Patents by Inventor Hans-Christoph Eckstein

Hans-Christoph Eckstein 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: 20230192000
    Abstract: An occupant monitoring system for a vehicle comprises: a first light source to generate first infrared (IR) light illuminating at least part of the body of an occupant of a vehicle, wherein the first light source is time modulated with a duty cycle; an IR reflective surface to reflect second IR light reflected from the body of the occupant; and a first IR camera to receive at least part of the second IR light reflected by the IR reflective surface, wherein the first IR camera is time modulated with the duty cycle of the first light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Lucas Jungmann, Hans-Christoph Eckstein, Mohannad Murad, Devan S. Shanker
  • Patent number: 10634772
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (lidar) system is provided that is incorporated into a vehicle and which is configured to efficiently adapt to varying road conditions as well as potential obstacles that may lie in the vehicle's pathway. The system employs a spatial light modulator (SLM) to create a plurality of illumination zones within the system's field of view. The SLM allows the lidar system to alter the size of each illumination zone as well as the light intensity within each of the zones as required by road conditions and potential obstacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Wiebke Eckstein, Hans-Christoph Eckstein, Eric Magnus Bach
  • Publication number: 20190162823
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (lidar) system is provided that is incorporated into a vehicle and which is configured to efficiently adapt to varying road conditions as well as potential obstacles that may lie in the vehicle's pathway. The system employs a spatial light modulator (SLM) to create a plurality of illumination zones within the system's field of view. The SLM allows the lidar system to alter the size of each illumination zone as well as the light intensity within each of the zones as required by road conditions and potential obstacles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: Atieva, Inc.
    Inventors: Wiebke Eckstein, Hans-Christoph Eckstein, Eric Magnus Bach
  • Patent number: 10254449
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electromagnetic optical element which scatters radiation in a diffuse manner. Such optical elements can be used in nearly all projection applications including front and rear projection, display applications, (cinema) screens and similar. On the surface of a claimed optical element, a surface profile is provided, the surface structure of which is non-repeating and irregular. Elevations are formed that have a height by means of which a phase shift ?? may be achieved that is greater than two and a half times the longest wavelength used, and the elevations have a lateral extension in one plane respectively, in all axial directions, that is greater than five times the longest wavelength used. The individual elevations have a continuous form in the three spatial axial directions and said elevations are devoid of edges, ledges and fissures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Hans-Christoph Eckstein, Uwe Zeitner
  • Patent number: 10232763
    Abstract: An adaptive light module for incorporation into a vehicle's headlight assembly is provided, where the light module may be incorporated as a single unit, or incorporated as one of a plurality of units. The light module, which uses an LED array, collimating optics, illumination and projection micro-lens-arrays (HLAs), is configured to allow tailoring of the illumination intensity distribution by selectively activating/deactivating subsets of the LED array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Wiebke Eckstein, Hans-Christoph Eckstein, Eric Magnus Bach
  • Publication number: 20160047951
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electromagnetic optical element which scatters radiation in a diffuse manner. Such optical elements can be used in nearly all projection applications including front and rear projection, display applications, (cinema) screens and similar. On the surface of a claimed optical element, a surface profile is provided, the surface structure of which is non-repeating and irregular. Elevations are formed that have a height by means of which a phase shift ?? may be achieved that is greater than two and a half times the longest wavelength used, and the elevations have a lateral extension in one plane respectively, in all axial directions, that is greater than five times the longest wavelength used. The individual elevations have a continuous form in the three spatial axial directions and said elevations are devoid of edges, ledges and fissures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung
    Inventors: Hans-Christoph ECKSTEIN, Uwe ZEITNER
  • Patent number: 8363688
    Abstract: An edge emitting semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor body having a wave guide area. The wave guide area comprises a lower cover layer, a lower wave guide layer, an active layer for generating laser radiation, an upper wave guide layer and an upper cover layer. The wave guide area also includes at least one structured laser radiation scattering area in which a lateral base laser radiation mode experiences less scattering losses than the radiation of higher laser modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E. V., OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Christoph Eckstein, Uwe D. Zeitner, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Patent number: 8270451
    Abstract: An edge emitting semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor body, which has a waveguide region. The waveguide region has an active layer for generating laser radiation. The active layer is arranged between a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer. The waveguide region is arranged between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The semiconductor body has a main region and at least one phase structure region in which is formed a phase structure for the selection of lateral modes of the laser radiation emitted by the active layer. The phase structure region is arranged outside the waveguide region or formed by a region in which a dopant is introduced or an intermixing structure is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignees: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E. V.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmid, Uwe D. Zeitner, Hans-Christoph Eckstein
  • Publication number: 20110317732
    Abstract: An edge emitting semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor body having a wave guide area. The wave guide area comprises a lower cover layer, a lower wave guide layer, an active layer for generating laser radiation, an upper wave guide layer and an upper cover layer. The wave guide area also includes at least one structured laser radiation scattering area in which a lateral base laser radiation mode experiences less scattering losses than the radiation of higher laser modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicants: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Hans-Christoph Eckstein, Uwe D. Zeitner, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Publication number: 20110122907
    Abstract: An edge emitting semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor body, which has a waveguide region. The waveguide region has an active layer for generating laser radiation. The active layer is arranged between a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer. The waveguide region is arranged between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The semiconductor body has a main region and at least one phase structure region in which is formed a phase structure for the selection of lateral modes of the laser radiation emitted by the active layer. The phase structure region is arranged outside the waveguide region or formed by a region in which a dopant is introduced or an intermixing structure is produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicants: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e. V.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmid, Uwe D. Zeitner, Hans-Christoph Eckstein