George C Mciver

US Patent:

6420704, Jul 16, 2002

Filed:

Dec 7, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/732429

Inventors:

John J. Berenz - San Pedro CA
George W. McIver - Redondo Beach CA
Barry Dunbridge - Torrance CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

G01J 302

US Classification:

250330, 250332, 250334, 2503381, 2502012, 250221

Abstract:

A system for providing recognition of an approaching object located in a distant no-light environment includes an illumination source for transmitting light to the distant object and an imaging device for detecting the light radiation reflected from the distant object to generate an image of the distant object corresponding thereto. The system also includes an independent digital signal processor for calculating a desired optical magnification of a lens of the imaging device as a function of a distance between the imaging device and the distant object and generates a voltage corresponding thereto. The digital signal processor applies the voltage to the digital zoom circuitry of the imaging device to adjust the magnification of the lens so that the image of the distant object is held in a fixed dimension.

US Patent:

6480067, Nov 12, 2002

Filed:

Nov 27, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/723298

Inventors:

Kevin Wesley Kobayashi - Torrance CA
George W. McIver - Redondo Beach CA

Assignee:

Sirenza Microdevices, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

H03G 330

US Classification:

330279, 330254, 330285

Abstract:

An apparatus comprising a first amplifier, a second amplifier and a control circuit. The first amplifier may be configured to present a first amplified output signal in response to an input signal. The second amplifier may be configured to present a second amplified output signal to provide a shaped signal peaking response in response to the input signal. The first and second amplified output signals are generally combined. The control circuit may be configured to control a ratio between the first amplified output signal and the second amplified output signal. The ratio controls an amount of the peaking response.

US Patent:

6724920, Apr 20, 2004

Filed:

Jul 21, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/621160

Inventors:

John J. Berenz - San Pedro CA
George W. McIver - Redondo Beach CA
Joseph W. Niesen - La Mirada CA
Barry Dunbridge - Torrance CA
Gregory A. Shreve - Huntsville AL

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

G06K 900

US Classification:

382118, 3404255, 340 553, 340575, 280735, 180169, 180272, 382104

Abstract:

An imaging system ( ) for providing vehicle safety features that employs face recognition software to identify and track a person. The system ( ) employs infrared emitters ( ) that emit an infrared signal along a predetermined field-of-view, and an infrared sensor ( ), such as a CMOS sensor used as a video signal array, that receives reflected infrared illumination from objects in the field-of-view. A processor ( ) including the face recognition software, is employed to detect human faces to identify and track the person. Once a face is detected, it can be compared to a data base to identify the person. Various applications for the imaging system ( ) for providing vehicle safety features include identifying the driver or passenger for personalizing the vehicles airbags, providing pre-crash collision avoidance, providing blind spot detection, providing vehicle crash recording, and providing a warning signal if the driver appears drowsy.

US Patent:

6741169, May 25, 2004

Filed:

Jul 6, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/900323

Inventors:

Kiran R. Magiawala - Hawthorne CA
Barry Dunbridge - Torrance CA
George W. McIver - Redondo Beach CA
David L. Juzswik - Commerce MI
Timothy DeZorzi - South Lyon MI
Albert M. Straub - Ann Arbor MI

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

B60Q 100

US Classification:

340438, 340442, 340443, 340444, 340447, 731462, 731463, 731464, 731465, 731468

Abstract:

A tire monitoring method and apparatus is provided to predict tire tread separation for a tire on a wheel of a vehicle. This may involve monitoring a parameter of a tire of a vehicle over time and comparing information regarding the monitored parameter (over time) with a reference threshold value of the parameter (over time). The method may also include providing information to a driver based on the comparison. The parameter may be acceleration (axial, radial or longitudinal) along an axis of the tire. The parameter may also be tire imbalance, temperature inside the tire, speed of the tire, load and/or pressure, for example. Information regarding the comparison may be transmitted to a driver if the monitored parameter exceeds the reference threshold value for a predetermined amount of time.

US Patent:

6750717, Jun 15, 2004

Filed:

Aug 15, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/222137

Inventors:

Kevin Wesley Kobayashi - Torrance CA
George W. McIver - Redondo Beach CA

Assignee:

Sirenza Microdevices, Inc. - Broomfield CO

International Classification:

H03G 310

US Classification:

330279, 330254, 330285

Abstract:

An apparatus comprising an amplifier and a coupling circuit. The amplifier may be configured to generate an amplified output signal in response to a first input signal and a second input signal. The coupling circuit may be configured to generate the second input signal in response to the first input signal. The coupling circuit may be configured to increase a speed of propagation of the first input signal.

US Patent:

6759952, Jul 6, 2004

Filed:

Jul 6, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/900324

Inventors:

Barry Dunbridge - Torrance CA
Kenneth L. Brown - Manhattan Beach CA
George W. McIver - Redondo Beach CA
Kiran R. Magiawala - Hawthorne CA
Kelley D. Chilcott - Redondo Beach CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

B60C 2300

US Classification:

340444, 340438, 340440, 340445, 152152, 301 521

Abstract:

A tire and suspension monitoring and warning system consisting of a set of multi-function sensors that monitor and warn of a failure mode. The system monitors and warns for tire imbalance, tire tread wear, and shock absorbers for a tire attached to a vehicle. The monitoring and warning system includes one axial, radial, and lateral acceleration measurement of the wheel to provide acceleration signal sample power. For tire imbalance, signal sample power in the second harmonic of the tire rotational frequency is compared to that of the first harmonic. For tire tread wear, average signal sample power within a second frequency range is compared to a previously stored baseline value. For shock absorber performance, a sum of all frequency components in a second predetermined frequency range is compared to a baseline value.

US Patent:

6810135, Oct 26, 2004

Filed:

Jun 29, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/607008

Inventors:

John J. Berenz - San Pedro CA
George W. McIver - Redondo Beach CA
Joseph W. Niesen - La Mirada CA
Barry Dunbridge - Torrance CA
Gregory A. Shreve - San Pedro CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

G06K 900

US Classification:

382118, 280735

Abstract:

A human presence detection system ( ) that employs a frame differencing technique for subtracting out background interference from images generated by the system. The system ( ) includes an infrared source ( ) that generates a beam of infrared radiation, and an infrared detector ( ) that receives infrared radiation reflected from objects in the path of the beam. Face recognition software is employed to determine the presence of a person ( ) from the reflected radiation. The infrared source ( ) is pulsed on and off and the detector ( ) is synchronously shuttered to the pulses so that image frames are generated at different times, where one frame includes reflected radiation and background radiation and another frame includes only background radiation. The frames are subtracted to separate out the background radiation. In one embodiment, the detector ( ) includes a pixel array of photodiodes ( ) and first and second capacitor storage sites ( ) for storing the image frames on a single CMOS chip ( ).

US Patent:

6904347, Jun 7, 2005

Filed:

Jun 29, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/607090

Inventors:

John J. Berenz - San Pedro CA, US
George W. McIver - Redondo Beach CA, US
Gregory A. Shreve - San Pedro CA, US
Joseph W. Niesen - La Mirada CA, US
Barry Dunbridge - Torrance CA, US

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

B60R022/00
G06F007/00
G06F017/00
G06F019/00

US Classification:

701 45, 701 47, 701 46, 280735, 280736, 280739, 25055922, 25055923, 180271, 180272, 180273

Abstract:

A vehicle occupant airbag deployment system () that detects, identifies and tracks a person () in the passenger seat () of a vehicle (), and provides a signal for no fire, soft fire or hard fire of the airbag () depending on the location of the person () in a crash event. The airbag deployment system () employs infrared emitters () that emit an infrared signal towards the passenger seat () of the vehicle () and an infrared detector () that receive reflected radiation from objects in the seat (). Processing circuitry (), including face recognition software, is employed to detect human face features to provide the necessary detection and tracking of the person (). In this manner, the system () prevents the airbag () from firing if the seat () is not occupied by a person (), prevents the airbag () from firing if a person () is detected, but is too close to the airbag (), and provides a soft fire if a person () is detected, but is within a soft fire range of the airbag ().