Patents Examined by Jonathan M Hansen
  • Patent number: 11740090
    Abstract: An atom chip (Ach) for an ultra-cold atom sensor, the atom chip includes a first pair of waveguides, a second pair of waveguides, the projections of the guides along X and the guides along Y? in the plane XY forming, at their intersection, a first parallelogram with a centre O and having a first surface, a first conductive strip and a second conductive strip arranged such that their respective projection in the plane XY forms, at their intersection, a second parallelogram also with a centre O and having a second surface, the strips being designed to be flowed through by DC currents, an intersection between the first and the second surface being greater than or equal to 40% of the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Benjamin Wirtschafter, Matthieu Dupont-Nivet
  • Patent number: 11740360
    Abstract: Among other things, techniques are described for identifying, in a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scan line, a first LiDAR data point and a plurality of LiDAR data points within a vicinity of the first LiDAR data point. The techniques may further include identifying, based on a comparison of the first LiDAR data point to at least one LiDAR data point of the plurality of LiDAR return points, a coefficient of the first LiDAR data point, wherein the coefficient is related to image smoothness. The techniques may further include identifying, based on a comparison of the coefficient to a threshold, whether to include the first LiDAR data point in an updated LiDAR scan line, and then identifying, based on the updated LiDAR scan line, a location of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Ajay Charan, Yimu Wang
  • Patent number: 11733385
    Abstract: A technique for increasing the measurement range of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes triggering a light source of the LIDAR system to emit light pulses towards an environment at a first repetition rate. A different second repetition rate for operation of a shutter of the LIDAR system is determined. The operation of the shutter is synchronized with the light source, based on the second repetition rate, such that reflections caused by the light pulses arrive at the shutter when the shutter is in different states during the time period. An intensity of the reflections that arrive at the shutter is determined. A range to objects in the environment is determined based on the measured intensity of the reflections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Andrew Summers, Ryan J. Suess
  • Patent number: 11733070
    Abstract: Distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS)/distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) techniques coupled with frequency domain decomposition (FDD) are employed to determine the presence of 120 HZ operating power frequency to determine when street lights are energized and on thereby providing continuous status monitoring of the operational status of street lights and locating affected street lights at a particular utility pole location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventors: Yangmin Ding, Sarper Ozharar, Yue Tian, Ting Wang, Yuanda Xu
  • Patent number: 11725932
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for conducting deformation (e.g., extension and/or strain) measurements based on characteristics of a test specimen using light sourced from a single side of a test specimen. The light source and an imaging device are arranged on a single side of the test specimen relative to a back screen while the light source illuminates both a front surface of the test specimen and the back screen. The back screen reflects light to create a silhouette of the test specimen. The imaging device captures images of one or more markers on a front surface of the test specimen, as well as measuring position of the markers during the testing process. The imaging device also measures relative changes in position of the edges of the test specimen during the testing process, by analyzing the edges of the silhouetted image created by the reflective back screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Charles Riddick, Nicholas Francisco Salerno, Michael Ashman, Christian J. Hoehl
  • Patent number: 11719530
    Abstract: A method and a system for generating independent coherent photons frequency-stabilized to transition of atoms for long-distance quantum communication are provided. The method for generating independent coherent photons frequency-stabilized to transition of atoms for long-distance quantum communication according to the present disclosure, includes generating a photon in a quantum state from a first quantum light source including an alkali atom or an ensemble of alkali atoms therein as a medium, further generating a photon in a quantum state from a second quantum light source spatially separated from the first quantum light source, including the same medium as that of the first quantum light source therein, and oscillating a photon pair obtained by coupling the photons generated by the first and second quantum light sources as a continuous wave coherent photon (CWCP) for quantum communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: PUSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Han Seb Moon, Heon Oh Kim, Dan Bi Kim
  • Patent number: 11713961
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, methods, and media for multiple reference arm spectral domain optical coherence tomography are provided which, in some embodiments, includes: a sample arm coupled to a light source; a first reference arm having a first path length; a second reference arm having a longer second path length; a first optical coupler that combines light from the sample arm and the first reference arm; a second coupler that combines light from the sample arm and the second reference arm; and an optical switch comprising: a first input port coupled to the first optical coupler; a second input coupled to the second coupler via an optical waveguide that induces a delay at least equal to an acquisition time of an image sensor; and an output coupled to the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Guillermo J. Tearney, Yogesh Verma, David Odeke Otuya, Romain Luu
  • Patent number: 11709237
    Abstract: The technology disclosed herein includes a system having a light source configured to generate a laser signal, an optical signal splitter circuit configured to split the laser signal into a first laser signal for transmission to a plurality of targets and a second laser signal, an optical signal scanner configured to transmit the first laser signal to the plurality of targets, two or more optical delay lines configured to receive the second laser signal, wherein each of the two or more optical delay lines adds a predetermined time delay to the second laser signal to generate a delayed second laser signal, and a detector configured to receive a reflected laser signal from the plurality of targets, wherein the reflected laser signal includes a reflection of the first laser signal from the plurality of targets, and the delayed second laser signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Joseph Klemme, Pierre Asselin
  • Patent number: 11709140
    Abstract: A method for checking the production quality of a cable that is provided with a protective sheath, in particular an electrical cable, includes the steps of acquiring images of an external surface of the cable by way of one or more digital video cameras, while the cable is moved along an advancement axis. The method also includes processing the images by way of one or more algorithms in order to calculate one or more numeric indices, each one of which is proportional to a respective optically-detectable characteristic of the external surface of the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: SEMPLICE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Fabio Vesperini, Diego Droghini
  • Patent number: 11701004
    Abstract: Multichannel optical coherence systems and methods involving optical coherence tomography (OCT) subsystems are operably and respectively connected to optical fibers of a multichannel optical probe, such that each optical fiber forms at least a distal portion of a sample beam path of a respective OCT subsystem. The optical fibers are in optical communication with distal optical elements such that external beam paths associated therewith are directed towards a common spatial region external to the housing. Image processing computer hardware is employed to process OCT signals obtained from the plurality of OCT subsystems to generate an OCT image dataset comprising a plurality of OCT A-scans and process the OCT image dataset to generate volumetric image data based on known positions and orientations of the external beam paths associated with the OCT subsystems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Synaptive Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Siu Wai Jacky Mak, Arun Victor Jagga
  • Patent number: 11703317
    Abstract: A digital measuring device implemented on a photonic integrated circuit, the digital measuring device including a laser source configured to provide light, a first ring resonator configured to produce a first frequency comb of light from the laser source, wherein at least a portion of the first frequency comb of light is directed at a moving object, a local oscillator configured to provide a reference beam, at least one waveguide structure configured to combine the reference beam with light reflected from the moving object to produce a measurement beam, a first multiplexer configured to split the measurement beam into a plurality of channels spaced in frequency, and a plurality of detectors configured to detect an intensity value of each channel of the plurality of channels to measure a distance between the digital measuring device and the moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard Lee Kendrick, Joseph Marron
  • Patent number: 11692435
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems and methods for determining positions of cementing plugs during a cementing process. Systems and methods are provided for determining a length of an optical fiber line deployed into a wellbore for a cementing process, measuring signal intensity data as a function of distance from the optical fiber line, the optical fiber line being attached to a lower cementing plug and an upper cementing plug, the upper cementing plug being attached to the optical fiber line by an attenuation assembly, generating signal intensity profiles based on the signal intensity data as a function of a round trip delay of a light signal in the optical fiber line, and determining positions of the lower cementing plug and the upper cementing plug based on the signal intensity profiles of the optical fiber line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Michel Joseph Leblanc, John Laureto Maida, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11693114
    Abstract: A distance measuring device according to one embodiment includes a light emitter, a first light receiver, and a second light receiver. The light emitter includes a light source. The light source emits an optical signal. The first light receiver includes a first sensor and a first optical system. The first sensor includes first pixels. The first optical system is configured to guide a reflected light of the optical signal emitted from the light emitter to the first sensor. The second light receiver includes a second sensor and a second optical system. The second sensor includes second pixels. The second optical system is configured to guide the reflected light to the second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kubota, Nobu Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11684253
    Abstract: A method for determining thickness of layers of the tear film includes reconstructing a full- or hyper-spectral interference pattern from an imaged multi-spectral pattern. Tear film thickness can then be estimated from the full- or hyper-spectral interference pattern. Using a full- or hyper-spectral interference pattern provides a greater number of frequency sampling points for increased tear film thickness estimation accuracy, without traditional time consuming techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zaixing Mao, Zhenguo Wang, Bin Cao, Kinpui Chan
  • Patent number: 11686571
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method of a method of detecting a local shape deviation of a structural element in a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining an image comprising an image representation of the structural element; extracting, from the image, an actual contour of the image representation; estimating a reference contour of the image representation indicative of a standard shape of the structural element, wherein the reference contour is estimated based on a Fourier descriptor representative of the reference contour, the Fourier descriptor being estimated using an optimization method based on a loss function specifically selected to be insensitive to local shape deviation of the actual contour; and performing one or more measurements representative of one or more differences between the actual contour and the reference contour, the measurements indicative of whether a local shape deviation is present in the structural element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Roman Kris, Ilan Ben-Harush, Rafael Bistritzer, Vadim Vereschagin, Elad Sommer, Grigory Klebanov, Arundeepth Thamarassery, Jannelle Anna Geva, Gal Daniel Gutterman, Einat Frishman, Sahar Levin
  • Patent number: 11675077
    Abstract: Systems/methods for operating a LiDAR system. The methods comprise: receiving a waveform representing light which was reflected off of a surface of an object; generating timestamp values for photon detection events triggered by pulses in the waveform; generating a count histogram of the timestamp values; inferring a trials histogram from the count histogram (the trials histogram representing a number of times a photodetector of the LiDAR system was available during reception of the waveform); generating an estimated range distance from the LiDAR system to the at least one object and an estimated intensity value for a given pulse of the waveform, based on results from analyzing the count histogram and the trials histogram; determining a position using the estimated range distance from the LiDAR system to the at least one object; and producing a LiDAR dataset comprising a data point defined by the position and the estimated intensity value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yahia Tachwali
  • Patent number: 11668555
    Abstract: A laser interferometer includes a light source that emits first laser light, an optical modulator that includes a vibrator and modulates the first laser light by using the vibrator to generate second laser light including a modulated signal, a photodetector that receives interference light between third laser light including a sample signal generated by reflecting the first laser light on an object and the second laser light to output a light reception signal, a demodulation circuit that demodulates the sample signal from the light reception signal based on a reference signal, and a signal generator that outputs the reference signal input to the demodulation circuit and outputs a drive signal input to the optical modulator, in which Vd/Vr<10, where Vr is a voltage of the reference signal and Vd is a voltage of the drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Inventor: Kohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 11662199
    Abstract: A method for measuring interfaces of an optical element, forming part of a plurality of similar elements including at least one reference optical element, the method implemented by a device, the method including: relative positioning of each reference optical element and the measurement beam, to allow a measurement of interfaces of each reference optical element; acquisition of a reference image, of each reference element; positioning of the measured optical element to allow acquisition of a measurement image, of the optical element to be measured; determining a difference of position in a field of view of the measured element with respect to each reference optical element, based on the reference and measurement images; adjusting the position of the measured optical element in the field of view to cancel the difference of position; and measuring the interfaces of the measured optical element by the measurement beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: FOGALE NANOTECH
    Inventors: Gilles Fresquet, Sylvain Petitgrand
  • Patent number: 11662508
    Abstract: In some implementations, an optical assembly comprises an optical cavity; one or more detectors; and an optical component having an input face and an output face configured to receive an input beam to the input face and to produce one or more primary output beams, and a plurality of secondary output beams from the output face, the secondary output beams resulting from multiple internal reflections within the optical component. At least one of the input face is not perpendicular to the input beam or the output face is not perpendicular to the one or more primary output beams. Each primary output beam is transmitted through the optical cavity perpendicular to at least one surface of the optical cavity, and directed to a respective one of the one or more detectors. Each detector is arranged to exclude at least a portion of each secondary output beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventors: Adrian Perrin Janssen, Robert Simpson, Paul Firth
  • Patent number: 11662467
    Abstract: A LIDAR system including a MEMS scanning device is disclosed. The LIDAR system includes a light source, a light deflector, a sensor, and a processor. The light deflector deflects light from the light source or light received from an environment outside a vehicle in which the LIDAR system is installed. The sensor detects the light received from the light source or the environment. The processor determines a distance of one or more objects in the environment from the vehicle based on the signals from the sensor. The light deflector includes one or more actuators, which include one or more actuating arms. Connectors connect the actuating arms to an MEMS mirror or other deflector. The actuating arms move when subjected to an electrical field in the form of a voltage or current. Movement of the actuating arms causes movement of the MEMS mirror or deflector causing it to deflect light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: INNOVIZ TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Matityahu Shani, David Elooz, Idan Bakish, Michael Girgel, Moshe Medina, Sason Sourani, Yair Alpern, Smadar David Raly