Patents by Inventor Christopher Bessette

Christopher Bessette 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).

  • Publication number: 20250180744
    Abstract: A LIDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern based at least in part on distance to an object within the field of view. The LiDAR system scans different portions of the field of view differently, such as with different laser power levels, different revisit rates and/or different scan patterns, for example based on likelihood of detecting objects of interest in the various portions or based on likely relative importance of objects likely to be found in the various portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2024
    Publication date: June 5, 2025
    Applicant: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Bessette, Steven J. Byrnes, Michael G. Moebius, Scott Evan Lennox, Steven J. Spector
  • Patent number: 12235362
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern in a way that reduces risk of eye injury from the laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Spector, Steven J. Byrnes, Christopher Bessette, Scott Evan Lennox, Matthew A. Sinclair, Francis J. Rogomentich
  • Publication number: 20240298585
    Abstract: A stackable tower planter includes a planter bucket having an open top and a hollow interior defined by a side wall and a bottom wall. The planter bucket includes a plurality of irrigation conduits that are disposed along an inner surface of the side wall. Each irrigation conduit has an open top end and an open bottom end that is disposed above the bottom wall of the planter bucket for delivering water to a water reservoir space located along the bottom wall. The stackable tower planter further includes a soil tray disposed within the hollow interior along a bottom of the planter bucket, with the water reservoir space being located below the soil tray. A water tray is coupled to a top edge of the planter bucket. The water tray has a plurality of drain openings that are fluid communication with a plurality of hollow bosses that are located along an underside of the water tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2023
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Inventors: Keith Thai, Christopher Bessette
  • Patent number: 12055631
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern based at least in part on distance to an object within the field of view. The LiDAR system scans different portions of the field of view differently, such as with different laser power levels, different revisit rates and/or different scan patterns, for example based on likelihood of detecting objects of interest in the various portions or based on likely relative importance of objects likely to be found in the various portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Spector, Steven J. Byrnes, Christopher Bessette, Scott Evan Lennox
  • Patent number: 11249184
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes separating a heterogeneous radio-frequency (RF) signal, received at multiple antennas, into multiple homogenous signals. The multiple antennas have a known positional arrangement. The method further includes estimating a location relative to the known positional arrangement of the antennas of an object producing the RF signal based on phase and amplitude of each homogeneous signal as received at each of the plurality of antennas. The location can further be estimated over multiple time steps, such that velocity and acceleration can be accelerated from the estimated locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Tingley, Christopher Bessette, Troy B. Jones
  • Publication number: 20200355823
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes separating a heterogeneous radio-frequency (RF) signal, received at multiple antennas, into multiple homogenous signals. The multiple antennas have a known positional arrangement. The method further includes estimating a location relative to the known positional arrangement of the antennas of an object producing the RF signal based on phase and amplitude of each homogeneous signal as received at each of the plurality of antennas. The location can further be estimated over multiple time steps, such that velocity and acceleration can be accelerated from the estimated locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Robert Tingley, Christopher Bessette, Troy B. Jones
  • Publication number: 20200136340
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern in a way that reduces risk of eye injury from the laser light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Spector, Steven J. Byrnes, Christopher Bessette, Scott Evan Lennox, Matthew A. Sinclair, Francis J. Rogomentich
  • Publication number: 20200132849
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern based at least in part on distance to an object within the field of view. The LiDAR system scans different portions of the field of view differently, such as with different laser power levels, different revisit rates and/or different scan patterns, for example based on likelihood of detecting objects of interest in the various portions or based on likely relative importance of objects likely to be found in the various portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Spector, Steven J. Byrnes, Christopher Bessette, Scott Evan Lennox