Patents by Inventor Peter Nicke

Peter Nicke 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: 20230003888
    Abstract: A vehicular driving assist system includes a plurality of lidar sensors having respective fields of sensing exterior the vehicle. The lidar sensors emit light pulsed at a respective pulse rate and provide a respective output to an electronic control unit based on sensed light that is reflected by objects present in the field of sensing of the respective lidar sensor. The pulse rates of light emitted by the lidar sensors are different. The vehicular driving assist system, via processing at the ECU of the outputs from the lidar sensors, generates a three dimensional (3D) point cloud. The vehicular driving assist system controls the vehicle based at least in part on light sensed by the lidar sensors that is reflected by the objects when light is emitted by the lidar sensors at the respective pulse rates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Peter Nicke, Benjamin May
  • Patent number: 11442168
    Abstract: A vehicular driving assist system includes a plurality of lidar sensors having respective fields of sensing exterior the vehicle, with the fields of sensing of first and second lidar sensors partially overlapping at an overlap region. The lidar sensors emit a respective pattern of light and provide a respective output to an ECU based on sensed light that is reflected by objects present in the field of sensing of the respective lidar sensor. The pattern of light emitted by the second lidar sensor differs from the pattern of light emitted by the first lidar sensor. The ECU determines misalignment of the second lidar sensor relative to the first lidar sensor based at least in part on the light sensed by each of the lidar sensors that is reflected by an object present in the overlap region when the respective pattern of light is emitted by the respective lidar sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Peter Nicke, Benjamin May
  • Publication number: 20210041566
    Abstract: A vehicular driving assist system includes a plurality of lidar sensors having respective fields of sensing exterior the vehicle, with the fields of sensing of first and second lidar sensors partially overlapping at an overlap region. The lidar sensors emit a respective pattern of light and provide a respective output to an ECU based on sensed light that is reflected by objects present in the field of sensing of the respective lidar sensor. The pattern of light emitted by the second lidar sensor differs from the pattern of light emitted by the first lidar sensor. The ECU determines misalignment of the second lidar sensor relative to the first lidar sensor based at least in part on the light sensed by each of the lidar sensors that is reflected by an object present in the overlap region when the respective pattern of light is emitted by the respective lidar sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Peter Nicke, Benjamin May
  • Patent number: 10816666
    Abstract: A lidar sensing system for a vehicle includes a plurality of lidar sensor modules disposed at a vehicle, with each lidar sensor module having a laser unit and a sensor unit, and with each lidar sensor module having a respective field of sensing exterior of the vehicle. Each field of sensing is different from the other fields of sensing and partially overlaps at least one other field of sensing. An output of each lidar sensor module is communicated to a control, and the control, responsive to outputs from the lidar sensor modules, determines a combined field of sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Peter Nicke, Benjamin May
  • Patent number: 10540756
    Abstract: A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle, an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera, and a display operable to display images derived from image data captured by the camera. The image processor, via processing of image data captured by the camera, determines a noise level in image data captured by the camera. The vision system applies a lens shading algorithm to captured image data, and the vision system adjusts a level of the lens shading algorithm responsive to the determined noise level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Michael Junglas, Timor Knudsen, Peter Nicke
  • Publication number: 20190154833
    Abstract: A lidar sensing system for a vehicle includes a plurality of lidar sensor modules disposed at a vehicle, with each lidar sensor module having a laser unit and a sensor unit, and with each lidar sensor module having a respective field of sensing exterior of the vehicle. Each field of sensing is different from the other fields of sensing and partially overlaps at least one other field of sensing. An output of each lidar sensor module is communicated to a control, and the control, responsive to outputs from the lidar sensor modules, determines a combined field of sensing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Nicke, Benjamin May
  • Publication number: 20180204310
    Abstract: A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle, an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera, and a display operable to display images derived from image data captured by the camera. The image processor, via processing of image data captured by the camera, determines a noise level in image data captured by the camera. The vision system applies a lens shading algorithm to captured image data, and the vision system adjusts a level of the lens shading algorithm responsive to the determined noise level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Junglas, Timor Knudsen, Peter Nicke