Patents Assigned to UATC, LLC
  • Patent number: 11608002
    Abstract: Systems, methods, tangible non-transitory computer-readable media, and devices associated with the operation of a vehicle are provided. For example, a receptacle system can determine states of a receptacle of a vehicle. Further, the states of the receptacle can be associated with accommodation of objects by the receptacle. The receptacle system can receive object data that includes information associated with accommodation of the objects by the receptacle. The receptacle system can also determine operations associated with the receptacle based at least in part on the object data and the states of the receptacle. Furthermore, the receptacle system can generate control signals to perform the operations associated with the receptacle which can include transporting objects in the receptacle, charging objects in the receptacle, extending the receptacle, or retracting the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Johad Husseini Ellis, Christopher Matthew D'Eramo
  • Patent number: 11606215
    Abstract: Systems and methods for onboard vehicle certificate distribution are provided. A system can include a plurality of devices including a master device for authenticating processes and one or more requesting devices. The master device can include a master host security service configured to authenticate the one or more processes of the system. The master host security service can run a certificate authority to generate a root certificate and a private root key corresponding to the root certificate. A respective host security service can receive a request for a process manifest for a requesting process of a respective device from a respective orchestration service. The respective host security service can generate the process manifest for the requesting process and provide the process manifest to the requesting process. The requesting process can use the process manifest to communicate with the certificate authority to obtain an operational certificate based on the root certificate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Michael David Sorensen, Matthew Charles Ellis Wood, Matthew James Harris
  • Patent number: 11604475
    Abstract: A planar-beam, light detection and ranging (PLADAR) system can include a laser to output a laser beam and a collimator configured to collimate the laser beam axially to emit a planar beam from the laser. The PLADAR system can further include a detector to detect reflected light based on the planar beam being reflected from external surfaces of target objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Boehmke
  • Patent number: 11604908
    Abstract: Systems, methods, tangible non-transitory computer-readable media, and devices associated with testing, simulation, or operation of an autonomous device including an autonomous vehicle are provided. For example, a service entity computing system can perform operations including obtaining operating software data associated with operating software of the autonomous vehicle. Log data associated with one or more real-world scenarios can also be obtained. One or more first simulations of the operating software can be performed based on the one or more real-world scenarios. A latency distribution profile associated with the operating software can be generated based on the one or more first simulations. One or more second simulations of the operating software can be performed based on the latency distribution profile and one or more artificially generated scenarios. Furthermore, a real-world behavior of the autonomous vehicle can be predicted based on the one or more second simulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Arun Dravid Kain Venkatadri
  • Patent number: 11599112
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle which includes multiple independent control systems that provide redundancy as to specific and critical safety situations which may be encountered when the autonomous vehicle is in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Letwin, Sean Kelly
  • Patent number: 11597342
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a moveable cover panel of an autonomous vehicle is provided. A vehicle can include a front panel disposed proximate to the front end of the passenger compartment, a vehicle motion control device located at the front panel, and a cover panel located at the front panel. The cover panel moveable relative to the front panel between an isolating position and an exposing position. The cover panel can isolate the vehicle motion control device from the passenger compartment when in the isolating position and expose the vehicle motion control device to the passenger compartment when in the exposing position. A method can include obtaining vehicle data identifying an operational mode, state, and/or status of the vehicle, determining a first position of the cover panel, and initiating a positional change for the cover panel based on the vehicle data and the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Philipp Haban
  • Patent number: 11597406
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle computing system can include a primary perception system configured to receive a plurality of sensor data points as input generate primary perception data representing a plurality of classifiable objects and a plurality of paths representing tracked motion of the plurality of classifiable objects. The autonomous vehicle computing system can include a secondary perception system configured to receive the plurality of sensor data points as input, cluster a subset of the plurality of sensor data points of the sensor data to generate one or more sensor data point clusters representing one or more unclassifiable objects that are not classifiable by the primary perception system, and generate secondary path data representing tracked motion of the one or more unclassifiable objects. The autonomous vehicle computing system can generate fused perception data based on the primary perception data and the one or more unclassifiable objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Abhishek Sen, Ashton James Fagg, Brian C. Becker, Yang Xu, Nathan Nicolas Pilbrough, Carlos Vallespi-Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 11593950
    Abstract: Systems and methods for movement detection are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining image data and range data representing a scene external to an autonomous vehicle, the image data including at least a first image and a second image that depict the scene. The method includes identifying a set of corresponding image features from the image data, the set of corresponding image features including a first feature in the first image having a correspondence with a second feature in the second image. The method includes determining a respective distance for each of the first feature and the second feature based at least in part on the range data. The method includes determining a velocity associated with a portion of a scene represented by the set of corresponding image features based at least in part on the respective distance for the first feature and the second feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Ashton James Fagg, Narek Melik-Barkhudarov
  • Patent number: 11592832
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media that control an autonomous vehicle via at least two sensors. One aspect includes capturing an image of a scene ahead of the vehicle with a first sensor, identifying an object in the scene at a confidence level based on the image, determining the confidence level of the identifying is below a threshold, in response to the confidence level being below the threshold, directing a second sensor having a field of view smaller than the first sensor to generate a second image including a location of the identified object, further identifying the object in the scene based on the second image, controlling the vehicle based on the further identification of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Calleija
  • Patent number: 11592312
    Abstract: An on-board computing system for a vehicle is configured to generate and selectively present a set of autonomous-switching directions within a navigation user interface for the operator of the vehicle. The autonomous-switching directions can inform the operator regarding changes to the vehicle's mode of autonomous operation. The on-board computing system can generate the set of autonomy-switching directions based on the vehicle's route and other information associated with the route, such as autonomous operation permissions (AOPs) for route segments that comprise the route. The on-board computing device can selectively present the autonomy-switching directions based on locations associated with anticipated changes in autonomous operations determined for the route of the vehicle, the vehicle's location, and the vehicle's speed. In addition, the on-board computing device is further configured to present audio alerts associated with the autonomy-switching directions to the operator of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Logan Rockmore, Molly Nix
  • Patent number: 11592526
    Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor assembly can comprise an optics assembly that includes a LIDAR sensor and a set of dovetail joint inserts. The LIDAR sensor assembly can further include a frame comprising a set of dovetail joint septums coupled to the set of dovetail joint inserts of the optics assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Ratner
  • Patent number: 11585935
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes a vehicle computing system configured to receive map data of a geographic location, obtain position estimate data of the autonomous vehicle and determine a route of the autonomous vehicle including a plurality of roadways in the plurality of submaps. The autonomous vehicle determines a route including a plurality of roadways, determines a first roadway in the plurality of roadways closest to the position estimate and a second roadway outside the plurality of roadways closest to the position estimate of the autonomous vehicle, and determines a pose relative to the first roadway or the second roadway based on a distance between the position estimate of the autonomous vehicle and a roadway associated with a prior pose of the autonomous vehicle to control travel of the autonomous vehicle based on the vehicle pose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Cole Panzica, Brett Bavar
  • Patent number: 11580851
    Abstract: Example aspects of the present disclosure describe a scene generator for simulating scenes in an environment. For example, snapshots of simulated traffic scenes can be generated by sampling a joint probability distribution trained on real-world traffic scenes. In some implementations, samples of the joint probability distribution can be obtained by sampling a plurality of factorized probability distributions for a plurality of objects for sequential insertion into the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Shuhan Tan, Kelvin Ka Wing Wong, Shenlong Wang, Sivabalan Manivasagam, Mengye Ren, Raquel Urtasun
  • Patent number: 11577723
    Abstract: Systems, device, and methods for trajectory association and tracking are provided. A method can include obtaining input data indicative of a respective trajectory for each of one or more first objects for a first time step and input data indicative of a respective trajectory for each of one or more second objects for a second time step subsequent to the first time step. The method can include generating, using a machine-learned model, a temporally-consistent trajectory for at least one of the one or more first objects or the one or more second objects based at least in part on the input data and determining a third predicted trajectory for the at least one of the one or more first objects or the one or more second objects for at least the second time step based at least in part on the temporally-consistent trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Shivam Gautam, Sida Zhang, Gregory P. Meyer, Carlos Vallespi-Gonzalez, Brian C. Becker
  • Patent number: 11568689
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods to obtain feedback descriptive of autonomous vehicle failures. In particular, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can detect that a vehicle failure event occurred at an autonomous vehicle and, in response, provide an interactive user interface that enables a human located within the autonomous vehicle to enter feedback that describes the vehicle failure event. Thus, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can actively prompt and/or enable entry of feedback in response to a particular instance of a vehicle failure event, thereby enabling improved and streamlined collection of information about autonomous vehicle failures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Molly Castle Nix, Sean Chin, Dennis Zhao
  • Patent number: 11565639
    Abstract: Systems, methods, tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media, and devices for configuration of a vehicle compartment are provided. For example, a method can include receiving, by a computing system, occupancy data based in part on one or more states of one or more objects. Based in part on the occupancy data and compartment data, a compartment configuration can be determined for one or more compartments of an autonomous vehicle. The compartment data can be based in part on a state of the one or more compartments. The compartment configuration can specify one or more spatial relations of one or more compartment components associated with the one or more compartments. One or more configuration signals can be generated based in part on the compartment configuration to control the one or more compartments of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Matthew Sweeney
  • Patent number: 11561548
    Abstract: Systems and methods for basis path generation are provided. In particular, a computing system can obtain a target nominal path. The computing system can determine a current pose for an autonomous vehicle. The computing system can determine, based at least in part on the current pose of the autonomous vehicle and the target nominal path, a lane change region. The computing system can determine one or more merge points on the target nominal path. The computing system can, for each respective merge point in the one or more merge points, generate a candidate basis path from the current pose of the autonomous vehicle to the respective merge point. The computing system can generate a suitability classification for each candidate basis path. The computing system can select one or more candidate basis paths based on the suitability classification for each respective candidate basis path in the plurality of candidate basis paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Chenggang Liu, David McAllister Bradley, Daoyuan Jia
  • Patent number: 11562490
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating object segmentations across videos are provided. An example system can enable an annotator to identify objects within a first image frame of a video sequence by clicking anywhere within the object. The system processes the first image frame and a second, subsequent, image frame to assign each pixel of the second image frame to one of the objects identified in the first image frame or the background. The system refines the resulting object masks for the second image frame using a recurrent attention module based on contextual features extracted from the second image frame. The system receives additional user input for the second image frame and uses the input, in combination with the object masks for the second image frame, to determine object masks for a third, subsequent, image frame in the video sequence. The process is repeated for each image in the video sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Namdar Homayounfar, Wei-Chiu Ma, Raquel Urtasun
  • Patent number: 11556777
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for machine-learned models including convolutional neural networks that generate predictions using continuous convolution techniques. For example, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can be included in or otherwise leveraged by an autonomous vehicle. In one example, a computing system can perform, with a machine-learned convolutional neural network, one or more convolutions over input data using a continuous filter relative to a support domain associated with the input data, and receive a prediction from the machine-learned convolutional neural network. A machine-learned convolutional neural network in some examples includes at least one continuous convolution layer configured to perform convolutions over input data with a parametric continuous kernel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Shenlong Wang, Wei-Chiu Ma, Shun Da Suo, Raquel Urtasun, Ming Liang
  • Patent number: 11548403
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically servicing autonomous vehicles are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer implemented method includes obtaining data associated with one or more reference mechanisms located on an autonomous vehicle. The method includes identifying information associated with the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the data associated with the one or more reference mechanisms located on the autonomous vehicle. The information associated with the autonomous vehicle includes an orientation of the autonomous vehicle. The method includes determining a vehicle maintenance plan for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the information associated with the autonomous vehicle. The method includes providing one or more control signals to implement the vehicle maintenance plan for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the orientation of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Shaw Wood, Dirk John VandenBerg, III