Patents by Inventor Chenming Zhou

Chenming Zhou 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: 9116237
    Abstract: A RF tag reader may use spatial averaging to compensate for the limitations of performing multi-frequency continuous-wave ranging (MFCW) in a bandwidth-limited environment. Although MFCW provides an estimate of the separation distance between a RF tag and the tag reader with errors that vary widely, the error values form a pattern based on the separation distance. That is, as the separation distance increases or decreases, the error values oscillate between maximum and minimum values centered on the correct separation distance. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the receiver uses spatial averaging to average out this oscillating error (e.g., the maximum errors are counter-balanced by the minimum errors). The more accurate, spatially-averaged MFCW estimate may then be used to resolve the cycle ambiguity in continuous-wave ranging to identify the separation distance between the RF tag and the tag reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES
    Inventors: Chenming Zhou, Joshua D. Griffin
  • Patent number: 8922350
    Abstract: Techniques are presented for adaptively increasing power delivered to an RF tag. In one embodiment, a tag reader uses multiple transmit antennas to increase the power delivered to an RF tag without increasing the transmission power. The tag reader may perform transmit diversity (or a related antenna diversity schema) to ensure that transmitted signals from the multiple transmit antennas constructively interfere at the location of the RF tag. The tag reader may transmit a pilot signal and measure a phase associated with a received signal from the RF tag. The tag reader may then use the phase to determine a phase shift for each of the plurality of antennas. The phase shift may then be applied to any subsequent signals transmitted by the antennas to ensure that the signals interfere at the RF tag's location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua D. Griffin, Azhar Hasan, Chenming Zhou
  • Publication number: 20140184447
    Abstract: A RF tag reader may use spatial averaging to compensate for the limitations of performing multi-frequency continuous-wave ranging (MFCW) in a bandwidth-limited environment. Although MFCW provides an estimate of the separation distance between a RF tag and the tag reader with errors that vary widely, the error values form a pattern based on the separation distance. That is, as the separation distance increases or decreases, the error values oscillate between maximum and minimum values centered on the correct separation distance. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the receiver uses spatial averaging to average out this oscillating error (e.g., the maximum errors are counter-balanced by the minimum errors). The more accurate, spatially-averaged MFCW estimate may then be used to resolve the cycle ambiguity in continuous-wave ranging to identify the separation distance between the RF tag and the tag reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 1, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Chenming Zhou, Joshua D. Griffin
  • Publication number: 20130147609
    Abstract: Techniques are presented for adaptively increasing power delivered to an RF tag. In one embodiment, a tag reader uses multiple transmit antennas to increase the power delivered to an RF tag without increasing the transmission power. The tag reader may perform transmit diversity (or a related antenna diversity schema) to ensure that transmitted signals from the multiple transmit antennas constructively interfere at the location of the RF tag. The tag reader may transmit a pilot signal and measure a phase associated with a received signal from the RF tag. The tag reader may then use the phase to determine a phase shift for each of the plurality of antennas. The phase shift may then be applied to any subsequent signals transmitted by the antennas to ensure that the signals interfere at the RF tag's location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Joshua D. Griffin, Azhar Hasan, Chenming Zhou
  • Patent number: D955664
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Inventor: Chenming Zhou
  • Patent number: D979859
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Wenzhou Juesheng Trading Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chenming Zhou