Patents Examined by Yuqing Xiao
  • Patent number: 11307296
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a time-of-flight distance measuring device. The light source (24) includes a plurality of emitting portions (70, 72), each of which illuminates a respective one of the sub-regions (R1, R2). The light receiver (26) includes a plurality of receiving portions (74, 76) corresponding to respective ones of the emitting portions (70, 72). The first controller (28) controls (i) a first emitting portion (70) to emit the emitted light including an Nth-order harmonic component of a fundamental frequency and (ii) a second emitting portion (72) to emit the emitted light including an Mth-order harmonic component. The second controller (30) controls a particular receiving portion (74) corresponding to the first emitting portion (70) to be sensible to the Nth-order Mth-order harmonic components. The multipath detector (82) detects occurrence of the multipath error when the particular receiving portion (74) senses both the Nth-order and Mth-order components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, ESPROS PHOTONICS AG
    Inventors: Toshiaki Nagai, Martin Popp, Cengiz Tugsav Kupcu
  • Patent number: 11300664
    Abstract: A LiDAR odometry method based on the directed geometric point and sparse frame includes: obtaining original three-dimensional point cloud data of a surrounding environment in the coordinate system of the current frame of the LiDAR sensor; constructing and converting the first directed geometric point set and first environmental directed geometric point set into the second directed geometric point set and second environmental directed geometric point set in the world coordinate system, respectively; calculating candidate associated points in the second environmental directed geometric point set in association with each point in the second directed geometric point set, and determining the best associated point of each point in the second directed geometric point set; constructing and solving a pose optimization function to obtain an optimized pose from the coordinate system of the current frame of the LiDAR sensor to the world coordinate system; and updating directed geometric point sets of sparse frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignees: INSTITUTE OF AUTOMATION, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Beijing EnGo Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Cao, Zhonghui Li, Jinli Kang, Min Tan, Shuang Liang, Chengpeng Wang
  • Patent number: 11294038
    Abstract: The light control device is installed in a movable body, and comprises a light transmission/reception unit including an emission unit and a light receiving unit. The emission unit emits a light, and the light receiving unit receives the light reflected by an object around the movable body. The control unit controls the emission unit to continuously shift the light emitted by the emission unit in a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction such that a transition locus of the light emitted by the emission unit becomes helical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Kitano
  • Patent number: 11287518
    Abstract: An optical sensor of the present invention changes a light-emitting period of a light-emitting element and a period of a reference clock that is used by a time difference extracting circuit, depending on whether or not a digital value that is output from a first digital calculating portion exceeds a reference value in a determination period. With this, there is achieved an optical sensor capable of maintaining both of measurement accuracy at short distance and measurement accuracy at long distance when a housing panel is present between the optical sensor and a detection target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiki Ikuta, Hideki Sato, Takuma Hiramatsu, Takayuki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11237252
    Abstract: A detection apparatus includes an emission component, a receiver, and a controller electrically connected with the emission component and the receiver. The emission component includes an emitter configured to emit a signal, a reflector disposed in proximity to the emitter and configured to reflect the signal emitted by the emitter, and a driver connected to the reflector. The controller is configured to control the driver to drive the reflector to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jiebin Xie, Wei Ren, Weisi Ma, Guyue Zhou
  • Patent number: 11237251
    Abstract: In described examples of a system for outputting a patterned light beam, the system includes: an illumination source; a positive optical element positioned to receive light from the illumination source and to output converging light; a reflective element positioned to receive the converging light from the positive optical element, the reflective element configured to reflect the converging light to form a scan beam; and a negative optical element to receive the scan beam from the reflective element, the negative optical element configured to output the scan beam to a field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Terry A. Bartlett
  • Patent number: 11237255
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system is provided. The present embodiment provides a LiDAR system in which side angles of a rotating polygon mirror having multiple facets are diversified to change an angle of a laser beam refracted from a side facet, thereby sensing a plurality of vertical lines at the same time. The present embodiment provides a LiDAR system which allows an object to be sensed with a circular pattern, a circular matrix pattern, or a line matrix pattern by diversifying a pattern of a laser beam oscillated due to the rotation of a rotating polygon mirror having multiple facets and a wedge prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: LVI Technologies Inc. CO., Ltd
    Inventors: Jaesung Jeong, Youngmin Jeong
  • Patent number: 11233582
    Abstract: A mobile device that generates and transmits a human-inaudible acoustic signal, which encodes a symbol sequence representing a binary message, for delivery as audio content, is disclosed. The mobile device encodes the binary message into a sequence of symbols that are each associated with frequency characteristics and generates and transmits the human-inaudible acoustic signal, based on the frequency characteristics of the symbols. A further mobile device that receives and decodes a human-inaudible acoustic signal, which encodes a symbol sequence representing a binary message, embedded within audio content, is disclosed. The mobile device repeatedly performs a frequency domain transformation of samples of the signal to generate a symbol sequence, and performs error correction decoding upon the symbol sequence to determine the validity of the symbol sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: LISNR, Inc.
    Inventors: William S. Knauer, Rebekah L. Farrar
  • Patent number: 11226401
    Abstract: An optical distance measuring apparatus is provided. The optical distance measuring apparatus includes a housing and multiple light projection and light reception portions. The housing includes an opening face. The multiple light projection and light reception portions emit light, and receive the light after the light is reflected. The multiple light projection and light reception portions are accommodated in the housing. The light is provided by laser light. By combining optical paths of the multiple light projection and light reception portions, a view angle of the optical distance measuring apparatus is widened compared with a view angle of one of the multiple light projection and light reception portions. The optical paths of the multiple light projection and light reception portions overlap with one another in the opening face when seen from a direction perpendicular to a direction along which the view angle of the optical distance measuring apparatus is widened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunpei Suzuki, Kunihiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11227372
    Abstract: Prestack images from the object store are hierarchically combined to generate a hierarchically stacked image. The hierarchically stacked image is generated by combining stacked images that includes a stacked image. The stacked image is generated by combining at least the prestack images. Based at least on the hierarchically stacked image, a quality measure of a prestack image is generated. Prior to deleting at least a subset of the prestack images from the object store and based at least on the quality measure, the prestack images are further combined to generate an enhanced stacked image. The stacked image is substituted using the enhanced stacked image. Subsequent to the substituting and prior to deleting at least the subset of the stacked images from the object store, the stacked images are combined to generate an enhanced hierarchically stacked image. The enhanced stacked image and the enhanced hierarchically stacked image are generated using failure recovery metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Lichnewsky, Robert Clapp, Carlos Santieri De Figueiredo Boneti, Shashi Menon
  • Patent number: 11221403
    Abstract: A impact detection system is provided which includes a user interface comprising a display, processor, and memory. The memory includes computer program code configured to cause an electronic device to receive impact detection data from at least one impact detection device and generate one or more notifications based on the impact detection data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING AS
    Inventors: Peter Sandretto, Guy Coonts, Barry M. Antao
  • Patent number: 11209530
    Abstract: 1st and 2nd pulsed waves (103, 104) with 1st and 2nd center frequencies are transmitted along 1st and 2nd transmit beams so that the 1st and 2nd pulsed waves overlap at least in an overlap region (Z) to produce nonlinear interaction scattering sources in said region. The scattered signal components from at least the nonlinear interaction scattering sources are picked up by a receiver (102) and processed to suppress other components than said nonlinear interaction scattered signal components, to provide nonlinear interaction measurement or image signals. At least a receive beam is scanned in an azimuth or combined azimuth and elevation direction to produce 2D or 3D images of said nonlinear interaction scattering sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SURF TECHNOLOGY AS
    Inventor: Bjørn Angelsen
  • Patent number: 11204421
    Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a controller and a distance calculator. The controller sets, in a first time period, a first measurement time range corresponding to a first measurement distance range; causes a light emitter to emit light and places a light receiver into an exposure state, in the first measurement time range; sets, in a second time period, a second measurement time range corresponding to a second measurement distance range; and causes the light emitter to emit light and places the light receiver into an exposure state, in the second measurement time range. At least one measurement condition is different between the first and second time periods. The distance calculator calculates the distance from the distance measuring device to a measurement target, based on the time from the emission to the reflection of light. The time is in at least one of the first and second time periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD
    Inventors: Akito Inoue, Masato Takemoto, Shinzo Koyama, Motonori Ishii, Shigeru Saitou
  • Patent number: 11185306
    Abstract: An ultrasound probe includes a first assembly having a first case, a second assembly coupled with the first assembly, having a second case, and configured to be rotatable between a first position of being unfolded with respect to the first assembly and a second position of being folded on the first assembly, a first acoustic module disposed in the inside of the first case, a second acoustic module disposed in the inside of the second case, and a first space reducing portion disposed in at least one of a portion of the first case toward the second assembly and a portion of the second case toward the first assembly, and configured to reduce a space between the first acoustic module and the second acoustic module when the second assembly is at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Soon Ho Kwon
  • Patent number: 11187794
    Abstract: An acoustic dipole waveform generator has a hollow housing defining an elongate axis and having secured therein at least a force reaction member defining at least a force reaction surface and having hingingly secured thereto an actuator element. The piezoelectric actuator elements define mutually non-aligned length change axes and extend from the reaction member towards at least one moveable piston member hingingly secured to at least one of the actuator elements inside the housing. The piston member is constrained to move in a direction extending perpendicular to the axis, the piston member defining respectively at mutually spaced locations in the housing a pair of heads that, on movement of the piston member, each generate a respective pressure wave and the housing permitting transmission of the wave externally thereby permitting generation of a dipole pressure waveform externally of the housing on changing of the lengths of the actuator elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Reeves Wireline Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Terence Paul Mayor, Philip Botting
  • Patent number: 11175405
    Abstract: Embodiments describe optical imagers that include one or more micro-optic components. Some imagers can be passive imagers that include a light detection system for receiving ambient light from a field. Some imagers can be active imagers that include a light emission system in addition to the light detection system. The light emission system can be configured to emit light into the field such that emitted light is reflected off surfaces of an object in the field and received by the light detection system. In some embodiments, the light detection system and/or the light emission system includes micro-optic components for improving operational performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: OUSTER, INC.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl, Marvin Shu
  • Patent number: 11163044
    Abstract: A lidar system comprising a laser light source for emitting laser light, a light modulator unit, and a detector, the laser light emitted by the laser light source and reflected by an object being directed first through the light modulator unit and thereupon onto the detector, and the light modulator unit being designed to modify over time a light output that strikes the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Annemarie Holleczek, Hans-Jochen Schwarz
  • Patent number: 11131756
    Abstract: An example LIDAR system includes a detector, an amplifier, a time-to-digital converter (TDC), an integrator, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a processor. The detector is configured to receive a reflected light pulse, where the reflected light pulse is reflected off of an object. The amplifier is coupled to the detector to generate an analog signal in response to the reflected light pulse. The TDC is coupled to the amplifier to generate a first time data and a second time data in response to the analog signal. The integrator is coupled to the amplifier to integrate the analog signal. The ADC is coupled to the integrator to sample an output of the integrator and to generate a digital sample. The processor is configured to process the first time data, the second time data, and the digital sample to estimate a total reflected energy of the reflected light pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Volodimir Slobodyanyuk, Manav Raina
  • Patent number: 11125876
    Abstract: A LiDAR system and a method for ascertaining a system state of a LiDAR system, includes an optical source, a mirror, a partially transparent element, a detector array and an evaluation unit. The optical elements of the LiDAR system are arranged so that a component of the light beam is reflected by the partially transparent element onto the detector array. The evaluation unit is configured to receive a detector signal from the detector array, which describes a dimension, shape and/or position of the second component of the light beam projected on the detector array, and to ascertain from the detector signal a system state of the LiDAR system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Siegwart Bogatscher, Reiner Schnitzer
  • Patent number: 11125878
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a photonic apparatus. The photonic apparatus including a phase alignment waveguide including waveguide inputs and waveguide outputs. The waveguide inputs being operably connected with a light source to provide a light wave into the phase alignment waveguide and the waveguide outputs providing a plurality of light waves from the optical waveguide. The phase alignment waveguide modulates the light wave to generate the plurality of light waves with different phases. The photonic apparatus includes a transmit switch operably connected with the waveguide inputs to selectively connect at least one of the waveguide inputs with the light source to provide the light wave into the phase alignment waveguide. The photonic apparatus includes control circuitry operably connected with the transmit switch, the control circuitry dynamically activating the at least one of the waveguide inputs according to an electronic control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Donald Schmalenberg, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Jae Seung Lee