Patents Examined by Que Tan Le
  • Patent number: 11520050
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image element and an optical radar device that have low cost and are capable of detecting a distance to a measurement object at a close distance before a final result of counting the number of pulses is acquired are realized. A pixel storage element has a plurality of binary counters that integrate the number of electrical pulses at mutually different timings and the reading of data by a signal processing circuit and the integration are able to be performed in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuji Iguchi, Koji Takahashi, Hidenori Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 11520021
    Abstract: A light receiving device includes a light receiver including pixels and a light receiving area. The pixels are arranged in an array in a first direction and in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and each of the pixels has one light receiving element or more. The light receiving area has continuous pixels out of the pixels, outputs signals based on intensities of light received in the continuous pixels, and is changed in position in the light receiver according to a signal indicating a position in the first direction and a position in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kubota, Nobu Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11519779
    Abstract: A fluid properties sensing system includes an optical sensor which generates a sensor signal based on received laser light, a light source which transmits laser light through a transmitting fiber to a sensor head, a receiver that detects a portion of the laser light from a receiving fiber through an evanescent field of the transmitting fiber when the laser light radiates through a transmitting fiber wall of the transmitting fiber and interacts with a fluid medium at an interface of the sensor and the fluid medium, and a processor. The fibers are coupled at one end through the evanescent field to form the sensor head disposed in a flow field and to interact with the fluid medium. The processor identifies a change in the sensor signal based on a detected portion of the laser light resulting from an interaction of the sensor head with the fluid medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: INNOVEERING, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Bivolaru, Jiaji Lin, George Papadopoulos
  • Patent number: 11520074
    Abstract: A sensor comprising a light emitter and light detector directly covered and encapsulated by a layer of light transmissive compound. A gap in the light transmissive compound between the light emitter and the light detector filled with a light blocking barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventors: Vanapong Kwangkaew, Sirirat Silapapipat, Sanjay Mitra
  • Patent number: 11522003
    Abstract: A matrix-array detector and to a method for implementing the detector are provided. The detector includes an array of pixels that are sensitive to a physical effect and arranged in a matrix along rows and down columns, each pixel generating a signal according to the physical effect; row conductors, each allowing the pixels of one row to be driven; a first group of driver modules each delivering selection signals to one row conductor of a first group of row conductors; a second group of driver modules each delivering selection signals to one row conductor of a first group of row conductors; the first and second groups of row conductors being interlaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TRIXELL
    Inventors: Martin Siaud, Simon Marecaux, Chantal Hordequin
  • Patent number: 11512999
    Abstract: A draft survey apparatus for gauging a barge by determining a weight of bulk materials loaded and discharged from the barge in water wherein the water level is provided. The draft survey apparatus includes a light source for emitting photons radially outward from the light source, a receiver for receiving the photons reflected off of the barge and surface, the receiver operable to sense a return angle of the photons, and a processor operable to determine a position of the objects and surfaces in three dimensional space based on the return angle of the photons and a time delay of photons between emission and receipt. The processor is operable to determine the weight of the bulk materials on the barge based on a height of barge above the water level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Mazzella Lifting Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom D. Schiller, Frederic Katz, Daniel Kent
  • Patent number: 11513221
    Abstract: A distance measurement processing device according to an embodiment includes an information acquisition circuit and a reliability-degree generation circuit. The information acquisition circuit acquires a two-dimensional distance image having a measured distance as a pixel value and signal information concerning a signal value corresponding to the measured distance image. The reliability-degree generation circuit sets, for each of the pixels of the two-dimensional distance image, each of the pixels as a center pixel and generates a reliability degree based on information concerning the pixels having distance values equal to or smaller than a predetermined value from a distance value of the center pixel among the pixels contiguous within a predetermined range from the center pixel and a signal value corresponding to the center pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kubota, Nobu Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11503773
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sunlight converting device including a wavelength converting film using a wavelength conversion material such as a quantum dot or an inorganic phosphor. More particularly, the present disclosure provides a sunlight converting device including a wavelength converting film using a wavelength conversion material, which can optimize plant growth and provide improved plant quality by installing a wavelength converting film on which a wavelength conversion material is applied so as to be converted into a predetermined wavelength and output to a greenhouse (glasshouse), a vinyl house or a microalga culture facility, varying the sunlight irradiation area of the wavelength converting film, and supplying light of various wavelengths required for species of plant including microalgae or growth cycles thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventors: Choa Mun Yun, Wonjoon Choi
  • Patent number: 11506762
    Abstract: An optical device includes a substrate including an optical waveguide running through the substrate. An optical transmitter mounted on the substrate in a first location includes at least one optical emitter, which emits a primary beam of optical radiation toward a target and emits a secondary beam of the optical radiation into the optical waveguide. An optical receiver mounted on the substrate in a second location includes at least one optical sensor, which receives the optical radiation that is reflected from the target and outputs a primary signal in response thereto, and receives the secondary beam of the optical radiation from the waveguide and outputs a reference signal in response to the secondary beam. A processor receives and processes the primary signal and the reference signal in order to extract information with respect to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Avi Feshali
  • Patent number: 11506881
    Abstract: A system and method of imaging an object uses a plasmonic layer as a sample holder defining a periodic array of sub-micron structures adjacent the object. The sample holder is exposed to a first portion of light that is transmitted through either the plasmonic layer but not the object, or the plasmonic layer and a first section of the object, and a second portion of the light that is transmitted through the plasmonic layer and at least a second section of the object. The light interacts with at least the plasmonic layer and the first portion of the transmitted light characterizes one or more first surface plasmon resonance peaks and the second portion of the transmitted light characterizes one or more second surface plasmon resonance peaks that are wavelength shifted from the first surface plasmon resonance peaks by the object affecting plasmons propagating within the plasmonic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: La Trobe University
    Inventors: Eugeniu Balaur, Brian Abbey
  • Patent number: 11500092
    Abstract: In an embodiments, a method for operating a time-of-flight (ToF) ranging array includes: illuminating a field-of-view (FoV) of the ToF ranging array with radiation pulses; receiving reflected radiation pulses with a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) in a region of interest (ROI) of the ToF ranging array, the plurality of SPADs arranged in a plurality of SPAD clusters; determining an ambient count of ambient light events generated by SPADs of a first SPAD cluster of the plurality of SPAD clusters; and gating an output of the first SPAD cluster based on the ambient count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
    Inventor: Stuart McLeod
  • Patent number: 11500064
    Abstract: A MEMS board assembly, a LiDAR system including the same, and a method for making the same are disclosed. The exemplary MEMS board assembly includes a MEMS board having a plurality of through holes and a mount having a plurality of threaded holes. The MEMS board assembly further includes a plurality of spring-loaded posts each formed by fitting a spring into a respective post. The plurality of spring-loaded posts are fitted into the plurality of threaded holes of the mount. The MEMS board assembly also includes a plurality of screws fitting the MEMS board to the mount by reaching into the plurality of threaded holes of the mount through the plurality of through holes in the MEMS board and the plurality of spring-loaded posts. The MEMS board touches the plurality of spring-loaded posts at the plurality of through holes in the MEMS board corresponding to the plurality of threaded holes of the mount respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING VOYAGER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Anan Pan, Henghui Jiang
  • Patent number: 11493676
    Abstract: A sensor window may include a substrate and a set of layers disposed onto the substrate. The set of layers may include a first subset of layers of a first refractive index and a second set of layers of a second refractive index different from the first refractive index. The set of layers may be associated with a threshold transmissivity in a sensing spectral range. The set of layers may be configured to a particular color in a visible spectral range and may be associated with a threshold opacity in the visible spectral range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: VIAVI Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Georg J. Ockenfuss, Scott Rowlands, Markus Bilger
  • Patent number: 11486982
    Abstract: A sensing system is provided. The sensing system includes an electrical pulse generator that receives first optical pulses output from a pulsed laser, through a first path, and photo-electrically converts the first optical pulses to generate an electrical pulses; and an optical phase detector that receives second optical pulses output from the pulsed laser, through a second path, and outputs an electrical signal that corresponds to a phase error between the electrical pulses and the second optical pulses based on electro-optic sampling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jungwon Kim, Yongjin Na
  • Patent number: 11486987
    Abstract: A single photon counting sensor array includes one or more emitters configured to emit a plurality of pulses of energy, and a detector array comprising a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes one or more detectors, a plurality of which are configured to receive reflected pulses of energy that were emitted by the one or more emitters. A mask material is positioned to cover some but not all of the detectors of the plurality of pixels to yield blocked pixels and unblocked pixels so that each blocked pixel is prevented from detecting the reflected pulses of energy and therefore only detects intrinsic noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Argo AI, LLC
    Inventors: John Hostetler, Yahia Tachwali
  • Patent number: 11490489
    Abstract: An example electronic device includes: a housing: a display including a plurality of signal lines; an optical sensor module including first and second light emitting elements respectively overlapping first and second signal lines, and a light receiving element configured to collect light from the first and/or second light emitting elements that is reflected and received from an external object; and a processor. The processor is configured to control the first light emitting element based on an off-time point of time of the first signal line corresponding to brightness of the display such that the first light emitting element emits light at a first light-emitting point of time, and to control the second light emitting element based on a time difference between off-time points of time of the first and second signal lines such that the second light emitting element emits light at a second light-emitting point of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeongho Cho, Jongah Kim, Heewoong Yoon, Kihyuk Lee, Donghan Lee
  • Patent number: 11480462
    Abstract: A monitoring device for agricultural use comprising a housing adapted to accommodate at least a solar radiation sensor positioned in the top portion of the housing, the housing comprising an aperture at the top end adapted to allow the solar radiation sensor to be exposed through the aperture. The housing is attached to a hanger located at the same level or below the top end of the housing and adapted to hang the housing on a hanging element such as a cable. The housing may further comprises a leveling component for leveling the solar radiation sensor or the entire monitoring device. The monitoring device optionally comprises a shading sleeve compatible with passing the hanging element through the monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: MORE GROFIT AGTECH LTD
    Inventors: Avraham Yohai Hazan, Itay Miyara
  • Patent number: 11480558
    Abstract: A method and a device for determining the concentration of an analyte in whole blood is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes generating a plasma layer in the whole blood sample. Furthermore, the method includes exposing the plasma layer to light. The method also includes capturing light reflected from the plasma layer. Additionally, the method includes analyzing the reflected light to determine the concentration of the analyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.
    Inventors: Satish Kumar Dubey, Ashish Kumar Lal, Vishal Manjanath Prabhu, David Ledden
  • Patent number: 11480657
    Abstract: A LADAR device, including: a rangefinder; a signal transmission module; a power transmission module; a mechanical rotating part; a housing; a signal processing board; and a timing module. The signal transmission module includes at least one optical communication transmitter and one optical communication receiver. The power transmission module includes coupled magnet rings and communicates with the signal transmission module through electromagnetic induction to achieve wireless power transmission. The mechanical rotating part is adapted to drive the rangefinder to rotate axially in 360 degrees. The rangefinder is disposed on the housing, and includes a laser, an emitting lens assembly, a receiving sensor, and a receiving lens. The emitting lens assembly includes a first accommodation space and the laser is disposed in the first accommodation space. The receiving lens includes a second accommodation space and the receiving sensor is disposed in the second accommodation space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: LEISHEN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Wang, Peihua Duan, Xiaobo Hu
  • Patent number: 11474213
    Abstract: A lidar system that includes a laser source can be controlled to fire laser pulse shots from the laser source at a variable rate of firing those laser pulse shots. The fired laser pulse shots can include scheduled laser pulse shots that are targeted at range points in the field of view. The fired laser pulse shots can also include marker shots that bleed energy out of the laser source in order to avoid reaching a threshold for available energy in the laser source and/or regulate energy amounts for the targeted laser pulse shots. A laser energy model that models how much energy is available from the laser source for laser pulse shots over time can be used to model future available energies for the laser source and determine whether any marker shots should be fired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: AEYE, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Feru, Luis Dussan, Joel Benscoter, Alex Liang, Igor Polishchuk, Allan Steinhardt