Patents Examined by Thomas M Hammond, III
  • Patent number: 11474225
    Abstract: A chip-implementation of a millimeter wave MIMO radar comprises transmitters for transmitting short bursts of digitally modulated radar carrier signals and receivers for receiving delayed echoes of those signals. Various signal formats defined by the number of bits per transmit burst, the transmit burst duration, the receive period duration, the bitrate, the number of range bins, and the number of bursts per scan, facilitate the choice of modulating bit patterns such that when correlating for target echoes over an entire scan, the correlation codes for different ranges and different transmitters are mutually orthogonal or nearly so. In the event of imperfect orthogonality, simple orthogonalization schemes are revealed, such as subtraction of strong already-detected target signals for better detecting weaker signals or moving targets that are rendered non-orthogonal by their Doppler shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Uhnder, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul W. Dent, Curtis Davis, Murtaza Ali
  • Patent number: 11454698
    Abstract: A device includes one or more processors configured to receive radar data, and generate a plurality of occupancy grid maps based on the radar data. Each of the occupancy grid maps corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of candidate angles. The one or more processors is also configured to select one of the candidate angles as a sensor mount angle based on the occupancy grid maps, and trigger an action based on the sensor mount angle and the radar data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Muhammad Zubair Ikram, Adeel Ahmad
  • Patent number: 11448745
    Abstract: An FMCW radar is used to sense an object. A sensor device that senses an object by using an FMCW radar is provided. The sensor device includes: a signal processing unit that acquires a reception signal that is based on a reception wave of the FMCW radar, and senses the object; and a phase converting unit that acquires phase information from the reception signal, and tracks the object by monitoring a peak BIN, and a phase offset between the peak BIN and another BIN based on the phase information. As the reception signal, the signal processing unit may use micro-vibration data about the object to sense the object. A system including: a transceiving unit that transmits and receives an FMCW radar signal; and the sensor device according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Takeuchi, Willem Johan Stapelbroek
  • Patent number: 11442143
    Abstract: A radar device with a housing, with a shield, with an interconnect device, with an electronic circuit arrangement, and with antennas. The shield and the interconnect device, with components and antennas arranged on it, are surrounded by the housing. A medium is arranged between the shield and the housing, and this medium has a thermal conductivity greater than 0.15 W/(m·K).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Michael Schulte, Ralf Krömer, Benjamin Pleuger
  • Patent number: 11442131
    Abstract: There is described a device for determining an angle of arrival of a received RF signal, the device comprising (a) a first antenna and a second antenna arranged with a predetermined distance between them on an antenna axis, the first antenna having a larger gain than the second antenna for directions corresponding to one side of the antenna axis, the second antenna having a larger gain than the first antenna for directions corresponding to the other side of the antenna axis, (b) receiver circuitry coupled to the first antenna and to the second antenna, the receiver circuitry being configured to determine a first phase and a first signal strength of a signal received by the first antenna and to determine a second phase and a second signal strength of a signal received by the second antenna, and (c) angle determining circuitry configured to determine the angle of arrival based on the first phase, the second phase, the first signal strength, and the second signal strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Ghiath Al-kadi, Ulrich Andreas Muehlmann, Michael Schober
  • Patent number: 11422248
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a signal processing device for accurately detecting a moving object without being influenced by the speed of the moving object. This signal processing device is provided with: at least two cross-correlation calculation units for calculating cross-correlation functions for the waveform of a reflection signal obtained through the reflection, by an object, of a transmission signal having a varying frequency and different correlation waveforms generated from the waveform of the transmission signal; a combination unit for combining the at least two cross-correlation functions from the at least two cross-correlation calculation units so as not to be separated in the frequency shift direction; and a detection unit for detecting the object on the basis of the cross-correlation function resulting from the combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Hoshuyama, Kentarou Kudou, Shohei Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11422219
    Abstract: Determining alignment and clear line-of-sight (LOS) of a satellite antenna using sensor data from an LOS sensor of the satellite antenna. Described techniques include storing first sensor data captured by the LOS sensor at a first time, the first sensor data indicating a first LOS condition of the satellite antenna corresponding to the satellite antenna having a beam LOS with a satellite of the satellite communication system that is aligned and unobstructed. The techniques may include receiving second sensor data captured by the LOS sensor at a second time after the first time, the second sensor data indicating a second LOS condition of the satellite antenna. The techniques may include determining an LOS condition change for the satellite antenna between the first time and the second time based on a comparison of the second sensor data with the first sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Viasat, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Zlogar, Philip A. Lampe, Kurt A. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 11418971
    Abstract: A beamforming integrated circuit system is configured to optimize performance. Among other things, the system may run at a lower power than conventional integrated circuits, selectively disable branches to control certain system functions, and/or selectively position ground pads around receiving pads to enhance isolation. The system also may use a beamforming integrated circuit as a distribution circuit for a number of similar or like beamforming integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Anokiwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Pavel Brechko, David W. Corman, Vipul Jain, Shamsun Nahar, Jason Durbin, Nitin Jain
  • Patent number: 11415707
    Abstract: A space based multi-band GPS/GNSS navigation system, including: a first RF card with a space grade application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implementing two RF channels configured to receive and process two different received navigation signals; a space grade navigation processor configured to: execute processor instructions to process the two different received navigation signals to produce position, velocity, and time information; and process measurements using an Extended Kalman filter for enhanced performance at high altitude, including cis-lunar and lunar space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Munther Hassouneh, Luke Winternitz, Samuel R. Price, Luke J. Thomas, Jason Mitchell
  • Patent number: 11415664
    Abstract: A method for obtaining an adaptive angle-Doppler ambiguity function (AF) for a target using multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) radar that includes a transmit antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements. The method includes generating transmit signals for transmission by the transmit antenna array, the transmit signals defining at least a first transmit trajectory of a phase center within the transmit antenna array; transmitting the transmit signals using the transmit antenna array and receiving receive signals from the target, the receive signals resulting from the incidence of the transmit signals upon the target; and obtaining at least an angle-Doppler ambiguity function (AF) from the receive signals. The first transmit trajectory is such that, in operation, the phase center undergoes random phase center motion (PCM), such that a phase center position within the transmit antenna array varies randomly with time. A system for obtaining an AF is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: IEE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS & ENGINEERING S.A., UNIVERSITE DU LUXEMBOURG
    Inventors: Christian Hammes, Yogesh Nijsure, Bjorn Ottersten, Thiemo Spielmann, Bhavani Shankar Mysore Rama Rao, Udo Schroder
  • Patent number: 11402495
    Abstract: The invention concerns a monitoring method that comprises coupling in an integral manner at least one electromagnetic mirror of passive type with a given target to be monitored and monitoring the given target; wherein monitoring the given target includes: acquiring, via one or more synthetic aperture radar(s) installed on board one or more satellites and/or one or more aerial platforms, SAR images of a given area of the earth's surface where the given target is located; and determining, via a processing unit, a movement of the electromagnetic mirror on the basis of the acquired SAR images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A. Con Unico Socio
    Inventors: Luca Soli, Diego Calabrese
  • Patent number: 11397261
    Abstract: Persistent scatterers on images and a target object are readily associated with each other. There is provided an image processing apparatus including a persistent scatterer specifier, a phase acquirer, and a clustering unit. The persistent scatterer specifier of the image processing apparatus specifies persistent scatterers at which reflection is stable in a plurality of images. The phase acquirer of the image processing apparatus acquires phases of the specified persistent scatterers. The clustering unit of the image processing apparatus clusters the persistent scatterers based on the positions of the persistent scatterers and the phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taichi Tanaka, Osamu Hoshuyama
  • Patent number: 11397259
    Abstract: Techniques related to measuring a time-of-flight (ToF), comprising switching a first measuring station to a main operating mode, transmitting, by the first measuring station, a first ToF packet to a remote device, switching the first measuring station to a receive mode to receive a first ToF response packet from the remote device, receiving, by the first measuring station, the first ToF response packet, determining, a time interval between transmitting of the first ToF packet and receiving the first ToF response packet, receiving a plurality of time intervals from one or more other measuring stations, determining a ToF measurement based on the first time interval and the plurality of time intervals, switching the first measuring station to a secondary operating mode, and transmitting to a second measuring station, an indication to switch to the main operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Texas Instmments Incorporated
    Inventors: Tomas Motos, Espen Wium, Trond Meckelborg Rognerud, Aslak Ringvoll Normann, Oskar Gustaf Fredrik Von Heideken, Reidar Myhr
  • Patent number: 11391836
    Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for liveliness detection. In an aspect, a radar sensor of an electronic device transmits a radar frame comprising a plurality of bursts, each burst comprising a plurality of radar pulses, and receives a plurality of reflected radar pulses. The electronic device generates a radar image representing azimuth, elevation, range, and slow time measurements for the radar frame based on the plurality of reflected pulses, applies a Doppler FFT to the radar image to convert the radar image to represent azimuth, elevation, range, and velocity measurements for the radar frame, identifies at least one area of motion in the radar image based on velocity bins of the radar image, and detects a target dynamic object based on a CFAR detection applied over the range and azimuth measurements and a SNR threshold of the received plurality of reflected pulses associated with the at least one area of motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ariel Yaakov Sagi, Evyatar Hemo, Evgeny Levitan, Sharad Sambhwani, Amichai Sanderovich
  • Patent number: 11385359
    Abstract: The present invention provides a point cloud data acquisition method and device under a situation of no GNSS signal. The method comprises: re-sampling line data acquired from a topographic map to obtain discrete line data; generating a full-second PPS pulse in a simulating manner; counting by using a distance measuring instrument, sampling the count, when it is detected that the full-second PPS pulse is received, calculating position information at a current moment; simulating a GNSS satellite protocol according to the position information at the current moment; parsing the GNSS satellite protocol by using a point cloud data acquisition module to complete time synchronization, and controlling a LiDAR to acquire point cloud data; parsing the GNSS satellite protocol by using an inertial measurement module, and recording attitude determination positioning data in real time to generate POS data; and optimizing the POS data to obtain accurate point cloud data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignees: CHONGQING SURVEY INSTITUTE, CHONGQING CYBERCITY SCI-TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hanxin Chen, Zejun Xiang, Chuan Long, Jing Ming, Yonggang Gou, Nan Lv, Han Chen, Zaiqian Luo, Feng Li, Zhi Huang, Xiaolin Hu
  • Patent number: 11378674
    Abstract: A system for estimating a range and a velocity of an object includes a processing device configured to perform, for each return pulse of a return signal including reflections of a radar signal, applying a first Fourier transform to the return pulse to transform the return pulse into a range spectrum and calculate a range intensity value for each of a plurality of range hypotheses, calculating a range variation for each of a plurality of hypothesized Doppler frequency values, and for each hypothesized Doppler frequency value, applying a second Fourier transform to the series of return pulses based on the range intensity values and the range variation. The processing device is further configured to perform outputting range and Doppler frequency data including a range-Doppler intensity value for each range hypothesis and hypothesized Doppler frequency, and estimating a range and a velocity of the object based on the range-Doppler intensity values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Oded Bialer, Amnon Jonas
  • Patent number: 11378647
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device for adaptively configuring a threshold for object detection by means of radar, the device including: a position-specific maximum signal value extraction unit extracting a maximum value of a signal for each position by obtaining the signal when there is no moving object; a position-specific signal magnitude sorting unit obtaining signals caused by a moving object, and sorting magnitudes of the obtained signals for each position in descending order for a time index; a candidate signal index selection unit selecting a candidate signal index; a signal index determination unit setting weighting factors for the respective signals up to the candidate signal index, and determining a sum of the weighting factors as a signal index; and a position-specific threshold configuring unit configuring the threshold for each position by using a signal of the determined signal index and a scaling factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: WRT LAB CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Ho Cho, Xuanjun Quan, Jeong Woo Choi
  • Patent number: 11372085
    Abstract: A radar apparatus is provided having an antenna that has a frequency-dependent directional characteristic. The radar apparatus includes a transmitter circuit designed to generate a first frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) frequency ramp having a first center frequency and at least one second FMCW frequency ramp having a second center frequency, which is different than the first center frequency. The transmitter circuit is configured to drive the antenna using the first FMCW frequency ramp to produce a first directional characteristic for the at least one antenna, and to drive the antenna using the at least one second FMCW frequency ramp to produce a second directional characteristic for the antenna, where the second directional characteristic is different from the first directional characteristic. It is thus possible to exploit an antenna squinting effect in order to increase an angular resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Inventor: Philipp Scherz
  • Patent number: 11372099
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a localization method for locating a target that is coupled with a locator transponder associated with a permanent identification code permanently assigned to said locator transponder; the localization method comprising: upon reception of a user request for locating the target, transmitting, by a paging system or by a radar-based system, a spread spectrum paging signal carrying the permanent identification code and a temporary identification code temporarily assigned to the locator transponder, wherein said temporary identification code is shorter than said permanent identification code; receiving, by the locator transponder, the spread spectrum paging signal and extracting, by said locator transponder, the temporary identification code carried by said spread spectrum paging signal received; transmitting, by the radar-based system, radar signals towards one or more areas of earth's surface or sky, and receiving, by said radar-based system, echo signals from said one or more area
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A. Con Unico Socio
    Inventors: Domenico Giancristofaro, Giacinto Losquadro, Roberto Venturini, Diego Calabrese
  • Patent number: 11366197
    Abstract: Operating a stepped frequency radar system involves performing stepped frequency scanning across a frequency range using at least one transmit antenna and a two-dimensional array of receive antennas and using frequency steps of a fixed step size, processing a first portion of digital data that is generated from the stepped frequency scanning to produce a first digital output, wherein the first portion of the digital data is derived from frequency pulses that are separated by a first step size that is a multiple of the fixed step size, and processing a second portion of digital data that is generated from the stepped frequency scanning to produce a second digital output, wherein the second portion of the digital data is derived from frequency pulses that are separated by a second step size that is a multiple of the fixed step size, wherein the first multiple is different from the second multiple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Movano Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Leabman