With Photodetection Patents (Class 356/4.01)
  • Patent number: 11175381
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicle maintenance and device calibration, and discloses a vehicle-mounted radar calibration device and method. The vehicle-mounted radar calibration device includes a bracket apparatus and a radar calibration component. The radar calibration component is configured to be installed on the bracket apparatus and includes a base board. After calibration on the vertical plane of the base board is completed, the radar calibration component is configured to reflect a radar wave, emitted by a vehicle-mounted radar of a to-be-calibrated vehicle, to the vehicle-mounted radar, to calibrate the vehicle-mounted radar. In the present invention, after the vertical plane of the base board is calibrated, the radar calibration component is used to reflect the radar wave emitted by the vehicle-mounted radar to the vehicle-mounted radar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: AUTEL INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CORP., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaolong Wang, Longxue Qiu, Jin Chen, Xinguang Tang
  • Patent number: 11169640
    Abstract: Provided are an electronic device and an operation method thereof according to embodiments. The electronic device according to an embodiment includes an optical module configured to radiate light to an object and to detect a distance to the object from the electronic device by using light reflected from the object. The electronic device further includes a processor configured to determine touch information and/or gesture information of the object based on information about the detected distance to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: COREDAR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tak Geon Lee
  • Patent number: 11164273
    Abstract: A delivery method operates in a system with at least one server, at least one robot, and at least one delivery terminal. The method includes communicating a request for at least one delivery from the at least one delivery terminal to the at least one server and/or to the at least one robot; providing instructions from the at least one server to the at least one robot about the at least one delivery, the instructions comprising information about a final delivery location; loading the at least one robot with the at least one delivery to be transported; transporting the at least one delivery in the at least one robot to the final delivery location; and providing access to the at least one delivery in the at least one robot, preferably upon arrival at the delivery location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: STARSHIP TECHNOLOGIES OÜ
    Inventors: Ahti Heinla, Allan Martinson, Kalle-Rasmus Volkov, Andrew Macks, Lindsay Roberts, Indrek Mandre, Märt Liivik, Tiit Liivik, Ivo Liivik
  • Patent number: 11156716
    Abstract: A laser radar includes: a laser, an optical transmission system, a 1-dimensional array of photo-detectors, an optical reception system, and an electronic control system. The laser emits a wavelength of light, and the optical transmission system shapes the light into a beam, and scans the beam along a fan of transmission light paths toward a target. The photo-detectors are capable of time-of-arrival measurements and are sensitive to the wavelength of light. The optical reception system collects the laser light reflected from the target along a fan of reception light paths. The electronic control system synchronizes the scan of the beam with a respective time-of-arrival measurement from each of the photo-detectors, and analyzes the time-of-arrival measurements. The system is configured for all of the transmission light paths and all of the reception light paths to lie in one plane, with all of the reception light paths intersecting with at least one of the transmission light paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: RED CREAMERY LLC
    Inventor: Dmitriy Yavid
  • Patent number: 11155364
    Abstract: Systems and methods for aircraft flight control rigging are described. An example system includes a first set of laser rangefinders to measure, for each laser rangefinder of the first set, a distance from the laser rangefinder to a respective target location on a fixed surface of an aircraft, and a second set of laser rangefinders to measure, for each laser rangefinder of the second set, a distance to a respective target location on a control surface of the aircraft. The example system also includes a processor to (i) receive signals indicative of the distance measured by each rangefinder and (ii) generate a first plot line graphic of the measured distances of each of the rangefinders of the first set to its respective target location and a second plot line graphic of the measured distances of each of the laser rangefinders of the second set to its respective target location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Scott Charles Farner, Joseph Edward Dale Sharp, Randall Wade Dickson
  • Patent number: 11143505
    Abstract: A surveying instrument comprises a first measuring component having a control module and a second measuring component, wherein the control module acquires point cloud data of a whole circumference in a room with the use of the second measuring component in accordance with each installation point, makes the first measuring component to measure a predetermined position in the room, prepares outer shape data of a same height and a same shape in accordance with each installation point based on a measurement result of the first measuring component or the second measuring component, performs a shape matching of each outer shape data, and registers each point cloud data based on a movement amount and a rotation amount at the time of performing the shape matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: TOPCON Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Ken-ichiro Yoshino
  • Patent number: 11145051
    Abstract: The present approach relates to the use of a point cloud of an object to initialize or seed a space carving technique used to generate a 3D model of the object. In one implementation, feature matching is performed on 2D images, with matched features constituting the points of a point cloud model. The point cloud generated in this manner, is one input of a foreground/background segmentation algorithm, which generates a set of segmented 2D images used by a space carving routine to generate a 3D model of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Eric Michael Gros, Junli Ping, Arpit Jain, Ming-Ching Chang, Peter Henry Tu
  • Patent number: 11143749
    Abstract: An object detection system is for object detection within a field of view. A light source provides detection illumination to the field of view and a sensor senses reflected light from the field of view. Time of flight analysis is used to provide distance or presence information for objects within the field of view. The controller is adapted to derive a signal quality parameter relating to the distance or presence information and to control the light source intensity in dependence on the signal quality parameter. In this way, energy savings are made possible by adapting the detection system settings to the scene being observed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Harry Broers, Ruben Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 11127150
    Abstract: A multiple target tracker and beam steerer utilizes a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-mirror array to illuminate multiple tracked targets per frame one target at a time for designation, range finding or active imaging. The steering rate and range afforded by the MEMS micro-mirror array supports various tracker configurations (out-of-band, in-band or dual-band video cameras), LADAR detectors (single pixel or pixelated) and prioritization of tracked targets to vary the revisit rate or dwell time for an illuminated target. A user interface accepts commands from an operator to select the targeting mode, control cue-box size and position within the FOV and target selection. The MEMS micro-mirror array may be used to reflect beams and/or optical signals, in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Gerald P. Uyeno, Sean D. Keller, John R. Becker
  • Patent number: 11125864
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a multi-beam LiDAR system. The multi-beam LiDAR system includes a transmitter having an array of laser emitters. Each laser emitter is configured to emit a laser beam. The multi-beam LiDAR system also includes a receiver having an array of photodetectors. Each photodetector is configured to receive at least one return beam that is reflected by an object from one of the laser beams. The laser emitter array includes a plurality of laser emitter boards perpendicular to a horizontal plane. Each laser emitter board has a plurality of laser emitters. The plurality of laser emitters in the laser emitter array are staggered along a vertical direction. The photodetector array includes a plurality of columns of photodetectors. One of the laser emitter boards corresponds to one column of photodetectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: SUTENG INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chunxin Qiu, Letian Liu
  • Patent number: 11126140
    Abstract: An electronic device including a display, a sensor, and a processor. The processor is configured to, based on an interaction mode which is operated according to a user interaction being initiated, control the sensor to detect a position of a user, control the display to display a graphic object at a position corresponding to the detected position, and change, based on the user interaction being input in the interaction mode, the graphic object and control the display to provide feedback regarding the user interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-youl Eom, Young-ho Kim, Dan Nah, Deung-hyeon Jeong, Ji-yeon Han
  • Patent number: 11120691
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to providing a warning from a subject vehicle to surrounding objects about a collision hazard. In one embodiment, a method includes identifying the surrounding objects of a subject vehicle according to sensor data about a surrounding environment of the subject vehicle. The method includes determining a collision probability indicating a likelihood of collision between a first object and a second object of the surrounding objects. The method includes, in response to the collision probability satisfying a collision threshold, communicating, by the subject vehicle, an alert to at least one of the surrounding objects about the collision hazard associated with the surrounding objects colliding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Takaki, Ting-Yu Lai, Bo Sun
  • Patent number: 11120621
    Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, and non-transitory media of the various embodiments enable for updating a point cloud, such as a two-and-a-half-dimensional (2.5D) point cloud. Various embodiments include receiving two point clouds, such as a base point cloud of a terrain area and a new point cloud of the terrain area, and fusing the received two point clouds to generate an up-to-date point cloud, such as an up-to-date point cloud model of the terrain. Various embodiments may be especially useful in generating models of terrain areas, such as construction sites, earthwork projects, shorelines, etc., surveyed by surveying technologies, such as drone-based aerial photogrammetry systems, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: CESIUM GS, INC
    Inventors: Sean Lilley, Kangning Li
  • Patent number: 11112491
    Abstract: A light ranging and detection system achieving reconfigurable very wide field of view, high sampling of spatial points per second with high optical power handling by using architecture to efficiently combine different wavelengths, time and frequency coding, and spatial selectivity. The transmitter is capable of generating multiple narrow beams, encoding different beams and transmitting in different spatial directions. The receiver can differentiate and extract range and reflectivity information of reflected beams. Three dimensional imaging of the environment is achieved by scanning the field of view of the transmitter. Control and signal processing electronic circuitries fabricated in a chip are packaged together with a chip containing the photonic components of the ranging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: ROCKLEY PHOTONICS LIMITED
    Inventors: Hooman Abediasl, Andrew George Rickman
  • Patent number: 11105901
    Abstract: Provided is a surveying instrument comprises a total station, a mounting base which is fixed on an upper surface of the total station at three points, and a two-dimensional laser scanner which is fixed on an upper surface of the mounting base at three points, wherein the total station is configured to perform a three-dimensional measurement of a measuring point by a first distance measuring light, wherein the two-dimensional laser scanner is configured to acquire point cloud data along a scanning line by a second distance measuring light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: TOPCON Corporation
    Inventors: Naoto Takahashi, Yasushi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11103320
    Abstract: An improved device for regenerating an infrared signal transmitted over the air for use in detecting a 3-dimensional position of an object. The regeneration device includes an infrared signal transmitter and detector that receives from the object a responsive infrared signal in response to the infrared signal transmitted by the transmitter. A low pass filter receives the responsive infrared signal from the detector and outputs a low-pass filtered signal. A comparator compares the output of the infrared signal detector and output of the low pass filter and generates an output representing a logic state based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. LeBoeuf, II, Zachary Olenio, James Yau, Neil R. Crawford
  • Patent number: 11099569
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining object prioritization and predicting future object locations for an autonomous vehicle are provided. A method can include obtaining, by a computing system comprising one or more processors, state data descriptive of at least a current or past state of a plurality of objects that are perceived by an autonomous vehicle. The method can further include determining, by the computing system, a priority classification for each object in the plurality of objects based at least in part on the respective state data for each object. The method can further include determining, by the computing system, an order at which the computing system determines a predicted future state for each object based at least in part on the priority classification for each object and determining, by the computing system, the predicted future state for each object based at least in part on the determined order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Galen Clark Haynes
  • Patent number: 11091132
    Abstract: A method and controller are provided for delaying activation of autonomous emergency braking of a host vehicle, based on a determination that autonomous emergency braking is not needed because a forward vehicle in front of the host vehicle is turning out of the path of the host vehicle. The controller receives inputs from sensors arranged on the host vehicle and includes a processor for determining whether and when to activate autonomous emergency braking. The processor includes control logic that determines whether a forward vehicle is present in front of the host vehicle and whether the forward vehicle is expected to turn out of a path of the host vehicle prior to the host vehicle reaching a current position of the forward vehicle. Based on the inputs from the sensors, the control logic determines whether to delay activation of the autonomous emergency braking of the host vehicle for a time value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew L. Kennedy, Jeffrey M. Carbaugh, Nicholas A. Broyles
  • Patent number: 11086017
    Abstract: A LIDAR system that may include a transmitter and a receiver. The LIDAR system may include a transmitter and a receiver that may include an array of neuromorphic pixels and multiple accumulators. Each neuromorphic pixel may include multiple subpixels, an analog adder and a comparator; wherein for each reception period the analog adder is configured to generate an analog adder signal by adding detection signals from subpixels that are expected to receive at least one received light pulse during the reception period; wherein for each reception period the analog adder signal is indifferent to subpixels that are not expected to receive any received light pulses during the reception period; and wherein the comparator is configured to provide pixel output signals by comparing the analog adder signal to a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Analog Value Ltd.
    Inventors: Vladimir Koifman, Tiberiu Galambos, Anatoli Mordakhay
  • Patent number: 11079546
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a transceiver and one or more optics. The transceiver is configured to transmit a transmit signal from a laser source in a transmission mode and to receive a return signal reflected by an object in a receive mode. The one or more optics are configured to spatially separate the transmission mode and the receive mode by optically changing a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: BLACKMORE SENSORS & ANALYTICS, LLC.
    Inventors: Evan Rogers, Ryan Galloway, Zeb Barber, Sean Spillane
  • Patent number: 11079479
    Abstract: Measuring device (1) suited to measure the distance (d) of a reference object (O), configured so that it performs a plurality of measuring operations (Ai) in succession and comprising emission means (2) suited to emit a light radiation (R), receiving means (3) comprising a sensitive area (31) which is sensitive to the light radiation (R) and which is provided with a number M of sensitive units (4), each one of the sensitive units (4) being configured to generate an electrical signal (S), a first processing unit (5) comprising Ne processing elements (6), each one of said Ne processing elements (6) being configured to receive the electrical signal (S) for determining the time of impact (t) of a photon (F) on the sensitive units (4) and for calculating the value of said distance (d).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLER
    Inventors: Daniele Perenzoni, David Stoppa, Leonardo Gasparini, Matteo Perenzoni, Nicola Massari, Ulrich Zwölfer, Kai Waslowski, Alexander Bohli, Michael Albert, Friedhelm Wiethege
  • Patent number: 11073597
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle image system supported by a vehicle is provided. The method includes receiving data from one or more sensors supported by the vehicle. The one or more sensors capture sensor data of objects in the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The method also includes receiving a storage indication from a user input device. The storage indication is indicative of storing the data from the one or more sensors in the non-transitory memory. The method also includes storing the data after receiving the storage indication and transmitting a command to one or more remote devices causing the one or more remote devices to generate a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional object based on the received data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Goran Vuletici
  • Patent number: 11067693
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to calibrating a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor with a camera sensor. In one embodiment, a method includes controlling i) the LiDAR sensor to acquire point cloud data, and ii) the camera sensor to acquire an image. The point cloud data and the image at least partially overlap in relation to a field of view of a surrounding environment. The method includes projecting the point cloud data into the image to form a combined image. The method includes adjusting sensor parameters of the LiDAR sensor and the camera sensor according to the combined image to calibrate the LiDAR sensor and the camera sensor together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Walls, Ryan W. Wolcott
  • Patent number: 11061140
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe wavelength division multiplexed LiDAR systems, methods, and structures that advantageously provide a wide field of view without employing lasers having a large tuning range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Analog Photonics LLC
    Inventors: Ehsan Hosseini, Michael Watts, Christopher Poulton, Diedrik Vermeulen
  • Patent number: 11060861
    Abstract: A method of measuring an uneven shape on a three-dimensional curved surface for measuring an uneven shape present on a three-dimensional curved surface of a measurement object and finer than the three-dimensional curved surface, the method comprising: a surface shape data acquiring step of acquiring three-dimensional surface shape data representative of a surface shape of the measurement object; a dividing step of extracting data of a divided portion representative of a surface contour shape of the divided portion from the three-dimensional surface shape data, for each of the divided portions acquired by dividing a surface of the measurement object in a certain dividing direction at regular intervals by a multiplicity of straight lines orthogonal to the dividing direction; a curve equation setting step of obtaining a curve equation approximating the entire area of the surface contour shape represented by the data of the divided portion for each of the divided portions; a difference calculation step of calcula
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Ueki
  • Patent number: 11056209
    Abstract: A track-and-hold circuit with a high sampling rate and reduced power consumption is provided. A track-and-hold circuit performing switching between a track mode in which a data signal that is equivalent to an input data signal is output and a hold mode in which a data signal which is input at a time of switching from the track mode to the hold mode is held and output, by using a clock signal, such that only the data signal in the hold mode is output, the track-and-hold circuit including: two sampling circuits configured to be connected in parallel to an input of the data signal and receive an in-phase data signal; a clock circuit configured to input a clock signal, which has a phase opposite to a phase of a clock signal input to one of the two sampling circuits, to the other of the two sampling circuits; and a multiplexer circuit configured to select and output a data output of either one of the two sampling circuits that is in the hold mode, by using the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Katsurai, Naoki Miura, Hiroyuki Fukuyama, Hideyuki Nosaka
  • Patent number: 11054303
    Abstract: Disclosed are improved distributed optical fiber sensing systems, methods, and structures employing disparate point sensors that utilize uni-directional signal transmission via the distributed optical fiber such that a separate communications network for the disparate point sensors is not required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventors: Junqiang Hu, Ting Wang
  • Patent number: 11053023
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for guiding a pilot of an approaching aircraft to a stop position at a stand, said method being characterized by: monitoring a position of the approaching aircraft within a volume at the stand, comparing said monitored position with a first area, said first area enclosing the stop position, comparing said monitored position with a subsection of the first area enclosing the stop position, if said monitored position is inside said subsection: transmitting information to a display to show an indication to the pilot to proceed approaching the stand, and if said monitored position is inside the first area but not inside said subsection: transmitting information to the display to show an indication to the pilot to stop the aircraft. The disclosure further relates to an aircraft docking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: ADB SAFEGATE SWEDEN AB
    Inventor: Anders Berkmo
  • Patent number: 11047981
    Abstract: There is provided a distance measurement device that can successfully take in reflected light from a distance measurement area, and at the same time, can achieve compactness of the distance measurement device. The distance measurement device includes a fixed part, a rotating part that is rotatably disposed on the fixed part, a laser light source that is disposed in the fixed part, and a photodetector that is disposed in the fixed part. The distance measurement device further includes a beam splitter that is disposed in the fixed part and separates an optical path of projection light emitted from the laser light source from an optical path of reflected light reflected by a distance measurement area and an imaging lens that is disposed in a common optical path of projection light and reflected light and is used for taking in reflected light reflected by the distance measurement area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Haruguchi, Toshihiro Koga, Masaharu Fukakusa
  • Patent number: 11048964
    Abstract: A survey data processing device includes a point cloud data receiving unit, a vertically cut section generating unit, and a vertical position adjusting unit. The point cloud data receiving unit receives first point cloud data and second point cloud data that are respectively obtained at a first instrument point and a second instrument point. The vertically cut section generating unit cuts the first point cloud data and the second point cloud data at a vertical plane containing the first instrument point and the second instrument point to obtain a vertically cut section of each of the first point cloud data and the second point cloud data. The vertical position adjusting unit matches vertical positions of the vertically cut sections of the first point cloud data and the second point cloud data as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the vertical plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Sasaki, George Kelly Cone, Junki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11040659
    Abstract: A method displays information graphically on an image captured by a vehicular optical system. The method includes capturing the image and identifying an object in the image. The method the assigns a priority level to the object based on a predetermined criterion. The object is altered based on its priority level to create an altered object. An altered object may have a changed color, a colored halo surrounding it, or a colored object inside it. Other possible ways to alter the way the object looks are possible. The altered object is displayed in the image in place of the object on a mobile device to alert a person of its presence and the priority level associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Andreas Herrmann, Martin Schwalb, Frank Linsenmaier, Oliver Eder, Ilka Rötzer, Thomas Jochmann, Firas Mualla
  • Patent number: 11041694
    Abstract: A method of creating a rifle and scope assembly, that begins with selecting and providing a rifle having a caliber and barrel length and providing a selection of rifle scopes, wherein each one is matched to a caliber and barrel length. Then, a rifle scope that matches the caliber and barrel length of the rifle is selected from the selection of rifle scopes. The rifle scope is attached to the rifle. Then, a cartridge type is selected to be used in the rifle. A range to zero the rifle scope is selected, based on caliber, barrel length and cartridge type. The final step is zeroing the rifle scope to the selected range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Inventor: Darrell Holland
  • Patent number: 11041957
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving observations of a surrounding environment using a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device in the presence of highly reflective surfaces. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to determining that a first point cloud includes an observation of an obscuring object that is highly reflective: i) emitting a scanning light beam at a scanning intensity that is different from an initial intensity of an initial light beam used to acquire the first point cloud, and ii) dynamically controlling the LiDAR device to acquire a second point cloud that omits the obscuring object. The method includes generating a composite point cloud from the first point cloud and the second point cloud that improves an observation of the surrounding environment using the LiDAR device by mitigating interference from the obscuring object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuo Uehara
  • Patent number: 11035935
    Abstract: Optoelectronic surveying device for distance and/or position determination comprising a radiation source for generating optical measurement radiation of a first wavelength, wherein the measurement radiation is emitted in an oriented manner into free space. The radiation source is designed such that the first wavelength is in the range between 1210 nm and 1400 nm and the power of the emitted measurement radiation is at least 14 mW in the chronological and spatial average.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventor: Jürg Hinderling
  • Patent number: 11035936
    Abstract: A deflecting device and a surveying instrument for deflecting an optical axis two-dimensionally comprising a ring-shaped holding member; ring gears disposed on both sides of the holding member with the holding member interposed between the ring gears and concentric with the holding member; rotary bearings disposed between the holding member and the ring gears on both sides of the holding member and concentric with the holding member; optical deflecting members disposed at central portions of the ring gears and integrated with the ring gears; deflection motors corresponding to the respective ring gears; a drive transmitting member configured to transmit rotary force of the deflection motors to the ring gears; and urging members configured to urge the ring gears in a direction parallel with rotation axes of the ring gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideyuki Matsumoto, Fumio Ohtomo
  • Patent number: 11029408
    Abstract: A distance-imaging system including an illuminating unit that projects a spatially non-uniform pattern of light spots onto objects present in real-world environment, first portion of said pattern having higher density of light spots than second portion of said pattern; at least one camera that captures image of reflections of the light spots from surfaces of the objects; and at least one optical element associated with said camera, wherein first optical portion of said optical element has higher magnification factor than second optical portion of said optical element, reflections of said first and second portions of spatially non-uniform pattern of light spots being differently magnified and/or de-magnified by said first and second optical portions, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Varjo Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Mikko Ollila, Oiva Arvo Oskari Sahlsten
  • Patent number: 11022691
    Abstract: A 3-D lidar sensor, in particular, for motor vehicles, includes a laser beam source, an optical receiver and a scanning system for deflecting a laser beam generated by the laser beam source in two scanning directions perpendicular to each other; to increase the functionality, a further detection device for deviations from normal operation being provided in the 3-D lidar sensor. In addition, a corresponding method for operating the 3-D lidar sensor is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Annette Frederiksen, Axel Buettner, Hans-Jochen Schwarz, Jan Sparbert, Joem Ostrinsky, Klaus Stoppel, Mustafa Kamil, Siegwart Bogatscher
  • Patent number: 11016193
    Abstract: Embodiments describe a solid state electronic scanning LIDAR system that includes a scanning focal plane transmitting element and a scanning focal plane receiving element whose operations are synchronized so that the firing sequence of an emitter array in the transmitting element corresponds to a capturing sequence of a photosensor array in the receiving element. During operation, the emitter array can sequentially fire one or more light emitters into a scene and the reflected light can be received by a corresponding set of one or more photosensors through an aperture layer positioned in front of the photosensors. Each light emitter can correspond with an aperture in the aperture layer, and each aperture can correspond to a photosensor in the receiving element such that each light emitter corresponds with a specific photosensor in the receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: OUSTER, INC.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Patent number: 11018637
    Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a receiver for a light detection and ranging system. The receiver includes a transimpedance amplifier that is operable in a linear mode for a range of power of light received by the receiver. The receiver can provide information about amplitude of the light outside of the range of power of the light for which the transimpedance amplifier operates in the linear mode. This information can be useful, for example, in identifying an object from which light received by the receiver was reflected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
    Inventor: Yalcin Alper Eken
  • Patent number: 11002514
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a viewing optic. In one embodiment, the viewing optic has a direction sensor to capture the direction of wind. In one embodiment, the viewing optic has a ranging system to determine the distance to a target. In one embodiment, the viewing optic has a processor with a ballistics program that can use the distance and the wind direction to determine a ballistics trajectory. Further, the disclosure relates to methods for capturing wind direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SHELTERED WINGS, INC.
    Inventors: David Hamilton, Richard E. Campbell, Scott Parks, Paul Neess
  • Patent number: 11001496
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor testing device, system and method are provided. The testing device includes a socket having a plurality of pads configured to receive a respective plurality of pins of the MEMS sensor, a body having a plurality of operable positions associated with a respective plurality of orientations of the MEMS sensor and circuitry which performs a method for testing the MEMS sensor in the plurality of operable positions. The method includes, for each position of the plurality of operable positions, outputting an indication of the position to the plurality of operable positions, receiving one or more measurements made by the MEMS sensor at the respective position and determining whether the one or more measurements satisfy a reliability criterion. The method includes generating a report based on the plurality of measurements and indicating whether the plurality of measurements satisfy a plurality of reliability criteria, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Federico Iaccarino, Andrea Labombarda, Fabio Tota, Stefano Bosco
  • Patent number: 10996319
    Abstract: A distance measuring system and a controlling method of the system can reduce power consumption of a distance measuring apparatus acquiring an image including distance information. For example, the distance measuring system includes a distance measuring apparatus acquiring distance information concerning an image capturing target, a calculating unit estimating an estrangement period in which the image capturing target cannot be recognized in an image, based on the distance information, and a controlling unit setting the distance measuring apparatus to a power saving mode of controlling an acquiring frequency of the image according to the estrangement period when the estrangement period is a first threshold value or more, and setting the distance measuring apparatus to a normal mode of controlling the acquiring frequency of the image independently from the estrangement period when the estrangement period is less than the first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 10983198
    Abstract: An objective sensor, a dirt determination method thereof, and an object detection device according to the present invention, individually transmit transmission waves in a plurality of mutually different directions and receive the respective reflected wave thereof, through a protective member, so as to measure, with the plurality of directions as a plurality of measurement points, a transmission and reception time and the intensity of the reflected wave for each of the plurality of measurement points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Junichi Fujita
  • Patent number: 10976135
    Abstract: A rifle and rifle scope assembly, including a rifle and a rifle scope housing, attached to the rifle, the housing defining an eyepiece. An optical train is supported in the housing and includes a reticle lens. The reticle is arranged so that when a user looks through the eyepiece, the reticle lens presents a display having a set of vertical bars of different heights, wherein the height of each vertical bar corresponds to the vertical space on the reticle of a target of a known height and at a first known range. Further, a numeral adjacent to each vertical bar, provides the height in units of length, of a target that will appear as being the same height as the vertical bar, when viewed through the scope, if the target is at the known distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Inventor: Darrell Holland
  • Patent number: 10976437
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes one or more wheels positioned at a bottom side of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a first light detection and ranging device (LIDAR) positioned at a top side of the vehicle opposite to the bottom side. The first LIDAR is configured to scan an environment around the vehicle based on rotation of the first LIDAR about an axis. The first LIDAR has a first resolution. The vehicle also includes a second LIDAR configured to scan a field-of-view of the environment that extends away from the vehicle along a viewing direction of the second LIDAR. The second LIDAR has a second resolution. The vehicle also includes a controller configured to operate the vehicle based on the scans of the environment by the first LIDAR and the second LIDAR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Gaetan Pennecot, Zachary Morriss, Samuel Lenius, Dorel Ionut Iordache, Daniel Gruver, Pierre-Yves Droz, Luke Wachter, Drew Ulrich, William Mccann, Rahim Pardhan, Bernard Fidric, Anthony Levandowski, Peter Avram
  • Patent number: 10976416
    Abstract: A beam scanning apparatus capable of adjusting a refraction angle of transmitted light and scanning a beam to a desired location is provided. In addition, an optical apparatus capable of sensing light reflected from an external object and extracting information about the external object is provided. The beam scanning apparatus includes a rotary meta lens having a plurality of meta areas in which a plurality of fine phase shift elements are arranged, and a rotation drive device that rotates the rotary meta lens. The plurality of meta areas are configured to direct transmitted light to different locations in a scanning area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junghyun Park, Byunggil Jeong, Byounglyong Choi
  • Patent number: 10976436
    Abstract: An obstacle detection device includes an ultrasonic sensor, an obstacle detector to determine presence of an obstacle of interest if an intensity of a received ultrasonic wave exceeds a threshold value, and a threshold value setter to set a short-distance detection threshold value as the threshold value for the obstacle detection in a short-distance detection area in a vicinity of the ultrasonic sensor and to set a long-distance threshold value as the threshold value for the obstacle detection in a long-distance detection area located farther from the ultrasonic sensor than the short-distance detection area, the long-distance threshold value being less than the short-distance detection threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Shinkai, Yushi Matsuzaki, Tomoya Omura, Tomofumi Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 10969477
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for receiving a pulsed signal emitted by an emitter (2,20) in an optoelectronic sensor (1), the sensor including at least an emitter (2,20) for emitting electromagnetic radiation and a receiver (3, 30) for receiving electromagnetic radiation and wherein the electromagnetic radiation received is converted into an electric signal, said method including the steps of: o arranging said emitter to emit a pulsed electromagnetic radiation; o before the emission of a pulse, receiving an electromagnetic radiation received through said receiver (3, 30) by generating a noise signal (sr,S1,S2); o comparing an amplitude of said received noise signal (sr,S1) with a first threshold (Vthreshold); and o emitting said pulse if the amplitude of said received noise signal is below said first threshold, and not emitting said pulse otherwise. The invention also relates to an optoelectronic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Datalogic IP Tech S.R.L.
    Inventor: Paolo Tosato
  • Patent number: 10955529
    Abstract: A monostatic optical system adaptable for use as a circulator in a LiDAR system wherein the monostatic optical system includes a photonic integrated circuit and a first light detector. The photonic integrated circuit includes a nonlinear optical device. For example, the device may be a ring resonator or a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Transmitted light pulses are of sufficient power to alter the optical characteristics of the nonlinear optical device, whereas received reflected light is of low power thereby traveling on a different path to the first light detector. A feedback monitor and tuner may be included to tune the optical characteristics of the nonlinear optical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Spector, Michael G. Moebius
  • Patent number: 10948599
    Abstract: A method of laser distance measurement includes issuing a command from a single controller to a laser pulse emitter to emit a laser pulse. The method includes issuing a command from the single controller to a laser pulse detector to open for detection of a return of the laser pulse. The method includes detecting a return of the laser pulse, determining total time of travel for the laser pulse, and calculating a distance measurement based on the time of travel of the laser pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Scott W. Ramsey, Jonathan C. Jarok