Patents Examined by Timothy X Pham
  • Patent number: 11402481
    Abstract: A system for detecting objects in an environment, comprising a measuring system and a processing unit in signal communication with the measuring system, wherein: the measuring system comprises macro-components formed of respective subcomponents, wherein the macro-components comprise: a waveform generator configured to provide an electrical signal to be transmitted with a predetermined waveform, transmitting and receiving means configured to transmit a first electromagnetic signal matching the electrical signal to be transmitted and to receive from the environment a second electromagnetic signal generated by a reflection of the first electromagnetic signal, thereby providing a received signal matching the second electromagnetic signal, an analog conditioning circuit configured to provide a baseband electrical signal by baseband converting the received signal, and an analog-to-digital converter configured to provide a digital signal which is a discrete sequence of values obtained by sampling the baseband el
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: INXPECT S.p.A.
    Inventors: Ugo Bertacchini, Alessio Degani, Marco Garatti, Andrea Tartaro
  • Patent number: 11402485
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed where an operating state may be determined by selecting one or more transmitting nodes for transmitting one or more radio-frequency (RF) signals. One or more receiving nodes may receive the one or more RF signals that may include one or more channel state data. The operating state may be determined based on one or more features extracted from the one or more channel state data. Another system and method is disclosed where a range compensation value may be determined by transmitting a radio-frequency (RF) signal from at least one transmitting node. The one or more receiving nodes may receive the RF signal and a channel state data may be estimated using the signal. The range compensation value may be determined using the channel state data and a position value indicating a location of the at least one transmitting node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Vivek Jain, Sushanta Mohan Rakshit, Yunze Zeng
  • Patent number: 11391813
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for processing radar signals in a detection system comprising at least one computing architecture comprising at least one memory to store at least one set of signal-related programs and/or data, at least one processor executing said programs to implement said method comprising at least a first step (E1) to digitize radar signals, a second step to generate spectra from the digitized signals obtained at the first step (E1), via FFT computation, said method being characterized in that FFT computation at the spectra generation step (E2) comprises at least one multi-FFT processing comprising at least: simultaneous FFT computation (E20) of different sizes with automatic selection of said sizes and real-time selection of signals (E21) in all the spectra of the different FFT computations, via a selection algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: AVANTIX
    Inventor: Bernard Teneze
  • Patent number: 11391815
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to compensate radar system calibration are disclosed. A radio-frequency (RF) subsystem having a transmit channel, a receive channel, and a loopback path comprising at least a portion of the transmit channel and at least a portion of the receive channel, a loopback measurer to measure a first loopback response of the RF subsystem for a first calibration configuration of the RF subsystem, and to measure a second loopback response of the RF subsystem for a second calibration configuration of the RF subsystem, and a compensator to adjust at least one of a transmit programmable shifter or a digital front end based on a difference between the first loopback response and the second loopback response to compensate for a loopback response change when the RF subsystem is changed from the first calibration configuration to the second calibration configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Texas Instmments Incorporated
    Inventors: Karthik Subburaj, Shankar Narayanamoorthy, Karthik Ramasubramanian, Anand Gadiyar, Dheeraj Kumar Shetty, Shailesh Joshi
  • Patent number: 11385346
    Abstract: In one example, this disclosure is directed to a system configured to detect inclement weather in the travel path of a vehicle, determine a recommended maneuver to avoid the inclement weather, and determine the feasibility of the recommended maneuver with respect to any nearby vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Jing Song, Lin Wang, Peng Liu, Wei Cui, Patrick Glaze
  • Patent number: 11385323
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for radar signaling s are described. In some systems, devices may select radar parameters (e.g., frequency modulated continuous wave waveform parameters) to support coexistence for multiple radar sources in the system. To reduce mutual interference between radar waveforms in a system, a user equipment may detect interference from at least one interference source (e.g., another device transmitting a radar waveform) and may select waveform parameters for transmission of a radar waveform based on the detected interference. For example, the user equipment may determine slopes, frequency offsets, codewords, or a combination thereof used by nearby devices in the system (e.g., per chirp or for a waveform) and may select waveform parameters that result in low mutual interference with the determined slopes, frequency offsets, codewords, or combination thereof. The user equipment may transmit the radar waveform according to the selected waveform parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kapil Gulati, Junyi Li, Sundar Subramanian, Jayakrishnan Unnikrishnan
  • Patent number: 11378682
    Abstract: A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system may employ SAR imaging to advantageously estimate or monitor a transit characteristic (e.g., velocity, acceleration) of a vehicle, for example a ground based vehicle or water based vehicle. A dual-beam SAR antenna illuminate a moving target with a first radar beam and a second radar beam at an angular offset relative to the first radar beam. Pulses may be transmitted and backscattered energy received simultaneously by the SAR transceiver via the first and second radar beams. A SAR data processor may generate a first image from the first radar beam and a second image from the second radar beam, co-registering the first and second images, comparing the location of the moving target in the first and second images, and estimate a velocity of the moving target based at least in part on the angular offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SPACEALPHA INSIGHTS CORP.
    Inventors: Peter Allen Fox, Keith Dennis Richard Beckett
  • Patent number: 11366210
    Abstract: An improved bistatic radar detection system useful for detecting an imminent collision between a vehicle and a tracked object includes at least one radar module having both receiver circuitry and transmitter circuitry to allow a processor to dynamically select operations of the module as either a transmitter or a receiver of a bistatic radar set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Mobile Technology Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: Robert G. Crosby, II
  • Patent number: 11366215
    Abstract: A radar includes an antenna having a radiating pattern forming a sum channel, a radiating pattern forming a difference channel and a pattern forming a control channel, and generates at least interrogation messages on the sum channel and interrogation messages on the control channel; transmits messages via the sum channel and via the control channel respectively, and receives and processes signals received via the sum, difference, and control channels, configured for detecting replies of targets on the signals received via the sum and difference channels and carrying out monopulse processing and RSLS processing on the replies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Philippe Billaud, Sylvain Colin
  • Patent number: 11353571
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are presented for characterising the environment of a user platform. In certain embodiments RF signals are transmitted and received through an antenna array having a plurality of elements activated in a predetermined sequence, and received signals are manipulated with round-trip path corrections to enhance the gain of the array in one or more directions. Objects in those directions are detected from the receipt of returns of transmitted signals, and the manipulated received signals processed to estimate range to those objects. In other embodiments RF signals transmitted by one or more external transmitters are received and manipulated to enhance the gain of a local antenna array or antenna arrays associated with the one or more transmitters to enhance the gain of the arrays in one or more directions. Objects in those directions are detected from the receipt of reflected signals from the transmitters, and the manipulated received signals processed to estimate range to those objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Locata Corporation Pty Ltd
    Inventor: David Small
  • Patent number: 11346921
    Abstract: A radio frequency circuit includes an input terminal configured to receive a reception signal from an antenna; a reception signal path coupled to the input terminal and including a mixer and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), where the ADC generates a digital signal representing an input signal to the ADC; a test signal generator configured to generate a test signal that is injected into the reception signal path while the reception signal propagates along the reception signal path; a digital signal processor configured to receive the digital signal from a digital portion of the reception signal path, and analyze a frequency response of the digital signal; and a subtractor coupled to the digital portion of the reception signal path, the subtractor configured to remove test frequency components resulting from an injection of the test signal into the reception signal path from the digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventor: Grigory Itkin
  • Patent number: 11333739
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a vehicular sensing system includes disposing the sensing system at a vehicle, with the sensing system including at least two radar sensors disposed at the vehicle so as to have respective fields of sensing exterior of the vehicle. At least one spherical radar reflector is disposed at a position exterior the vehicle where the fields of sensing of the at least two radar sensors overlap. A calibration mode of the sensing system is entered, and calibration radio waves are transmitted by at least one transmitter, and reflected calibration radio waves are received by receivers of the at least two radar sensors. The reflected calibration radio waves include the calibration radio waves reflected off the at least one spherical radar reflector. A controller calibrates the sensing system responsive to processing the received reflected calibration radio waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Helmut Arnold Hardow Wodrich, Holger Hess, Sebastian Pliefke, Walter Gordon Woodington
  • Patent number: 11327153
    Abstract: In another example, a method is provided that includes transmitting a first radar signal by a first channel of a plurality of channels of a radar unit. The method also includes receiving first radar reflections of the first radar signal by at least one reception antenna of the radar unit. Additionally, the method includes transmitting a second radar signal by the first channel. The method further includes receiving second radar reflections of the second radar signal by at least one reception antenna. Yet further, the method includes processing the received radar reflections from the first and second radar reflections to determine a platform movement parameter. Additionally, a virtual array may be constructed and radar signals received at common location of the virtual array may be used to determine a platform movement parameter. Moreover, the method includes operating the radar unit based on an offset determined from the platform movement parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Campbell, Kevin Duncklee
  • Patent number: 11320514
    Abstract: A method for measuring a distance to a target in a multi-user environment by means of at least one sensor, comprising: irradiating the environment by means of a series of radiation pulses, wherein series of radiation pulses are emitted at a determined repetition rate and with a determined random delay; collecting pulses that are reflected or scattered from the environment to at least a detector connected to at least one chronometer; assigning a timestamp at every detected pulse on the detector; subtracting the added delay from every registered timestamp coming from the chronometer, the result corresponding to the time of arrival; determining the statistical distribution of said time of arrival; determining the distance to the target from said statistical distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: FASTREE3D SA
    Inventors: Stefan Thomas Keller, Lucio Carrara
  • Patent number: 11320530
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for removing a motion artifact of a radar are provided. The method includes: obtaining a radar signal for a target to be measured by the radar; measuring posture of the radar; estimating a motion artifact caused by movement of the radar based on a vertical angle, a horizontal angle based on the posture of the radar, and displacement; and correcting the radar signal according to the motion artifact. The posture of the radar includes the vertical angle at which the radar signal is radiated in a vertical direction about a central axis, the horizontal angle at which the radar signal is radiated in a horizontal direction about the central axis, and the displacement of the radar according to the movement of the radar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Dong Kyoo Kim, You Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 11320527
    Abstract: The disclosed radar system may include a radar mechanism comprising a transmitter and at least one receiver. The radar system may also include a signal generator that generates a frequency-modulated radar signal. In addition, the radar system may include a delay mechanism that (1) receives the frequency-modulated radar signal from the signal generator and (2) after a certain period of delay, passes the frequency-modulated radar signal to the transmitter to be transmitted to a transponder located on a wearable artificial reality device. The radar system may also include a processing device that (1) receives the frequency-modulated radar signal from the signal generator, (2) detects a signal returned to the receiver from the transponder, and (3) calculates a distance between the transponder and the receiver based at least in part on an analysis of the signal returned from the transponder and the frequency-modulated radar signal received from the signal generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Riccardo DeSalvo, Giuseppe Castaldi, Andrea Cusano, Vincenzo Galdi, Paolo Mattera, Roberto Parente, Fereydoun Daneshgaran, Joseph Minh Tien, Dustin Jeffery Gordon Krogstad
  • Patent number: 11313944
    Abstract: Systems and methods involve transmitting both horizontal and vertical polarizations from a radar system. A method includes receiving, using a first antenna of the radar system, first reflected signals with horizontal polarization, and receiving, using a second antenna of the radar system, second reflected signals with vertical polarization. The first reflected signals and the second reflected signals are processed together to obtain one or more angles to respective one or more objects detected by the radar system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Oded Bialer, Amnon Jonas
  • Patent number: 11313947
    Abstract: A method and a system for simulation-assisted determination of at least one actual echo point of an object, and a method and an emulation apparatus for emulating a detection target. Here, a predicted object reference point of the object and a predicted sensor device reference point of a sensor device, in particular a radar-based sensor device, are calculated on the basis of an actual object reference point and an actual sensor device reference point and a predicted echo point of the object is calculated on the basis of an emission characteristic of the sensor device, the predicted object reference point, and the predicted sensor device reference point. Moreover, a predicted relative relationship, in particular a spatial relative relationship, is calculated between the predicted echo point and the predicted object reference point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Michael Maier
  • Patent number: 11313958
    Abstract: A system for testing automobile radar sensor configurations includes multiple probe arrays, multiple enclosures, a channel emulator and a test controller. The enclosures each enclose one of the probe arrays together with a corresponding different automobile radar sensor. Each probe array is configured to receive radar signals from the corresponding automobile radar sensor and emulate echo signals back to the corresponding automobile radar sensor. The channel emulator is configured to supply the echo signals to each of the probe arrays. The test controller includes a memory that stores instructions and a processor that executes the instructions. The test controller controls the channel emulator and is configured to perform performance testing on an automobile radar sensor configuration that includes the automobile radar sensors and an automobile driving controller that reacts to the echo signals received by each of the automobile radar sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hong-Wei Kong
  • Patent number: 11307289
    Abstract: A radar device (1) includes a frequency conversion part (12) which converts a frequency of an echo signal obtained by reflecting a detection signal and receiving the reflected detection signal by an antenna (10), and amplifies a signal level thereof. The radar device (1) includes a path switching part (20) which outputs, as a calibration signal, to the frequency conversion part (12), the transmission signal output by the transmission signal generation part (11) at a timing while the transmission signal is output to the antenna (10). A gain adjustment part (23) changes an amplification gain of the frequency conversion part (12) on the basis of a signal level of the calibration signal input to the frequency conversion part (12) and a signal level of the calibration signal having been amplified by the frequency conversion part (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuhei Inoue