Patents Assigned to Motional AD LLC
  • Patent number: 12272120
    Abstract: A perception system may be used to generate bounding boxes for objects in a vehicle scene. The perception system may receive images and feature maps corresponding to the received images. The perception system may generate multiple pluralities of windows and use the multiple pluralities of windows to enrich semantic data of the feature maps. The perception system may use the enriched semantic to generate one or more bounding boxes for objects in the vehicle scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Jongwoo Park, Apoorv Sing, Varun Kumar Reddy Bankiti
  • Patent number: 12269473
    Abstract: The subject matter described in this specification is directed to a system and techniques for operating an autonomous vehicle (AV) at a multi-way stop intersection. After detecting the AV is at a primary stopline of the multi-way stop intersection, a planned travel path though the multi-way stop intersection is obtained. If the planned travel path of the AV through the multi-way stop intersection satisfies a set of one or more clearance criteria, the AV proceeds past the primary stopline. The clearance criteria include a criterion that is satisfied in response to detecting the AV is clear to safely merge into a travel lane corresponding to the planned travel path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventor: Scott Drew Pendleton
  • Patent number: 12271998
    Abstract: Among other things, techniques are described for spatially and temporally consistent ground modelling with information fusion. A vehicle location and orientation is obtained and an instantaneous ground height estimation is obtained for anchor cells of a grid map of the vehicle based on the obtained vehicle location and orientation. A pseudo ground height associated with non-anchor cells of the grid map is computed. A Bayesian filtering framework is used to generate a final ground height estimate for the anchor cells and the non-anchor cells based on the instantaneous ground height estimation for the anchor cells, the pseudo ground height associated with non-anchor cells, an estimated ground height from a previous timestamp, or any combinations thereof. The vehicle operates according to the final ground height estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Yu Pan, Thomas Koelbaek Jespersen, Jiong Yang
  • Patent number: 12271684
    Abstract: Provided are methods for automated verification of annotated sensor data, which can include receiving annotated image data associated with an image, wherein the annotated image data comprises an annotation associated with an object within the image, determining an error with the annotation based at least in part on a comparison of the annotation with annotation criteria data associated with criteria for at least one annotation, determining a priority level of the error, and routing the annotation to a destination based at least in part on the priority level of the error. Systems and computer program products are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Kok Seang Tan, Holger Caesar, Yiluan Guo, Oscar Beijbom
  • Patent number: 12266865
    Abstract: Provided are wavelength based V2X antennas, and related antenna systems and method, which can include a first antenna having a first wavelength and a second antenna having a second antenna. Some antenna systems control a wavelength of a signal for transmission using one of the first antenna and the second antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Jungnam Bae, Junho Park
  • Patent number: 12267569
    Abstract: This application relates to sensor systems and related devices and methods. A sensor device can include an image sensor configured to generate image data based on infrared light received at the image sensor, a primary lens positioned to direct light from a scene onto the image sensor, and an array of microlenses positioned between the image sensor and the primary lens, each microlens configured to focus the light from the scene onto a corresponding portion of the image sensor. A method can include receiving plenoptic image data based on infrared light, generating a two-dimensional image of a scene, and determining a depth to an object represented by the pixel based on the plenoptic image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: MOTIONAL AD LLC
    Inventor: Nivi Seshadri
  • Patent number: 12266135
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods used for calibration of camera/sensor systems. A calibration target system can include at least one calibration target element and at least one black body source. The calibration target element can include an outer perimeter, a modular transfer function (MTF) testing area, a through hole extending through the at least one calibration target, and a plurality of slots extending through the at least one calibration target. The MTF testing area can comprise a light-absorbing surface and at least one slant edge that is non-orthogonal with respect to any side of the outer perimeter. The black body source can be positioned behind the at least one calibration target elements and configured to emit black body radiation such that the black body radiation passes through the through hole and the plurality of slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Nijumudheen Muhassin, Yew Kwang Low, Jayesh Dwivedi
  • Patent number: 12258037
    Abstract: Provided are methods for efficient vehicle extent estimation, which can include bounding box generation. Some methods described include determining bounding boxes surrounding detected point clusters according to tangents to convex hulls of the point clusters, and minimizing continuous functions of distances between points and bounding box sides. Accordingly, best-fit bounding boxes are determined more efficiently and quickly, as well as more accurately. Systems and computer program products are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventor: Giancarlo Baldan
  • Patent number: 12262512
    Abstract: Provided are example systems for dissipating heat from vehicle-based data processing components. In an example implementation, a heat dissipation device includes a heat sink, an enclosure configured to receive a device including electronic circuitry, a fan, and a flange extending along a periphery of the enclosure and/or the heat sink. The heat dissipation device is configured for insertion into an aperture of a wall of an interior compartment of a vehicle, such that the flange is positioned against the wall, at least a portion of the enclosure is positioned within the interior compartment of the vehicle, and at least a portion of the heat sink and the fan are positioned along an exterior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Christopher P. Bird, Andrew Moore
  • Patent number: 12258029
    Abstract: Among other things, a vehicle drives autonomously on a trajectory through a road network to a goal location based on an automatic process for planning the trajectory without human intervention; and an automatic process alters the planning of the trajectory to reach a target location based on a request received from an occupant of the vehicle to engage in a speed-reducing maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Harshavardhan Ravichandran, Karl Iagnemma, Eric Wolff
  • Patent number: 12246655
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and methods used in the development and validation of autonomous vehicles ability to track objects with sensors. This application describes a self-propelled autonomous platform and methods for carrying a pedestrian, cyclist or vehicular type target in a predetermined pattern during one or more testing runs. The self-propelled autonomous platform includes a sensor configured to retract within a platform housing of the self-propelled autonomous platform when being driven over during a test run.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: MOTIONAL AD LLC
    Inventors: Lucas Kuwae, Alejandro Barragan, Tan Tian Fu
  • Patent number: 12246749
    Abstract: Provided are methods, systems, and computer program products for bidirectional path optimization in a grid. An example method may include: receiving vehicle environment data associated with an environment of a vehicle; determining an occupancy map of the environment using the vehicle environment data, the occupancy map identifying at least one obstacle in the environment; generating a reference path to a destination location for the vehicle; determining a travel path to an intermediate location in the occupancy map based at least in part on the reference path and a longitudinal direction variable, wherein the intermediate location is proximate a point on the reference path; and generating actuation commands for the vehicle based at least in part on the travel path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Boaz Cornelis Floor, Marc Dominik Heim
  • Patent number: 12228412
    Abstract: Provided are methods for completing an errand request prior to fulfilling a ride request. Some methods described include obtaining a ride request from a passenger; obtaining an errand request from the passenger, wherein the errand request comprises performing an activity at a third location prior to pickup of the passenger at the first location; planning a route comprising the third location, the first location, and the second location; navigating the planned route to complete the errand request from the passenger at the third location; and navigating the planned route to transport the passenger from the first location to the second location upon completion of the errand request. Systems and computer program products are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Kevin C. Gall, Bence Cserna, Alexander Brown
  • Patent number: 12225445
    Abstract: Provided are methods for enhanced proactive transceiver and carrier automated arbitration for a vehicle. Some methods described include receiving route information representing a route to be traveled by the vehicle, and determining, based on a prediction model and the route information, a first connectivity score of a first transceiver and a second connectivity score of a second transceiver. Some methods described include comparing the first connectivity score against the second connectivity score, and selecting, based on the first connectivity score being greater than the second connectivity score, the first transceiver. Some methods described include determining, using location information, a current second connectivity score of the second transceiver, and connecting, based on comparing the current second connectivity score against the first connectivity score, the vehicle to the first transceiver or the second transceiver for performing wireless communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Ahmed Elhadeedy, Alejandro Olivares, Syed Tirmizi, Nathaniel Dykstra
  • Patent number: 12214787
    Abstract: Among other things, we describe techniques for estimating a speed profile for a proposed trajectory for a vehicle and operating the vehicle along the proposed trajectory according to the speed profile, including a method for: obtaining, by a planning circuit on a vehicle, a proposed trajectory for the vehicle in response to a driving scenario; obtaining, by the planning circuit, an estimated speed profile, and a confidence score, wherein the confidence score represents a similarity of the estimated speed profile to an actual speed profile that would be generated by a control circuit for the proposed trajectory; determining whether the confidence score meets a confidence threshold; and in accordance with a determination that the confidence score exceeds the confidence threshold, operating, by a control circuit on the vehicle, the vehicle along the proposed trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Francesco Seccamonte, Kostyantyn Slutskyy
  • Patent number: 12217492
    Abstract: Provided are methods for track segment cleaning of tracked objects using neural networks, which can include detecting a first track segment and a second track segment. The method includes applying a machine learning model trained to determine if the first track segment and second track segment capture real objects and if the first track segment and the second track segment are representative of an identical object exterior to a vehicle. The method further includes combining the first track segment and the second track segment to form a single track segment having a single trajectory in response to the first track segment and the second track segment being determined to be representative of the identical object. Systems and computer program products are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Lubing Zhou, Jiong Yang, Yilaun Guo
  • Patent number: 12211288
    Abstract: Provided are methods for managing traffic light detections, which can include: deriving a first state of a traffic light at an intersection a vehicle is approaching, according to first detection data acquired by a first traffic light detection (TLD) system; deriving a second state of the traffic light at the intersection, according to second detection data acquired by a second TLD system that is independent from the first TLD system; determining traffic light information at the intersection based on at least one of (i) the first state or (ii) a result of checking whether the first state is same as the second state; and causing the vehicle to operate in accordance with the determined traffic light information at the intersection. Systems and computer program products are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventor: Chong Meng Wong
  • Patent number: 12199838
    Abstract: Provided are methods for forming redundant node configurations in a multi-systems-on-a-chip environment. Each system-on-a-chip can include one or processors and memories independent of other systems-on-a-chip and in communication via a cache coherent fabric. To facilitate rapid and extensible reconfiguration, various systems-on-a-chip from the multi-systems-on-a-chip environment can be configured into a redundant node configuration, with each logical node implemented by one or more of the systems-on-a-chip. Each system-on-a-chip within a logical node can be configured to utilize a shared memory space, such as by transparent mirroring of logical memory addresses. Across nodes, systems-on-a-chip can communicate using a device-to-device protocol such as a non-transparent bridge. My reconfiguration of communication between systems-on-a-chip, the multi-systems-on-a-chip environment can be reconfigured to represent a variety of redundant configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Guillaume Binet, Shailendra Deva
  • Patent number: 12187321
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for autonomous vehicle operation using linear temporal logic. The techniques include using one or more processors of a vehicle to store a linear temporal logic expression defining an operating constraint for operating the vehicle. The vehicle is located at a first spatiotemporal location. The one or more processors are used to receive a second spatiotemporal location for the vehicle. The one or more processors are used to identify a motion segment for operating the vehicle from the first spatiotemporal location to the second spatiotemporal location. The one or more processors are used to determine a value of the linear temporal logic expression based on the motion segment. The one or more processors are used to generate an operational metric for operating the vehicle in accordance with the motion segment based on the determined value of the linear temporal logic expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventor: Tichakorn Wongpiromsarn
  • Patent number: D1059374
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Tristan Dwyer, Linh Pham, Adam-Ridgely Khaw, Christopher Konopka, Dexter Stoltz, Sean Beaudette