Patents by Inventor Michael D. Vanek

Michael D. Vanek 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).

  • Methods of real time image enhancement of flash LIDAR data and navigating a vehicle using flash LIDAR data
    Patent number: 8655513
    Abstract: A method for creating a digital elevation map (“DEM”) from frames of flash LIDAR data includes generating a first distance Ri from a first detector i to a first point on a surface Si. After defining a map with a mesh ? having cells k, a first array S(k), a second array M(k), and a third array D(k) are initialized. The first array corresponds to the surface, the second array corresponds to the elevation map, and the third array D(k) receives an output for the DEM. The surface is projected onto the mesh ?, so that a second distance Rk from a second point on the mesh ? to the detector can be found. From this, a height may be calculated, which permits the generation of a digital elevation map. Also, using sequential frames of flash LIDAR data, vehicle control is possible using an offset between successive frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Michael D. Vanek
  • Method for enhancing a three dimensional image from a plurality of frames of flash LIDAR data
    Patent number: 8494687
    Abstract: A method for enhancing a three dimensional image from frames of flash LIDAR data includes generating a first distance Ri from a first detector i to a first point on a surface Si. After defining a map with a mesh ? having cells k, a first array S(k), a second array M(k), and a third array D(k) are initialized. The first array corresponds to the surface, the second array corresponds to the elevation map, and the third array D(k) receives an output for the DEM. The surface is projected onto the mesh ?, so that a second distance Rk from a second point on the mesh ? to the detector can be found. From this, a height may be calculated, which permits the generation of a digital elevation map. Also, using sequential frames of flash LIDAR data, vehicle control is possible using an offset between successive frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Michael D. Vanek, Farzin Amzajerdian, Alexander Bulyshev
  • Method for Enhancing a Three Dimensional Image from a Plurality of Frames of Flash Lidar Data
    Publication number: 20120033196
    Abstract: A method for enhancing a three dimensional image from frames of flash LIDAR data includes generating a first distance Ri from a first detector i to a first point on a surface Si. After defining a map with a mesh ? having cells k, a first array S(k), a second array M(k), and a third array D(k) are initialized. The first array corresponds to the surface, the second array corresponds to the elevation map, and the third array D(k) receives an output for the DEM. The surface is projected onto the mesh ?, so that a second distance Rk from a second point on the mesh ? to the detector can be found. From this, a height may be calculated, which permits the generation of a digital elevation map. Also, using sequential frames of flash LIDAR data, vehicle control is possible using an offset between successive frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventors: Michael D. Vanek, Farzin Amzajerdian, Alexander Bulyshev
  • Methods of Real Time Image Enhancement of Flash LIDAR Data and Navigating a Vehicle Using Flash LIDAR Data
    Publication number: 20110224840
    Abstract: A method for creating a digital elevation map (“DEM”) from frames of flash LIDAR data includes generating a first distance Ri from a first detector i to a first point on a surface Si. After defining a map with a mesh ? having cells k, a first array S(k), a second array M(k), and a third array D(k) are initialized. The first array corresponds to the surface, the second array corresponds to the elevation map, and the third array D(k) receives an output for the DEM. The surface is projected onto the mesh ?, so that a second distance Rk from a second point on the mesh ? to the detector can be found. From this, a height may be calculated, which permits the generation of a digital elevation map. Also, using sequential frames of flash LIDAR data, vehicle control is possible using an offset between successive frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: U.S.A as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Michael D. Vanek