Patents Examined by Yuqing Xiao
  • Patent number: 11977185
    Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein refer to variable geometry multi-faceted polygon for use with a LiDAR system and methods for the use thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Seyond, Inc.
    Inventors: Haosen Wang, Yimin Li
  • Patent number: 11977166
    Abstract: An optical system, a method and an apparatus for diagnosing the optical system are provided. The optical system includes a laser sensor, and a tubular sleeve surrounding the laser sensor and configured to move upwards or downwards relative to the laser sensor to cover or expose the laser sensor. The method includes: driving the tubular sleeve to cover the laser sensor to form an enclosed chamber; filling the enclosed chamber with fluid; controlling at least one of the one or more transmitters to emit an optical signal into the fluid; controlling at least one of the one or more receivers to detect a scattered signal of the optical signal; determining whether the at least one of the one or more transmitters or the at least one of the one or more receivers has a fault based on the scattered signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: WERIDE CORP.
    Inventor: Ji Yoon Chung
  • Patent number: 11977169
    Abstract: A LIDAR system has a laser emission unit configured to generate a plurality of laser beams. The LIDAR system also has an optical system configured to transmit the plurality of laser beams from the laser emission unit to a common scanning unit. The common scanning unit is configured to project the plurality of laser beams toward a field of view of the LIDAR system to simultaneously scan the field of view along a plurality of scan lines traversing the field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: INNOVIZ TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Ronen Eshel, Omer Keilaf, David Elooz, Lior Atias, Harel Yosef Shfaram, Nir Goren, Idan Bakish, Yuval Yifat, Itay Tehori, Roi Mautner, Yair Alpern
  • Patent number: 11977158
    Abstract: A laser radar device performs control to make a focus distance of transmission light equal to a measurement distance by switching a plurality of laser light sources that emit beams of oscillation light having wavelengths different from each other to switch emission directions of the transmission light while maintaining the focus position of optical antennas, and changing the wavelength of the beams of oscillation light according to the measurement distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ando, Jiro Suzuki, Eisuke Haraguchi
  • Patent number: 11971488
    Abstract: A LIDAR system has a laser emission unit configured to generate a plurality of laser beams. The system has a scanning unit configured to receive the plurality of laser beams. The common scanning unit projects the plurality of laser beams toward a field of view of the LIDAR system. The system has at least one processor. The processor is programmed to cause the scanning unit to scan the field of view of the LIDAR system by directing the plurality of beams along a first plurality of scan lines traversing the FOV. The processor is also programmed to displace the plurality of laser beams from a first set of locations associated with the first plurality of scan lines to a second set of locations associated with a second plurality of scan lines. Further, the processor is programmed to direct the plurality of laser beams along the second plurality of scan lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: INNOVIZ TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Ronen Eshel, Nir Goren
  • Patent number: 11953626
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) device for obtaining information on a distance from an object using laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: SOS Lab Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Ji Seong Jeong, Jun Hwan Jang, Dong Kyu Kim, Sung Hi Hwang
  • Patent number: 11940568
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are provided for enhanced multispectral sensor calibration. A device may include a first layer having copper, a second layer having solder material, the second layer above the first layer, and a third layer having a white silkscreen material, the third layer above the second layer. Regarding the device, the first layer may be used for calibration of a thermal sensor, the second layer may be used for calibration of an image sensor and calibration of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, and the third layer may be used for the calibration of the image sensor and the calibration of the LIDAR sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Argo AI, LLC
    Inventor: Michel H. J. Laverne
  • Patent number: 11940565
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit (i) local-oscillator light and (ii) pulses of light, where each emitted pulse of light is coherent with a corresponding portion of the local-oscillator light. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect the local-oscillator light and a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light including light from one of the emitted pulses of light that is scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The local-oscillator light and the received pulse of light are coherently mixed together at the receiver. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance to the target based at least in part on a time-of-arrival for the received pulse of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Luminar Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph G. LaChapelle, Jason M. Eichenholz, Alex Michael Sincore
  • Patent number: 11933896
    Abstract: In an optical distance measuring apparatus, a light source irradiates a target object with a light pulse having a first pulse width. A light receiver outputs a pulse signal that represents reflection light from the target object being incident on the light receiver, and has a second pulse width that is larger than or equal to the first pulse width. A histogram generator records, every predetermined period, a frequency representing the number of outputted pulse signals to thereby generate a histogram. A peak detector detects, from the histogram, an edge point of a peak figure included in the histogram. A distance calculator subtracts, from a time indicative of the edge point of the peak figure, a time length of the second pulse width to thereby calculate a target time, and calculates a distance to the target object as a function of the calculated target time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihide Tachino, Isamu Takai
  • Patent number: 11933894
    Abstract: An optical scanner includes at least one light source configured to emit light, a steering unit configured to perform scanning in a first direction based on the light emitted from the at least one light source, and a polygon mirror configured to perform, by using the light output from the steering unit, scanning in a second direction different than the first direction based on a rotation of the polygon mirror. The steering unit includes a plurality of first prisms, and each of the plurality of first prisms includes an incident facet configured to pass the light emitted from the at least one light source, and an output facet configured to refract and output the light. The polygon mirror includes a plurality of reflective facets, and each of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to that reflect the light output from the steering unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yongchul Cho, Jungwoo Kim, Tatsuhiro Otsuka
  • Patent number: 11921234
    Abstract: A rotatable optical reflector device of a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanning system used in a motor vehicle is disclosed. The rotatable optical reflector device comprises a glass-based optical reflector including a plurality of reflective surfaces and a flange. The rotatable optical reflector device further comprises a metal-based motor rotor body at least partially disposed in an inner opening of the glass-based optical reflector. The rotatable optical reflector device further comprises an elastomer piece having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the elastomer piece is in contact with a second mounting surface of the flange. The rotatable optical reflector device further comprises a clamping mechanism compressing the elastomer piece at the second surface of the elastomer piece, wherein movement of the metal-based motor rotor body causes the glass-based optical reflector to optically scan light in a field-of-view of the LiDAR scanning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: INNOVUSION, INC.
    Inventors: Ning-Yi Wang, Haosen Wang
  • Patent number: 11923911
    Abstract: An underwater acoustic communication system includes a transmission device including N transmitters, and a reception device. The reception device includes M (M is an integer of two or more) receivers configured to receive M reception signal sequences corresponding to N transmission signal sequences transmitted from the N transmitters through sound waves, a beam former configured to suppress multipath waves other than direct waves of the M received reception signal sequences and to generate L (L is an integer of two or more) signal sequences from the M reception signal sequences, and a signal estimation unit configured to estimate the N transmission signal sequences based on the L generated signal sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Yosuke Fujino, Hiroyuki Fukumoto, Marina Nakano, Kazunori Akabane
  • Patent number: 11921236
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (lidar) system for a vehicle may include an input optical path, a first optical path, a plurality of second optical paths, a first optical amplifier, and a plurality of second optical amplifiers. The input optical path may be configured to receive a beam from a laser source. The first optical path and the plurality of second optical paths may be respectively branched from the input optical path. The first optical amplifier may be coupled to the first optical path and configured to output a local oscillator (LO) signal. The plurality of second optical amplifiers may be respectively coupled to the plurality of second optical paths, one of the plurality of second optical amplifiers being selectively turned on to modulate the beam received through a second optical path and output a modulated optical signal of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: AURORA OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Zeb Barber, Randy Ray Reibel, Sean Spillane
  • Patent number: 11921201
    Abstract: A signal processing device includes: a data receiver configured to transmit a transmission wave a position of which changes in a first direction and which spreads in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and generate a matrix of acquired observation data in the first and second directions, as a reception signal matrix, with a value of a position in the reception signal depending on a signal strength; a range processor configured to specify a range in the second direction in an imaging matrix, and set a sparse vector including a component in the first direction of the specified range; a reconstruction processor configured to perform reconstruction processing using the reception signal matrix and the sparse vector to calculate a component of the sparse vector; and a synthesis processor configured to synthesize the resulting sparse vector while moving the range, to generate an imaging matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuo Fujishima
  • Patent number: 11912382
    Abstract: An underwater positioning system comprises a plurality of underwater beacons. A beacon, in response to a signal sent by an underwater vehicle, responds with a signal comprising one or more characteristics to identify the beacon. Components of an access algorithm are provided to the underwater vehicle. The access algorithm determines a location of the beacon based on the beacon's identity. A position of the vehicle is determined based at least in part on the location of the beacon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Vulcan Inc.
    Inventors: Rusty Allen Gerard, Richard Earl Simpkinson, Omer Rosenbaum
  • Patent number: 11906673
    Abstract: A sonar system includes a towfish comprising a first body linked to a second body, the first body being elongate along a longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of acoustic transmitters distributed along the longitudinal axis, the sonar system comprising a cable linked to the second body and via which a surface carrier ship is intended to tow the towfish, the first body being mounted to pivot, with respect to the second body, about an axis of rotation so that, the first body can switch, by pivoting with respect to the second body about the axis of rotation, from an operational position to a capture position; the axis of rotation being substantially an axis of movement of the towfish, the longitudinal axis being substantially vertical in the operational position of the first body and being substantially horizontal in the capture position of the first body, when the towfish is totally submerged and towed by the carrier ship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: François Warnan, Mathieu Bodilis
  • Patent number: 11899145
    Abstract: A wave detector integrated device includes a support, protective shell and mode converter. The protective shell is installed on the support and rotates by the mode converter, and has a hollow cylindrical structure. A seismic source hammer is suspended at a protective shell central axis position. Electromagnetic accelerators are installed in a bus direction of the protective shell, and the seismic source hammer is connected with the electromagnetic accelerators. A drill bit type wireless transmission wave detector or standby flat bottom type wave detector is connected above the protective shell through a second telescopic rod having a driving device therein and driving the drill bit type wave detector to rotate. A power supply is installed inside the protective shell, and is connected with a current controller and circuit protection device. The current controller is respectively connected with the electromagnetic accelerators, drill bit type wave detector, driving device and mode converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SHANDONG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shucai Li, Maoxin Su, Yiguo Xue, Peng Wang, Daohong Qiu, Yimin Liu
  • Patent number: 11899116
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a relatively low-cost sensor for use on an autonomous vehicle is capable of detecting moving objects in a range or a zone that is between approximately 80 meters and approximately 300 meters away from the autonomous vehicle. A substantially single fan-shaped light beam is scanned for a full 360 degrees in azimuth. Using frequency-modulated-continuous-wave (FMCW) or phase coded modulation on the beam, with back end digital signal processing (DSP), moving objects may effectively be distinguished from a substantially stationary background.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NURO, INC.
    Inventors: Russell Smith, Hao Li
  • Patent number: 11899112
    Abstract: A laser radar device (1) includes: a light source array (10) for simultaneously emitting a plurality of laser light beams from a plurality of light emitting ends; an optical modulator (12) for modulating transmission light separated from the plurality of laser light beams to generate modulated transmission light; a transmission/reception optical system (14, 15) for receiving, as received light, the modulated transmission light reflected by a target, while scanning external space with the modulated transmission light; an optical combiner (16) for generating a plurality of interference light components by combining a plurality of local light components separated from the plurality of laser light beams and the received light; an optical receiver array (17) for generating a plurality of detection signals by detecting the plurality of interference light components; a switching circuit (18) for selecting a detection signal from the plurality of detection signals in accordance with a scanning speed with respect to t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaharu Imaki
  • Patent number: 11892574
    Abstract: Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving, by a controller onboard the vehicle, lidar data from the lidar device; receiving, by the controller, image data from the camera device; computing, by the controller, an edge map based on the lidar data; computing, by the controller, an inverse distance transformation (IDT) edge map based on the image data; aligning, by the controller, points of the IDT edge map with points of the lidar edge map to determine extrinsic parameters; storing, by the controller, extrinsic parameters as calibrations in a data storage device; and controlling, by the controller, the vehicle based on the stored calibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Yousef A. Omar, Hao Yu, Wende Zhang