Other

Summer Robotics, Inc.

National Semiconductor Corporation

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Poa Sana Liquidating Trust

Texas Instruments Corporation

Samsung Semiconductor Inc.

Qsound Labs, Inc.

Samsung Semiconuctor, Inc.

Smits, Gerard Dirk

Kikinis, Dan

Gerard Dirk Smits

Steven Dean Gottke

Schuyler Alexander Cullen

Dan Kikinis

Trevor Niblock

Steven David Oliver

Brian Alexander Paden

Matthew Alan Leone

Leonardo Vainsencher

A kaleidoscopic laser beam projector (KLBP) system that employs a single moving structure to project patterns of sweeping laser beams with diverse sweep directions and emission apertures. The system comprises a collimated light source, a spinning mirror deflector ('spindle/flutter mirror') at the center, and a stationary kaleidoscopic mirror containing multiple facet mirrors arranged in a concave fashion around the spindle mirror. As the spindle mirror rotates, it directs laser beams in a radially whirling movement toward the facet mirrors, which then subdivide these beams into multiple short strokes and redirect them outward in different directions. Various embodiments include configurations with diffractive optical elements (DOEs) for beam splitting, different kaleidoscopic mirror geometries (hexagonal, octagonal, etc.), and innovative flutter mirror mechanisms that create controlled angular variations during rotation. The system enables a “4×1” configuration that replaces traditional “4×4” systems requiring eight motors and multiple moving structures. The KLBP system offers significant advantages including mechanical simplicity, reduced size and weight, improved energy efficiency, enhanced reliability, cost-effectiveness, and modular configurability. The diverse beam incidence angles enable superior illumination of complex three-dimensional objects for applications in machine vision systems, precision metrology, gap and flushness inspection, and robot-assisted assembly of complex structures.

Kaleidoscopic laser beam projection system

Embodiments are directed to vision systems. Enclosures that each include event scanners, beam generators, or frame cameras may be provided such that the event cameras or the frame cameras may be arranged to provide foveated resolution and such that the enclosures each may include an aperture that enables beams from the beam generators to scan a scene that may be in a field-of-view (FOV) of the aperture. Paths may be scanned across objects in the scene with the beams. Events may be determined based on detection of beam reflections corresponding to objects in the scene. The enclosures may be rotated to orient the apertures into a physical position for continued scanning of the objects within the FOV based on directions of travel for the objects such that the directions of travel for the objects is based on scanned trajectories.

Foveated robotic vision system

Embodiments are directed to perceiving scene features using event sensors and image sensors. Enclosures mounted may be on structures arranged to establish a boundary where each enclosure includes an event camera, a beam generator, or a frame camera. The beam generators may be employed to scan paths across objects in a scene that may be outside the boundary. Events may be determined based on detection of beam reflections corresponding to the objects. Trajectories associated with the objects may be determined based on the paths and the events. Objects that may be authorized may be determined based on trajectories associated with authorized objects. Objects in the scene that may be unauthorized may be determined based on trajectories associated with the unauthorized objects. A representation of the unauthorized objects may be determined such that a position and an orientation of the unauthorized objects in the scene may be based on the trajectories.

Virtual fences in air, water, and space

Embodiments are directed to perceiving scene features using event sensors and image sensors. Paths may be scanned across objects in a scene with one or more beams. Images of the scene may be captured with frame cameras. Events may be generated based on detection of beam reflections that correspond to the objects. Trajectories may be based on the paths and the events. A distribution of intensity associated with the trajectories may be determined based on the energy associated with the traces in the images. Centroids for the trajectories may be determined based on the distribution of the intensity of energy, a resolution of the frame cameras, or timestamps associated with the events. Enhanced trajectories may be generated based on the centroids such that the enhanced trajectories may be provided to a modeling engine that executes actions based on the enhanced trajectories and the objects.

Perceiving scene features using event sensors and image sensors

A system projects a user-viewable, computer-generated or -fed image, wherein a head-mounted projector is used to project an image onto a retro-reflective surface, so only the viewer can see the image. The projector is connected to a computer that contains software to create virtual 2-D and or 3-D images for viewing by the user. Further, one projector each is mounted on either side of the user's head, and, by choosing for example a retro angle of less than about 10 degrees, each eye can only see the image of one of the projectors at a given distance up to 3 meters, in this example, from the retro-reflective screen. The retro angle used may be reduced with larger viewing distance desired. These projectors use lasers to avoid the need for focusing, and in some cases these projectors use instead of lasers highly collimated LED light sources to avoid the need for focusing.

System and method for 3-D projection and enhancements for interactivity

Embodiments are directed to a sensing system that employs beams to scan paths across an object such that sensors may the beams reflected by the scanned object. Events may be provided based on the detected signals and the paths such that each event may be associated with a sensor and event metrics. Crossing points for each sensor may be determined based on where the paths intersect the scanned object such that events associated with each sensor are associated with the crossing points for each sensor. Each crossing point of each sensor may be compared to each correspondent crossing point of each other sensor. actual crossing points may be determined based on the comparison and the crossing points for each sensor. Position information for each sensor may be determined based on the actual crossing points.

Dynamic calibration of 3D acquisition systems

A scanning light imaging device for continuously pseudo randomly scanning patterns of light in a beam onto a remote surface to achieve spatio-temporal super resolution for finding remotely located objects. The scanning light imaging device employs a scanner to project image beams of visible or non-visible light and/or tracer beams of non-visible light onto a remote surface or remote object to detect reflections. The device employs a light detector to sense at least the reflections of light from one or more of the image beams or the tracer beams incident on the remote surface or remote object. The device employs the sensed reflections of light beams to predict the trajectory of subsequent scanned beams in a pseudo random pattern and determine up to a six degrees of freedom position for the remote surface or remote object.

High resolution scanning of remote objects with fast sweeping laser beams and signal recovery by twitchy pixel array

Embodiments are directed to multi-sensor superresolution scanning and capture system. A sensing system may be employed to scan a plurality of paths across objects using beams such that the sensing system includes event sensors and image sensors and such that the image sensors are a higher resolution than the event sensors. The event sensors may be employed to provide events based on detection of the beams that are reflected by the objects. The image sensors may be employed to provide images based on the reflected the beams. Enhanced trajectories may be generated based on a plurality of first trajectories and a plurality of second trajectories such that the plurality of the first trajectories are based on the events and the plurality of paths and such that the plurality of second trajectories are based on the images and the plurality of paths.

Multi-sensor superresolution scanning and capture system

Embodiments are directed providing a stage studio for immersive 3-D video capture. A two-dimensional video of a scene may be captured with frame cameras oriented towards a center of the scene. Paths may be scanned across objects in the scene with signal beams oriented towards the center of the scene. Events may be generated based on signal beams that are reflected by the objects and detected by event cameras oriented towards the center of the scene. Trajectories may be generated based on the paths and the events. A scene that includes a representation of the objects based on the captured two-dimensional video and the trajectories may be generated such that a position and an orientation of the represented objects in the scene are based on the trajectories.

Stage studio for immersive 3-D video capture

Embodiments are directed toward measuring a three dimensional range to a target. A transmitter emits light toward the target. An aperture may receive light reflections from the target. The aperture may direct the reflections toward a sensor that comprises rows of pixels that have columns. The sensor is offset a predetermined distance from the transmitter. Anticipated arrival times of the reflections on the sensor are based on the departure times and the predetermined offset distance. A portion of the pixels are sequentially activated based on the anticipated arrival times. The target's three dimensional range measurement is based on the reflections detected by the portion of the pixels.

Real time position sensing of objects

A system to determine a position of one or more objects includes a transmitter to emit a beam of photons to sequentially illuminate regions of one or more objects; multiple cameras that are spaced-apart with each camera having an array of pixels to detect photons; and one or more processor devices that execute stored instructions to perform actions of a method, including: directing the transmitter to sequentially illuminate regions of one or more objects with the beam of photons; for each of the regions, receiving, from the cameras, an array position of each pixel that detected photons of the beam reflected or scattered by the region of the one or more objects; and, for each of the regions detected by the cameras, determining a position of the regions using the received array positions of the pixels that detected the photons of the beam reflected or scattered by that region.

Systems and methods for machine perception

Embodiments are directed to a sensing system that employs beams to scan paths across an object such that sensors may the beams reflected by the scanned object. Events may be provided based on the detected signals and the paths such that each event may be associated with a sensor and event metrics. Crossing points for each sensor may be determined based on where the paths intersect the scanned object such that events associated with each sensor are associated with the crossing points for each sensor. Each crossing point of each sensor may be compared to each correspondent crossing point of each other sensor. Actual crossing points may be determined based on the comparison and the crossing points for each sensor. Position information for each sensor may be determined based on the actual crossing points.

An image projection device for displaying an image onto a remote surface. The image projection device employs a scanner to project image beams of visible light and tracer beams of light onto a remote surface to form a display of the image. The device also employs a light detector to sense at least the reflections of light from the tracer beam pulses incident on the remote surface. The device employs the sensed tracer beam light pulses to predict the trajectory of subsequent image beam light pulses and tracer beam light pulses that form a display of the image on the remote surface in a pseudo random pattern. The trajectory of the projected image beam light pulses can be predicted so that the image is displayed from a point of view that can be selected by, or automatically adjusted for, a viewer of the displayed image.

Growing community of inventors

Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Gerard Dirk Smits