Patents by Inventor Maik BEER

Maik BEER 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: 11536835
    Abstract: A laser measuring set for measuring a distance from an object includes a pulse laser for emitting a laser pulse at the beginning of a measuring cycle; an optical sensor having at least one detection unit for generating detection signals; a coincidence recognition stage for generating coincidence signals, wherein during the measuring cycle, one of the coincidence signals is generated each time the detection signals generated by the detection unit reach at least a preset coincidence depth within a coincidence time; a coincidence time presetting stage for presetting the coincidence time for the coincidence recognition stage, the coincidence time presetting stage being configured such that the coincidence time monotonically increases during the measuring cycle; and travel-time measuring set for determining the distance on the basis of a travel-time measurement of the coincidence signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Maik Beer, Olaf Schrey, Werner Brockherde, Bedrich Hosticka
  • Patent number: 11520296
    Abstract: Time-to-digital converter arrangement having a first and a second time-to-digital converters. The first one is configured to determine the existence or nonexistence of an event in a recurring first measurement window. The second one is configured to determine the existence or nonexistence of the event in a recurring second measurement window. A temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FĂ–RDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Jan Haase, Olaf Schrey, Maik Beer
  • Patent number: 11460557
    Abstract: An apparatus for distance measurement, having one or several optical detector modules and a readout module is provided. The optical detector modules each have a plurality of optical detector elements having one or several optical detectors and a counter indicating a count value, the optical detector elements each being in an active state or an inactive state. Each optical detector module has a timer element configured to determine a current time value and configured to continuously update the current time value, and a memory element for storing a plurality of time values stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Maik Beer, Olaf Schrey, Christian Nitta
  • Patent number: 11067674
    Abstract: Described are a device for determining a distance to an object, having a transmitting device for emitting signals, a receiving device for receiving signals and for generating detection signals, an evaluating device for evaluating the detection signals of the receiving device, and a control device for controlling the evaluation of the detection signals, and a corresponding method. The receiving device has a plurality of receiving elements which generate, in case they receive a signal, a detection signal each. The evaluating device determines the distance to the object in accordance with the time-of-flight method and while considering coincidence events and uses that case in which a number of detection signals generated within a presettable coincidence time at least equals a presettable coincidence depth, as a coincidence events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Olaf Schrey, Maik Beer, Werner Brockherde, Bedrich Hosticka, Alexander Schwinger, David Arutinov
  • Patent number: 11016184
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for determining a distance from an object, including a transmission device for emitting several light pulses including a pulse duration, including a reception device for receiving signals and for generating detection signals, and including an evaluation device for evaluating the detection signals. The evaluation device determines, on the basis of a number of the light pulses emitted and on the basis of the detection signals, probability values of several time windows which each have a respective time period equaling the pulse duration which relate to probabilities for reception of a signal within one of the time windows, respectively. In addition, the evaluation device determines, in accordance with the time-of-flight method, a measure of the distance of the object on the basis of the probability values determined. In addition, the invention relates to a corresponding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Maik Beer, Olaf Schrey, Werner Brockherde, Alexander Schwinger, Bedrich Hosticka
  • Publication number: 20200333750
    Abstract: Time-to-digital converter arrangement having a first and a second time-to-digital converters. The first one is configured to determine the existence or nonexistence of an event in a recurring first measurement window. The second one is configured to determine the existence or nonexistence of the event in a recurring second measurement window. A temporal relation of the second measurement window with respect to detecting the event is time-shifted by a first offset compared to a temporal relation of the first measurement window with respect to detecting the event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Jan HAASE, Olaf SCHREY, Maik BEER
  • Publication number: 20200057150
    Abstract: An apparatus for distance measurement, having one or several optical detector modules and a readout module is provided. The optical detector modules each have a plurality of optical detector elements having one or several optical detectors and a counter indicating a count value, the optical detector elements each being in an active state or an inactive state. Each optical detector module has a timer element configured to determine a current time value and configured to continuously update the current time value, and a memory element for storing a plurality of time values stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Maik Beer, Olaf Schrey, Christian Nitta
  • Publication number: 20190369248
    Abstract: A laser measuring set for measuring a distance from an object includes a pulse laser for emitting a laser pulse at the beginning of a measuring cycle; an optical sensor having at least one detection unit for generating detection signals; a coincidence recognition stage for generating coincidence signals, wherein during the measuring cycle, one of the coincidence signals is generated each time the detection signals generated by the detection unit reach at least a preset coincidence depth within a coincidence time; a coincidence time presetting stage for presetting the coincidence time for the coincidence recognition stage, the coincidence time presetting stage being configured such that the coincidence time monotonically increases during the measuring cycle; and travel-time measuring set for determining the distance on the basis of a travel-time measurement of the coincidence signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Maik BEER, Olaf SCHREY, Werner BROCKHERDE, Bedrich HOSTICKA
  • Publication number: 20180321363
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for determining a distance from an object, including a transmission device for emitting several light pulses including a pulse duration, including a reception device for receiving signals and for generating detection signals, and including an evaluation device for evaluating the detection signals. The evaluation device determines, on the basis of a number of the light pulses emitted and on the basis of the detection signals, probability values of several time windows which each have a respective time period equaling the pulse duration which relate to probabilities for reception of a signal within one of the time windows, respectively. In addition, the evaluation device determines, in accordance with the time-of-flight method, a measure of the distance of the object on the basis of the probability values determined. In addition, the invention relates to a corresponding method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Maik BEER, Olaf SCHREY, Werner BROCKHERDE, Alexander SCHWINGER, Bedrich HOSTICKA
  • Publication number: 20180231646
    Abstract: Described are a device for determining a distance to an object, having a transmitting device for emitting signals, a receiving device for receiving signals and for generating detection signals, an evaluating device for evaluating the detection signals of the receiving device, and a control device for controlling the evaluation of the detection signals, and a corresponding method. The receiving device has a plurality of receiving elements which generate, in case they receive a signal, a detection signal each. The evaluating device determines the distance to the object in accordance with the time-of-flight method and while considering coincidence events and uses that case in which a number of detection signals generated within a presettable coincidence time at least equals a presettable coincidence depth, as a coincidence events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Olaf SCHREY, Maik BEER, Werner BROCKHERDE, Bedrich HOSTICKA, Alexander SCHWINGER, David ARUTINOV