Patents by Inventor Lawrence Bieber
Lawrence Bieber 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: 9268414Abstract: A method for measuring relative motion between an illuminated surface and an optical sensing device comprising a coherent light source and a photodetector array is described.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2010Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin SAInventors: Lawrence Bieber, Michel Willemin
-
Patent number: 8405613Abstract: A method for measuring relative motion between an illuminated portion of a surface and an optical sensing device comprising a coherent light source and a photodetector device comprising an array of pixels and comparators for extracting motion features. The method includes the steps (a)-(d). Step (a) includes illuminating with the coherent light source the surface portion at a determined flash rate. Step (b) includes detecting, using the array of pixels a speckled light intensity pattern of the illuminated portion of the surface for each flash. Step (c) includes extracting edge direction data of two different types from the detected speckled light intensity patterns. Step (d) includes measuring relative motion between the optical sensing device and the illuminated portion of the surface based on extracted edge direction data.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2006Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin SAInventors: Lawrence Bieber, Michel Willemin, Gil Afriat, James Harlod Lauffenburger, Kevin Scott Buescher
-
Patent number: 8294672Abstract: The invention concerns an optical pointing device comprising a coherent light source for illuminating a surface portion with radiation, a driver of the coherent light source for controlling coherent light emissions, a photodetector device responsive to radiation reflected from the illuminated surface portion, processing means for determining, based on the photodetector device response, a measurement of relative motion between the optical pointing device and the illuminated portion of the surface, wherein the coherent light source driver is a fault-tolerant driver comprising redundant power control means for limiting the output power of coherent light emissions.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2006Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin S.A.Inventors: Sylvain Grosjean, Michel Willemin, James Harold Lauffenburger, Gil Afriat, Kevin Scott Buescher, Lawrence Bieber
-
Patent number: 8013841Abstract: A method for detecting lift from a surface portion of an optical pointing device comprising a coherent light source, a photodetector device including an array of pixels, and extracting motion features including comparators with an adjustable offset value, the method comprising the steps of: (i) illuminating the surface portion with radiation by the coherent light source; (ii) detecting radiation patterns reflected from the illuminated surface portion with the photodetector device; (iii) comparing light intensity between neighbouring pixels in the detected radiation patterns; (iv) extracting motion features as a function of the result of the comparison; (v) counting the total number of motion features extracted; (vi) increasing or decreasing the comparator offset value when the total number of motion features increases or decreases; (vii) comparing the comparator offset value with an offset threshold; (viii) enabling detection of a lift condition if the comparator offset value is lower than the offset thresholType: GrantFiled: June 16, 2006Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin S.A.Inventors: Lawrence Bieber, Gil Afriat, James Harold Lauffenburger, Kevin Scott Buescher
-
Publication number: 20110147571Abstract: A method for measuring relative motion between an illuminated surface and an optical sensing device comprising a coherent light source and a photodetector array is described.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2010Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: EM MICROELECTRONIC-MARIN SAInventors: Lawrence Bieber, Michel Willemin
-
Patent number: 7876307Abstract: There is described a method for measuring relative motion between an illuminated portion of a surface and an optical sensing device comprising a coherent light source and a photodetector array, the method comprising the steps of illuminating under a determined gradient by means of the coherent light source the surface portion at a determined flash rate; detecting by means of the photodetector array speckled light intensity pattern of the illuminated portion of the surface for a first flash; detecting a second speckled light intensity pattern of the illuminated portion of the surface for a second flash; extracting motion features of two different types from the detected first and second speckled light intensity patterns; determining a measurement of the relative motion between the optical sensing device and the illuminated surface portion based on a comparison of motion features extracted; wherein before the step of determining a measurement of the relative motion, the method further comprises the step of keepType: GrantFiled: June 24, 2005Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin SAInventors: Lawrence Bieber, Michel Willemin
-
Publication number: 20080136779Abstract: The invention concerns an optical pointing device comprising a coherent light source for illuminating a surface portion with radiation, a driver of the coherent light source for controlling coherent light emissions, a photodetector device responsive to radiation reflected from the illuminated surface portion, processing means for determining, based on the photodetector device response, a measurement of relative motion between the optical pointing device and the illuminated portion of the surface, wherein the coherent light source driver is a fault-tolerant driver comprising redundant power control means for limiting the output power of coherent light emissions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2006Publication date: June 12, 2008Applicant: EM MICROELECTRONIC-MARIN SAInventors: Sylvain Grosjean, Michel Willemin, James Harold Lauffenburger, Gil Afriat, Kevin Scott Buescher, Lawrence Bieber
-
Patent number: 7358477Abstract: A method for operating an optical sensing device having a light source and a photodetector device with at least one photosensitive element. A surface portion is illuminated with radiation by the light source and the radiation reflected from the illuminated surface portion is detected with a photosensitive element. While said surface portion is being illuminated, an output signal of the photosensitive element over time is integrated, the output signal integration level is compared with a first integration reference level during integration; the integration step is interrupted if the output signal integration level has reached the first integration reference level, or the comparison step is repeated until a first integration period has elapsed if the output signal integration level has not reached the first integration reference level.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin SAInventors: André Grandjean, Gil Afriat, Lawrence Bieber, Kevin Scott Buescher, James Harold Lauffenburger
-
Publication number: 20070290991Abstract: A method for detecting lift from a surface portion of an optical pointing device comprising a coherent light source, a photodetector device including an array of pixels, and means for extracting motion features including comparators with an adjustable offset value, the method comprising the steps of: (i) illuminating said surface portion with radiation by means of said coherent light source; (ii) detecting radiation patterns reflected from the illuminated surface portion by means of said photodetector device; (iii) comparing light intensity between neighbouring pixels in said detected radiation patterns; (iv) extracting motion features as a function of the result of said comparison; (v) counting the total number of motion features extracted; (vi) increasing, respectively decreasing, said comparator offset value when said total number of motion features increases, respectively decreases; wherein the method further comprises the steps of: (vii) comparing said comparator offset value with an offset threshold; (vType: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2006Publication date: December 20, 2007Applicant: EM MICROELECTRONIC-MARIN SAInventors: Lawrence Bieber, Gil Afriat, James Harold Lauffenburger, Kevin Scott Buescher
-
Publication number: 20070290121Abstract: A method for measuring relative motion between an illuminated portion of a surface and an optical sensing device comprising a coherent light source and a photodetector device comprising an array of pixels and comparators for extracting motion features, said method comprising the steps of: a) illuminating by means of said coherent light source said surface portion at a determined flash rate; b) detecting by means of said array of pixels a speckled light intensity pattern of said illuminated portion of the surface for each flash; c) extracting edge direction data of two different types from said detected speckled light intensity patterns by comparing light intensity between pixels; d) determining a measurement of the relative motion between said optical sensing device and said illuminated portion of the surface based on extracted edge direction data; wherein the extracting edge direction data step comprises a preliminary step consisting of introducing a selecting factor which promotes detection of one tyType: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2006Publication date: December 20, 2007Applicant: EM MICROELECTRONIC-MARIN SAInventors: Lawrence Bieber, Michel Willemin, Gil Afriat, James Harold Lauffenburger, Kevin Scott Buescher
-
Publication number: 20070262242Abstract: A method for operating an optical sensing device having a light source and a photodetector device with at least one photosensitive element, said method comprising the steps of: (i) illuminating a surface portion with radiation by means of said light source; (ii) detecting radiation reflected from the illuminated surface portion with said at least one photosensitive element; (iii)while said surface portion is being illuminated, integrating an output signal of said at least one photosensitive element over time; (iv)comparing the output signal integration level with a first integration reference level during integration; (v) interrupting said integration step (iii) if said output signal integration level has reached said first integration reference level, or getting back to comparison step (iv) until a first integration period has elapsed if said output signal integration level has not reached said first integration reference level, and wherein said method further comprises the steps of: (vi) comparing said outpType: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2006Publication date: November 15, 2007Applicant: EM Microelectronic-Marin SAInventors: Andre Grandjean, Gil Afriat, Lawrence Bieber, Kevin Buescher, James Lauffenburger
-
Publication number: 20060226346Abstract: There is described a method for measuring relative motion between an illuminated portion of a surface and an optical sensing device comprising a coherent light source and a photodetector array, the method comprising the steps of illuminating under a determined gradient by means of the coherent light source the surface portion at a determined flash rate; detecting by means of the photodetector array speckled light intensity pattern of the illuminated portion of the surface for a first flash; detecting a second speckled light intensity pattern of the illuminated portion of the surface for a second flash; extracting motion features of two different types from the detected first and second speckled light intensity patterns; determining a measurement of the relative motion between the optical sensing device and the illuminated surface portion based on a comparison of motion features extracted; wherein before the step of determining a measurement of the relative motion, the method further comprises the step of keepType: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2005Publication date: October 12, 2006Inventors: Lawrence Bieber, Michel Willemin