Patents by Inventor Ralph Wilks

Ralph Wilks 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: 10798296
    Abstract: A method for operating a camera system for detecting codings, in which positions of contour points of the codings are determined in relation to edges of a search zone of the camera system, wherein a reading reliability of the search zone is determined from a distance of the contour points from the edges of the search zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: IFM ELECTRONIC GMBH
    Inventors: Ville Olbrich, Klaus Kohlmann, Christian Prestele, Ralph Wilks, Andreas Gebhard
  • Publication number: 20200059594
    Abstract: A method for operating a camera system for detecting codings, in which positions of contour points of the codings are determined in relation to edges of a search zone of the camera system, wherein a reading reliability of the search zone is determined from a distance of the contour points from the edges of the search zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Ville Olbrich, Klaus Kohlmann, Christian Prestele, Ralph Wilks, Andreas Gebhard
  • Patent number: 9726762
    Abstract: A light transit time camera system and method for operating such a system which can be operated with at least three modulation frequencies, having the steps a) determining a phase shift (?i) of an emitted signal (Sp1) and a received signal (Sp2) for a modulation frequency (f1, f2, f3) in a phase-measuring cycle (PM1, PM2, . . . ), b) carrying out a plurality of phase-measuring cycles (PM1, PM2, . . . ), c) determining a distance value (dn,n+1) on the basis of the phase shifts (?n, ?n+1) determined in two successive phase-measuring cycles (PMn, PMn+1), in a distance-measuring cycle (M1, M2, . . . ), d) carrying out a plurality of distance-measuring cycles (M1, M2, . . . ), e) determining a distance deviation (?d) between the distance values of successive distance-measuring cycles, f) outputting of a distance value (dn,n+1) as a valid distance value if the distance deviation (?d) is within a tolerance limit (?dtol) is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: PMDTECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Ralph Wilks, Christian Prestele
  • Patent number: 9664790
    Abstract: A light propagation time camera system and a method for operating such a system, in which—in a distance measurement a first range-related variable is ascertained using a phase shift in an emitted and received signal for a first modulation frequency,—and in a control measurement a second range-related variable is ascertained, wherein the control measurement is performed at a second modulation frequency, which differs from the first modulation frequency, and the control measurement is performed with a smaller number of phases than the distance measurement is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: pmdtechnologies ag
    Inventors: Ralph Wilks, Christian Prestele
  • Patent number: 9465111
    Abstract: A time-of-flight camera, having a time-of-flight sensor, which has at least one receiving pixel and is configured as a photomixing detector, having an illumination means, and having a modulator, which is connected to the time-of-flight sensor and to the illumination means, wherein a control sensor is arranged in the region of the illumination means such that at least some of the radiation emitted by the illumination means can be received by the control sensor is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: IFM ELECTRONIC GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph Wilks, Bernd Damhofer
  • Patent number: 9462168
    Abstract: A time-of-flight camera system includes a photosensor having at least one receiving pixel and a source of illumination. A modulator is configured to provide a modulation signal to the photosensor and to the source of illumination. A control sensor is connected to at least one reference light source or an electric mixer. The control sensor is disposed in a vicinity of the source of illumination such that the control sensor receives at least a portion of the radiation emitted by the source of illumination. The control sensor is configured to provide an electric output signal that substantially matches an intensity-over-time curve of the received radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: IFM ELECTRONIC GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph Wilks, Bernd Damhofer
  • Publication number: 20150124240
    Abstract: A light propagation time camera system and a method for operating such a system, in which—in a distance measurement a first range-related variable is ascertained using a phase shift in an emitted and received signal for a first modulation frequency,—and in a control measurement a second range-related variable is ascertained, wherein the control measurement is performed at a second modulation frequency, which differs from the first modulation frequency, and the control measurement is performed with a smaller number of phases than the distance measurement is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: IFM Electronic GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Wilks, Christian Prestele
  • Publication number: 20150103330
    Abstract: A light transit time camera system and method for operating such a system which can be operated with at least three modulation frequencies, having the steps a) determining a phase shift (?i) of an emitted signal (Sp1) and a received signal (Sp2) for a modulation frequency (f1, f2, f3) in a phase-measuring cycle (PM1, PM2, . . . ), b) carrying out a plurality of phase-measuring cycles (PM1, PM2, . . . ), c) determining a distance value (dn,n+1) on the basis of the phase shifts (?n, ?n+1) determined in two successive phase-measuring cycles (PMn, PMn+1), in a distance-measuring cycle (M1, M2, . . . ), d) carrying out a plurality of distance-measuring cycles (M1, M2, . . . ), e) determining a distance deviation (?d) between the distance values of successive distance-measuring cycles, f) outputting of a distance value (dn,n+1) as a valid distance value if the distance deviation (?d) is within a tolerance limit (?dtol) is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Ralph Wilks, Christian Prestele
  • Publication number: 20140152813
    Abstract: A time-of-flight camera, having a time-of-flight sensor, which has at least one receiving pixel and is configured as a photomixing detector, having an illumination means, and having a modulator, which is connected to the time-of-flight sensor and to the illumination means, wherein a control sensor is arranged in the region of the illumination means such that at least some of the radiation emitted by the illumination means can be received by the control sensor is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: Ralph Wilks, Bernd Damhofer
  • Publication number: 20130120565
    Abstract: A time-of-flight camera system includes a photosensor having at least one receiving pixel and a source of illumination. A modulator is configured to provide a modulation signal to the photosensor and to the source of illumination. A control sensor is connected to at least one reference light source or an electric mixer. The control sensor is disposed in a vicinity of the source of illumination such that the control sensor receives at least a portion of the radiation emitted by the source of illumination. The control sensor is configured to provide an electric output signal that substantially matches an intensity-over-time curve of the received radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: IFM ELECTRONIC GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph Wilks, Bernd Damhofer