Patents by Inventor William Patrick Garrett

William Patrick Garrett 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: 20230256880
    Abstract: Systems are provided for an assist pocket. In particular, an assist pocket formed into a vehicle pillar. Certain embodiments of the assist pocket may include a depression formed into the vehicle pillar dimensioned to accept fingers of an occupant, where a grip is formed along an edge of the depression and extends partially over the pocket. The assist pocket may be formed to help occupants ingress and egress a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: GEORGE EVANS, WILLIAM PATRICK GARRETT, PHILIP BABIAN
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10926736
    Abstract: A positional-dependent airbag deployment system is provided. A plurality of tether cutters are configured to cut at least one of a plurality of tethers affixed to an airbag. An image sensor is configured to monitor the position of an occupant's head within a vehicle. In response to detecting a collision event, an airbag controller determines a trajectory of the occupant's head based on the image sensor data and other data and determines a cutting sequence of the tethers such the airbag will be deployed in a trajectory to intercept the occupant's head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Winston Robertson, William Patrick Garrett, George Evans
  • Publication number: 20200353886
    Abstract: A positional-dependent airbag deployment system is provided. A plurality of tether cutters are configured to cut at least one of a plurality of tethers affixed to an airbag. An image sensor is configured to monitor the position of an occupant's head within a vehicle. In response to detecting a collision event, an airbag controller determines a trajectory of the occupant's head based on the image sensor data and other data and determines a cutting sequence of the tethers such the airbag will be deployed in a trajectory to intercept the occupant's head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: WINSTON ROBERTSON, WILLIAM PATRICK GARRETT, GEORGE EVANS
  • Patent number: 8872676
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a capacitive switching system may include a plurality of capacitive switches and at least one processor. Each of the capacitive switches may include an activation surface offset from an energized conductor by a dielectric region and a capacitance that is dependent upon an electric field generated by the energized conductor. The at least one processor may execute machine readable instructions to transform a change in the capacitance of one of the capacitive switches into a first control signal indicative of a first active state. A rejection delay may be activated by the at least one processor after the change in the capacitance of the one of the capacitive switches. The rejection delay can remain activated for a predetermined time period. A second control signal may be prevented from indicating a second active state while the rejection delay is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Scott Sitarski, William Patrick Garrett
  • Publication number: 20130033356
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a capacitive switching system may include a plurality of capacitive switches and at least one processor. Each of the capacitive switches may include an activation surface offset from an energized conductor by a dielectric region and a capacitance that is dependent upon an electric field generated by the energized conductor. The at least one processor may execute machine readable instructions to transform a change in the capacitance of one of the capacitive switches into a first control signal indicative of a first active state. A rejection delay may be activated by the at least one processor after the change in the capacitance of the one of the capacitive switches. The rejection delay can remain activated for a predetermined time period. A second control signal may be prevented from indicating a second active state while the rejection delay is activated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Scott Sitarski, William Patrick Garrett