Patents by Inventor William B Etheridge

William B Etheridge 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: 11774559
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that create a capacitive link based on a rotating cylinder capacitor. A cylindrical rotor rotates around a shaft and maintains an air gap between the cylindrical rotor and the shaft and to create one or more air gap capacitors. A first subsystem, comprising a light detection and ranging components, is coupled to the rotor. A second sub-subsystem, comprising data analysis functions, is coupled to the shaft. The first subsystem and the second subsystem are coupled via capacitive links created by the air gap capacitors. The communication signaling utilized on the capacitive links may be bi-directional and differential signaling. The first subsystem and the second subsystem may comprise a LIDAR light detection and ranging system. The second subsystem may power the first subsystem via inductive coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Velodyne Lidar USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Pravin Kumar Venkatesan, Abhilash Goyal, William B. Etheridge, Rajesh Ramalingam Varadharajan
  • Publication number: 20220146642
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that create a capacitive link based on a rotating cylinder capacitor. A cylindrical rotor rotates around a shaft and maintains an air gap between the cylindrical rotor and the shaft and to create one or more air gap capacitors. A first subsystem, comprising a light detection and ranging components, is coupled to the rotor. A second sub-subsystem, comprising data analysis functions, is coupled to the shaft. The first subsystem and the second subsystem are coupled via capacitive links created by the air gap capacitors. The communication signaling utilized on the capacitive links may be bi-directional and differential signaling. The first subsystem and the second subsystem may comprise a LIDAR light detection and ranging system. The second subsystem may power the first subsystem via inductive coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Pravin Kumar Venkatesan, Abhilash Goyal, William B. Etheridge, Rajesh Ramalingam Varadharajan
  • Patent number: 11231487
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that create a capacitive link based on a rotating cylinder capacitor. A cylindrical rotor rotates around a shaft and maintains an air gap between the cylindrical rotor and the shaft and to create one or more air gap capacitors. A first subsystem, comprising a light detection and ranging components, is coupled to the rotor. A second sub-subsystem, comprising data analysis functions, is coupled to the shaft. The first subsystem and the second subsystem are coupled via capacitive links created by the air gap capacitors. The communication signaling utilized on the capacitive links may be bi-directional and differential signaling. The first subsystem and the second subsystem may comprise a LIDAR light detection and ranging system. The second subsystem may power the first subsystem via inductive coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: VELODYNE LIDAR USA, INC.
    Inventors: Pravin Kumar Venkatesan, Abhilash Goyal, William B. Etheridge, Rajesh Ramalingam Varadharajan
  • Publication number: 20210364609
    Abstract: A scanner of a LiDAR system includes a mirror configured to redirect a light signal emitted by an optical emitter, a first axis scanning system configured to rotate the mirror about a first axis and with respect to the optical emitter, that controls a first angle of emission of the light signal from the LiDAR system into a field of view of the LiDAR system, and a second axis scanning system configured to rotate the mirror about a second axis and with respect to the optical emitter, that controls a second angle of emission of the light signal from the LiDAR system into the field of view. The first axis scanning mechanism is configured to rotate the reflective surface of the mirror at least 45 degrees about the first axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: David S. Hall, Andrew Janik, Mathew Noel Rekow, Anand Gopalan, Stephen S. Nestinger, William B. Etheridge
  • Publication number: 20200144859
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that create a capacitive link based on a rotating cylinder capacitor. A cylindrical rotor rotates around a shaft and maintains an air gap between the cylindrical rotor and the shaft and to create one or more air gap capacitors. A first subsystem, comprising a light detection and ranging components, is coupled to the rotor. A second sub-subsystem, comprising data analysis functions, is coupled to the shaft. The first subsystem and the second subsystem are coupled via capacitive links created by the air gap capacitors. The communication signaling utilized on the capacitive links may be bi-directional and differential signaling. The first subsystem and the second subsystem may comprise a LIDAR light detection and ranging system. The second subsystem may power the first subsystem via inductive coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: VELODYNE LIDAR, INC.
    Inventors: Pravin Kumar Venkatesan, Abhilash Goyal, William B. Etheridge, Rajesh Ramalingam Varadharajan
  • Patent number: 10530185
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that create a capacitive link based on a rotating cylinder capacitor. A cylindrical rotor rotates around a shaft and maintains an air gap between the cylindrical rotor and the shaft and to create one or more air gap capacitors. A first subsystem, comprising a light detection and ranging components, is coupled to the rotor. A second sub-subsystem, comprising data analysis functions, is coupled to the shaft. The first subsystem and the second subsystem are coupled via capacitive links created by the air gap capacitors. The communication signaling utilized on the capacitive links may be bi-directional and differential signaling. The first subsystem and the second subsystem may comprise a LIDAR light detection and ranging system. The second subsystem may power the first subsystem via inductive coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Velodyne Lidar, Inc.
    Inventors: Pravin Kumar Venkatesan, Abhilash Goyal, William B Etheridge, Rajesh Ramalingam Varadharajan
  • Publication number: 20190252916
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that create a capacitive link based on a rotating cylinder capacitor. A cylindrical rotor rotates around a shaft and maintains an air gap between the cylindrical rotor and the shaft and to create one or more air gap capacitors. A first subsystem, comprising a light detection and ranging components, is coupled to the rotor. A second sub-subsystem, comprising data analysis functions, is coupled to the shaft. The first subsystem and the second subsystem are coupled via capacitive links created by the air gap capacitors. The communication signaling utilized on the capacitive links may be bi-directional and differential signaling. The first subsystem and the second subsystem may comprise a LIDAR light detection and ranging system. The second subsystem may power the first subsystem via inductive coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: Velodyne LiDAR, Inc.
    Inventors: PRAVIN KUMAR VENKATESAN, ABHILASH GOYAL, WILLIAM B. ETHERIDGE, RAJESH RAMALINGAM VARADHARAJAN