Patents by Inventor Thomas Voorheis

Thomas Voorheis 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: 10899349
    Abstract: A method and system for centering a vehicle in a lane. The system includes an electromagnetic radiation sensor, a motion sensor, a steering system, and an electronic controller. The electronic controller is configured to receive environmental information regarding an environment external to the vehicle from the electromagnetic radiation sensor and to receive a first motion of the vehicle from the motion sensor. The electronic controller is also configured to determine a predicted position of the vehicle based the first motion of the vehicle and the environmental information, store the predicted position, compare the predicted position to a desired position of the vehicle to generate and send a corrective signal to the steering system. The electronic controller is further configured to determine a current position of the vehicle, compare the current position with the predicted position to generate a difference, and calibrate the motion sensor based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Voorheis
  • Patent number: 10444346
    Abstract: A pedestrian collision avoidance system for a vehicle including a radar sensor, a video camera, and an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU detects an object in the video information and classifies the object as a pedestrian based on a comparison of the video information with a database. The ECU determines a distance to the pedestrian based on the radar information and determines a characteristic of the pedestrian based on the video information, the distance, and the database. When the pedestrian ceases to be detected by the radar sensor, the ECU determines an updated distance to the pedestrian based on the video information and the characteristic of the pedestrian. The ECU determines whether a potential for collision exists between the vehicle and the pedestrian based in part on the distance to the pedestrian, and when the potential for collision is present, the ECU activates an automatic vehicle response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Voorheis, Oliver F. Schwindt
  • Publication number: 20190193730
    Abstract: A method and system for centering a vehicle in a lane. The system includes an electromagnetic radiation sensor, a motion sensor, a steering system, and an electronic controller. The electronic controller is configured to receive environmental information regarding an environment external to the vehicle from the electromagnetic radiation sensor and to receive a first motion of the vehicle from the motion sensor. The electronic controller is also configured to determine a predicted position of the vehicle based the first motion of the vehicle and the environmental information, store the predicted position, compare the predicted position to a desired position of the vehicle to generate and send a corrective signal to the steering system. The electronic controller is further configured to determine a current position of the vehicle, compare the current position with the predicted position to generate a difference, and calibrate the motion sensor based on the difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventor: Thomas Voorheis
  • Patent number: 10217364
    Abstract: A lane assistance system of a host vehicle for reacting to fast and extremely fast approaching vehicles includes a rear radar sensing unit having a sensor and an electronic controller. The electronic controller determines the distance and relative velocity of the fast approaching vehicle to the host vehicle. Further, depending on the closeness of the approaching vehicle, the lane of the approaching vehicle is determined from angular resolution of the radar signal. When the vehicle is approaching at an extremely fast rate and the angular resolution of the radar signal is not capable of determining an exact relative lane of the approaching vehicle due to the vehicle being too far away, the assistance system warns against or prevents lane changes by the host vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Schwindt, Kevin Buckner, Bhavana Chakraborty, Raphael Hellinger, Thomas Voorheis
  • Publication number: 20180025645
    Abstract: A lane assistance system of a host vehicle for reacting to fast and extremely fast approaching vehicles includes a rear radar sensing unit having a sensor and an electronic controller. The electronic controller determines the distance and relative velocity of the fast approaching vehicle to the host vehicle. Further, depending on the closeness of the approaching vehicle, the lane of the approaching vehicle is determined from angular resolution of the radar signal. When the vehicle is approaching at an extremely fast rate and the angular resolution of the radar signal is not capable of determining an exact relative lane of the approaching vehicle due to the vehicle being too far away, the assistance system warns against or prevents lane changes by the host vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Oliver SCHWINDT, Kevin BUCKNER, Bhavana CHAKRABORTY, Raphael HELLINGER, Thomas VOORHEIS
  • Publication number: 20170205506
    Abstract: A pedestrian collision avoidance system for a vehicle including a radar sensor, a video camera, and an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU detects an object in the video information and classifies the object as a pedestrian based on a comparison of the video information with a database. The ECU determines a distance to the pedestrian based on the radar information and determines a characteristic of the pedestrian based on the video information, the distance, and the database. When the pedestrian ceases to be detected by the radar sensor, the ECU determines an updated distance to the pedestrian based on the video information and the characteristic of the pedestrian. The ECU determines whether a potential for collision exists between the vehicle and the pedestrian based in part on the distance to the pedestrian, and when the potential for collision is present, the ECU activates an automatic vehicle response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Voorheis, Oliver F. Schwindt
  • Patent number: 9440649
    Abstract: A method and system for mitigating the impact of a vehicle collision senses location, speed, orientation, and direction of movement data of a host vehicle and an interfering vehicle that has moved or is moving into the path of the host vehicle. A control unit analyzes the data and determines whether a collision is unavoidable. If so, the control unit determines a vehicle path for the host vehicle that will minimize the effects of the collision. By changing the vehicle path, the impact of the collision is less direct and the effect on both of the vehicles is mitigated to some degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Iulian Ciotlos, Shuvo Bhattacharjee, Anson Abraham, Robert Jones, Thomas Voorheis, Kevin Lill, Xavier Zhu, Michel Sittner
  • Publication number: 20160121884
    Abstract: A method and system for mitigating the impact of a vehicle collision senses location, speed, orientation, and direction of movement data of a host vehicle and an interfering vehicle that has moved or is moving into the path of the host vehicle. A control unit analyzes the data and determines whether a collision is unavoidable. If so, the control unit determines a vehicle path for the host vehicle that will minimize the effects of the collision. By changing the vehicle path, the impact of the collision is less direct and the effect on both of the vehicles is mitigated to some degree.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Iulian Ciotlos, Shuvo Bhattacharjee, Anson Abraham, Robert Jones, Thomas Voorheis, Kevin Lill, Xavier Zhu, Michel Sittner