Patents by Inventor Kwaku Prakah-Asante
Kwaku Prakah-Asante 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: 11794726Abstract: Systems and methods for virtual vehicle parking assistance are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining a current vehicle position and vehicle dimensions of a vehicle, determining parking space dimensions of a parking space, receiving a desired parking position for the vehicle through an augmented reality interface, the augmented reality interface including a three-dimensional vehicle model based on the vehicle dimensions, the augmented reality interface being configured to allow a user to virtually place the three-dimensional vehicle model in the parking space to determine the desired parking position, determining a virtual parking procedure for the vehicle based on the desired parking position selected by the user and the parking space dimensions of a parking space and causing the vehicle to autonomously park based on the virtual parking procedure.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2021Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jian Wan, Harald Martinez, Michael A. Blommer, Kenneth Michael Mayer, Kwaku Prakah-Asante
-
Publication number: 20230236659Abstract: The disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for providing a delivery assistance service having an augmented-reality digital companion (ARDC). In an example method, a first set of instructions can be received via the ARDC. The first set of instructions can direct a delivery driver to an assigned delivery vehicle within a parking lot. A second set of instructions including a driving destination can be received via the ARDC. When the delivery driver has reached the driving destination, a third set of instructions can be received via the ARDC. The third set of instructions can include a route from the driving destination to a delivery location. When the delivery driver is traveling along the route, first pop-up information can be provided via the ARDC. The delivery request can be completed, and second pop-up information can be provided via the ARDC to assist the delivery driver in reaching an intended destination.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2022Publication date: July 27, 2023Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jian Wan, Harald Christian Martinez, Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Kenneth Michael Mayer
-
Publication number: 20230181868Abstract: The disclosure is generally directed to providing a relaxation regimen to an occupant of a vehicle. In one example method, a processor evaluates a physiological condition of the occupant. The physiological condition can be a heart rate, hear-rate variability, a breathing rate, and/or a blood oxygen level. The processor also identifies an opportune time to offer the relaxation regimen. The relaxation regimen may be offered based on evaluating the physiological condition of the occupant and on identifying the opportune time. Furthermore, the relaxation regimen may be recommended based on the customer preference or usage patterns and the opportune time. The opportune time can be when the vehicle is moving in a cruising mode of operation, is in a stopped or parked state, or is moving in stop-and-go traffic, or location. In another example method, a processor may offer the relaxation regime based on a movement status of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2021Publication date: June 15, 2023Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Ayush Shah
-
Publication number: 20230102144Abstract: Systems and methods for virtual vehicle parking assistance are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining a current vehicle position and vehicle dimensions of a vehicle, determining parking space dimensions of a parking space, receiving a desired parking position for the vehicle through an augmented reality interface, the augmented reality interface including a three-dimensional vehicle model based on the vehicle dimensions, the augmented reality interface being configured to allow a user to virtually place the three-dimensional vehicle model in the parking space to determine the desired parking position, determining a virtual parking procedure for the vehicle based on the desired parking position selected by the user and the parking space dimensions of a parking space and causing the vehicle to autonomously park based on the virtual parking procedure.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2021Publication date: March 30, 2023Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jian Wan, Harald Martinez, Michael A. Blommer, Kenneth Michael Mayer, Kwaku Prakah-Asante
-
Patent number: 11610342Abstract: A method and system for providing integrated augmented reality (AR) images and content to multiple vehicle occupants having AR devices and methods of generating user-based AR expressions including content control of user generated content.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2020Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jian Wan, Prayat Hegde, Reates Curry, Mike Bloomer, Harald C. Martinez, Brett Stottlemyer, Jeffrey Allen Greenberg, Kwaku Prakah-Asante
-
Patent number: 11350236Abstract: The disclosure pertains to minimizing delay when a customer seeks a ride in a ride-hail vehicle at a crowded venue where multiple customers are attempting to obtain rides in ride-hail vehicles. In an example procedure, a ride-hail service provider responds to a ride request originated from a personal device of the customer by providing a ride-ID code or some other form of ride-confirmation data. The customer enters any ride-hail vehicle at the crowded venue without interacting with the driver of the vehicle prior to getting into the vehicle. The personal device of the customer then uses communications such as Bluetooth® to execute a triangulation procedure for determining whether the personal device is inside the vehicle. Upon confirming that the personal device is inside the vehicle, the ride-ID code is automatically transmitted to a personal device of the driver and further communications may then be carried out for authenticating the ride.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2020Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mark Cuddihy, Kwaku Prakah-Asante
-
Patent number: 11315363Abstract: Gait, the walking pattern of individuals, is one of the most important biometrics modalities. Most of the existing gait recognition methods take silhouettes or articulated body models as the gait features. These methods suffer from degraded recognition performance when handling confounding variables, such as clothing, carrying and view angle. To remedy this issue, a novel AutoEncoder framework is presented to explicitly disentangle pose and appearance features from RGB imagery and a long short-term memory integration of pose features over time produces the gait feature.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2021Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignees: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, Ford Global Technologies LLCInventors: Xiaoming Liu, Jian Wan, Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Mike Blommer, Ziyuan Zhang, Luan Tran, Xi Yin, Yousef Atoum
-
Publication number: 20220124450Abstract: The disclosure pertains to minimizing delay when a customer seeks a ride in a ride-hail vehicle at a crowded venue where multiple customers are attempting to obtain rides in ride-hail vehicles. In an example procedure, a ride-hail service provider responds to a ride request originated from a personal device of the customer by providing a ride-ID code or some other form of ride-confirmation data. The customer enters any ride-hail vehicle at the crowded venue without interacting with the driver of the vehicle prior to getting into the vehicle. The personal device of the customer then uses communications such as Bluetooth® to execute a triangulation procedure for determining whether the personal device is inside the vehicle. Upon confirming that the personal device is inside the vehicle, the ride-ID code is automatically transmitted to a personal device of the driver and further communications may then be carried out for authenticating the ride.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2020Publication date: April 21, 2022Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mark Cuddihy, Kwaku Prakah-Asante
-
Publication number: 20220084256Abstract: A method and system for providing integrated augmented reality (AR) images and content to multiple vehicle occupants having AR devices and methods of generating user-based AR expressions including content control of user generated content.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2020Publication date: March 17, 2022Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jian Wan, Prayat Hegde, Reates Curry, Mike Bloomer, Harald C. Martinez, Brett Stottlemyer, Jeffrey Allen Greenberg, Kwaku Prakah-Asante
-
Patent number: 11126871Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for advanced warnings to drivers of vehicles for upcoming signs. An example vehicle includes a GPS receiver to determine a vehicle location. The example vehicle also includes a condition identifier to determine a familiarity level of a driver for the vehicle location and detect an upcoming sign. The example vehicle also includes a warning determiner to compare the familiarity level to a threshold level and provide, in response to the familiarity level being less than the threshold level, an advanced warning to the driver for the upcoming sign.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2016Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Manoharprasad K. Rao
-
Patent number: 11127373Abstract: A method includes determining a location of a roadside object relative to a vehicle interior based on one or more of a vehicle Global Positioning System (GPS) location, a vehicle heading, and environmental data, and generating a first virtual representation of the roadside object in an augmented reality (AR) world coordinate system. A processor synchronizes a vehicle coordinate system with the AR world coordinate system, in which a virtual representation of the roadside object is generated. The method further includes orienting a driver AR wearable device with the synchronized vehicle coordinate system, determining an identity associated with a user of the driver AR wearable device, and generating, based at least in part on the identity associated with the user of the driver AR wearable device, a virtual representation of the roadside object in an AR world coordinate system aligned with the vehicle GPS location and the vehicle heading.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jian Wan, Prayat Anil Hedge, Jeffrey Allen Greenberg, Kwaku Prakah-Asante
-
Publication number: 20210224524Abstract: Gait, the walking pattern of individuals, is one of the most important biometrics modalities. Most of the existing gait recognition methods take silhouettes or articulated body models as the gait features. These methods suffer from degraded recognition performance when handling confounding variables, such as clothing, carrying and view angle. To remedy this issue, a novel AutoEncoder framework is presented to explicitly disentangle pose and appearance features from RGB imagery and a long short-term memory integration of pose features over time produces the gait feature.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Applicants: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Xiaoming LIU, Jian WAN, Kwaku PRAKAH-ASANTE, Mike BLOMMER, Ziyuan ZHANG, Luan TRAN, Xi YIN, Yousef ATOUM
-
Publication number: 20210134248Abstract: A method includes determining a location of a roadside object relative to a vehicle interior based on one or more of a vehicle Global Positioning System (GPS) location, a vehicle heading, and environmental data, and generating a first virtual representation of the roadside object in an augmented reality (AR) world coordinate system. A processor synchronizes a vehicle coordinate system with the AR world coordinate system, in which a virtual representation of the roadside object is generated. The method further includes orienting a driver AR wearable device with the synchronized vehicle coordinate system, determining an identity associated with a user of the driver AR wearable device, and generating, based at least in part on the identity associated with the user of the driver AR wearable device, a virtual representation of the roadside object in an AR world coordinate system aligned with the vehicle GPS location and the vehicle heading.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2019Publication date: May 6, 2021Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jian Wan, Prayat Anil Hegde, Jeffrey Allen Greenberg, Kwaku Prakah-Asante
-
Patent number: 10953875Abstract: A railway prediction system may include a memory configured to maintain at least one driver profile having driver specific factors, a controller coupled to the memory and programmed to receive route factors indicative of a route and a railway crossing along the route, and instruct an alert in response to the presence of the railway crossing, a threshold according to the driver-specific factors, and an indication of a lack of deceleration of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2018Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Mark A. Cuddihy
-
Publication number: 20190325238Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for advanced warnings to drivers of vehicles for upcoming signs. An example vehicle includes a GPS receiver to determine a vehicle location. The example vehicle also includes a condition identifier to determine a familiarity level of a driver for the vehicle location and detect an upcoming sign. The example vehicle also includes a warning determiner to compare the familiarity level to a threshold level and provide, in response to the familiarity level being less than the threshold level, an advanced warning to the driver for the upcoming sign.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2016Publication date: October 24, 2019Inventors: Kwaku PRAKAH-ASANTE, Manoharprasad K. RAO
-
Publication number: 20190202452Abstract: A railway prediction system may include a memory configured to maintain at least one driver profile having driver specific factors, a controller coupled to the memory and programmed to receive route factors indicative of a route and a railway crossing along the route, and instruct an alert in response to the presence of the railway crossing, a threshold according to the driver-specific factors, and an indication of a lack of deceleration of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2018Publication date: July 4, 2019Inventors: Kwaku PRAKAH-ASANTE, Mark A. CUDDIHY
-
Patent number: 8194920Abstract: An object detection system is disclosed in at least one embodiment. The system includes a far IR sensor operable to sense thermal radiation of objects and surroundings in a field of view and to generate a far IR image in response thereto, and an image processing device operable to receive and process the far IR image to detect the presence of one or more objects in the field of view. The image processing device can be configured to process the far IR image by generating an initial threshold image based on the far IR image and an initial threshold value, iteratively obtaining a number of successive threshold images based on the far IR image and a number of successively increased threshold values, and determining the presence of one or more objects in the field of view based on the threshold images and threshold values.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2007Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Samuel Ebenstein, Gregory Smith, Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Yelena Rodin, Nicholas Zorka
-
Publication number: 20080197284Abstract: An object detection system is disclosed in at least one embodiment. The system includes a far IR sensor operable to sense thermal radiation of objects and surroundings in a field of view and to generate a far IR image in response thereto, and an image processing device operable to receive and process the far IR image to detect the presence of one or more objects in the field of view. The image processing device can be configured to process the far IR image by generating an initial threshold image based on the far IR image and an initial threshold value, iteratively obtaining a number of successive threshold images based on the far IR image and a number of successively increased threshold values, and determining the presence of one or more objects in the field of view based on the threshold images and threshold values.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2007Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Samuel Ebenstein, Gregory Smith, Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Yelena Rodin, Nicholas Zorka
-
Patent number: 7353088Abstract: A system for detecting the presence of a human in a vehicle is provided. The system includes a vibration sensor that is configured to detect vibrations of the vehicle, and to output signals related to the sensed vibrations. A processor is configured to receive the signals output from the vibration sensor. The processor also operates a neural network that has a plurality of nodes, at least some of which are recurrent. The use of the recurrent nodes allows the output of a recurrent node to be fed back into itself, or another node. In addition, the output that is fed back can be combined with other inputs entering the node. In this way, the neural network can quickly learn to distinguish between various conditions, including an occupied state and an unoccupied state of the vehicle. The neural network provides an output indicating whether the vehicle is occupied.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2004Date of Patent: April 1, 2008Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Charles Eagen, Lee Feldkamp, Sam Ebenstein, Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Yelena Rodin, Greg Smith
-
Publication number: 20070216768Abstract: A system for mounting a camera 46 within a vehicle is illustrated. The camera 46 may be positioned behind an IR transmissible window 82 within the vehicle and within a housing 36 within the vehicle. The camera 46 is thus placed between the windshield 20 and the housing 36 so that the field of view 60 of the camera is through the window 82. A notch shape 78 or hole 26 may be formed within the windshield so that the IR transmissive portion may be inserted therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2006Publication date: September 20, 2007Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Gregory Smith, Nicholas Zorka, Kwaku Prakah-Asante, Samuel Ebenstein, Patrick Canfield, Yelena Rodin