Patents Issued in March 19, 2019
  • Patent number: 10234514
    Abstract: An antenna includes a plurality of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) arrays on a chip, and a printed circuit board (PCB) formed with a cutout for receiving the chip. The PCB is formed with a set of coplanar transmission lines, and the chip is inserted into the cutout so that each said transmission line connects to a respective SQUID array. A cryogenic system can cool the chip to a temperature that causes a transition to superconductivity for the SQUID arrays. A thermal radome can be placed around the chip, the PCB and the cryogenic system to maintain the temperature. A DC bias can be applied to the SQUID arrays to facilitate RF detection. The SQUID array, chip and CPW transmission lines can cooperate to allow for both detection of said RF energy and conversion of said RF energy to a signal without requiring the use of a conductive antenna dish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Anna M. Leese de Escobar, Marcio Calixto de Andrade, Susan Anne Elizabeth Berggren, Robert Lewis Fagaly, Benjamin Jeremy Taylor
  • Patent number: 10234515
    Abstract: A magnetic detection apparatus includes a Hall device configured to include terminals and to generate an electromotive force based on a magnetic field, a Hall output controller configured to control an output of the Hall device such that an output phase alteration order of a first section of the output is symmetrical to an output phase alteration order of a second section of the output on the basis of half cycle of a control cycle of the Hall device, an amplifier configured to be connected to output terminals of the Hall device to amplify the output of the Hall device, and an amplifier output controller configured to control an output polarity of the amplifier based on the output of the Hall device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Haechitech Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Ho Kim, Yong Sup Lee
  • Patent number: 10234516
    Abstract: In one aspect, a magnetic field sensor includes a chopper stabilized amplifier and a plurality of Hall-type elements in parallel and connected to the chopper stabilized amplifier. In another aspect, a magnetic field sensor includes a chopper stabilized amplifier and a plurality of Hall quad elements in parallel and connected to the chopper stabilized amplifier. In a further aspect, a current sensor has a bandwidth of 1 MHz and includes a chopper stabilized amplifier and a plurality of Hall quad elements, fabricated in silicon, in parallel and connected to the chopper stabilized amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: David J. Haas, Michael Gaboury, Alexander Latham
  • Patent number: 10234517
    Abstract: A magnetism measuring device includes: a wall forming a cell portion; an opening which is open to a portion of the wall; a sealing material which seals the opening; a coating layer which covers the sealing material on an inside of the cell portion; and an alkali metal gas which is sealed in the cell portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiichi Fujii, Kimio Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 10234518
    Abstract: An MR loop coil design incorporates a balun into the loop coil. With this approach, some components of the coil may be simultaneously part of the imaging coil and the balun. Further, with this approach the number of components used to build an MR coil may be reduced, which may result in a reduction in cost, weight and size. This MR loop coil design may also be used to build phased array coils from the smaller loop size. Such an approach may use small feeder circuit boards oriented generally perpendicular to the coil elements to reduce interactions between the feeder boards and the coils. Such feeder boards may also be made smaller than conventional feeder circuits because the integrated balun coil design may reduce the number of components needed to create balanced coils in the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Children's Hospital Medical Center
    Inventors: Wolfgang Manfred Loew, Randy Otto Giaquinto, Charles Lucian Dumoulin
  • Patent number: 10234519
    Abstract: The present specification relates to an electric power converter, comprising at least a set of four controllable power switches, arranged in an H-bridge or a functionally equivalent circuit comprising two switching legs of two series switches connected to a voltage source, each power switch comprising an antiparallel diode, a controller configured for controlling the switches with a blanking time, a feedback loop for the load current, characterized by a first bias current injection circuit, coupled to the central point of the first leg of the H-bridge and a second bias current injection circuit, coupled to the central point of the second leg of the H-bridge. The specification further relates to a MRI scanner, provided with an electric power converter according to any of the preceding claims, for driving the gradient coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Prodrive Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Antonius Wilhelmus Hendricus Johannes Driessen, Noud Johan Hubert Slaats
  • Patent number: 10234520
    Abstract: A carrier structure (2) of an arrangement (1) for modifying a main magnetic field generated in a magnetic resonance tomograph from multiple carrier elements (3, 37). A conductor arrangement (4) is respectively arranged on each carrier element (3, 37). The conductor arrangements (4) respectively include a primary conductor arrangement (6) for generating a primary magnetic field that modifies the main magnetic field and a secondary conductor arrangement (7) for shielding the primary magnetic field. A method for producing a modularly constructible arrangement (1) is provided, which can be used for example for spatial encoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
    Inventors: Sebastian Littin, Feng Jia, Maxim Zaitsev
  • Patent number: 10234521
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure present unwrapping based B0 mapping systems and methods. An initial B0 map is obtained by unwrapping a pseudo-in-phase complex data that is generated from selected echoes of multi-echo gradient echo image data. Global and local phase errors that are present in the initial B0 map are corrected to produce a phase-error-corrected B0 map. A bias frequency shift is employed to produce a corrected fat-fraction map based on the phase-error-corrected B0 map. The corrected fat-fraction map is employed to generate a final B0 map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Inventors: Junmin Liu, Maria Drangova
  • Patent number: 10234522
    Abstract: An improved method of MR imaging of at least two chemical species having different MR spectra, such as water and fat, enables a precise quantification of water and fat or derived measures, such as a fat fraction. The method includes the steps of: a) generating two or more echo signals at different echo times by subjecting a body (10) placed in the examination volume of a MR device (1) to an imaging sequence of RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients; b) acquiring the two or more echo signals; c) separating signal contributions of the at least two chemical species to the acquired echo signals on the basis of a signal model including the MR spectrum of each of the chemical species, the spatial variation of the main magnetic field in the examination volume, the effective transverse relaxation rate, and eddy current-induced phase errors. The eddy current-induced phase errors are estimated by a fitting procedure from the two or more echo signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Holger Eggers, Adrianus Joseph Willibrordus Duijndam
  • Patent number: 10234523
    Abstract: MR imaging of at least two chemical species having different MR spectra provides a Dixon water/fat separation that avoids swaps of water and fat signals in the reconstructed MR images due to large gradients of the main magnetic field B0. The method includes the steps of: a) generating echo signals at different echo times by subjecting an object (10) positioned in a main magnetic field to a multi-echo imaging sequence of RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients; b) acquiring the echo signals; c) correcting the acquired echo signals by virtual shimming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Holger Eggers
  • Patent number: 10234524
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for performing multi-slice magnetic resonance imaging with comparable contrast between simultaneously excited slices includes applying a first pulse sequence to a volume of interest to acquire a first k-space dataset. This first pulse sequence comprises a plurality of single-band slice-selective pulses applied in a first predefined order. One or more additional pulse sequences are also applied to the volume of interest to acquire one or more additional k-space datasets. Each additional pulse sequence comprises the plurality of single-band slice-selective pulses applied in one or more additional predefined orders that are distinct from the first predefined order. One or more final images are reconstructed using the first k-space dataset and the one or more additional k-space datasets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Mario Zeller, Himanshu Bhat, Vibhas S. Deshpande
  • Patent number: 10234525
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for acquiring magnetic resonance (MR) data from a predetermined volume within an examination object, a control protocol for a gradient echo sequence is selected that specifies that gradient moments produced in said gradient echo sequence be balanced along all three spatial directions. In this gradient echo sequence a slice selection gradient is activated in a slice selection direction that produces a balanced gradient moment, with simultaneous radiation of an RF pulse that simultaneously excites nuclear spins in multiple slices of the examination object, with said excitation being repeated according to a repetition time. A phase of MR signals to be acquired from a same one of said multiple layers is varied from repetition time-to-repetition time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignees: Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet-Wuerzburg, Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Speier, Daniel Staeb
  • Patent number: 10234526
    Abstract: In a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus and operating method, an MR scan is designated in a processor by acquiring values of parameters of imaging sequences of the MR scan. The MR scan and properties of the MR scan are stored so as to be allocated to an MR scan template. The acquisition of an MR scan and the storing of an MR scan template are carried out several times. In the processor, one of the MR scan templates is determined by detecting properties of an MR scan to be performed and determining the MR scan template as a function of the properties. Imaging sequences of the determined MR scan template are then implemented in order to acquire MR data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventor: Maria Kroell
  • Patent number: 10234527
    Abstract: For the purpose of obtaining a spectrum suitable for acquiring information on a CEST effect, an MR apparatus comprises a Z-spectrum generating unit 91 for generating a Z-spectrum containing a CEST component representing a signal component affected by CEST and a baseline component representing a signal component unaffected by CEST based on data acquired by a plurality of sequences; a spectrum transforming unit 92 for transforming the Z-spectrum into a CPE spectrum; and first fitting unit 95 for calculating values of a plurality of coefficients included in a CEST term in an approximate expression of the CPE spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Mitsuharu Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 10234528
    Abstract: In a method to correct noise effects in magnetic resonance (MR) images, which is executed in a processor (computer), the processor executes a fitting algorithm in order to calculate initial values for each of selected variables in signal model that models noise effects in a modeled, noise-containing MR image. The processor then iteratively executes the same or a different fitting algorithm, in order to generate final values for each of the selected variables. The processor is provided with an actual, acquired MR image that contains noise, and the processor uses the final values of the selected variables to calculate synthetic signal intensities in the MR image, thereby producing a synthetic MR image with no noise bias effects of errors. This synthetic image is made available in electronic form at an output of the processor, as a data file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Brian Dale, Stephan Kannengiesser, Berthold Kiefer, Marcel Dominik Nickel, Xiaodong Zhong
  • Patent number: 10234529
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing magnetic resonance tomography images (B) of at least one phase of a cyclic movement, comprising the method steps: production of raw data sets (r1, . . . , rx) of the cyclic movement during a recording period (T) having radial or almost radial k-space part trajectories (k1, . . . , kx); reconstruction of a series of intermediate images (z1, . . . , zy), each from at least one raw data set (r1, . . . , rx) with high time resolution at least for each region (region of interest, ROI) of the raw data sets (r1, . . . , rx); calculation of a distance matrix (D) from the series of intermediate images (z1, . . . , zy), wherein each matrix element (D) corresponds to the distance of a first intermediate image (z1, . . . , zy) of the series to the first or a further intermediate image (z1, . . . , zy) of the series; fitting of functions (vi, . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Volker Rasche, Stefan Wundrak
  • Patent number: 10234530
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an MRI apparatus includes a gradient generation circuit configured to apply a gradient pulse according to a pulse sequence in which application of an RF pulse and application of the gradient pulse are included; and an RF transmission circuit configured to (a) perform modulation on a controlled output waveform of the RF pulse in such a manner that the controlled output waveform of the RF pulse follows time variation of a magnetic resonance frequency caused by time variation of an eddy-current magnetic field estimated from a waveform of the gradient pulse and (b) apply the RF pulse subjected to the modulation to an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Ookawa
  • Patent number: 10234531
    Abstract: The embodiments relate to methods and an apparatus for measuring a magnetic field in a magnetic resonance tomography device with at least one field probe, wherein at least one generated delete signal may be applied to reduce a residual magnetization in the at least one field probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Popescu
  • Patent number: 10234532
    Abstract: A rotation determiner determines whether an antenna azimuth (AZ) angle rotates beyond a rotation range within a predetermined time based on a predicted orbit value. When the antenna AZ angle rotates beyond the rotation range, an orbit determiner determines whether an estimated satellite position is within a drivable range that the AZ angle rotates from a reference value beyond the rotation range. When the AZ angle rotates beyond the rotation range and the estimated satellite position is within the drivable range, three-axis control is executed, and the AZ angle is kept at a predetermined value. When the AZ angle rotates beyond the rotation range and the estimated satellite position is not within the drivable range, or when the AZ angle does not rotate beyond the rotation range, two-axis control is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoya Uego, Yuji Sakai, Masakazu Saito
  • Patent number: 10234533
    Abstract: A navigation system determines a position by referring to artificial or natural satellites or other space objects during daylight or when the objects are in a planet's shadow. A telescope and image sensor observe and image shadows of the objects as the objects transit the sun or a sunlit surface of a planet or moon, thereby solving problems related to the two key times during which traditional SkyMark navigation is difficult or impossible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Lane, William W. Whitacre
  • Patent number: 10234534
    Abstract: A method and system for Kalman-Filtering in geolocation is provided. One aspect of the disclosure provides using an extreme geo program/method to converge on the location of an emitter, using a correlation function inherent in a Correlation Interferometry Geolocation (CIGL) program, and using Kalman filtering to find a peak correlation surface for an array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Allan M. Kabel
  • Patent number: 10234535
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer system for measuring real time position of a plurality of animals, which system receives input from a plurality of sensors, communicating with at least tags carried by the animals, which system based of measurement of delay in radio communication calculates the actual position of the animals. It is the first object of the invention to achieve real time position of animals in a limited area. A further object is based of the real time position to analyze the behavior of each of the animals. The sensors further performs communication with a plurality of reference tags, and performs a calibration of the real time position measured by the system, which system comprises a CPU with at least two cores, which system divides the data processing in a first real time position processing in the first core of the processor, and into a second processing of the activity of the animals performed in the second core of the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Karen Helle Sloth, Daniel Frederiksen
  • Patent number: 10234536
    Abstract: A method of geolocating comprises: receiving wirelessly, at an asset located on the Earth's surface and from at least two airborne aircraft, ADS-B signals, respectively; interpolating, using a Bayes filter, at least some state information of the at least two airborne aircraft based on the ADS-B signals, respectively; determining differences in received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values (RSSI-difference values) of successive aircraft-specific ADS-B signals, respectively; estimating, using a likelihood function, locations of the asset based on the RSSI-difference values, the ADS-B signals and the interpolated state information, respectively, thereby producing a set of estimated locations; and searching amongst the set to find one of the estimated locations that is regarded as being most likely to most accurately describe an actual position of the asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: LINK LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Ricardo Luna, Jr., Adrian Sapio, Richard Kevin Sawyer, Jr., Mark Olden Bloechl
  • Patent number: 10234537
    Abstract: A beacon includes a housing, multiple directional radio frequency antennas, a multiplexer, and a signal source that produces a signal output. The directional radio frequency antennas are attached to the housing such that each directional radio frequency antenna points out radially from an axis of the housing in a direction different than the other directional radio frequency antennas. The multiplexer is electrically connected to each of the directional radio frequency antennas and to the signal source. The multiplexer is configured to sequentially conduct the radio signal output from the signal source to each of the directional radio frequency antennas to produce a wireless signal, wherein the signal output is only conducted to one of the directional radio frequency antennas at any given time and includes a unique identifier identifying the antenna it is currently being transmitted from. The beacon may also include electrical hardware for performing time of flight measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Otter Products, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher R. Langlois
  • Patent number: 10234538
    Abstract: A process described herein may be used to determine a first asset's position in a GNSS-limited environment. The process includes transmitting a current position for each of at least three additional assets in wireless messages by wireless transmitters. The current position for each of the at least three additional assets is determined using previously received position data and one more additional measurement generated by instruments on board the additional assets. The transmitted messages are received at a device of the first asset and a processor on the device implements pre-programmed instructions to access the current position for each of the three additional assets and determine the first asset's position using the current position for each of the three additional assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
    Inventor: George Fortney
  • Patent number: 10234539
    Abstract: A position tracking system for tracking a physical location of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter comprises at least four RF receiver antennae at known locations. Each receiver antenna receives RF signals from the RF transmitter. One receiver antenna is used as a reference antenna. A receiver channel unit is in communication with the RF receiver antennae. The receiver channel unit comprises a reference receiver channel and a measurement receiver channel. A multiplexer is dynamically configurable to selectively connect the reference receiver channel to the reference receiver antenna and to connect, in succession, each other receiver antenna to the measurement receiver channel. A comparator measures phase differences between the RF signals received by the reference antenna and those received by each other receiver antennae. A data processor computes the physical location of the RF transmitter from the phase differences measured by the comparator and the known locations of the receiver antennae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: POSITION IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Edward L. Hill, Mark Schneider
  • Patent number: 10234540
    Abstract: A vehicle radar system and a method for operating a vehicle radar system are disclosed. A vehicle radar system includes a first transmitting antenna configured to transmit a first radar signal toward a target, a second transmitting antenna configured to transmit a second radar signal having the same waveform as the first radar signal toward the target, and a first controller coupled to the first transmitting antenna. The first controller is configured to set a first blanking time that comprises a time of an inflection point of the first radar signal based on a delay time between a transmission time of the first radar signal and a transmission time of the second radar signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang Hyung Kim
  • Patent number: 10234541
    Abstract: Provided is an FMCW radar device capable of reducing pairing errors. With use of a first peak frequency change rate during a first chirp period and a second peak frequency change rate during a second chirp period, a first temporary range during the first chirp period and a second temporary range during the second chirp period are calculated. When a difference between the first temporary range and the second temporary range is equal to or less than a set threshold, a first peak frequency and a second peak frequency in a current processing period are paired with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Goda
  • Patent number: 10234542
    Abstract: Methods for monitoring of performance parameters of one or more receive channels and/or one or more transmit channels of a radar system-on-a-chip (SOC) are provided. The radar SOC may include a loopback path coupling at least one transmit channel to at least one receive channel to provide a test signal from the at least one transmit channel to the at least one receive channel when the radar SOC is operated in test mode. In some embodiments, the loopback path includes a combiner coupled to each of one or more transmit channels, a splitter coupled to each of one or more receive channels, and a single wire coupling an output of the combiner to an input of the splitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Karthik Subburaj, Brian Paul Ginsburg, Daniel Colum Breen, Sandeep Rao, Karthik Ramasubramanian
  • Patent number: 10234543
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention concern locating targets using non-linear radar with a matched filter which uses exponential value of the transmit signal. According to embodiments, a method of non-linear radar target location includes: transmitting a signal of a transmit waveform towards a target; receiving a signal from the target; creating a matched filter by generating an exponential function of the transmit waveform corresponding to a particular harmonic of the interest; and applying the matched filter to the received signal to generate and output a signature waveform for the target of the particular harmonic of interest. In other embodiments, the matched filtering may be combined with sidelobe reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Gregory J. Mazzaro, Kyle A. Gallagher, Kenneth I. Ranney, Anthony F. Martone
  • Patent number: 10234544
    Abstract: An optical transmitter 1 includes an optical phase modulator 131 that performs phase modulation on a continuously oscillating light, a light intensity modulator 132 that performs pulse modulation on the light on which the phase modulation is performed, to output the light as a transmission light, a first signal generator 133 that generates a pulse modulation driving signal in which on and off time intervals are repeated periodically, to drive the optical intensity modulator 132, and a second signal generator 134 that generates a saw tooth wave driving signal having an amplitude equal to an integral multiple of a driving voltage needed to acquire a modulation phase of 2? of the optical phase modulator 131, and having a constant period, to drive the optical phase modulator 131.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ando, Eisuke Haraguchi, Jiro Suzuki, Shumpei Kameyama, Junya Nishioka
  • Patent number: 10234545
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides apparatus for providing light pulses comprising a light source electrically connected to a low inductance configuration of electrodes for electrically connecting the light source to a power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Avner Sander, Giora Yahav, Asaf Pellman, Shlomo Felzenshtein, Eli Larry, David Mandelboum
  • Patent number: 10234546
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system can emit light toward an environment and detect responsively reflected light to determine a distance to one or more points in the environment. The reflected light can be detected by a plurality of plurality of photodiodes that are reverse-biased using a high voltage. Signals from the plurality of reverse-biased photodiodes can be amplified by respective transistors and applied to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The signal from a particular photodiode can be applied to the ADC by biasing a respective transistor corresponding to the particular photodiode while not biasing transistors corresponding to other photodiodes. The gain of each photodiode/transistor pair can be controlled by adjusting the bias voltage applied to each photodiode using a digital-to-analog converter. The gain of each photodiode/transistor pair can be controlled based on the detected temperature of each photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Pierre-yves Droz, Samuel William Lenius
  • Patent number: 10234547
    Abstract: A sensor comprises a detector defining a zone axis and adapted to receive a signal from within a zone around the zone axis and to generate an electrical signal, and a display module defining a display plane and adapted to display a pattern in the display plane based on the electrical signal, the display being oriented along an axis forming an angle with the zone axis such that the pattern is visible both from a direction parallel to the zone axis and from a direction perpendicular to the zone axis. In certain examples, the angle is about 45°, 40°-50°, 35°-55° or 25°-65°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: BANNER ENGINEERING CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Alyn Stecker, Matthew Alexander Payne
  • Patent number: 10234548
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an ultrasonic detection device and detection method thereof. The ultrasonic detection device includes a processor and a transceiver module, whereby the transceiver module may be operated to enter an additional reception mode and receive a first ambient echo. The processor may analyze the first ambient echo and generate an analysis result. When the generated analysis result shows that the first ambient echo has a signal characteristic indicative of an interference source in the environment, the transceiver module may again enter the additional reception mode before a detection operation is performed. As a result, an elimination mode may be performed to correctly obtain or distinguish the corresponding reflected wave of the detection operation, thereby avoiding an error of operation, such as distance detection, due to the presence of an interference source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS SOLUTIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Chen-Yi Hsu, Chien-Wen Lai
  • Patent number: 10234549
    Abstract: In one form, an acoustic signal is generated for an acoustic transducer, where the acoustic transducer transmits the acoustic signal to determine a first position of an obstacle. In response to the acoustic signal encountering the obstacle within a predetermined distance, an echo, or pulse, is detected at the acoustic transducer. At a first time, a magnitude is detected in response to a rising edge of the pulse intersecting a determined threshold. A second magnitude is detected in response to the detection of a first peak of the pulse. A time of flight of the acoustic signal, within the predetermined distance, is determined when a compensation time is extracted from a correction calculation algorithm in response to detecting the first magnitude and the second magnitude. The compensation time is subtracted from the first time, and the difference of the compensation time and the first time is the time of flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Tomas Suchy, Marek Hustava
  • Patent number: 10234550
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for estimating a distance. The system includes a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) reader. The system further includes an RFID tag. The system also includes measurement equipment for measuring a plurality of phase differences at different frequencies between transmitted Radio Frequency (RF) signals from the RFID reader and corresponding received RF signals at the RFID tag. The system additionally includes a processor. The processor is configured to calculate normalized phases from the plurality of phase differences. The processor is further configured to calculate corrected phases by resolving one or more ambiguities from the normalized phases. The processor is also configured to obtain a characteristic curve using the corrected phases. The processor is additionally configured to provide an estimate of the distance based on the characteristic curve and the corrected phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Mohammad Khojastepour, Mustafa Arslan
  • Patent number: 10234551
    Abstract: A method and system for managing data from an aircraft radio-altimeter. The data management system includes a monitoring unit for checking, automatically and repetitively, when the radio-altimeter is outside of its operational range, from data generated by the radio-altimeter for a predetermined duration, whether the trend of the data corresponds to an aircraft approaching the ground, and a data transmission unit configured to automatically transmit the data generated by the radio-altimeter to a user system, only if the monitoring unit considers that the trend of the data corresponds to an aircraft approaching the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (S.A.S.)
    Inventor: Nicolas Marconnet
  • Patent number: 10234552
    Abstract: A new method for FWI of common-offset GPR data, particularly targeting the dimensions and infilling material of buried pipes. The method is useful in situation where clear isolated diffraction hyperbolas indicate the presence of a pipe, but pipe dimensions and filling may be unknown. The invention is a method of taking GPR data and applying advanced numerical methods to get the depth and size of an underground pipe in a very accurate manner. An embodiment of the method consists of five main steps: GPR data processing, ray-based analysis to set a good initial model, 3D to 2D transformation of data, effective SW estimation, and FWI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: University of South Florida
    Inventors: Sajad Jazayeri, Sarah Kruse
  • Patent number: 10234553
    Abstract: A method for processing a sequence of images is provided. The method receives a sequence of images. Each image includes a plurality of pixels. The pixels include radial velocity information. The method compresses the sequence of images based on the radial velocity information. The method stores the compressed sequence of images in a storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Inna Stainvas Olshansky, Igal Bilik, Oded Bialer
  • Patent number: 10234554
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein simplify the recognition of objects in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. This may be achieved by processing the image in order to make the shadow caused by the object appear more similar to the object. Alternatively, this may be achieved by processing the image in order to make the layover caused by the object appear more similar to the object. Manipulation of the shadow caused by the object and the layover caused by the object may comprise altering the aspect ratio of the image, and in the case of manipulating the shadow caused by the image, may further comprise transforming the image by reflection or rotation. The aspect ratio of the image may be altered based on information about the image collection geometry, obtained by the SAR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: THALES HOLDINGS UK PLC
    Inventor: Malcolm Stevens
  • Patent number: 10234556
    Abstract: In a wind profiler, the number of acquisition ranges is expanded up to heights where noise is introduced into a received signal, even in the case where noise due to transmit/receive switching is introduced. A signal processing device in a wind profiler emits an electromagnetic wave pulse into a space, switches from transmitting to receiving, receives an electromagnetic wave reflected from a target to be observed, and measures wind speed from a Doppler frequency of the received electromagnetic wave, and includes an unnecessary data determiner that detects a noise section in which switching noise occurs due to the switching between transmitting and receiving, and an unnecessary data eraser that converts a received signal in the noise section to substantially insignificant data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoya Matsuda, Taiji Harada, Takao Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10234557
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus of an embodiment includes processing circuitry and control circuitry. The processing circuitry acquires a plurality of IQ signals obtained by performing a plurality of processing with different conditions on reflected wave signals generated at a transducer element included in an ultrasound probe. The processing circuitry generates a compound signal compounded by non-linear processing of the IQ signals. The control circuitry causes a display to display image data based on the compound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Honjo, Yasuhiko Abe, Tetsuya Kawagishi, Akihiro Kakee, Takeshi Sato, Makoto Hirama
  • Patent number: 10234558
    Abstract: A moving object detection device using an ultrasonic sensor, a method thereof, and a warning system using the same is provided. The moving object detection device includes: an ultrasonic sensor configured to receive a plurality of reflected signals per period; and a detector configured to divide a sensing distance of the ultrasonic sensor into a plurality of regions, detect a region of the plurality of regions as a region of interest (ROI) when an intensity of a reflected signal of the plurality of reflected signals exceeds a predetermined threshold in a region of the plurality of regions, and detect a moving object based on changes in the ROI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, KIA Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Bo-Hyeon Kim, In Young Choi
  • Patent number: 10234559
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting sea mines is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pulsed laser, a collection optics, a long-pass beam splitter, a short-pass beam splitter, a Laser Imaging, Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) channel imager, a Raman channel imager and a florescence channel imager. After the pulsed laser has sent a laser pulse to an ocean surface, the collection optics collects Rayleigh, Raman and florescence scattering return signals reflected from the ocean surface as a result of the laser pulse laser striking the ocean surface and any objects therein. The long-band beam splitter directs the Rayleigh scattering return signals to the LIDAR channel imager. The short-band beam splitter directs the Raman return signals to the Raman channel imager, and directs the florescence return signals to the florescence channel imager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Anupam K. Misra, Andrew N. Acker, Shiv K. Sharma
  • Patent number: 10234560
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing distance information of a scene with a time-of-flight camera, comprising the steps of emitting a modulated light pulse towards the scene, receiving reflections of the modulated light pulse from the scene, evaluating a time-of-flight information for the received reflections of the modulated light pulse, and deriving distance information from the time-of-flight information for the received reflections, whereby a spread spectrum signal is applied to a base frequency of the modulation of the light pulse, and the time-of-flight information is evaluated under consideration of the a spread spectrum signal applied to the base frequency of the modulation of the light pulse. The invention further relates to a time-of-flight camera for providing distance information from a scene, whereby the time-of-flight camera performs the above method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Depthsensing Solutions SA/NV
    Inventors: Ward Van Der Tempel, Riemer Grootjans
  • Patent number: 10234561
    Abstract: A method for facilitating removal of specular reflection noise from light data can include illuminating, using an illumination unit, a target with a light source. The illumination unit is configured to project light with a spatial light pattern onto the target. The method can also include acquiring, with a sensor unit, light data that is reflected from the target. The light data may comprise a directly reflected spatial light pattern and a specular reflected spatial light pattern. The directly reflected spatial light pattern and the specular reflected spatial light pattern comprise at least one spatial distinction that distinguishes the directly reflected spatial light pattern from the specular reflected spatial light pattern. The method can further comprise processing the light data to distinguish the directly reflected spatial light pattern from the specular reflected spatial light pattern based upon the at least one spatial distinction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: John Peter Godbaz, Cyrus S. Bamji, Mirko Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10234562
    Abstract: A method and system for delivery of location-dependent time-specific corrections. In one embodiment, a first extended-lifetime correction for a first region is generated. A distribution timetable is used to determine a first time interval for transmitting the first extended-lifetime correction to the first region. The first extended-lifetime correction is then transmitted via a wireless communication network to said first region in accordance with said distribution timetable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Trimble Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Janky, Ulrich Vollath, Nicholas C. Talbot
  • Patent number: 10234563
    Abstract: A portable device is configured to display disaster and safety information and a method is configured to control the portable device to display the disaster and safety information. The portable device includes a global positioning system (GPS) module for receiving position information of the portable device and an information receiving module for receiving the disaster and safety information. A sensor module of the portable device detects an inclination of the portable device and the processor module of the portable device visualizes the disaster and safety information in a first person view or a third person view according to the sensed inclination. A display module of the portable device displays the disaster and safety information based on weather prediction information and/or forest fire damage prediction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION
    Inventors: Minsu Joh, Jooneun An, Taejin Ha
  • Patent number: 10234564
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device and method for determining the direction of a false Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite signal transmitter. False GNSS satellite signals can be used malevolently to take control of a rigid body such as a vehicle or ship that is using GNSS satellite signals for navigation. The GNSS device according to the invention computes a plurality of range differences, where each range difference is the difference between a range from a first GNSS satellite to a first GNSS antenna, and the range from the first GNSs satellite to a second GNSS antenna. Each of the plurality of range differences is correlated to a rotation angle of a baseline vector extending from the first GNSS antenna to the second GNSS antenna. The rotation angles and their corresponding range differences can be used to indicate the direction of the false GNSS satellite signal transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Hemisphere GNSS Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Whitehead