Patents by Inventor Linjun Zhang
Linjun Zhang 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).
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Publication number: 20240092398Abstract: Techniques for determining a vehicle trajectory that causes a vehicle to navigate in an environment relative to one or more objects are described herein. For example, the techniques may include a computing device determining a decision tree having nodes to represent different object intents and/or nodes to represent vehicle actions at a future time. A tree search algorithm can search the decision tree to evaluate potential interactions between the vehicle and the one or more objects over a time period, and output a vehicle trajectory for the vehicle. The vehicle trajectory can be sent to a vehicle computing device for consideration during vehicle planning, which may include simulation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2022Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Timothy Caldwell, Xianan Huang, Joseph Lorenzetti, Yunpeng Pan, Ke Sun, Linjun Zhang
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Patent number: 11709227Abstract: A sensor system is disclosed. The sensor system may comprise a housing; an emitter, carried by the housing, that emits a beam comprising depth-data signals; a beam-distribution adjustment system; and a processor programmed to control the adjustment system by selectively changing an angular distribution of the depth-data signals emitted from the housing.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2019Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Codrin Cionca, Juan Enrique Castorena Martinez, Mostafa Parchami, Linjun Zhang, Zhen Zhao
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Publication number: 20230182782Abstract: This disclosure is directed to techniques for identifying relevant objects within an environment. For instance, a vehicle may use sensor data to determine a candidate trajectory associated with the vehicle and a predicted trajectory associated with an object. The vehicle may then use the candidate trajectory and the predicted trajectory to determine an interaction between the vehicle and the object. Based on the interaction, the vehicle may determine a time difference between when the vehicle is predicted to arrive at a location and when the object is predicted to arrive at the location. The vehicle may then determine a relevance score associated with the object using the time difference. Additionally, the vehicle may determine whether to input object data associated with the object into a planner component based on the relevance score. The planner component determines one or more actions for the vehicle to perform.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2021Publication date: June 15, 2023Inventors: Linjun Zhang, Marin Kobilarov
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Patent number: 11662434Abstract: A system is described. The system includes: a support; a first emitter coupled to the support, facing radially outwardly, and configured to emit a continuous-wave (CW) beam; and a second emitter coupled to the support, facing radially outwardly, and configured to emit a pulsed beam. The system may determine reflectivity using the first emitter and may determine a range using the second emitter.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2019Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Codrin Cionca, Juan Enrique Castorena Martinez, Lu Xu, Linjun Zhang
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Patent number: 11622286Abstract: A system includes an infrastructure element having a computer. The computer is programmed to receive one or more communication metrics, and node identification data including node location data, from each of a plurality of stationary communication nodes coverage area. The computer is programmed to generate a communication metrics table that identifies locations of the stationary communication nodes and specifies their respective communication metrics. The computer is programmed, based on the communication metrics table, to adjust a transmission parameter of the infrastructure element, the transmission parameter including at least one of a transmission power or a data throughput rate.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2020Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang
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Patent number: 11615702Abstract: A system comprising a computer including instructions to collect object data about each of a plurality of objects within a zone from sensors on a roadside infrastructure unit. The zone includes a road intersection. The object data includes an object type, an object location, an object speed and an object direction of travel for each object. The computer further includes instructions to determine, based on the object data, an availability level for execution of one or more paths through the road intersection by a vehicle wherein the availability level for each of the one or more paths is based on a likelihood of interference between any of the objects and the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the respective path. The computer further includes instructions to transmit an availability message to the vehicle including the availability level for each of the one or more paths.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2020Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Linjun Zhang, Helen E. Kourous
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Patent number: 11604288Abstract: A computer is programmed to determine a localization of a first vehicle, including location coordinates and an orientation of the first vehicle, based on first vehicle sensor data, and to wirelessly receive localizations of respective second vehicles, wherein a first vehicle field of view at least partially overlaps respective fields of view of each of the second vehicles. The computer is programmed to determine pair-wise localizations for respective pairs of the first vehicle and one of the second vehicles, wherein each of the pair-wise localizations defines a localization of the first vehicle relative to a global coordinate system based on a (a) relative localization of the first vehicle with reference to the respective second vehicle and (b) a second vehicle localization relative to the global coordinate system, and to determine an adjusted localization for the first vehicle that has a minimized sum of distances to the pair-wise localizations.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2019Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Juan Enrique Castorena Martinez, Codrin Cionca, Linjun Zhang, Lu Xu
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Patent number: 11588236Abstract: A system comprises an infrastructure element including a computer programmed to communicate with a first stationary communication node having a first directional short-wave antenna with a first field of view and a second stationary communication node having a second directional short-wave antenna with a second field of view. The first communication node is located within the second field of view. The computer is programmed to determine a first and a second transmission parameter for the first and second stationary communication node respectively based on received object detection sensor data including object data from a respective field of view of each communication node's directional antenna. Each of the first and second transmission parameters includes a transmission power and/or a data throughput rate.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2020Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang
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Patent number: 11521491Abstract: A computer for a roadside infrastructure element includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive communications from a plurality of vehicles; receive sensor data about an area that includes the roadside infrastructure element; based on the sensor data, determine whether the plurality of vehicles includes a priority vehicle or a spoofing vehicle; and specify to the plurality of vehicles a first action upon determining that the plurality of vehicles includes the priority vehicle, and a second action upon determining that the plurality of vehicles includes a spoofing vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang
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Patent number: 11495125Abstract: A system comprises a computer including a processor, and a memory. The memory stores instructions such that the processor is programmed to determine two or more clusters of vehicle operating parameter values from each of a plurality of vehicles at a location within a time. Determining the two or more clusters includes clustering data from the plurality of vehicles based on proximity to two or more respective means. The processor is further programmed to determine a reportable condition when a mean for a cluster representing a greatest number of vehicles varies from a baseline by more than a threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2019Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Linjun Zhang, Juan Enrique Castorena Martinez, Codrin Cionca, Mostafa Parchami
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Patent number: 11449090Abstract: A plurality of messages can be received from a remote device, each of the messages including a respective sent time from the remote device. A receiver can store a respective receipt time of each of the messages. A computer clock can be adjusted based on a first difference between respective sent times and a second difference between respective receipt times.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2019Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang
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Patent number: 11405762Abstract: A vehicle computer comprises a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive a location of a first stationary directional short-wave antenna, to determine a line from a vehicle location to the location of the first stationary antenna, to transmit a short-wave request message to the first stationary short-wave antenna based on the determined line, the message including vehicle data, and upon receiving a short-wave acknowledgment message from the first stationary short-wave antenna, to transmit a second short-wave message including vehicle data.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2020Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang
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Patent number: 11374667Abstract: A system comprises a computer including a processor. The processor receives from each of a plurality of vehicles within a region, a respective plurality of messages and identifies for each of the plurality of vehicles, a respective communications discontinuity during which an expected message fails to be received from the respective vehicle. The processor determines, for each communications discontinuity, discontinuity edge locations at each of a beginning of the communications discontinuity and an end of the communications discontinuity. The processor further determines an interference node location based on the discontinuity edge locations.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2019Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang
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Patent number: 11367347Abstract: A computer is programmed to collect first data with a stationary infrastructure sensor describing a first plurality of objects, the first data including at least one movable vehicle, identify a respective first bounding box for each of the first plurality of objects, and receive a message from the vehicle including second data describing a second plurality of objects, whereby at least one object is included in the first plurality of objects and the second plurality of objects. The computer identifies a respective second bounding box for each of the second plurality of objects. The computer identifies, for each object in both the first and second plurality of objects, a respective overlapping area of first and second bounding boxes. The computer transforms coordinates of the first data to coordinates of the second data upon determining that a mean value of the overlapping areas is below a threshold.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2020Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang
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Publication number: 20220103988Abstract: A vehicle computer comprises a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive a location of a first stationary directional short-wave antenna, to determine a line from a vehicle location to the location of the first stationary antenna, to transmit a short-wave request message to the first stationary short-wave antenna based on the determined line, the message including vehicle data, and upon receiving a short-wave acknowledgment message from the first stationary short-wave antenna, to transmit a second short-wave message including vehicle data.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2020Publication date: March 31, 2022Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: LINJUN ZHANG
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Publication number: 20220084405Abstract: A system comprising a computer including instructions to collect object data about each of a plurality of objects within a zone from sensors on a roadside infrastructure unit. The zone includes a road intersection. The object data includes an object type, an object location, an object speed and an object direction of travel for each object. The computer further includes instructions to determine, based on the object data, an availability level for execution of one or more paths through the road intersection by a vehicle wherein the availability level for each of the one or more paths is based on a likelihood of interference between any of the objects and the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the respective path. The computer further includes instructions to transmit an availability message to the vehicle including the availability level for each of the one or more paths.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2020Publication date: March 17, 2022Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Linjun Zhang, Helen E. Kourous
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Patent number: 11247724Abstract: A computer, including a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions to be executed by the processor to receive a vehicle path from a server computer and verify the vehicle path based on vehicle dynamics and vehicle constraints. The instruction can include further instructions to, when the vehicle path is verified as correct, operating the vehicle on the vehicle path and, when the vehicle path is verified as incorrect, stopping the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2019Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Linjun Zhang, Lu Xu, Codrin Cionca, Juan Enrique Castorena Martinez
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Patent number: 11210945Abstract: An infrastructure system includes at least one sensor, a transceiver, and a computer communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and to the transceiver. The computer is programmed to receive data from the at least one sensor indicating respective locations and motions of objects in an environment surrounding the at least one sensor; in response to one of (a) the data from the at least one sensor or (b) a request from a user, generate a virtual traffic marker at a first location in the environment; and instruct the transceiver to broadcast the virtual traffic marker to vehicles in the environment. The first location is based on the data from the at least one sensor, and the virtual traffic marker is data including the first location and traffic instructions corresponding to the first location.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2020Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Helen Kourous-Harrigan, Linjun Zhang, John Anthony Lockwood
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Publication number: 20210399415Abstract: A system comprises an infrastructure element including a computer programmed to communicate with a first stationary communication node having a first directional short-wave antenna with a first field of view and a second stationary communication node having a second directional short-wave antenna with a second field of view. The first communication node is located within the second field of view. The computer is programmed to determine a first and a second transmission parameter for the first and second stationary communication node respectively based on received object detection sensor data including object data from a respective field of view of each communication node's directional antenna. Each of the first and second transmission parameters includes a transmission power and/or a data throughput rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2020Publication date: December 23, 2021Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang
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Publication number: 20210400500Abstract: A system includes an infrastructure element having a computer. The computer is programmed to receive one or more communication metrics, and node identification data including node location data, from each of a plurality of stationary communication nodes coverage area. The computer is programmed to generate a communications metrics table that and identifies locations of the stationary communication nodes and specifies their respective communication metrics. The computer is programmed, based on the communication metrics table, to adjust a transmission parameter of the infrastructure element, the transmission parameter including at least one of a transmission power or a data throughput rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2020Publication date: December 23, 2021Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Linjun Zhang