US 10728436

US patent 10728436, titled "Optical detection apparatus and methods," was issued on July 28, 2020, from an application filed on December 18, 2017 (Application number US15/845,891). The original assignee was Brain Corp, though the patent was reassigned to HERCULES CAPITAL, INC. on October 8, 2021. The inventors are Filip Piekniewski, Vadim Polonichko, and Eugene Izhikevich.

Abstract:
The patent describes an optical object detection apparatus and associated methods. It utilizes a lens, such as a fixed-focal length wide aperture lens, and an image sensor. The lens's fixed focal length defines a depth of field where objects appear in focus. As an object moves into this depth of field, its representation on the image sensor becomes in-focus, while objects outside this range appear out-of-focus. In-focus images exhibit a higher contrast parameter compared to out-of-focus ones. The detection apparatus analyzes images to determine an image contrast parameter. An object detection is indicated if this contrast parameter meets specific criteria.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method of detecting distance to an object for a robotic apparatus): This claim outlines a method for a robot to determine an object's distance. It involves the robot's sensor capturing an image, analyzing the image for its contrast, and detecting the object if the contrast meets certain conditions. The robot's controller then activates an actuator, with the activation being specific to a characteristic of the detected object. As the robot navigates, it determines two different distances to the object when the object appears in sharp focus within two distinct spatial regions around the robot.

• Claim 7 (Optical object detection apparatus): This claim describes an optical device designed for object detection. It includes a lens with a defined depth of field and an image sensor that captures images. The apparatus also has logic (e.g., a processing unit or software) that evaluates parts of the image to calculate an image contrast parameter. If this contrast parameter exceeds a predefined threshold, the logic generates a signal indicating the presence of an object within the lens's depth of field.

• Claim 9 (Method of navigating a robotic apparatus): This claim details a method for a robotic apparatus, equipped with a controller, actuator, and sensor, to navigate. The method involves obtaining an image of the surroundings, analyzing it for a contrast parameter, and detecting an object if the contrast meets specific criteria. The robot's controller then activates an actuator based on this detection, with the activation being tailored to a characteristic of the object.

• Claim 15 (Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for object detection): This claim covers a computer-readable storage medium that contains instructions for a processor to detect objects in an image. The detection process involves generating a high-pass filtered version of the image (which enhances details), then calculating for some pixels how much their values deviate from a reference value. If this deviation meets a specific condition, an indication is produced that an object is present in the image.

• Claim 19 (Method of navigating a robotic apparatus with angled detectors): This claim describes a navigation method for a robotic apparatus that uses a sensor with multiple image detectors positioned at an angle relative to the lens. Each detector is associated with a specific spatial extent in the robot's environment. The method involves capturing an image, detecting objects within it, and then determining the distance to these objects as the robot navigates, based on whether the objects fall within the detectors' associated extents. The detected objects are then classified as either a target or an obstacle, and the robot's controller selectively activates an actuator based on this classification.

• Claim 20 (Apparatus for robotic navigation with multiple discrete image sensors): This claim describes an apparatus that enables a robotic device to navigate. It comprises a computer-readable medium with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the apparatus to: obtain an image using a sensor with multiple separate image sensors behind a single lens, each sensor covering a distinct range in the surroundings; analyze the image for a contrast parameter; detect an object if the contrast meets certain criteria; and activate an actuator based on this detection, with the activation configured according to an object characteristic. Furthermore, during navigation, the apparatus is configured to determine a first distance to an object when it produces a sharp image within a first specific range, and a second distance when it produces a sharp image within a second specific range.

Litigation History:
As of April 26, 2026, US10728436 has been involved in litigation. A District Court case, Brain Corporation v. iRobot Corporation, case number 3:20-cv-01479-BEN-MSB in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, was filed and subsequently terminated (settled) on February 18, 2021. Additionally, a PTAB case, IPR2025-01604, was filed, but it has been marked as "Not Instituted - Procedural". The petitioner for IPR2025-01604 is Unified Patents. Searches of CAFC 2026 dockets for US10728436 did not return any active cases or filings.## US10728436: Optical Detection Apparatus and Methods

Title: Optical detection apparatus and methods
Current Assignee: HERCULES CAPITAL, INC. (reassigned on 2021-10-08 from Brain Corp)
Inventors: Filip Piekniewski, Vadim Polonichko, Eugene Izhikevich
Filing Date: 2017-12-18 (Application number US15/845,891)
Issue Date: 2020-07-28

Abstract:
The patent describes an optical object detection system and associated methods. It features a lens, such as a fixed-focal length wide aperture lens, and an image sensor. The lens's depth of field defines a zone where objects appear in sharp focus on the image sensor. Objects within this depth of field produce in-focus images with higher contrast, while objects outside appear out-of-focus. The apparatus analyzes images to determine an image contrast parameter. When this contrast parameter meets specific criteria, an object detection indication is generated.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a computer-implemented method for a robotic device to detect the distance to an object. The robot's sensor captures an image, which is then analyzed to determine an image contrast. If the contrast meets specific criteria, an object's presence is detected. A controller then activates the robot's actuator based on this detection and an object characteristic. During navigation, the robot determines an object's distance by identifying when it comes into sharp focus within different defined areas in its surroundings.

• Claim 7: This claim describes an optical apparatus for detecting objects. It includes a lens with a specific depth of field and an image sensor that captures images. Logic connected to the image sensor evaluates parts of the image to determine a contrast level. If this contrast level exceeds a certain threshold, the logic indicates that an object is present within the lens's depth of field.

• Claim 9: This claim describes a method for a robotic apparatus (which has a controller, an actuator, and a sensor) to navigate. The method involves taking an image of the robot's surroundings, calculating its contrast, and detecting an object if the contrast meets certain conditions. The robot's controller then activates an actuator, with the action of the actuator being specifically configured based on a characteristic of the detected object.

• Claim 15: This claim describes a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for detecting an object in an image. The instructions cause a processing apparatus to first apply a high-pass filter to the image, which emphasizes details. Then, for individual pixels in this filtered image, a deviation from a reference value is calculated. If this deviation meets a certain condition, an indication that an object is present in the image is provided.

• Claim 19: This claim describes a method for a robotic apparatus to navigate using a specialized sensor setup. The sensor captures an image through a lens, but it includes multiple image detectors that are angled relative to the lens, each covering a specific area in the robot's environment. The method involves detecting objects in the image, determining their distance during navigation based on which detector registers them in focus, and classifying them as either a target or an obstacle. Finally, the robot's controller selectively activates an actuator based on this classification.

• Claim 20: This claim describes an apparatus that enables a robotic device to navigate. It includes a computer-readable medium with instructions for a processor to: obtain an image from a sensor with multiple separate image sensors behind a single lens (each covering a different area); analyze the image for its contrast; detect an object if the contrast meets certain criteria; and activate the robot's actuator based on the detection and an object characteristic. The apparatus is also configured to determine a first distance to an object when it produces a sharp image in a first specific area, and a second distance when it produces a sharp image in a second specific area during navigation.

Litigation History:
US10728436 has been involved in litigation. A District Court case, Brain Corporation v. iRobot Corporation, Case Number 3:20-cv-01479-BEN-MSB, was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and was terminated as settled on February 18, 2021. Additionally, a PTAB case, IPR2025-01604, was filed by Unified Patents, but it was not instituted due to procedural reasons. As of April 26, 2026, there are no active cases or filings for US10728436 in the CAFC 2026 dockets.