Patents by Inventor Benjamin Piya Austin

Benjamin Piya Austin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11975609
    Abstract: Embodiments herein are directed to a transparent steering wheel system for a vehicle that includes a sensor system, a projection system, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to determine when a plurality of display data displayed on a display device behind a steering wheel is blocked by the steering wheel from a field of view of a driver, determine when a desirable notification is included in the plurality of display data, and when the desirable notification is included and the field of view of the desirable notification for the driver is blocked by the steering wheel, control the projection system to project the desirable notification onto the projection surface of the steering wheel that fully covers the steering wheel such that the steering wheel appears to be transparent when the desirable notification is displayed onto the projection surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Benjamin Piya Austin, John K. Lenneman, George M. Evans, Takeshi Yoshida, William Patrick Garrett, Rebecca L Kirschweng
  • Patent number: 11948227
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for eliminating an appearance of one or more objects in an environment surrounding a vehicle during operation of the vehicle. A method generally includes detecting the one or more objects in first sensor data collected from first sensors onboard the vehicle, wherein the first sensor data is representative of the environment surrounding the vehicle; receiving, from other vehicles, second sensor data collected from second sensors onboard the other vehicles, wherein the second sensor data is representative of the environment surrounding each of the one or more other vehicles; generating one or more augmented reality images depicting portions of the environment obstructed by the one or more objects in the first sensor data; displaying the one or more augmented reality images in an augmented reality display such that the augmented reality images are positioned to overlay the one or more objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Benjamin Piya Austin, John K. Lenneman, George M. Evans, Takeshi Yoshida, William Patrick Garrett, Rebecca L. Kirschweng
  • Publication number: 20230090466
    Abstract: A system and method for adjusting the intensity of light provided to an analog needle are disclosed herein. The system and method adjust the intensity of light provided to the analog needle based on an operating state of an engine of a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: George M. Evans, Aaron M. France, Benjamin Piya Austin, Craig D. Herring, Philip J. Babian, Ichiroh Isobe, William Patrick Garrett
  • Publication number: 20230085888
    Abstract: A system and method for adjusting the transparency of a digital needle of a digital gauge are disclosed herein. The system and method adjust a transparency of a digital needle based on an operating state of an engine of a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: George M. Evans, Aaron M. France, Benjamin Piya Austin, Craig D. Herring, Philip J. Babian, Ichiroh Isobe, William Patrick Garrett
  • Patent number: 11602993
    Abstract: A system and method for adjusting the transparency of a digital needle of a digital gauge are disclosed herein. The system and method adjust a transparency of a digital needle based on an operating state of an engine of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: George M. Evans, Aaron M. France, Benjamin Piya Austin, Craig D. Herring, Philip J. Babian, Ichiroh Isobe, William Patrick Garrett