Patents Assigned to UATC, LLC
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Patent number: 11537127Abstract: Systems and methods for vehicle motion planning based on uncertainty are provided. A method can include obtaining scene data descriptive of one or more objects within a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle. The method can include determining one or more subproblems based at least in part on the scene data. In some implementation, each of the one or more subproblems can correspond to at least one object within the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle. The method can include generating one or more branching policies based at least in part on the one or more subproblems. In some implementations, each of the one or more branching policies can include scene data associated with the autonomous vehicle and one or more objects within the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle. The method can include determining one or more costs associated each of the one or more branching policies.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2019Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Eric Lloyd Wilkinson, Michael Lee Phillips, David Mcallister Bradley, Zakary Warren Littlefield, Aum Jadhav, Utku Eren, Samuel Philip Marden, Colin Jeffrey Green
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Patent number: 11537106Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling a vehicle computing system are provided. A computing system can include a first cooling baseplate including a first planar cooling surface and a second cooling baseplate including a second planar cooling surface. The computing system can further include one or more computing devices including a processor blade positioned on the first planar cooling surface, a coprocessor blade positioned on the second planar cooling surface, and a flexible connector coupled between the processor blade and the coprocessor blade. The flexible connector can be configured to transfer at least one of data or electric power between the processor blade and the coprocessor blade. The first planar cooling surface can be configured to transfer heat from the processor blade to a cooling fluid via conduction. The second planar cooling surface can be configured to transfer heat from the coprocessor blade to the cooling fluid via conduction.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2021Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Thomas Jeffery Watson, Jr., Scott Klaus Boehmke
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Patent number: 11531346Abstract: An autonomous vehicle can obtain state data associated with an object in an environment, obtain map data including information associated with spatial relationships between at least a subset of lanes of a road network, and determine a set of candidate paths that the object may follow in the environment based at least in part on the spatial relationships between at least two lanes of the road network. Each candidate path can include a respective set of spatial cells. The autonomous vehicle can determine, for each candidate path, a predicted occupancy for each spatial cell of the respective set of spatial cells of such candidate path during at least a portion of a prediction time horizon. The autonomous vehicle can generate prediction data associated with the object based at least in part on the predicted occupancy for each spatial cell of the respective set of spatial cells for at least one candidate path.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Micol Marchetti-Bowick, Poornima Kaniarasu, Galen Clark Haynes
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Patent number: 11521396Abstract: Systems and methods are described that probabilistically predict dynamic object behavior. In particular, in contrast to existing systems which attempt to predict object trajectories directly (e.g., directly predict a specific sequence of well-defined states), a probabilistic approach is instead leveraged that predicts discrete probability distributions over object state at each of a plurality of time steps. In one example, systems and methods predict future states of dynamic objects (e.g., pedestrians) such that an autonomous vehicle can plan safer actions/movement.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Ajay Jain, Sergio Casas, Renjie Liao, Yuwen Xiong, Song Feng, Sean Segal, Raquel Urtasun
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Patent number: 11518393Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for validating vehicle trajectories are provided. A vehicle controller can obtain a motion plan indicative of a trajectory including one or more state variables and one or more control variables. The vehicle controller can determine a dynamics defect value for the motion plan based at least in part on the one or more state variables, the one or more control variables, and a continuous-time dynamics function comprising a function indicative of a change in the one or more state variables and the one or more control variables over time. The vehicle controller can further determine the motion plan is dynamically consistent based at least in part on the dynamics defect value, generate one or more vehicle system control signals, and control the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the one or more vehicle system control signals.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Chenggang Liu, David Mcallister Bradley
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Patent number: 11518346Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for cleaning a sensor are provided. A sensor can include a housing. The housing can include a curved lens. The sensor can further include an inlet configured to receive a pressurized fluid. The sensor can further include a rotatable fluid distributor positioned within the housing. The rotatable fluid distributor can be configured to receive the pressurized fluid from the inlet. The sensor can further include a plurality of nozzles positioned around an exterior of the housing. Each of the plurality of nozzles can be configured to direct a flow of the pressurized fluid onto at least a portion of the curved lens. When the pressurized fluid is provided to the inlet, the rotatable fluid distributor can be configured to receive the pressurized fluid from the inlet and distribute the pressurized fluid to only a subset of the plurality of nozzles at any time.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Wesly Mason Rice, Owen Watt, Douglass Zhong, Robert Kip Terhune, Andrew Joseph Chellman, Aaron Gregory Burton
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Patent number: 11522836Abstract: Systems and methods for operating autonomous vehicle devices in a network according to a network configuration are discussed. The network can include a plurality of pods configured to run on the one or more host computing devices. The network can include one or more containers encapsulated by each of the plurality of pods. The network can include one or more communication links configured to provide communications among the plurality of network devices. For instance, the one or more communication links can include one or more intranetwork links configured to provide communication between the plurality of pods. The network can include a firewall comprising one or more firewall rules. The one or more firewall rules can be configured to allow communications along the one or more communication links and block communications along some or all connections other than the one or more communication links.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventor: Glenn Paul Stroz
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Patent number: 11520338Abstract: Systems and methods for vehicle spatial path sampling are provided. The method includes obtaining an initial travel path for an autonomous vehicle from a first location to a second location and vehicle configuration data indicative of one or more physical constraints of the autonomous vehicle. The method includes determining one or more secondary travel paths for the autonomous vehicle from the first location to the second location based on the initial travel path and the vehicle configuration data. The method includes generating a spatial envelope based on the one or more secondary travel paths that indicates a plurality of lateral offsets from the initial travel path. And, the method includes generating a plurality of trajectories for the autonomous vehicle to travel from the first location to the second location such that each of the plurality of trajectories include one or more lateral offsets identified by the spatial envelope.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: David McAllister Bradley, Chenggang Liu, Daoyuan Jia
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Patent number: 11520339Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an autonomous vehicle are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes receiving data representing a first location associated with a service request. The method includes controlling the autonomous vehicle to travel in accordance with a first route that leads to the first location. The method includes determining a second location for the service request when the autonomous vehicle is en route to the first location. The method includes controlling the autonomous vehicle to provide the requested service at the second location.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Molly Castle Nix, Sean Chin, Dennis Zhao, Joseph Maliksi
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Patent number: 11513517Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to controlling state transitions in an autonomous vehicle. In particular, a computing system can initiate the autonomous vehicle into a no-authorization state upon startup. The computing system can receive an authorization request. The computing system determines whether the authorization request includes a request to enter the first or second mode of operations, wherein the first mode of operations is associated with the autonomous vehicle being operated without a human operator and the second mode of operations is associated with the autonomous vehicle being operable by a human operator. The computing system can transition the autonomous vehicle from the no-authorization state into a standby state in response to determining the authorization request includes a request to enter the first mode of operations or into a manual-controlled state in response to determining the authorization request is a request to enter the second mode of operations.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2020Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Frederic Tschanz, Maitreya Jayesh Naik, Diana Yanakiev, Aaron L. Greenfield, Scott C. Poeppel
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Patent number: 11500099Abstract: Generally, the disclosed systems and methods implement improved detection of objects in three-dimensional (3D) space. More particularly, an improved 3D object detection system can exploit continuous fusion of multiple sensors and/or integrated geographic prior map data to enhance effectiveness and robustness of object detection in applications such as autonomous driving. In some implementations, geographic prior data (e.g., geometric ground and/or semantic road features) can be exploited to enhance three-dimensional object detection for autonomous vehicle applications. In some implementations, object detection systems and methods can be improved based on dynamic utilization of multiple sensor modalities. More particularly, an improved 3D object detection system can exploit both LIDAR systems and cameras to perform very accurate localization of objects within three-dimensional space relative to an autonomous vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2019Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Ming Liang, Bin Yang, Shenlong Wang, Wei-Chiu Ma, Raquel Urtasun
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Patent number: 11493635Abstract: A system for determining a pose of a vehicle and building maps from vehicle priors processes received ground intensity LIDAR data including intensity data for points believed to be on the ground and height information to form ground intensity LIDAR (GIL) images including pixels in 2D coordinates where each pixel contains an intensity value, a height value, and x- and y-gradients of intensity and height. The GIL images are formed by filtering aggregated ground intensity LIDAR data falling into a same spatial bin on the ground and using a registration algorithm to align two GIL images relative to one another by estimating a 6-degree-of-freedom pose with associated uncertainty that minimizes error between the two GIL images. The aligned GIL images are provided as a pose estimate to a localizer. The system may provide online localization and pose estimation, prior building, and prior to prior alignment pose estimation using image-based techniques.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2019Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Peter Hansen, Hatem Alismail
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Patent number: 11493920Abstract: Various examples are directed to systems and method operating an autonomous vehicle. A vehicle system may receive a plurality of inputs from a user of a vehicle, where the plurality of inputs includes a first labeling input received from the user and a first alert input received from the user. After determining that no user input has been received for an input threshold time, the vehicle system provides an alert prompt to the cockpit output device. This may cause the cockpit output device to provide the alert prompt to signal to the user to provide an alert input indicating that the user is alert.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventor: Eyal Cohen
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Patent number: 11494937Abstract: Provided are systems and methods that perform multi-task and/or multi-sensor fusion for three-dimensional object detection in furtherance of, for example, autonomous vehicle perception and control. In particular, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, example systems and methods described herein exploit simultaneous training of a machine-learned model ensemble relative to multiple related tasks to learn to perform more accurate multi-sensor 3D object detection. For example, the present disclosure provides an end-to-end learnable architecture with multiple machine-learned models that interoperate to reason about 2D and/or 3D object detection as well as one or more auxiliary tasks. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, example systems and methods described herein can perform multi-sensor fusion (e.g.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2019Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Raquel Urtasun, Bin Yang, Ming Liang
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Patent number: 11495964Abstract: A vehicle that has electronic systems including an autonomous vehicle stack includes a dual output power system for powering the electronic systems of the vehicle. The power system includes a battery at a first voltage level for storing energy at the first voltage level, a dual output belt-driven starter generator that is started by a starter receiving power from the battery at the first voltage level and that provides dual outputs at a second voltage level for providing power to the electronics systems, at least one DC-DC converter that converts the dual outputs at the second voltage level to dual outputs at the first voltage level, and first and second power distributors that distribute power from the battery and DC-DC converter(s) to the electronic systems. The power systems may be configured to power safety critical components from respective power distributors and DC-DC converters at the respective voltage levels.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2018Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventor: Thomas Lawrence Smith
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Patent number: 11487020Abstract: A satellite signal calibration system can receive sensor data from one or more sensors provided on a vehicle and detect satellite signal from one or more satellites of a satellite positioning system. Using the sensor data, the system can perform a localization operation to determine a current location of the vehicle. The system may then determine timing offsets of the satellite signals from each of the one or more satellites based at least in part on the current location of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2019Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventor: Brett Browning
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Patent number: 11475351Abstract: Systems, methods, tangible non-transitory computer-readable media, and devices for object detection, tracking, and motion prediction are provided. For example, the disclosed technology can include receiving sensor data including information based on sensor outputs associated with detection of objects in an environment over one or more time intervals by one or more sensors. The operations can include generating, based on the sensor data, an input representation of the objects. The input representation can include a temporal dimension and spatial dimensions. The operations can include determining, based on the input representation and a machine-learned model, detected object classes of the objects, locations of the objects over the one or more time intervals, or predicted paths of the objects. Furthermore, the operations can include generating, based on the input representation and the machine-learned model, an output including bounding shapes corresponding to the objects.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2018Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Wenjie Luo, Bin Yang, Raquel Urtasun
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Patent number: 11475675Abstract: Systems and methods of the present disclosure provide an improved approach for open-set instance segmentation by identifying both known and unknown instances in an environment. For example, a method can include receiving sensor point cloud input data including a plurality of three-dimensional points. The method can include determining a feature embedding and at least one of an instance embedding, class embedding, and/or background embedding for each of the plurality of three-dimensional points. The method can include determining a first subset of points associated with one or more known instances within the environment based on the class embedding and the background embedding associated with each point in the plurality of points. The method can include determining a second subset of points associated with one or more unknown instances within the environment based on the first subset of points. The method can include segmenting the input data into known and unknown instances.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Raquel Urtasun, Kelvin Ka Wing Wong, Shenlong Wang, Mengye Ren, Ming Liang
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Patent number: 11472349Abstract: A sensor assembly may include a housing and a collection of optical sensors. The housing may include a base portion, and a raised portion defining a summit of the housing. A collection of optical sensors may include a first set of forward-facing optical sensors individually aligned with a corresponding opening in a front segment of the base portion for the housing, a second set of rear-facing optical sensors individually aligned with a corresponding opening in a rear segment of the base portion for the housing, and multiple sets of lateral optical sensors. Each set of lateral optical sensors may be aligned with a corresponding opening in one of multiple lateral segments of the base portion of the housing. Additionally, at least a first long distance sensor may be mounted on the summit.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2019Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventor: Brian Zajac
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Patent number: 11465630Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating data indicative of a friction associated with a driving surface, and for using the friction data in association with one or more vehicles. In one example, a computing system can detect a stop associated with a vehicle and initiate a steering action of the vehicle during the stop. The steering action is associated with movement of at least one tire of the vehicle relative to a driving surface. The computing system can obtain operational data associated with the steering action during the stop of the vehicle. The computing system can determine a friction associated with the driving surface based at least in part on the operational data associated with the steering action. The computing system can generate data indicative of the friction associated with the driving surface.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2018Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: UATC, LLCInventors: Scott C. Poeppel, Mats Jonasson