Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Birnbacher

Wolfgang Birnbacher 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: 11644550
    Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is suggested, wherein a first distribution of times-of-flight of light of detected photons of transmitted measurement pulses is determined, which is stored in a first memory area of a memory unit. The first distribution of times-of-flight of light is assigned to time intervals of a first plurality of time intervals and frequency portions of the first distribution above a predetermined cut-off frequency are reduced or suppressed by means of a low pass filter in a reduction step, so that a second distribution of times-of-flight of light is generated. The second distribution is assigned to time intervals of a second plurality of time intervals and the blocking frequency of the low pass filter is selected to be smaller than or equal to half of the reciprocal value of a smallest interval width of the second plurality of time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
    Inventor: Wolfgang Birnbacher
  • Patent number: 11520046
    Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is provided, which comprises emitting a plurality of measurement pulses, reflecting emitted measurement pulses on at least one object within a measurement range with a length and receiving reflected measurement pulses. N subsets of measurement pulses are emitted, wherein each subset comprises a constant pulse interval. The constant pulse interval of different subsets is different, wherein the least common multiple of the constant pulse intervals of the N subsets corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: IBEO AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Birnbacher, Jan Rühaak
  • Patent number: 11506761
    Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is proposed which comprises the emission of a plurality of measurement pulses, the reflection of emitted measurement pulses at at least one object and the receipt of reflected measurement pulses. A sequence of measurement pulses is emitted, wherein the sequence comprises temporal pulse spacings between temporally successive measurement pulses, and wherein each measurement pulse of the sequence has a temporal pulse width of T(Pulse). The pulse spacings form a first set, wherein the first set is defined by {T(delay)+i*T(Pulse): i is an element of the natural numbers between 0 and j}, wherein for all values of i it holds that: T(delay)+i*T(Pulse)<(2T(delay)+2T(Pulse)), wherein the first set only comprises one element for all values of i between 0 and j, respectively, and wherein T(delay) defines a pulse spacing base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: IBEO AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Kiehn, Wolfgang Birnbacher
  • Patent number: 11474210
    Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is provided, comprising emitting measurement pulses and receiving reflected measurement pulses. One transmission element is associated with the each receiving element. The method comprises the definition of a first group of receiving elements, wherein the transmission elements each emit at least one measurement pulse for distance measurement. Emitted measurement pulses are reflected on an object within a measurement range and the receiving elements of the first group receive the reflected measurement pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: IBEO AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Birnbacher
  • Patent number: 11215710
    Abstract: A method is provided for distance measurement that comprises performing measurements, wherein a measurement comprises sending out at least one measuring pulse and, if reflected on an object, receiving the reflected measuring pulse. Measurements are performed accounting for previous information about objects and/or open spaces within a maximum measuring range in order to varyingly measure subranges of the maximum measuring range. The method comprises defining subranges, classifying the subranges by relevance and varyingly measuring subranges, wherein relevant subranges are measured more intensively, so that more measuring pulses per spatial unit are sent out in relevant subranges. The method has a time budget, wherein the method comprises a one-time definition and/or dynamic adjustment of how the time budget is distributed among varyingly relevant subranges, wherein a first portion of the time budget is used for focus measurements, and a second portion of the time budget is used for basic measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: IBEO AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Birnbacher
  • Publication number: 20200225333
    Abstract: To provide a method for optical distance measurement, in particular by means of time-correlated single photon counting, in the case of which the memory requirement and the loss of integration cycles is reduced and the accuracy of the distance measurement is improved, a method for optical distance measurement, in particular by means of time-correlated single photon counting is proposed, wherein several optical measuring pulses are transmitted by at least one transmitter, wherein the optical measuring pulses are reflected on an object, wherein photons of the reflected optical measuring pulses are detected by at least one receiver, wherein a first distribution of times-of-flight of light of the detected photons is determined, wherein the first distribution of the times-of-flight of light is stored in a first memory area of a memory unit, wherein the first distribution of times-of-flight of light is assigned to time intervals of a first plurality of time intervals, wherein frequency portions of the first distribu
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Birnbacher
  • Publication number: 20200064447
    Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is proposed which comprises the emission of a plurality of measurement pulses, the reflection of emitted measurement pulses at at least one object and the receipt of reflected measurement pulses. A sequence of measurement pulses is emitted, wherein the sequence comprises temporal pulse spacings between temporally successive measurement pulses, and wherein each measurement pulse of the sequence has a temporal pulse width of T(Pulse). The pulse spacings form a first set, wherein the first set is defined by {T(delay)+i*T(Pulse): i is an element of the natural numbers between 0 and j}, wherein for all values of i it holds that: T(delay)+i*T(Pulse)<(2T(delay)+2T(Pulse)), wherein the first set only comprises one element for all values of i between 0 and j, respectively, and wherein T(delay) defines a pulse spacing base unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Kiehn, Wolfgang Birnbacher
  • Publication number: 20200025922
    Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is provided, which comprises emitting a plurality of measurement pulses, reflecting emitted measurement pulses on at least one object within a measurement range with a length and receiving reflected measurement pulses. N subsets of measurement pulses are emitted, wherein each subset comprises a constant pulse interval. The constant pulse interval of different subsets is different, wherein the least common multiple of the constant pulse intervals of the N subsets corresponds to at least twice the length of the measurement range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Wolfgang Birnbacher, Jan Rühaak
  • Publication number: 20190257948
    Abstract: A method is provided for distance measurement that comprises performing measurements, wherein a measurement comprises sending out at least one measuring pulse and, if reflected on an object, receiving the reflected measuring pulse. Measurements are performed accounting for previous information about objects and/or open spaces within a maximum measuring range in order to varyingly measure subranges of the maximum measuring range. The method comprises defining subranges, classifying the subranges by relevance and varyingly measuring subranges, wherein relevant subranges are measured more intensively, so that more measuring pulses per spatial unit are sent out in relevant subranges. The method has a time budget, wherein the method comprises a one-time definition and/or dynamic adjustment of how the time budget is distributed among varyingly relevant subranges, wherein a first portion of the time budget is used for focus measurements, and a second portion of the time budget is used for basic measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventor: Wolfgang Birnbacher
  • Publication number: 20190257925
    Abstract: A method for optical distance measurement is provided, comprising emitting measurement pulses and receiving reflected measurement pulses. One transmission element is associated with the each receiving element. The method comprises the definition of a first group of receiving elements, wherein the transmission elements each emit at least one measurement pulse for distance measurement. Emitted measurement pulses are reflected on an object within a measurement range and the receiving elements of the first group receive the reflected measurement pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventor: Wolfgang Birnbacher