Patents Examined by Luke D. Ratcliffe
  • Patent number: 11237250
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging apparatus (LIDAR) includes an optical source to generate an optical beam and one or more waveguides to steer the optical beam. The one or more waveguides include a first cladding layer having a first refractive index and a second cladding layer disposed below the first cladding layer, the second cladding layer having second refractive indexes including a range of different refractive indexes, wherein the range of different refractive indexes is greater than the first refractive index of the first cladding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Mazin Alalusi, Pradeep Srinivasan, Kevin Masuda
  • Patent number: 11235351
    Abstract: A tactile stimulation interface comprising a surface explored by touch by means of a finger of a user, actuators applying forces on said surface, and control means of the actuators, said control means sending, to the actuators, signals corresponding to the forces to be applied to said surface, the forces being determined by a time reversal method, means for detecting the contact of the finger with the surface and for monitoring the movement of the finger on the surface. The control means are capable, in order to produce an acoustic lubrication effect in at least one given area of the surface, of generating a signal formed from a convolution of a pulsed response returned by a continuous function representative of the acoustic lubrication effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Christian Bolzmacher, Charles Hudin, Moustapha Hafez
  • Patent number: 11226398
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for acquiring three-dimensional LiDAR information of a scene are disclosed. According to one aspect, acquiring three-dimensional information includes emitting N pulses in a sequence with each successive pulse having a relative time shift to the sampling reference, thus producing a reconstructed sampled signal with an effective sampling rate of N times the sampling reference. According to another aspect, acquiring three-dimensional information includes emitting two or more frequencies, the differences of each pair of differing frequencies being designated as ?f, and sampling the return information with the use of a sampling reference. Frequency analysis is performed on the sampled information to determine the reference times at which the ?f signals occur and the signal intensity of the ?f signals at each time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Big Sky Financial Corporation
    Inventors: James E. Retterath, Robert A. Laumeyer
  • Patent number: 11227895
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided that includes an optical a scanning mirror to steer a laser beam emitted from the tip of an optical fiber to scan a scene, and collect light incident upon any objects in the scene that is returned to the fiber tip. The LIDAR system further includes a re-imaging lens located between the optical fiber and scanning mirror, and an optic located between the scanning mirror and the scene. The re-imaging lens focuses the laser beam emitted from the optical fiber on or close to the first scanning mirror's center of rotation and thereby re-image the fiber tip at or close to the center of rotation, from which the laser beam is reflected as a divergent laser beam. And the optic is configured to collimate or focus the divergent laser beam from the first scanning mirror that is launched toward the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Mina Rezk, Keith Gagne, Neal N. Oza, Omer P. Kocaoglu
  • Patent number: 11225310
    Abstract: An underwater acoustic deception system deceives a sensor installed on a threat existing in or on water by acoustic effect in order to protect ships from the threat. The underwater acoustic deception system is provided with a control device, a laser oscillator and emission optical system. The control device determines a focusing position to focus a laser beam (50) in water in order to generate bubbles (70) at a desired position with a desired scale and emission parameters of the laser beam (50). The laser oscillator generates the laser beam (50) configured to focus in water and generate bubbles. The emission optical system emits the generated laser beam (50) to the focusing position. The underwater acoustic deception system deceives an arbitrary sensor existing in the water by acoustic effect of the bubbles (70) on the surroundings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shingo Nishikata, Koichi Hamamoto, Atsushi Ochiai
  • Patent number: 11226412
    Abstract: Use of sonar systems to collect dimensional and relational data for use in metrology, mapping, object and structure detection, survey and evaluation applications is disclosed. Systems and methods for collecting underwater data sets, using registration targets, for data registration of underwater acoustic data sets, as well as for data registration of underwater acoustic data sets with above-the-waterline data sets (e.g., laser-based data sets) are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Teledyne RESON A/S
    Inventors: Roger Lee Thompson, Jason Leonard Seawall, Scott Thomas Bachelor, Nicholas Lesnikowski
  • Patent number: 11226403
    Abstract: A chip-scale coherent lidar system includes a master oscillator integrated on a chip to simultaneously provide a signal for transmission and a local oscillator (LO) signal. The system also includes a beam steering device to direct an output signal obtained from the signal for transmission out of the system, and a combiner on the chip to combine the LO signal and a return signal resulting from a reflection of the output signal by a target. One or more photodetectors obtain a result of interference between the LO signal and the return signal to determine information about the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Keyvan Sayyah, Raymond Sarkissian, Oleg Efimov, Pamela R. Patterson
  • Patent number: 11209529
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a coherent signal generator comprising an amplifier configured to receive a plurality of optical signals that are respectively associated with a plurality of phases, and generate a plurality of amplified optical signals using the plurality of optical signals; and a splitter network that is coupled to the amplifier. The splitter network is configured to receive the plurality of amplified optical signals, and generate a combined optical signal at an output of a plurality of outputs using the plurality of amplified optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Aurora Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Zeb Barber, Randy R. Reibel, Emil Kadlec
  • Patent number: 11209268
    Abstract: A depth measuring method and system applicable to a first binocular camera having a zoom lens is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: HANGZHOU HIKVISION DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jingxiong Wang, Hui Mao, Shiliang Pu
  • Patent number: 11211991
    Abstract: A sensing system. In some embodiments, the sensing system includes an imaging radio frequency receiver, an imaging radio frequency to optical converter, an imaging optical receiver, an optical beam combiner, and an imaging optical detector. The optical beam combiner is configured to combine an optical signal of the imaging radio frequency to optical converter, and an optical signal of the imaging optical receiver. In operation, the imaging radio frequency receiver, the imaging radio frequency to optical converter, and the optical beam combiner together form, on the imaging optical detector, an optical image of a radio frequency scene within a field of view of the imaging radio frequency receiver, and the imaging optical receiver and the optical beam combiner together form, on the imaging optical detector, an optical image of an optical scene within a field of view of the imaging optical receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Sean D. Keller, Gerald P. Uyeno, Benn Gleason
  • Patent number: 11204425
    Abstract: A vehicle image acquisition device includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulsed light in a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to capture reflected light returning from a target distance area at an imaging timing set according to the target distance area and acquire a plurality of captured images having different target distances, and a timing control unit configured to control light emission period of the pulsed light and the imaging timing. The light emitting unit includes a first light source for short-distance irradiation and a second light source for long-distance irradiation, and the image acquisition unit is configured by a single camera configured to capture a range irradiated by each of the first light source and the second light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuharu Mano
  • Patent number: 11204420
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a distance measurement apparatus includes a light emitter that intermittently emits a light beam, and a meter that measures a distance to an object from a length of time from an emission of the light beam from the light emitter to a return of reflected light by the object. The light emitter emits the light beam in a certain cycle with delay corresponding to randomly set offset time. The meter generates an integrated detection signal by shifting a plurality of detection signals of the light beam emitted in the certain cycle by the respective offset times and time-divisionally integrating the detection signals, and determines based on the integrated detection signal whether or not the light indicated by the detection signals is reflected light by the object, emitted from the light emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kubota, Nobu Matsumoto, Saki Sato, Tomonori Fukushima
  • Patent number: 11199627
    Abstract: Monitoring system includes: a light projecting and receiving unit including an emitting section to emit a light flux, a scanning section to make the light flux scan within a monitoring space, and a light receiving section to receive a light flux reflected from an object within the monitoring space; a processing section to measure a distance to the object by processing signals from the light projecting and receiving unit and to output a measurement point marker group provided with three-dimensional distance information for each measurement point; a user interface that sets a monitoring region in a virtual space by an operation of a user; and a display device that, when the monitoring region has been set via the user interface, displays the set monitoring region together with the measurement point marker group, wherein the processing section outputs an alarm signal when an object invades within the monitoring region during monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Junichi Fujita
  • Patent number: 11193765
    Abstract: There is provided a surveying instrument including a distance measuring unit configured to measure a distance to an object to be measured, a measuring direction image pickup module which includes the object to be measured and is configured to acquire as observation image, an attitude detector is configured to detect a tilt of the surveying instrument main body and a arithmetic control module, and wherein the arithmetic control module is configured to extract each common corresponding point from a first image acquired at a first installing point and a second image acquired at a second installing point, perform the matching based on the corresponding point, and make a measurement of a positional relationship of the object to be measured with respect to the first installing point and the second installing point based on a matching image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOPCON Corporation
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai, Tetsuji Anai
  • Patent number: 11194023
    Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulse light to a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of different images of target distance ranges by imaging reflected light returning from the target distance ranges at imaging timings set according to the target distance ranges, and a timing controller configured to control a light emission cycle of the pulse light and the imaging timings. The timing controller is configured to set a light emission interval time to be longer than a delay time which is a time from a light emission start time point of the light emitting unit to an imaging start time point of the image acquisition unit and is required to image a longest-distance range of the target distance ranges from which the reflected light can be imaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba, Osamu Endo, Masayasu Ito, Yuji Higashi
  • Patent number: 11187803
    Abstract: A system and a method are disclosed including a dual laser measurement device (DLMD) coupled with a mobile computing device to measure dimensions of a building or other structure, calculate other quantities based on the measured dimensions, select building construction or finishing material, order the material, and save the list of the measured dimensions and ordered materials in a data storage device. All steps of this process from measurement to ordering material may be performed using a DLMD app running on the mobile computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventor: Michael H. Panosian
  • Patent number: 11187805
    Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulse light to a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of different images of target distance ranges by imaging reflected light returning from the target distance ranges at imaging timings set according to the target distance ranges, and a timing controller configured to control a light emission cycle of the pulse light and the imaging timings. The timing controller is configured to control the light emission cycle and the imaging timings such that the light emission cycle and the imaging timings are modulated by random numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takanori Namba, Masayasu Ito, Mitsuharu Mano
  • Patent number: 11181640
    Abstract: A system and method for vehicle odometry using coherent range Doppler optical sensors. The system and method includes operating a Doppler light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system to collect raw point cloud data that indicates for a point a plurality of dimensions, wherein a dimension of the plurality of dimensions includes an inclination angle, an azimuthal angle, a range, or a relative speed between the point and the LIDAR system; determining a corrected velocity vector for the Doppler LIDAR system based on the raw point cloud data; and producing revised point cloud data that is corrected for the velocity of the Doppler LIDAR system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: BLACKMORE SENSORS & ANALYTICS, LLC
    Inventors: Devlin Baker, James Curry
  • Patent number: 11181368
    Abstract: A system includes at least one light projector, at least one image sensor, and at least one controller. The at least one light projector is attachable to an aircraft at a first location. The at least one light projector is configured to emit a first beam of light in a first direction at a first intensity. The at least one image sensor is attachable to the aircraft at a second location. The at least one image sensor is configured to capture a first image of a scene including reflections of the first beam of light and a second image of the scene without the at least one projector emitting a beam of light. The at least one controller is configured to determine a maximum detection range of the first beam of light based upon the light intensity of the light beam, the first location, and the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SIMMONDS PRECISION PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Rutkiewicz, David Matty, Kent Allan Ramthun, Joseph T. Pesik
  • Patent number: 11181370
    Abstract: A total station configured for receiving from a camera a first image captured in a first face and a second image captured in a second face, wherein in the second face the camera is rotated around the optical axis by between 170° and 190° compared to the first face, receiving at least one of an azimuthal angle pair and an elevative angle pair, said azimuthal angle pair comprising a first azimuthal angle and a second azimuthal angle, and said elevative angle pair comprising a first elevative angle a second elevative angle, matching the first image and the second image with a relative rotation and a relative translation, determining the relative rotation of the matched first image and second image, determining the relative translation of the matched first image and second image, based on the respective angle pair, the relative rotation, the relative translation, and determining an instrument error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Norbert Kotzur, Hannes Maar