Patents by Inventor Austin A. Richards

Austin A. Richards has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9998697
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods using small form factor infrared imaging modules to monitor occupants in an interior compartment of a vehicle. For example, a vehicle-mounted system may include one or more infrared imaging modules, a processor, a memory, alarm sirens, and a communication module. The vehicle-mounted system may be mounted on, installed in, or otherwise integrated into a vehicle with an interior compartment. The infrared imaging modules may be configured to capture thermal images of desired portions of the interior compartments. Various thermal image processing and analytics may be performed on the captured thermal images to determine the presence and various attributes of one or more occupants. Based on the determination of the presence and various attributes, occupant detection information or control signals may be generated. Occupant detection information may be used to perform various monitoring operations, and control signals may adjust various vehicle components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Frank, Austin A. Richards, Victoria L. White, Nile E. Fairfield, Arthur Stout, David W. Lee, Nicholas Högasten, Theodore R. Hoelter, Katrin Strandemar
  • Publication number: 20180052057
    Abstract: Imaging systems and methods are disclosed for generating enhanced visual representations of captured data such as infrared image data. For example, the perceived color distance or contrast between colors representing adjacent output levels (e.g., temperature or infrared intensity levels) are enhanced in visual representations of infrared images. According to embodiments, infrared image data values representing a scene may be mapped according to a color palette implemented using complementary colors as adjacent (e.g., successive) base colors or a sequence of colors, that repeats a predetermine set of hues with varying saturation and/or intensity, thereby increasing the color contrast between pixels representing subtle temperature differences in the scene. The color palette can be enlarged by mapping a larger number of distinct output levels to a larger sequence of colors, for example by increasing the bit-depth of the color palette, such that color transitions look smoother and more natural.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Austin A. Richards, Charles W. Handley
  • Patent number: 9897645
    Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed for an illuminator and related methods to be used with a wafer prober to provide illumination (e.g., visible and/or non-visible electromagnetic radiation) to perform testing, calibration, and/or inspection of devices on a wafer. For example, an illuminator may include a plurality of radiation sources, a reflector, an actuator for the reflector, a shutter, an actuator for the shutter, and/or a light pipe. Various components of the illuminator may interface with a wafer prober to provide sufficiently uniform and stable illumination with fast-switching intensities, wavelengths, and/or other properties. Such illumination provided by various embodiments of the illuminator may permit the wafer prober to perform high-throughput testing, calibration, and/or inspection of devices that may be fabricated and/or packaged on a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore R. Hoelter, Austin A. Richards, Eric A. Kurth
  • Patent number: 9857144
    Abstract: A system may be provided that includes a scope configured to mount to a firearm. The scope may include imaging components, processing components, and a display. The processing components may generate an adaptive electronic reticle for the scope. The adaptive electronic reticle may be displayed with the display and may have a shape, a color, a style, a position, and/or other features based on the firearm, an ammunition type, a target type, a target range, a wind speed, a color of an image of a target scene, and/or other target scene information. The reticle may be generated to be a reticle that maximizes the reticle contrast relative to the target scene, a textured reticle, a moving reticle, a Mil-Dot reticle, and/or a custom ballistic reticle. Laser rangefinder input may be used to automatically determine a reticle location based on ballistics data and the range to a target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Austin A. Richards
  • Patent number: 9774797
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for monitoring electrical equipment. A system may include a camera having an ultraviolet light imaging module, an infrared light imaging module, a visible light imaging module, and a processor that combines image data from one or more of the imaging modules. The processor may detect anomalies such as hot spots, corona discharges or failures in the electrical equipment based on the image data. The system may include motion control components that move the camera with respect to the electrical equipment during monitoring operations. The motion control components may include components of a manned or unmanned vehicle that incorporates the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Austin A. Richards, Daniel Pettersson, David Gustafsson
  • Patent number: 9729802
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for some embodiments infrared camera systems for maritime applications. For example in one embodiment, a watercraft includes a plurality of image capture components coupled to the watercraft to capture infrared images around at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of the watercraft; a memory component adapted to store the captured infrared images; a processing component adapted to process the captured infrared images according to a man overboard mode of operation to provide processed infrared images and determine if a person falls from the watercraft; and a display component adapted to display the processed infrared images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Frank, Patrick B. Richardson, James T. Woolaway, Austin A. Richards, Nicholas Högasten
  • Patent number: 9615006
    Abstract: Infrared camera systems and related methods for facilitating target position acquisition are provided for various applications. For example, a system may include a portable imaging/viewing subsystem having a target position finder and may also include a fixed mount camera subsystem having a camera and a camera positioner. A communications link may be configured to communicate a signal from the target position finder to the camera positioner. The signal may be representative of a position of a target being imaged/viewed with the portable imaging/viewing subsystem. The camera positioner may aim the camera toward the target in response to the signal. The target may, for example, be a man overboard. Thus, the system and related method may be useful in search and rescue operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Terre, Jeffrey D. Frank, James T. Woolaway, Austin A. Richards, Patrick B. Richardson, Nicholas Hogasten
  • Publication number: 20170088098
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods using small form factor infrared imaging modules to monitor occupants in an interior compartment of a vehicle. For example, a vehicle-mounted system may include one or more infrared imaging modules, a processor, a memory, alarm sirens, and a communication module. The vehicle-mounted system may be mounted on, installed in, or otherwise integrated into a vehicle with an interior compartment. The infrared imaging modules may be configured to capture thermal images of desired portions of the interior compartments. Various thermal image processing and analytics may be performed on the captured thermal images to determine the presence and various attributes of one or more occupants. Based on the determination of the presence and various attributes, occupant detection information or control signals may be generated. Occupant detection information may be used to perform various monitoring operations, and control signals may adjust various vehicle components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Frank, Austin A. Richards, Victoria L. White, Nile E. Fairfield, Arthur Stout, David W. Lee, Nicholas Högasten, Theodore R. Hoelter, Katrin Strandemar
  • Patent number: 9517679
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods using small form factor infrared imaging modules to monitor occupants in an interior compartment of a vehicle. For example, a vehicle-mounted system may include one or more infrared imaging modules, a processor, a memory, alarm sirens, and a communication module. The vehicle-mounted system may be mounted on, installed in, or otherwise integrated into a vehicle with an interior compartment. The infrared imaging modules may be configured to capture thermal images of desired portions of the interior compartments. Various thermal image processing and analytics may be performed on the captured thermal images to determine the presence and various attributes of one or more occupants. Based on the determination of the presence and various attributes, occupant detection information or control signals may be generated. Occupant detection information may be used to perform various monitoring operations, and control signals may adjust various vehicle components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Frank, Austin A. Richards, Victoria L. White, Nile E. Fairfield, Arthur Stout, David W. Lee, Nicholas Högasten, Theodore R. Hoelter, Katrin Strandemar
  • Publication number: 20160214534
    Abstract: A watercraft may include a safety system having an imaging component and a control component. The control component may modify the operation of the watercraft based on images from the imaging component. The imaging component may include a thermal imaging component and a non-thermal imaging component. The watercraft may include more than one imaging component disposed around the periphery of the watercraft to monitor a volume surrounding the watercraft for objects in the water such as debris, a person, and/or dock structures. Operating the watercraft based on the images may include operating propulsion and/or steering systems of the watercraft based on a detected object. The control component may operate the propulsion and/or steering systems to disable a propeller when a swimmer is detected, to avoid detected debris, and/or to perform or assist in performing docking maneuvers. The imaging components may include compact thermal imaging modules mounted on or within the hull of the watercraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Austin A. Richards, Peter A. Reid, Jay E. Robinson, Andrew C. Teich, Christopher Daniel Gatland, Gordon Pope
  • Publication number: 20160169625
    Abstract: A system may be provided that includes a scope configured to mount to a firearm. The scope may include imaging components, processing components, and a display. The processing components may generate an adaptive electronic reticle for the scope. The adaptive electronic reticle may be displayed with the display and may have a shape, a color, a style, a position, and/or other features based on the firearm, an ammunition type, a target type, a target range, a wind speed, a color of an image of a target scene, and/or other target scene information. The reticle may be generated to be a reticle that maximizes the reticle contrast relative to the target scene, a textured reticle, a moving reticle, a Mil-Dot reticle, and/or a custom ballistic reticle. Laser rangefinder input may be used to automatically determine a reticle location based on ballistics data and the range to a target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventor: Austin A. Richards
  • Patent number: 9247159
    Abstract: Infrared imaging systems and methods disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more embodiments, provide for detecting petroleum in an infrared image. The detection involves the evaluation of local background model likelihoods in light of extracted pixel features as well as the evaluation of a global outlier model in light of extracted pixel features. Those pixels having a low likelihood for both their local background model as well as the outlier model are identified as corresponding to oil-contaminated water within the infrared image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Phillip Brown, Nicholas Högasten, Austin A. Richards
  • Publication number: 20150341532
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide, for some embodiments, infrared cameras and target position acquisition techniques for various applications. For example, in one embodiment, a system may include a portable imaging/viewing subsystem having a target position finder and may also include a fixed mount camera subsystem having a camera and a camera positioner. A communications link may be configured to communicate a signal from the target position finder to the camera positioner. The signal may be representative of a position of a target being imaged/viewed with the portable imaging/viewing subsystem. The camera positioner may aim the camera toward the target in response to the signal. The target may, for example, be a man overboard. Thus, the system may be useful in search and rescue operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: William A. Terre, Jeffrey D. Frank, James T. Woolaway, Austin A. Richards, Patrick B. Richardson, Nicholas Hogasten
  • Publication number: 20150304612
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for monitoring electrical equipment. A system may include a camera having an ultraviolet light imaging module, an infrared light imaging module, a visible light imaging module, and a processor that combines image data from one or more of the imaging modules. The processor may detect anomalies such as hot spots, corona discharges or failures in the electrical equipment based on the image data. The system may include motion control components that move the camera with respect to the electrical equipment during monitoring operations. The motion control components may include components of a manned or unmanned vehicle that incorporates the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Austin A. Richards, Daniel Pettersson, David Gustafsson
  • Patent number: 9083897
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for infrared camera systems and methods for dual sensor applications. For example, in one embodiment, an enhanced vision system comprises an image capture component having a visible light sensor to capture visible light images and an infrared sensor to capture infrared images. The system comprises a first control component adapted to provide a plurality of selectable processing modes to a user, receive a user input corresponding to a user selected processing mode, and generate a control signal indicative of the user selected processing mode, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes includes a visible light only mode, infrared only mode, and a combined visible-infrared mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Högasten, Jeffrey S. Scott, Patrick B. Richardson, Jeffrey D. Frank, Austin A. Richards, James T. Woolaway
  • Publication number: 20150177313
    Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed for an illuminator and related methods to be used with a wafer prober to provide illumination (e.g., visible and/or non-visible electromagnetic radiation) to perform testing, calibration, and/or inspection of devices on a wafer. For example, an illuminator may include a plurality of radiation sources, a reflector, an actuator for the reflector, a shutter, an actuator for the shutter, and/or a light pipe. Various components of the illuminator may interface with a wafer prober to provide sufficiently uniform and stable illumination with fast-switching intensities, wavelengths, and/or other properties. Such illumination provided by various embodiments of the illuminator may permit the wafer prober to perform high-throughput testing, calibration, and/or inspection of devices that may be fabricated and/or packaged on a wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Theodore R. Hoelter, Austin A. Richards, Eric A. Kurth
  • Patent number: 9047745
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide, for some embodiments, infrared cameras and target position acquisition techniques for various applications. For example, in one embodiment, a system may include a portable imaging/viewing subsystem having a target position finder and may also include a fixed mount camera subsystem having a camera and a camera positioner. A communications link may be configured to communicate a signal from the target position finder to the camera positioner. The signal may be representative of a position of a target being imaged/viewed with the portable imaging/viewing subsystem. The camera positioner may aim the camera toward the target in response to the signal. The target may, for example, be a man overboard. Thus, the system may be useful in search and rescue operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Terre, Jeffrey D. Frank, James T. Woolaway, Austin A. Richards, Patrick B. Richardson, Nicholas Högasten
  • Publication number: 20140313343
    Abstract: Modular infrared imaging systems and methods disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more embodiments, provide for capturing an infrared image, sensing a mode of operation, processing the captured infrared image according to the sensed mode of operation, generating a processed infrared image based on the sensed mode of operation, and displaying the processed infrared image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Frank, Yves Chappez, Mary L. Deal, Patrick B. Richardson, Austin A. Richards, Nicholas Högasten, James T. Woolaway
  • Publication number: 20140285672
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for infrared camera systems and methods for dual sensor applications. For example, in one embodiment, an enhanced vision system comprises an image capture component having a visible light sensor to capture visible light images and an infrared sensor to capture infrared images. The system comprises a first control component adapted to provide a plurality of selectable processing modes to a user, receive a user input corresponding to a user selected processing mode, and generate a control signal indicative of the user selected processing mode, wherein the plurality of selectable processing modes includes a visible light only mode, infrared only mode, and a combined visible-infrared mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Nicholas Högasten, Jeffrey S. Scott, Patrick B. Richardson, Jeffrey D. Frank, Austin A. Richards, James T. Woolaway
  • Patent number: 8817106
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide an image capture component adapted to capture an infrared image, a control component adapted to provide a plurality of selectable processing modes to a user, receive a user input corresponding to a user selected processing mode, generate a control signal indicative of the user selected processing mode and transmit the generated control signal. The user selected processing modes, for example, may be directed to maritime applications, such as night docking, man overboard, night cruising, day cruising, hazy conditions, and/or shoreline modes. The systems and methods further provide a processing component adapted to receive the generated control signal from the control component, process the captured infrared image according to the user selected processing mode, and generate a processed infrared image, and a display component adapted to display the processed infrared image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick B. Richardson, Jeffrey D. Frank, Austin A. Richards, Nicholas Högasten, James T. Woolaway