Patents Examined by James R Hulka
  • Patent number: 12210120
    Abstract: An optical phased array lidar includes: a laser, for emitting a laser signal; an optical beam splitter, for splitting a laser signal into multiple sub-signals, and distributing them to corresponding optical paths; a phase controller connected to the optical beam splitter, for regulating phases of the multiple sub-signals; an optical antenna array based on a one-dimensional grating structure, connected to the phase controller and for uniformly scattering the phase-regulated sub-signals into free space; and a silicon nitride waveguide array, for transmitting the sub-signals and phase-regulated sub-signals to realize the transmission of near-infrared light and visible light. The optical phased array lidar uses a silicon nitride waveguide array for transmission, thereby realizing the transmission of near-infrared light and visible light. In this way, the lidar can work in the visible light band, thereby broadening the working ranging thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignees: THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, SHENZHEN, SHENZHEN INSTITUTE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROBOTICS FOR SOCIETY
    Inventors: Caiming Sun, Hongjie Wang, Aidong Zhang
  • Patent number: 12204013
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a transmission antenna that transmits a transmission wave, a reception antenna that receives a reflected wave that is the transmission wave having been reflected, and a control unit that detects a target by using a constant false alarm rate on the basis of a transmission signal transmitted as the transmission wave and a reception signal received as the reflected wave. The control unit performs control to skip processing of detecting an object determined to be a stationary object among objects located around the electronic device, as the target by using the constant false alarm rate on the basis of the transmission signal and the reception signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Tooru Sahara, Takuya Homma, Masayuki Sato, Youhei Murakami, Masamitsu Nishikido, Satoshi Kawaji
  • Patent number: 12189017
    Abstract: In an in-cabin radar apparatus, transmitting antennas are disposed at one side in a direction parallel to a control circuit and disposed in a line in a vertical direction, and receiving antennas are disposed at one side in a direction perpendicular to the control unit and disposed in a line in a horizontal direction. Each transmission side feed line may be perpendicularly connected to one of the transmitting antennas, and each receiving side feed line may be perpendicularly connected to one of the receiving antennas. Each of a distance between the transmitting antennas and a distance between the receiving antennas may be implemented to be less than or equal to half of a transmitting and receiving wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: SMART RADAR SYSTEM, INC.
    Inventors: Kyung Sub Oh, Yong Jae Kim
  • Patent number: 12189030
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a laser beam generation system. The laser beam generation system includes a first laser chip configured to generate a first polarized laser beam and a second laser chip configured to generate a second polarized laser beam. The laser beam generation system also includes a polarizer configured to combine the first polarized laser beam and the second polarized laser beam to generate a third laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: BEIJING VOYAGER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yonghong Guo, Youmin Wang, Chao Wang, Yue Lu, Lingkai Kong
  • Patent number: 12181582
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system including a processor to receive a return signal from a target based on an optical beam transmitted towards the target and receive a baseband signal in a time domain based on the return signal. The processor of the LIDAR system further to produce a comparison of signal peaks of the baseband signal with an estimate of LIDAR system noise in the frequency domain, and identify targets based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Kumar Bhargav Viswanatha, Jose Krause Perin, Rajendra Tushar Moorti, Mina Rezk
  • Patent number: 12181612
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing an optical sensor includes a photodetector and an integrator. The method comprises exposing the photodetector to incoming light; obtaining an initial integrated signal at an initial frame; at least once executing the steps of changing at least one control parameter of the optical sensor, exposing the photodetector to incoming light, and obtaining one or more subsequent integrated signals at a subsequent frame; obtaining a characteristic of the optical sensor from the obtained integrated signals; comparing the obtained characteristic with a pre-determined characteristic of the optical sensor to diagnose the optical sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES NV
    Inventor: Hans Van Den Broeck
  • Patent number: 12174300
    Abstract: A method of measuring a distance between a vehicle and one or more objects, includes generating a modulation signal; generating a modulated light emitting diode (LED) transmission signal, via a vehicle LED driver assembly; transmitting a plurality of light beams based at least in part on the generated modulated LED transmission signal; capturing a reflection of the plurality of light beams off the one or more objects, utilizing one or more lens assemblies and a camera, the camera including an array of pixel sensors and being positioned on the vehicle; communicating a series of measurements representing the captured plurality of light beam reflections; calculating, utilizing the time-of-flight sensor module, time of flight measurements between the vehicle LED light assembly and the one or more objects and calculating distances, utilizing a depth processor module, between the vehicle LED light assembly and the one or more objects based on the time-of-flight measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Wireless Photonics, LLC
    Inventors: Bahram Jalali, Alexandra Jalali, Mehdi Hatamian, Ahmadreza Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 12169254
    Abstract: A Lidar system is provided. The Lidar system comprise: a light source configured to emit a multi-pulse sequence to measure a distance between the Lidar system and a location in a three-dimensional environment, and the multi-pulse sequence comprises multiple pulses having a temporal profile; a photosensitive detector configured to detect light pulses from the three-dimensional environment; and one or more processors configured to: determine a coding scheme comprising the temporal profile, wherein the coding scheme is determined dynamically based on one or more real-time conditions including an environment condition, a condition of the Lidar system or a signal environment condition; and calculate the distance based on a time of flight of a sequence of detected light pulses, wherein the time of flight is determined by determining a match between the sequence of detected light pulses and the temporal profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: HESAI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xuezhou Zhu, Shaoqing Xiang
  • Patent number: 12164039
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to wind detection and vehicle control. In an example, sensor data can be generated by one or more wind sensing devices for a vehicle that includes at least one light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. The sensor data can characterize a movement of airborne particles. Wind characteristics can be determined based on the sensor data. A vehicle operating parameter can be updated based on the determined wind characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Jonas Hoehenberger
  • Patent number: 12153134
    Abstract: A light ranging system can include a laser device and an imaging device having photosensors. The laser device illuminates a scene with laser pulse radiation that reflects off of objects in the scene. The reflections can vary greatly depending on the reflecting surface shape and reflectivity. The signal measured by photosensors can be filtered with a number of matched filter designed according to profiles of different reflected signals. A best matched filter can be identified, and hence information about the reflecting surface and accurate ranging information can be obtained. The laser pulse radiation can be emitted in coded pulses by allowing weights to different detection intervals. Other enhancements include staggering laser pulses and changing an operational status of photodetectors of a pixel sensor, as well as efficient signal processing using a sensor chip that includes processing circuits and photosensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Patent number: 12146991
    Abstract: The noise calculation unit applies a statistical process for the measurement signal of the first number of data to calculate the noise value. The calculation threshold setting unit sets the calculation threshold based on the noise value. The period determination unit determines a period where a difference between the measurement signal and a moving average value calculated in a previous cycle exceeds the calculation threshold, to be the non-calculation period of the baseline. The moving average calculation unit is configured such that the measurement signal in a period excluding the non-calculation period is moving-averaged for each second number of data to calculate the moving average value. The first number of data and the second number of data are set independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunsuke Kimura, Hidekazu Adachi
  • Patent number: 12146965
    Abstract: A depth camera assembly (DCA) includes a direct time of flight system for determining depth information for a local area. The DCA includes an illumination source, a camera, and a controller. The illumination source projects light (e.g., pulse of light) into the local area. The camera detects reflections of the projected light from objects in the local area. Using an internal gating selection procedure, the controller selects a gate window that is likely to be associated with reflection of a pulse of light from an object. The selected gate may be used for depth determination. The internal gating selection procedures may be achieved through external target location and selection or through internal self-selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Augusto Ronchini Ximenes, Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 12146954
    Abstract: Embodiments describe a solid state electronic scanning LIDAR system that includes a scanning focal plane transmitting element and a scanning focal plane receiving element whose operations are synchronized so that the firing sequence of an emitter array in the transmitting element corresponds to a capturing sequence of a photosensor array in the receiving element. During operation, the emitter array can sequentially fire one or more light emitters into a scene and the reflected light can be received by a corresponding set of one or more photosensors through an aperture layer positioned in front of the photosensors. Each light emitter can correspond with an aperture in the aperture layer, and each aperture can correspond to a photosensor in the receiving element such that each light emitter corresponds with a specific photosensor in the receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Patent number: 12140705
    Abstract: A sensor assembly includes a base and a sensor housing mounted to the base. The sensor housing is rotatable relative to the base about an axis. The sensor housing includes a top panel having an exterior surface. A plurality of fins are disposed on the exterior surface and are fixed relative to the sensor housing. The fins extend radially outward relative to the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rashaun Phinisee, Raghuraman Surineedi, Venkatesh Krishnan, Michael Robertson, Jr., Tyler D. Hamilton, Segundo Baldovino
  • Patent number: 12140708
    Abstract: A method for optical sensing includes directing a series of optical pulses toward a target scene and imaging optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene onto an array of single-photon detectors, which output electrical pulses in response to photons that are incident thereon. The electrical pulses output by the single photon detectors are counted in multiple different gating intervals that are synchronized with each of the optical pulses, including at least first and second gating intervals at different, respective delays relative to the optical pulses, while the delays are swept over a sequence of different delay times during the series of the optical pulses. A time of flight of the optical pulses is computed by comparing respective first and second counts of the electrical pulses that were accumulated in the first and second gating intervals over the series of the optical pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Nadav Fine, Amir Nevet, Oz Barak
  • Patent number: 12111423
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus capable of determining a distance to an object based on reflected light provided by a reflection of a pulsed light on the object includes an input terminal configured to receive a signal of intensity of reception light. Processing circuitry determines a measurement range capable of specifying a peak of the reception light based on the intensity of the reception light, detects the reflected light by specifying the peak of the reception light within the measurement range, determines, based on the measurement range, a duration from when the pulsed light is emitted until when the reflected light is received, and determines a distance from the electronic apparatus to the object according to the duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hidenori Okuni, Tuan Thanh Ta, Satoshi Kondo, Akihide Sai
  • Patent number: 12111411
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to methods and systems for automated generation of radar interference reduction training data for autonomous vehicles. In an example, a computing device causes a radar unit to transmit radar signals in an environment of a vehicle. The computing device may include a model trained based on a labeled interferer dataset that represents interferer signals generated by an emitter located remote from the vehicle. The interferer signals are based on one or more radar signal parameter models. The computing device may use the model to determine whether received electromagnetic energy corresponds to transmitted radar signals or an interferer signal. Based on determining that the electromagnetic energy corresponds to the transmitted radar signals, the computing device may generate a representation of the environment of the vehicle using the electromagnetic energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Alessandro Temil, Gary Clayton
  • Patent number: 12111426
    Abstract: There is provided a time of flight sensor including a light source, a first pixel, a second pixel and a processor. The first pixel generates a first output signal without receiving reflected light from an external object illuminated by the light source. The second pixel generates a second output signal by receiving the reflected light from the external object illuminated by the light source. The processor calculates deviation compensation and deviation correction associated with temperature variation according to the first output signal to accordingly calibrate a distance calculated according to the second output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Inventors: Tso-Sheng Tsai, Yueh-Lin Chung, Shin-Lin Wang
  • Patent number: 12105223
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor for the detection of objects in a monitored zone is provided that has a light transmitter for transmitting a light beam, a light receiver for generating a received signal from the light beam remitted by the objects in the monitored zone, a control and evaluation unit for the detection of information on the objects with reference to the received signal, a base unit, a scanning unit movable with respect to the base unit for the periodic scanning of the monitored zone, and a drive having a hollow shaft for moving the scanning unit, wherein the scanning unit comprises a first data transmission unit and the base unit comprises a second data transmission unit to exchange data wirelessly between the base unit and the scanning unit through the hollow shaft, The first data transmission unit and the second data transmission unit are configured as microwave units for the data exchange by means of microwave signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Michael Kerp, Markus Mössner
  • Patent number: 12105221
    Abstract: An optical scanner having high utilization efficiency of light is provided. A reflector with actuator includes a reflector having reflection regions formed on both surfaces thereof, first supporting parts supporting the reflector from both sides in a plane direction and defining a first rotary axis of the reflector, a first magnetic element installed on one surface of the reflector at a position displaced from the first rotary axis, and a first magnetic actuator configured to move the first magnetic element in a direction that rotates the reflector around the first rotary axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shogo Kitazawa