Patents by Inventor Ralph Grewe

Ralph Grewe 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).

  • Publication number: 20240142265
    Abstract: A method for providing an enhanced environment map for use in vehicles, including: receiving sensor data from sensors of at least one vehicle; evaluating the sensor data; setting location-dependent sensor data by associating the sensor data with a position in an environment map; identifying detection accuracies of the sensors based on the location-dependent sensor data; entering the detection accuracies as sensor models into the environment map in the corresponding positions of the location-dependent sensor data in order to create an enhanced environment map; and providing the enhanced environment map to at least one vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: Continental Autonomous Mobility Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Grewe, Stefan Luthardt, Alice Natoli, Julien Seitz
  • Patent number: 11176385
    Abstract: A system for generating map information for one or more road sections of a digital road map comprises an interface for receiving data records for the one or more road sections. The data records describe properties of surfaces outside the immediate road area. The system further comprises a first module for evaluating the received data records in order to identify first surfaces outside the immediate road area that are able to be driven on by a vehicle after leaving the road and on which the vehicle can be brought to a standstill after leaving the road, a second module for generating a description of the first surfaces in a format suitable for digital road maps, and a third module for retrievably providing the description of the first surfaces in one or more formats suitable for digital road maps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Steen Kristensen, Henning Hamer, Ralph Grewe
  • Patent number: 10955854
    Abstract: A method and a device for determining the position of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps: recording sensor data from the ground over which the vehicle travels; extracting ground characteristics of the ground over which the vehicle travels from the recorded sensor data or from occupancy grids which are calculated on the basis of the sensor data; determining the current position of the vehicle on the basis of the extracted ground characteristics using a characteristic map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: CONTI TEMIC MICROELECTRONIC GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Fechner, Stefan Heinrich, Stefan Hegemann, Ralph Grewe
  • Patent number: 10752255
    Abstract: A surroundings modeling device for a driver assistance system for a motor vehicle, includes a separating device configured to separate a total vehicle surroundings model into a static vehicle surroundings model based on a first look-ahead distance and a dynamic vehicle surroundings model based on a second look-ahead distance. A first real-time computing device is configured to calculate the dynamic vehicle surroundings model on the basis of the first look-ahead distance within a maximum response time. A second real-time computing device is configured to calculate the static vehicle surroundings model on the basis of the second look-ahead distance with a characteristic response time. A situation analysis device is configured to change the separation process on the basis of an analysis of the total vehicle surroundings model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG
    Inventors: Ralph Grewe, Steffen Schaack, Stefan Lüke
  • Patent number: 10705207
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle, with at least one environment sensor which is designed to detect the surroundings of the vehicle, with a computing device which is designed to detect the position of the vehicle and to operate the environment sensor on the basis of corresponding location-dependent operating parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Grewe, Stefan Hegemann, Stefan Heinrich
  • Patent number: 10661788
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle control device for a vehicle, comprising a number of first control devices which are independent of each other and are arranged in a first logical level and designed to calculate predetermined first vehicle control functions and to output first calculation results, a number of further control devices which are independent of each other, are arranged in a number which is superordinate from the first logical level and hierarchically arranged among each other and are designed to calculate further predetermined vehicle control functions and to output further calculation results. According to the invention, the further control devices are designed to use calculation results only of those control devices as input variables for the corresponding vehicle control functions which are arranged in logical levels hierarchically below the logical level of the respective control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL TEVES AG & CO. OHG
    Inventor: Ralph Grewe
  • Patent number: 10650682
    Abstract: The invention relates to a communication system for a vehicle, which device includes a sensor device, wherein the sensor device is arranged to capture sensor data when the sensor device moves. A receiving device receives reference data from an external management system and a processing device determines a difference between the captured sensor data and the corresponding reference data, wherein the determined difference between the captured sensor and the corresponding reference data is transmitted to the external management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ralph Grewe
  • Publication number: 20190318173
    Abstract: A system for generating map information for one or more road sections of a digital road map comprises an interface for receiving data records for the one or more road sections. The data records describe properties of surfaces outside the immediate road area. The system further comprises a first module for evaluating the received data records in order to identify first surfaces outside the immediate road area that are able to be driven on by a vehicle after leaving the road and on which the vehicle can be brought to a standstill after leaving the road, a second module for generating a description of the first surfaces in a format suitable for digital road maps, and a third module for retrievably providing the description of the first surfaces in one or more formats suitable for digital road maps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Applicant: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Steen KRISTENSEN, Henning HAMER, Ralph GREWE
  • Publication number: 20180251134
    Abstract: A surroundings modeling device for a driver assistance system for a motor vehicle. includes a separating device configured to separate a total vehicle surroundings model into a static vehicle surroundings model based on a first look-ahead distance and a dynamic vehicle surroundings model based on a second look-ahead distance. A first real-time computing device is configured to calculate the dynamic vehicle surroundings model on the basis of the first look-ahead distance within a maximum response time. A second real-time computing device is configured to calculate the static vehicle surroundings model on the basis of the second look-ahead distance with a characteristic response time. A situation analysis device is configured to change the separation process on the basis of an analysis of the total vehicle surroundings model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Ralph Grewe, Steffen Schaack, Stefan Lüke
  • Publication number: 20170341644
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle control device for a vehicle, comprising a number of first control devices which are independent of each other and are arranged in a first logical level and designed to calculate predetermined first vehicle control functions and to output first calculation results, a number of further control devices which are independent of each other, are arranged in a number which is superordinate from the first logical level and hierarchically arranged among each other and are designed to calculate further predetermined vehicle control functions and to output further calculation results. According to the invention, the further control devices are designed to use calculation results only of those control devices as input variables for the corresponding vehicle control functions which are arranged in logical levels hierarchically below the logical level of the respective control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventor: Ralph Grewe
  • Patent number: 9829575
    Abstract: A sensor system detects objects in an environment ahead of a vehicle. The environment is represented by a predetermined fixed number of position points in an environment model. Initially and when no objects are detected, the position points may be distributed stochastically over the detection area of the sensor system. When objects are detected, the position points are re-distributed based on the detected objects, e.g. with a higher density of position points to represent the detected objects. Because the total number of position points is a predefined fixed number that remains constant, the processing, storage and transmission of the environment model involves a constant data volume and efficient use of memory and transmission bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignees: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH, Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Stefan Hegemann, Ralph Grewe, Andree Hohm, Stefan Lueke
  • Publication number: 20170236419
    Abstract: The invention relates to a communication system for a vehicle, which device includes a sensor device, wherein the sensor device is arranged to capture sensor data when the sensor device moves. A receiving device receives reference data from an external management system and a processing device determines a difference between the captured sensor data and the corresponding reference data, wherein the determined difference between the captured sensor and the corresponding reference data is transmitted to the external management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventor: Ralph GREWE
  • Patent number: 9690993
    Abstract: A method and a device for analyzing trafficability use a computer to perform the following steps: receiving image data representing an image of surroundings in front of a vehicle, analyzing the image data to identify different zones in the image of the surroundings, and analyzing the identified different zones in terms of trafficability thereof for the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Grewe, Stefan Hegemann, Matthias Zobel
  • Publication number: 20170176998
    Abstract: A method and a device for determining the position of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps: recording sensor data from the ground over which the vehicle travels; extracting ground characteristics of the ground over which the vehicle travels from the recorded sensor data or from occupancy grids which are calculated on the basis of the sensor data; determining the current position of the vehicle on the basis of the extracted ground characteristics using a characteristic map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fechner, Stefan Heinrich, Stefan Hegemann, Ralph Grewe
  • Publication number: 20170153326
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle, with at least one environment sensor which is designed to detect the surroundings of the vehicle, with a computing device which is designed to detect the position of the vehicle and to operate the environment sensor on the basis of corresponding location-dependent operating parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Grewe, Stefan Hegemann, Stefan Heinrich
  • Publication number: 20170116758
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device for measuring distance using a camera. The camera is movably arranged on a camera holder. A controller is designed to control a movement of the camera, in particular in a stationary state of the device, in such a manner that the camera records at least two images in at least two positions. A computing device is designed to calculate and output the distance of the device from objects visible on the images based on the at least two images. Further, the present disclosure discloses a vehicle and a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Grewe, Stefan Hegemann
  • Publication number: 20170082757
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a reference position as the basis for a correction of a GNSS position of a vehicle located using a Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS), which contains an absolute position of the vehicle, comprising: recording the absolute position of the vehicle using the GNSS when an output signal (from a motion recording sensor in the vehicle has a characteristic progression; determining the reference position based on the sensed absolute position and assigning the reference position to the characteristic progression of the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Annemarie Kunkel, Ulrich Stählin, Zydek Bastian, Ralph Grewe, Maxim Arbitmann, Thomas Grotendorst, Matthias Komar, Adam Swoboda
  • Patent number: 9481374
    Abstract: A driver assistance system with improved fault tolerance and a method for the same are provided. An actuator control variable for a reduced driver assistance application with reduced functionality is a calculated in a second control unit in case of unavailability of an actuator control variable for the main driver assistance application with full functionality as determined by a first control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Grewe, Stefan Hegemann, Marc Fischer, Rolf Adomat
  • Publication number: 20150360625
    Abstract: A device and a method for determining a position of one or more structural elements of a vehicle the position of which can be changed and a change in the position of which alters external dimensions of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicants: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH, Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Martin Randler, Ralph Grewe, Marc Fischer, Dirk Ulbricht, Alfred Eckert, Ronald Bayer, Stefan Lüke, Bernd Piller, Georg Halasy-Wimmer
  • Publication number: 20150324649
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for analyzing trafficability using a computer, said method comprising the following steps: receiving image data of surroundings (10) in front of a vehicle (S10), analyzing the image data to identify different zones (12, 14, 16, 18, 24) in an image of the surroundings (S12, S14, S16, S18, S20); and analyzing identified different zones (16, 18) in terms of trafficability for the vehicle (S22, S24).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: CONTI TEMIC MICROELECTRONIC GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph GREWE, Stefan HEGEMANN, Matthias ZOBEL