Of Pulse Transit Time Patents (Class 356/5.01)
  • Patent number: 10969474
    Abstract: LIDAR measurements can be sparse in comparison to camera measurements. Hence, dynamically steering a LIDAR to regions of a field of view with more information (e.g. the detailed boundaries of objects) is beneficial. In one embodiment, a LIDAR system performs a non-uniform laser scan of a field of view based on sensor data. Data from an on-going or previous scan can be used to define dense scan regions within the field of view. The shape of dense scan regions can be iteratively improved (e.g. narrowed) based on localization of time-of-flight boundaries. Dense scan regions can be expressed in term of a set of laser steering parameters operable to dynamically steer a LIDAR. Within embodiments complex-shaped dense scan patterns can be selected or adapted based on an object classification (e.g. person or vehicle) or LIDAR location (e.g. an urban environment).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: James Thomas O'Keeffe
  • Patent number: 10969488
    Abstract: A lidar system includes a light source configured to emit a beam of light including a sequence of pulses, a scanner configured to scan, using the sequence of pulses, a field of regard of the lidar system along a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension in accordance with a first scan pattern; a receiver configured to detect light from at least some of the pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to generate an array of pixels, based on the sequence of pulses of the beam of light. The lidar system is further configured to modify the first scan pattern in view of a result of processing the generated array of pixels to generate a second scan pattern, and scan the field of regard using the sequence of pulses along the horizontal dimension and the vertical dimension in accordance with the second scan pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Luminar Holdco, LLC
    Inventor: Scott R. Campbell
  • Patent number: 10955552
    Abstract: Depth-sensing apparatus includes a laser, which is configured to emit pulses of optical radiation toward a scene. One or more detectors are configured to receive the optical radiation that is reflected from points in the scene and to output signals indicative of respective times of arrival of the received radiation. Control and processing circuitry is coupled to drive the laser to emit a succession of output sequences of the pulses with different, respective temporal spacings between the pulses within the output sequences in the succession, and to match the times of arrival of input sequences of the signals to the temporal spacings of the output sequences in order to find respective times of flight for the points in the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Nadav Fine, Oz Barak, Tal Kaitz
  • Patent number: 10955533
    Abstract: A simulation apparatus for a lidar light measurement system having a lidar light reception sensor (1), wherein a light transmitter (12) is present in the plane of the lidar light reception sensor (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: KONRAD GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Konrad
  • Patent number: 10948596
    Abstract: A time-of-flight camera includes a light generator that generates an emitted light wave, a light sensor that receives a reflected light wave that corresponds to the emitted light wave reflected from an object, and distance determination circuitry. The distance determination circuitry determines response signals based on the reflected light wave, calculates signs corresponding to differences between pairs of the response signals, determines a phase region based on the signs, and determines a distance between the time-of-flight camera and the object based on a ratio of the differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Ping Wah Wong
  • Patent number: 10948576
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of photodiode sensors spaced from one another and mounted to a reflective surface, a transparent layer spaced from and substantially parallel to the reflective surface, and a plurality of photodiode transmitters at least one of mounted to the reflective surface and disposed between the reflective surface and the transparent layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rodrigo Frieventh Cienfuegos, Oswaldo Perez Barrera, Hedy H. Morales Bolanos, David Franco Lopez Rubio
  • Patent number: 10942273
    Abstract: An optical phased array (OPA) includes, in part, a multitude of phase control elements disposed along N rows and M columns forming an N×M array. The phase control elements disposed along ith row are coupled to ith row signal line and phase control elements disposed along jth column are coupled to jth column signal line. The OPA further includes, in part, a row select block having N switches each configured to couple one of the N rows of the phase control elements to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in response to a row select signal. The OPA further includes, in part, a column select block having M switches each configured to couple one of the M rows of the phase control elements to a ground terminal in response to a column select signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Seyed Mohammadreza Fatemi, Aroutin Khachaturian, Behrooz Abiri, Seyed Ali Hajimiri
  • Patent number: 10942244
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods operable to provide point cloud information about an environment based on reconfigurable spatial light emission patterns and reconfigurable light detector arrangements that correspond to the light emission patterns. Additionally, a LIDAR device with a plurality of light emitters and photodetectors may be operated in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation. The first mode of operation could be a normal mode of operation. The second mode of operation could be a failsafe mode of operation that is used when a fault condition is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Pierre-Yves Droz
  • Patent number: 10928485
    Abstract: A LIDAR sensor assembly includes a laser light source to emit laser light, and a light sensor to produce a light signal in response to sensing reflections of the laser light emitted by the laser light source from a reference surface that is fixed in relation to the LIDAR sensor assembly. A controller of the LIDAR sensor assembly can process a plurality of samples of reflected light signals, process the samples to remove erroneous readings, and then provide accurate distance measurement. The system can use low-pass filters, or other components, to filter the plurality of samples to enable the “actual,” or primary, reflected light signal (i.e., light signal reflected off of a surface in an environment external to the sensor assembly, as opposed to extraneous, internal reflections off of lenses or other components or noise) to be identified and an accurate time of flight to be calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Panosense Inc.
    Inventors: Turhan Karadeniz, Subasingha Shaminda Subasingha, Ravi Sankar Mahankali, Denis Nikitin
  • Patent number: 10928487
    Abstract: Dynamically steering a LIDAR to regions of a field of view with more information (e.g. the detailed boundaries of objects) is beneficial. Within embodiments a time target to complete a LIDAR scan of a FOV can be combined with sensor data from the local environment to generate laser steering parameters operable to configure a LIDAR to dynamically steer a laser beam within the course of a laser ranging scan. In this way, laser steering parameters based in part on a target time for a scan can function to tailor the density of laser ranging measurements to ensure that important objects are densely scanned while completing the laser ranging scan within the target time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: James Thomas O'Keeffe
  • Patent number: 10924191
    Abstract: A communications apparatus includes an entangled-photon generator for generating entangled pairs of photons including a plurality of idler photons and a corresponding plurality of signal photons. The communications apparatus includes a quantum memory for storing the plurality of idler photons. The communications apparatus includes a transmitter for transmitting the plurality of signal photons. The communications apparatus includes an optical element for selectively reflecting the plurality of signal photons to encode a reflected signal. The communications apparatus includes a receiver for detecting a plurality of incoming photons. The communications apparatus includes a correlator configured to determine the reflected signal from the plurality of incoming photons. The correlator determines an entanglement correlation between the plurality of incoming photons with the plurality of idler photons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretory of the Navy
    Inventors: Tanner Crowder, Marco Lanzagorta
  • Patent number: 10908290
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical distance measuring method, comprising confirming an expression of a first measured distance according to a plurality of first parameters; computing a time-of-flight (ToF) measured distance according to a time of flight; computing optimized values of the plurality of first parameters and an optimized value of a ToF error corresponding to the ToF measured distance according to the expression of the first measured distance and the ToF measured distance; and obtaining a depth image information according to the ToF measured distance, the optimized values of the plurality of first parameters and the optimized value of the ToF error; wherein the plurality of first parameters comprises an elevation angle and an Azimuth angle corresponding to the object reflecting point and a distance between the light emitting module and the light sensing module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mengta Yang
  • Patent number: 10900639
    Abstract: A guide light irradiation device to irradiate guide light to indicate a direction to a survey operator, includes a plurality of irradiators configured to each irradiate guide light differing in pattern between the left and the right of an irradiation direction as a center, the plurality of irradiators are juxtaposed in the up-down direction, and are disposed so that irradiation directions of the respective irradiators match in the horizontal direction, and make a predetermined angle with each other in the vertical direction. Synthetic light of guide lights irradiated from the respective irradiators has brightness as a sum of brightnesses of light sources of the respective irradiators, and has a fan shape extending in the vertical direction. A distance from which light is visually recognized is long, and guide light is easily found even at a location with level differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinobu Sugiura
  • Patent number: 10895629
    Abstract: Broadband signal transmissions may be used for object detection and/or ranging. Broadband transmissions may comprise a pseudo-random bit sequence or a bit sequence produced using, a random process. The sequence may be used to modulate transmissions of a given wave type. Various types of waves may be utilized, pressure, light, and radio waves. Waves reflected by objects within the sensing volume may be sampled. The received signal may be convolved with a time-reversed copy of the transmitted random sequence to produce a correlogram. The correlogram may be analyzed to determine range to objects. The analysis may comprise determination of one or more peaks/troughs in the correlogram. Range to an object may be determines based on a time lag of a respective peak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Brain Corporation
    Inventor: Micah Richert
  • Patent number: 10884126
    Abstract: A light ranging system can include a laser device and an imaging device having photosensors. The laser device illuminates a scene with laser pulse radiation that reflects off of objects in the scene. The reflections can vary greatly depending on the reflecting surface shape and reflectivity. The signal measured by photosensors can be filtered with a number of matched filter designed according to profiles of different reflected signals. A best matched filter can be identified, and hence information about the reflecting surface and accurate ranging information can be obtained. The laser pulse radiation can be emitted in coded pulses by allowing weights to different detection intervals. Other enhancements include staggering laser pulses and changing an operational status of photodetectors of a pixel sensor, as well as efficient signal processing using a sensor chip that includes processing circuits and photosensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Marvin Shu, Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Patent number: 10877133
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor is provided for measuring the distance from an object in a monitored zone that has a light transmitter for transmitting individual light signals into the monitored zone; a light receiver having at least one avalanche photodiode operated in Geiger mode for receiving the individual light pulses reflected or remitted by the object; an individual time of flight measurement unit for determining an individual time of flight of an individual light pulse as a duration between a transmitted point in time of the respective individual light pulse and its received point in time at the avalanche photodiode; and an evaluation unit that is configured to determine a common measured value for the distance from a plurality of individual times of flight and to estimate how many individual times of flight are to be expected in a time interval on the basis of background events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Stefan Kienzler, Martin Köhl, Kai Waslowski, Ulrich Zwölfer, Christophe Thil
  • Patent number: 10871568
    Abstract: The processing unit causes a light source unit to emit modulated light in one or more emission periods in a plurality of charge transfer cycles within a frame period from connection of an accumulating region to a reset potential to next connection of the accumulating region to the reset potential by controlling a reset switch, and increases the number of emission periods per charge transfer cycle within one frame period. The processing unit obtains, from a sensor unit, a plurality of read values corresponding to a charge amount accumulated in the accumulating region at an alternate point with the plurality of charge transfer cycles, in each of a plurality of read cycles corresponding to each of the plurality of charge transfer cycles. The processing unit calculates the distance based on the plurality of obtained read values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Mitsuhito Mase, Jun Hiramitsu, Akihiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 10859678
    Abstract: In one embodiment an imaging system (e.g., a LIDAR or camera) contains a micromirror array that is configured in response to sensor data to dynamically enhance a complex shape region of interest in a field of view (FOV). The micromirror array functions as like an electronically controllable transfer function for light, between an input FOV and a detector array, thereby providing dynamically defined resolution across the detector array. Data from various configurations of the micromirror array is then combined in a 2D or 3D output image. In one aspect the imaging system begins with a first uniform resolution at the detector array and subsequently reconfigures the micromirror array to enhance resolution at a first portion of the detector array (e.g., spread an interesting object across more pixels) reduce resolution from in a less interesting part of a scene and thereby sample all of the original FOV with anisotropic resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventor: James Thomas O'Keeffe
  • Patent number: 10859681
    Abstract: A circuit device comprising a first wiring, one end of which is connected to a signal source, a wiring portion having one end connected to the signal source and including at least one second wiring that generates a signal having a longer time delay than the first wiring connected to the signal source, and a measurement circuit, to which the other end of the first wiring and the other end of the second wiring are connected, to measure a transit time difference, which is a difference between a first transit time required for a signal from the signal source to pass through the first wiring and a second transit time required for the signal from the signal source to pass through the second wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuuta Yoshino
  • Patent number: 10859700
    Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments can provide an instrument comprising a signal generator. The signal generator is constructed to generate a temporally distinct profile of LIDAR pulses and a reference signal. The instrument comprises a light source coupled to the signal generator. The light source constructed to receive the temporally distinct profile of LIDAR pulses and output corresponding light pulses with temporal spacing substantially equal to those of temporally distinct profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventors: Darryl Ngai, Christopher Brown
  • Patent number: 10859699
    Abstract: An axial location of a time of arrival probe may be determined by attaching a wedge comprising a distal surface to a blade. A first edge of the distal surface and a second edge of the distal surface may form an angle. The axial location of the probe may be determined based on the angle and a distance extending from the first edge of the wedge to the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Darren M. Wind, Eli Cole Warren, William W. Rice, Sebastian Martinez, Charles Kniffin, Corey A. Benoit
  • Patent number: 10853974
    Abstract: A decoding device, an encoding device and a method for point cloud decoding is disclosed. The method includes receiving a compressed bitstream. The method also includes decoding the compressed bitstream into 2-D frames that represent a 3-D point cloud. Each of the 2-D frames including a set of patches, and each patch includes a cluster of points of the 3-D point cloud. The cluster of points corresponds to an attribute associated with the 3-D point cloud. One patch of the set of patches, the set of patches, and the 2-D frames correspond to respective access levels representing the 3-D point cloud. The method also includes identifying a first and a second flag. In response to identifying the first and the second flag, the method includes reading the metadata from the bitstream. The method further includes generating, based on metadata and using the sets of 2-D frames, the 3-D point cloud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Madhukar Budagavi, Esmaeil Faramarzi, Rajan Joshi, Hossein Najaf-Zadeh
  • Patent number: 10845482
    Abstract: A LIDAR sensor for detecting an object in the surroundings, and to a method for activating a LIDAR sensor, the LIDAR sensor including at least one transmitting unit for emitting electromagnetic radiation, at least one receiving unit for receiving electromagnetic radiation which was reflected by the object, at least one refractive element, which is at least partially pervious to the electromagnetic radiation, and a rotating unit, which includes at least the at least one refractive element, the at least one transmitting unit and the at least one receiving unit. The core of the invention is that the at least one refractive element includes at least one optical lens and a beam splitter for splitting the electromagnetic radiation, two focal planes being present. The at least one transmitting unit and the at least one receiving unit are positioned in at least one focal plane of at least one refractive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Annette Frederiksen, Ernst Kretzek, Juergen Hasselbach, Siegwart Bogatscher, Stefanie Mayer
  • Patent number: 10845464
    Abstract: A LIDAR sensor including an optical receiver and an optical filter situated in the beam path upstream from the receiver. The filter is formed by connecting a transmission filter and a reflection filter in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Jochen Schwarz
  • Patent number: 10845472
    Abstract: A multi-line Lidar includes: a multi-line ranging laser emission module comprising one or more lasers; a multi-line ranging laser reception module comprising one or more photodetectors and adapted to detect a laser echo generated when a measurement laser emitted by the laser emission module is incident to an obstacle and is diffusedly reflected; a ranging information resolution module in electrical signal connection with the multi-line ranging laser emission module and the multi-line ranging laser reception module, and designed to calculate the distance, in each direction, to the obstacle by means of calculating the time difference between the emission of the measurement laser and the receiving of the laser echo; and a control circuit and an optical system correspondingly configured for the multi-line ranging laser emission module and the multi-line ranging laser reception module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Hesai Photonics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Rui Wang, Na Li, Shaoqing Xiang, Yifan Li
  • Patent number: 10838046
    Abstract: A multiline lidar includes: a laser emitting array configured to emit multi-beam laser; a laser receiving array configured to receive multiplexed laser echoes reflected by a target object; an echo sampling device configured to sample the multiplexed laser echo in a time division multiplexing manner and output a sampling data stream; a control system coupled to the laser emitting array, the laser receiving array, and the echo sampling device, respectively; the control system is configured to control operations of the laser emitting array and the laser receiving array, and determine measurement data according to the sampling data stream; and an output device configured to output the measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Suteng Innovation Technology Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Chunxin Qiu, Letian Liu
  • Patent number: 10830878
    Abstract: A LIDAR system emits laser bursts, wherein each burst has at least a pair of pulses. The pulses of each pair are spaced by a time interval having a variable duration to reduce effects of cross-talk. For example, certain embodiments may have multiple emitter/sensor channels that are used sequentially, and each channel may use a different duration for inter-pulse spacing to reduce the effects of cross-talk between channels. The durations may also be varied over time. The emitters and sensors are physically arranged in a two-dimensional array to achieve a relatively fine vertical pitch. The array has staggered rows that are packed using a hexagonal packing arrangement. The channels are used in a sequential order that is selected to maximize spacing between consecutively used channels, further reducing possibilities for inter-channel cross-talk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Panosense Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan McMichael, Adam Berger, Brian Pilnick, Denis Nikitin, Riley Andrews
  • Patent number: 10830879
    Abstract: An optical sensing device includes a light source, which is configured to emit one or more beams of light pulses at respective angles toward a target scene. An array of sensing elements is configured to output signals in response to incidence of photons on the sensing elements. Light collection optics are configured to image the target scene onto the array. Control circuitry is coupled to actuate the sensing elements only in one or more selected regions of the array, each selected region containing a respective set of the sensing elements in a part of the array onto which the light collection optics image a corresponding area of the target scene that is illuminated by the one of the beams, and to adjust a membership of the respective set responsively to a distance of the corresponding area from the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Cristiano L Niclass, Scott T Smith, Thierry Oggier
  • Patent number: 10830888
    Abstract: A light ranging system can include a laser device and an imaging device having photosensors. The laser device illuminates a scene with laser pulse radiation that reflects off of objects in the scene. The reflections can vary greatly depending on the reflecting surface shape and reflectivity. The signal measured by photosensors can be filtered with a number of matched filter designed according to profiles of different reflected signals. A best matched filter can be identified, and hence information about the reflecting surface and accurate ranging information can be obtained. The laser pulse radiation can be emitted in coded pulses by allowing weights to different detection intervals. Other enhancements include staggering laser pulses and changing an operational status of photodetectors of a pixel sensor, as well as efficient signal processing using a sensor chip that includes processing circuits and photosensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Marvin Shu, Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
  • Patent number: 10825170
    Abstract: A method for determining an ROI in medical imaging may include receiving first position information related to a body contour of a subject with respect to a support from a flexible device configured with a plurality of position sensors. The flexible device may be configured to conform to the body contour of the subject, and the support may be configured to support the subject. The method may also include generating a 3D model of the subject based on the first position information. The method may further include determining an ROI of the subject based on the 3D model of the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jianhui Cao, Lei Zhang
  • Patent number: 10823817
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for demultiplexing a signal. The method comprises receiving the signal being a sum of at least two sub-signals, whereby each sub-signal comprises a different repetitive pattern. The method also comprises sampling the signal during a time period, whereby the time period is such that the different repetitive patterns of each sub-signal occur at least once and whereby at least sub-signals are periodic during with a different specific frequency. The method further comprises periodically expanding the signal in a Fourier series and obtaining the different complex spectral components of the periodically expanded signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
    Inventor: Nobby Stevens
  • Patent number: 10824773
    Abstract: A system and method of generating a two-dimensional (2D) image of an environment is provided. The system includes a housing having a body and a handle. A 2D scanner is disposed in the body and has a light source, an image sensor and a controller, the light source steers a beam of light within a first plane to illuminate object points in the environment. The image sensor is arranged to receive light reflected from the object points and the controller determines a distance value to at least one of the object points. An inertial measurement unit is provided having a 3D accelerometer and a 3D gyroscope. One or more processors are responsive to executable instructions for generating a 2D image of the environment in response to an activation signal from an operator and based at least in part on the distance values and the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Joao Santos, Aleksej Frank, Ahmad Ramadneh, Simon Raab, Oliver Zweigle, Derik J. White
  • Patent number: 10816663
    Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a laser light source, an irradiation optical system comprising a beam spreader which is configured to spread the laser light about a first optical axis, a light reception optical system having a second optical axis different from the first optical axis and positioned to receive reflected light of the laser light from the object for measuring a distance to the object, a sensor with light receiving elements arranged in a first direction, the sensor being positioned to receive light reflected from the object which has passed through the light reception optical system, and a distance measuring unit configured to acquire distance information relating to the object based on the difference in time between emission of the laser light source and the reception of the reflected light at each of the plurality of light receiving elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yutaka Ota, Masatoshi Hirono, Mineharu Uchiyama, Nobu Matsumoto, Hiroshi Kubota, Shinichi Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 10816645
    Abstract: A device for optically measuring the distance from a reflective target object is disclosed. The device includes a beam source, a detector, a beam shaping system having an optical transmission system and an optical receiving system, and a laser beam shaping element that can be arranged in the path of the laser beam. The laser beam shaping element is designed as a transmission aperture array with a first array of transmission pixels, where the transmission pixels are switchable by a first control unit between a transmission state impermeable to the laser beam and a transmission state at least partially permeable to the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Torsten Gogolla, Andreas Winter
  • Patent number: 10802144
    Abstract: A method of measuring the distance to an object by radiating a periodic amplitude-modulated optical signal to the object and detecting the phase difference between the radiated optical signal and a reflected optical signal from the object includes: generating a first photo-detection control signal to control the periodic amplitude-modulation of the radiated optical signal; generating a mask signal activated at least during a shuttering duration for resetting the voltage level at a sensing node; and generating a second photo-detection control signal based on Boolean combination of the first photo-detection signal and the mask signal such that the second photo-detection signal is deactivated or masked at least during the shuttering duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Han-Soo Lee, Hae-Kyung Kong, Kyung-Il Kim, Min-Seok Oh, Tae-Chan Kim, Moo-Sup Lim
  • Patent number: 10802122
    Abstract: A method and a system of calibration of a first lidar device and a second lidar device are described. Lidar returns recorded by the first and the second lidar devices as the vehicle moves along a path according to a predetermined path pattern in an environment are received. A subset of pairs of positions of the vehicle is determined. Each pair includes a first position and a second position. A first field of view of the first lidar device when the vehicle is located at the first position overlaps with a second field of view of the second lidar device when the vehicle is located at the second position. For each pair, an estimate of transformation is determined between a first subset of the lidar returns and a second subset of the lidar returns. An extrinsic calibration transformation is determined based on the estimates of the transformations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: IKE ROBOTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Joshua David Goldberg, Jur Van Den Berg
  • Patent number: 10796403
    Abstract: An imaging system is provided. The imaging system includes a 3D image capture device, which is configured to capture a depth image of an object, and a thermal image capture device, which is configured to capture a thermal image of the object. The imaging system also includes a processing system, which is coupled with the 3D image capture device and the thermal image capture device. The processing system is configured to process the depth image and the thermal image to produce a thermal-depth fusion image by aligning the thermal image with the depth image, and assigning a thermal value derived from the thermal image to a plurality of points of the depth image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate
    Inventors: Min-Hyung Choi, Shane Transue
  • Patent number: 10795004
    Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus 1 includes: a TOF camera 10 having a light-emitting unit 11, a light-receiving unit 12, and a distance-calculating unit 13 to measure a distance to the subject on the basis of light transmission time; and an image processing unit 17 that creates a distance image of the subject from distance data measured by the TOF camera 10. The image processing unit 17 determines whether or not there is a detection target in the created distance image. If there is no detection target in the distance image, the light emission intensity control unit 18 decreases the emitted light intensity from the light source of the light-emitting unit 11, and the operation mode is switched to a power saving mode in which the pixel addition control unit 19 increases an addition ratio of a neighboring pixel signal of the light-receiving unit 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI-LG DATA STORAGE, INC.
    Inventor: Kozo Masuda
  • Patent number: 10788572
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical separating means 21 for a deflection mirror arrangement 1 of a laser scanner 2. The invention also relates to a deflection mirror arrangement comprising a separating means of this kind, and also to a laser scanner comprising a deflection mirror arrangement of this kind comprising optical separating means. The optical separating means 21 comprises a substantially rigid separating wall 17 for separating a receiving mirror region 19 of a deflection mirror 15, 16 from a transmitting mirror region 18, wherein the separating wall 17 has a rectilinear edge section. The separating means 21 has fastening webs 23, which are arranged on both sides of the rectilinear edge section 22 of the separating wall 17, for fastening to a mirror support 14. In order to enable fault-free assembly of a deflection mirror arrangement for a laser scanner, an elastically deformable seal element 25 is arranged along the rectilinear edge section 22 of the separating wall according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Hartmann, Sorin Popescu, Peter Horvath
  • Patent number: 10782101
    Abstract: A powered mount for a firearm includes a housing for receiving a battery. The housing has a first surface engaging a firearm and a second surface engaging an external device. A positive contact sub-assembly contacts a positive terminal of the battery. A negative contact cooperates with the positive contact sub-assembly to sandwich the battery in the housing. A power output transfers electrical current from the battery to the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Trijicon, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Glen Sabaldan Elpedes, Norman Joseph Nazaroff
  • Patent number: 10775175
    Abstract: A dead reckoning system for dismounted users is disclosed. The system uses a laser emitter to heat fixed points near the user. The points are ranged via LIDAR and imaged via thermal or IR imagers co-aligned with the laser emitter and LIDAR assembly (e.g., as a wearable personal system or a vehicle-based system). The system includes inertial sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyrometers) to monitor attitude and motion trends of the system. Thermal images incorporating the heated points are captured at new user positions. The dead reckoning system includes a microcontroller for tracking distance and directional changes from one user position to the next by analyzing successive thermal images to determine changes in the position of the fixed heated points relative to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC.
    Inventors: John G. Bendickson, William J. Croghan, Mitchell A. Riley
  • Patent number: 10775502
    Abstract: A distance-measuring apparatus, a mobile object, a robot, a three-dimensional measuring device, a surveillance camera, and a distance-measuring method. The distance-measuring apparatus, a mobile object includes a light source to emit light, an imaging element to receive and photoelectrically convert the light into a plurality of electrical signals, and to obtain the electrical signals upon being sorted into a plurality of phase signals, and a computing unit to calculate distance to the object based on the phase signals. In the distance-measuring apparatus, a period of time during which the imaging element obtains the phase signals is different from a light emitting period of the light source in length. The distance-measuring method includes determining whether or not aliasing is present based on a light emitting period of the light source, a period of time during which the plurality of phase signals are obtained, and a result of the calculating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Yoichi Ichikawa, Hiroaki Tanaka, Shu Takahashi, Masahiro Itoh, Yasuhiro Nihei, Takeshi Ogawa, Toshishige Fujii
  • Patent number: 10771993
    Abstract: The subject of the invention is a method for determining a quality of at least one mobile communications network in an air corridor (8), which method comprises: an unmanned aerial vehicle (1) comprising a mobile communications receiver (3) configured to determine the quality of the at least one mobile communications network, and comprising a positioning device (4) configured to determine a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle (1) in the air corridor (8), and comprises the steps: arranging a plurality of radio-based control devices (2) along a ground path (6) corresponding to a linear path (7) in the air corridor (8), each of said control devices (2) being configured to control the unmanned aerial vehicle (1) through the air corridor (8) and being spaced apart from one another on the ground (5), such that the unmanned aerial vehicle (1) when flying the linear path (7) at no position is farther than in visual contact range (9) from at least one of the control devices (2); flying the unmanned aerial vehicle (
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: P3 Communications GmbH
    Inventor: Marc Peter Althoff
  • Patent number: 10761210
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining ranges to a target disposed behind a transparent surface are described. A target acquisition system receives a plurality of lidar returns, at least some of which are from a target and at least some of which are from a transparent surface. The lidar returns correspond to a portion of a lidar signal generated by a lidar, directed toward the target, and reflected back to the lidar from either the target or the transparent surface. A range measurement for each of the plurality of lidar returns is determined. The target acquisition system generates a histogram of the range measurements. The histogram includes an array including a plurality of range bins. Each range bin defines a unique portion of a predetermined distance out from the lidar. The histogram further includes a count associated with each respective range bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: StereoVision Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Humayun Chaudhry, Christopher Thompson
  • Patent number: 10761197
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement for determining time-of-flight comprises an emitter configured to periodically emit pulses of electromagnetic radiation depending on a first clock signal, a photonic demodulator configured to detect electromagnetic radiation during detection intervals comprising first and second intervals and a processing circuit. A timing of the detection intervals is defined by a second clock signal having a phase difference with respect to the first clock signal. The demodulator is configured to generate demodulator signals depending on energy of the radiation detected during at least one of the first intervals and at least one of the second intervals, respectively. The processing circuit is configured to adapt the phase difference based on the demodulator signals and to generate an output signal indicative of the time-of-flight based on the phase difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: ams AG
    Inventor: Kerry Glover
  • Patent number: 10761191
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a LiDAR assembly. The LiDAR assembly includes a central LiDAR device configured to detect an object at or beyond a first predetermined distance from the LiDAR system and an even number of multiple auxiliary LiDAR devices configured to detect an object at or within a second predetermined distance from the LiDAR system. The LiDAR assembly also includes a mounting apparatus configured to mount the central and auxiliary LiDAR devices. Each of the central and auxiliary LiDAR devices is mounted to the mounting apparatus via a mounting surface. A first mounting surface between the central LiDAR device and the mounting apparatus has an angle with a second mounting surface between one of the auxiliary LiDAR devices and the mounting apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SUTENG INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chunxin Qiu, Letian Liu
  • Patent number: 10763290
    Abstract: Embodiments include a LIDAR scanning system. A laser is configured to emit pulses of light. A transmit reconfigurable-metasurface is configured to reflect an incident pulse of light as an illumination beam pointing at a field of view. This pointing is responsive to a first holographic beam steering pattern implemented in the transmit reconfigurable-metasurface. A receive reconfigurable-metasurface is configured to reflect a return of the illumination beam to an optical detector. This pointing is responsive to a second holographic beam steering pattern implemented in the receiving reconfigurable-metasurface. An optical detector includes an array of detector pixels. Each detector pixel includes (i) a photodetector configured to detect light in the return of the illumination beam and (ii) a timing circuit configured to determine a time of flight of the detected light. The optical detector is also configured to output a detection signal indicative of the detected light and the time of flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Gleb M. Akselrod, Erik E. Josberger, Mark C. Weidman
  • Patent number: 10761185
    Abstract: A signal processing device for processing a signal of a reflected wave which is a wave reflected in a medium and is received by a receiver, when a wave propagating through the medium is continuously transmitted by a transmitter. The signal processing device includes: an estimation unit configured to estimate a lower limit distance of a detection distance range for which an intensity level of a scattered wave from the medium in the detection distance range is equal to or smaller than an allowable level; and a scattering reduction unit configured to remove, from a signal of the reflected wave received, a signal of the scattered wave from the medium in a masking region from the receiver to the lower limit distance to perform output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hisashi Shiba
  • Patent number: 10754140
    Abstract: Certain embodiments pertain to parallel digital imaging acquisition and restoration methods and systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Chi Shing Chan, Changhuei Yang
  • Patent number: 10754031
    Abstract: The present application provides a power control method, applied in a distance measuring module comprising a light emitting unit. The power control method comprises steps of the light emitting unit emitting an incident light by a first emitting power in a first time; receiving a reflected light corresponding to the incident light; determining a distance between the distance measuring module and a target according to the reflected light; and adjusting an emitting power of the light emitting unit according to the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shengchun Chueh, Mengta Yang