical waveguides. The optical antennas can be activated through an optical switch network that connects the optical antennas to a laser source to a receiver. A microlens array is positioned between a lens of the LiDAR system and the optical antennas, the microlens array being positioned so as to transform an emission angle from a corresponding optical antenna to match a chief ray angle of the lens. Methods of use and fabrication are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: nEye Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Tae Joon Seok, Xiaosheng Zhang, Kyungmok Kwon, Ming Chiang A. Wu
  • Patent number: 12140714
    Abstract: A waveform generator includes a system control unit and signal channels controlled by the system control unit and configured to supply driving signals for driving a respective transducer of an array of transducers. Each signal channel includes a sequential access memory having rows, where each row contains an instruction word configured to generate a respective step of a waveform to be generated. A memory output of the sequential access memory is defined by an output row at a fixed location. The waveform to be generated is defined by a block of instruction words. Each signal channel also includes an internal control unit that is configured to sequentially move the content of the sequential access memory, based on the instruction word currently at the memory output, so that sequences of instruction words are provided at the output row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano Passi, Roberto Giorgio Bardelli, Anna Moroni
  • Patent number: 12128444
    Abstract: Broadband ultrasound transducers and related methods are disclosed herein. An example ultrasonic transducer disclosed herein includes a substrate and a first membrane supported by the substrate. The first membrane is to exhibit a first frequency response when oscillated. The example ultrasonic transducer includes a second membrane supported by the substrate. The second membrane is to exhibit a second frequency response different from the first frequency response when oscillated. The example ultrasonic transducer includes a third membrane supported by the substrate. The third membrane is to exhibit one of the second frequency response or a third frequency response different from the first frequency response and the second frequency response when oscillated. A shape of the first membrane is to differ from a shape of the second membrane and a shape of the third membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Mohammad Hadi Motieian Najar, Ali Kiaei, Baher Haroun
  • Patent number: 12130363
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a laser source and a polygon scanner. The laser source is configured to generate a first beam. The polygon scanner includes a frame and a plurality of mirrors coupled to the frame, each mirror comprising a glass material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: AURORA OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti, IV, Yonggang Ha, Zhongjie Li, Cal Alden Smith
  • Patent number: 12123986
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for compressing and decompressing data in an ultrasound beamformer. The systems and methods include an encoder for compressing delay data based at least in part on a smoothness of a delay profile, and for compressing apodization data based at least in part on a smoothness of an apodization profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Price, Eric G. Nestler, Mikael Mortensen, Ashraf Saad