29378results about "Electromagnetic wave reradiation" patented technology

Method and system for obtaining information about objects in the environment outside of and around a vehicle and preventing collisions involving the vehicle includes directing a laser beam from the vehicle into the environment, receiving from an object in the path of the laser beam a reflection of the laser beam at a location on the vehicle, and analyzing the received laser beam reflections to obtain information about the object from which the laser beam is being reflected. Analysis of the laser beam reflections preferably entails range gating the received laser beam reflections to limit analysis of the received laser beam reflections to only those received from an object within a defined (distance) range such that objects at distances within the range are isolated from surrounding objects.

A lidar-based 3-D point cloud measuring system and method. An example system includes a base, a housing, a plurality of photon transmitters and photon detectors contained within the housing, a rotary motor that rotates the housing about the base, and a communication component that allows transmission of signals generated by the photon detectors to external components. The rotary component includes a rotary power coupling configured to provide power from an external source to the rotary motor, the photon transmitters, and the photon detectors. In another embodiment, the photon transmitters and detectors of each pair are held in a fixed relationship with each other. In yet another embodiment, a single detector is “shared” among several lasers by focusing several detection regions onto a single detector, or by using a single, large detector.

A solid-state image sensor of a charge sorting method used in a time-of-flight measurement method, in which noise derived from background light, which is caused by the reflection light from the subject derived from background light is eliminated, reflection light from the subject derived from a predetermined light source, which is previously set in the solid-state image sensor, is effectively extracted as a signal component to achieve high sensitivity and low noise, which is a solid-state image sensor that is equipped with a plurality of charge-storage sections, discriminates photoelectrons generated by incoming light on the incoming timing and sort to the above-described plurality of charge-storage sections, and measures the timing of the incoming light, in which the sensor has: a plurality of capacitors that capable of conducting to the plurality of charge-storage sections; and a control section that controls a conducted state between the above-described plurality of charge-storage sections and the above-described plurality of capacitors, in which by selectively conducting the above-described plurality of charge-storage sections and the above-described plurality of capacitors by the control of the above-described control section, the difference component of charge stored in the above-described plurality of charge-storage sections is extracted.

A distance image sensor for removing the background light and improving the charge transfer efficiency in a device for measuring the distance to an object by measuring the time-of-flight of the light.In a distance image sensor for determining the signals of two charge storage nodes which depend on the delay time of the modulated light, a signal by the background light is received from the third charge storage node or the two charge storage nodes in a period when the modulated light does not exist, and is subtracted from the signal which depends on the delay time of the two charge storage nodes, so as to remove the influence of the background. Also by using a buried diode as a photo-detector, and using an MOS gate as gate means, the charge transfer efficiency improves. The charge transfer efficiency is also improved by using a negative feedback amplifier where a capacitor is disposed between the input and output.

Method and system for preventing accidents between first and second vehicles includes a positioning system arranged in each vehicle for determining the absolute position thereof, a memory unit arranged in the first vehicle for storing data about travel lanes, a communication system for transmitting the position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle, a receiver system arranged in the first vehicle for receiving position information from the second vehicle, a processor coupled to the positioning system, the receiver system and the memory unit in the first vehicle for predicting a collision between the vehicles based on the position of the vehicles and travel lane data, and a reactive component arranged in the first vehicle and coupled to the processor. The reactive component is arranged to initiate an action or change its operation when a collision is predicted by the processor, e.g., sound or indicate an alarm.

A navigation and control system including one or more position sensors configured to generate position signals indicative of the location and heading of a vehicle. The system includes one or more operation control mechanisms having inputs and producing outputs which control an operation of the vehicle and includes a self-contained autonomous controller disposed remote from the operation control mechanisms. The autonomous controller includes a processor configured to receive the position signals from the position sensors and to generate operation control signals defining an updated travel path for the vehicle, and a programmable interface providing communication among the position sensors, the operation control mechanisms, and the processor. The programmable interface is configured to normalize inputs to the processor from the position sensors and to generate compatible operation control signals applied as the inputs to the operation control mechanisms, whereby the self-contained autonomous controller is configurable for operation with a variety of different sensors and different operation control mechanisms.