Patents Examined by John B. Sotomayor
  • Patent number: 9784827
    Abstract: A method for suppressing the Jet Engine Modulation (JEM) clutter signal returns from compressor blades (26) in data sampled by a system for Foreign Object Debris (FOD) detection in the air intake (30) of a turbine assembly, the method comprising the steps of: (a) identifying in the data the start sample position and length in samples of a single complete shaft rotation; and (b) subtracting from a current rotation dataset the samples from a comparison rotation dataset corresponding to another complete single shaft rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: BAE Systems plc
    Inventors: David John Shepard, John Michael Wood
  • Patent number: 9784828
    Abstract: A frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system that includes a transceiver coupled to an analog to digital converter (ADC), and a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to the ADC. The transceiver is configured to transmit a plurality of FMCW chirps, receive a plurality of reflected FMCW chirps, and mix the reflected FMCW chirps with at least one of the FMCW chirps to generate a plurality of beat signals. The reflected FMCW chirps are the FMCW chirps after being reflected off of a target object. The ADC is configured to convert the beat signals into a plurality of digital chirps. The DSP is configured to receive the digital chirps and quantify a relative velocity of the target object as compared to a velocity of the FMCW radar system by removing an effect of a range to the target object from a two dimensional range Doppler processing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTURMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sujeet Milind Patole, Anand Dabak, Lei Ding
  • Patent number: 9759811
    Abstract: Radar vehicle tracking is described. One or more embodiments include a device to receive a first determined distance between a first radar transceiver and a vehicle, the first distance determined by the first radar transceiver operating in a first mode, receive a second determined distance between a second radar transceiver and the vehicle, the second distance determined by the second radar transceiver operating in the first mode, receive a first determined distance ellipse between the first radar transceiver and the vehicle, the first distance ellipse determined by the first radar transceiver operating in a second mode, receive a second determined distance ellipse between the second radar transceiver and the vehicle, the second distance ellipse determined by the second radar transceiver operating in the second mode, and determine at least one location estimate of the vehicle based on the first and second determined distances and first and second determined distance ellipses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Haiyang Liu, Xiao Liu
  • Patent number: 9759808
    Abstract: A method of radar signal processing includes providing an analog front end (AFE) including an amplifier coupled between an antenna and an ADC in a receive path, where an ADC output is coupled to an input of an elastic ADC buffer (elastic buffer) including a divided memory with for writing samples from the ADC (samples) while reading earlier written samples to a first signal processor by a high speed interface. A transmit path includes at least one power amplifier provided by the AFE coupled to drive an antenna. A Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) is determined across all chirps in a radar frame programmed to be used. For each frame a sample size for the elastic buffer is dynamically controlled constant to be equal to the GCD for reading samples from one memory block and writing samples to another memory block throughout all chirps in the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jasbir Singh Nayyar, Brian Ginsburg
  • Patent number: 9753122
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an extendable wand, and a sensor head coupled to the wand. The sensor head includes a continuous wave metal detector (CWMD) and a radar. When the wand is collapsed, the wand and the sensor head collapse to fill a volume that is smaller than a volume filled by the sensor head and the wand when the wand is extended. Frequency-domain data from a sensor configured to sense a region is accessed, the frequency-domain data is transformed to generate a time-domain representation of the region, a first model is determined based on the accessed frequency-domain data, a second model is determined based on the generated time-domain representation, the second model being associated with a particular region within the sensed region, and a background model that represents a background of the region is determined based on the first model and the second model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Herbert Duvoisin, III, Juan Antonio Torres-Rosario, Christopher Gary Sentelle, Douglas O. Carlson, Glen A. Holman, Marquette Trishaun
  • Patent number: 9753131
    Abstract: A motion tracking system makes use of a number antennas to transmit and receive radio frequency signals that are reflected from objects (e.g., people) in the environment of the system, which may include one or more rooms of a building, the interior of a vehicle, etc., and may be partitioned, for example, walls or cloth sheets. In general, the objects in the environment include both fixed objects, such as chairs, walls, etc., as well as moving objects, such as but not limited to people. The system can track people, who may be moving around a room, or may be relatively stationary, for instance, sitting in a chair of lying in bed, but may nevertheless exhibit breathing motion that may be detected. The system may detect body or limb gestures made by the people in the environment, and detect physical activity including detection of falls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Fadel Adib, Zachary Edward Kabelac, Dina Katabi
  • Patent number: 9739878
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining an angle of arrival in a radar warning system that uses tracking to provide a more accurate angle of arrival than conventional systems. In exemplary embodiments, angle of arrival and range are mapped from measured body angles to a 3D coordinate system where modern tracking techniques are applied to improve accuracy and stabilization of measurements, then mapped back into body angles for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Eric J. Gudim, William H. Wellman
  • Patent number: 9739880
    Abstract: The disclosed technology includes a device and method of use for direct printing and ink or other marking, in conjunction with GPR techniques. In a most basic embodiment of the disclosed technology, a relevant date, time, filename, and other parameters are printed or otherwise physically exhibited on the measurement surface, so that RADAR files can be later attributed to a specific data collection site. In a more advanced embodiment of the disclosed technology, actual RADAR target information is printed, or otherwise physically exhibited, on the measurement surface, such as while measuring, or substantially while measuring, the surface and substrate beneath with GPR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey R Feigin
  • Patent number: 9739570
    Abstract: A gimbal-assisted continuous-wave (CW) Doppler radar detection system mountable to an unmanned aircraft system may be rotated in three degrees of freedom relative to the UAS to provide targeted multidirectional obstacle detection by transmitting CW signals throughout a field of view and analyzing reflected signals from obstacles within the field of view. The radar assembly may be articulated to provide track-ahead detection in anticipation of a heading or altitude change of the UAS, to center on a detected obstacle in order to classify or identify it more clearly. The radar assembly may be rotated below the UAS and its field of view changed to increase breadth and accuracy at a shorter effective range, in order to determine real-time altitude or terrain data while the UAS executes a landing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: uAvionix Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Beard
  • Patent number: 9733340
    Abstract: A device includes a circuit board having thereon, a controlling component, a first radar chip and a second radar chip. The first radar chip includes a first radar transmission antenna, a second radar transmission antenna and a first radar receiver antenna array. The second radar chip includes a second radar receiver antenna array. The controlling component can control the first radar chip and the second radar chip. The first radar transmission antenna can transmit a first radar transmission signal. The second radar transmission antenna can transmit a second radar transmission signal. The second radar chip is spaced from the first radar chip so as to create a virtual receiver antenna array between the first radar receiver antenna array and the second radar receiver antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Sandeep Rao, Karthik Ramasubramanian, Brian Ginsburg, Jawaharlal Tangudu, Karthik Subburaj
  • Patent number: 9733341
    Abstract: A system for testing the covariance fidelity of an optimal reduced state estimator comprises data storage devices for storing testing data, computer processors in communication with the data storage devices, and a memory storing program instructions for execution by the computer processors. Execution of the program instructions may cause the computer processors to provide an optimal reduced state estimator having state variables and unknown, multidimensional, arbitrarily time-varying parameters, subject to known bounded values. A random component and a bias component of the optimal reduced state estimator may be identified, and then separate evaluations of the components may be performed to determine a fidelity of the optimal reduced state estimator. The random component may be evaluated at a selected epoch and a Mahalanobis Distance Value determined for the random component. The bias component may be evaluated at the selected epoch and a probability of containment determined at a selected MDV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Mark A. Friesel
  • Patent number: 9733349
    Abstract: An apparatus is for use with an aircraft radar system having a radar antenna. The apparatus comprises processing electronics are configured to receive radar data associated with the radar antenna of the system. The processing electronics are also configured to detect periodic data associated with runway lights in the radar data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert B. Wood, Carlo L. Tiana, Nathaniel S. Kowash, Richard D. Jinkins, Richard M. Rademaker
  • Patent number: 9720072
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes a vehicle receiving data from an external computing device indicative of at least one other vehicle in an environment of the vehicle. The vehicle may include a sensor configured to detect the environment of the vehicle. The at least one other vehicle may include at least one sensor. The method also includes determining a likelihood of interference between the at least one sensor of the at least one other vehicle the sensor of the vehicle. The method also includes initiating an adjustment of the sensor to reduce the likelihood of interference between the sensor of the vehicle and the at least one sensor of the at least one other vehicle responsive to the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Edward Daniel McCloskey, Russell Leigh Smith
  • Patent number: 9709674
    Abstract: A radar device generates pair data items by associating angle peaks of an up section and angle peaks of a down section. Thereafter, on the basis of a plurality of specific pair data items whose positions are close to each other in an angle direction and which are substantially the same in the position in a distance direction intersecting with the angle direction and are substantially the same in relative speed, the radar device derives one representative pair data item. The derivation of one representative pair data item is performed before continuity determination of a continuity determining unit at the same process timing is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventors: Takumi Moriuchi, Yasuhiro Kurono, Hiroki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9709672
    Abstract: A method for identifying and ranging a wireless device, comprising: transmitting an original radar signal from a detecting system; in response to the original radar signal, receiving a modulated radar signal at the detecting system, the modulated radar signal being backscattered from an antenna of the wireless device and containing information pertaining to the wireless device, and the modulated radar signal being a frequency offset version of the original radar signal; and, using a processor at the detecting system, determining an identity and a range of the wireless device from the modulated radar signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Tajinder Manku
  • Patent number: 9709666
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a beam information generating device including: a distance calculator that calculates distances, from a receiver, along a plurality of reception beams formed by the receiver to a transmission beam, based on transmission beam information; and a beam width calculator that calculates beam widths of the reception beams based on the distances calculated by the distance calculator so as to restrain variations in volume enclosed by the transmission beam and the reception beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tomomi Aoki, Yasuhiko Tanabe, Kazuaki Kawabata
  • Patent number: 9709667
    Abstract: A synchronization time delay due to a time synchronization protocol between a first sensing system (e.g., a radar system) and a second sensing system (e.g., an optical sensing system) is evaluated. A timing validation system generates a signal and calculates the total time delay between generation of the test signal and receipt of a detection notification communication transmitted from the second sensing system to the timing validation system, via the first sensing system. for the second sensing system to communicate its detection to the timing validation system, via the first sensing system. The synchronization time delay is extracted from the total time delay by removing contributions to the total time delay from additional sources. The calculated synchronization time delay is compared to a threshold delay and, based upon the comparison, generates a result validating or invalidating the time synchronization protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Raytheon Command and Control Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Richard S. Herbel, James W. Rakeman
  • Patent number: 9696420
    Abstract: A method of assessing an area for parking a vehicle includes ultrasonically scanning the area to obtain ultrasonic data, radar scanning the area to obtain radar data, and determining whether to park the vehicle in the area based on both the ultrasonic data and the radar data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aric David Shaffer, Vern Stempnik, Brian Choi, Mark Crawford
  • Patent number: 9696415
    Abstract: A radar apparatus includes a change amount calculation section for obtaining, for each of a plurality of peaks of a first spectrum belonging to the same group, a peak value at the present point in time and calculating the difference between the peak value and a peak value obtained before the present point in time; a ratio calculation section for comparing the obtained difference with a predetermined difference threshold and calculating a ratio of the number of peaks whose differences are greater than the difference threshold to the number of all the peaks belonging to the same group; and a pedestrian determination section for determining that the object is a pedestrian when the calculated ratio is greater than a predetermined ratio threshold and at least one of peaks belonging to the same group differs from the remaining peaks in terms of the sign of the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Nakai, Shin-ichiro Matsuzawa, Yoshiaki Minami, Yuji Oda
  • Patent number: 9689984
    Abstract: A method of displaying a weather condition indicator with respect to an aircraft includes receiving weather data from a weather radar system. The weather data includes data indicative of a first location of the weather condition. The method also includes determining a second location of the weather condition based on data indicative of a movement of the weather condition, and displaying the weather condition indicator with reference to the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Arlen E. Breiholz, Kevin M. Kronfeld, Karen L. Walling