Patents Examined by Marthe Y. Marc-Coleman
  • Patent number: 11524693
    Abstract: A vehicle control system has a first communication network, a first operation component, a first vehicle control unit connected to the communication network and to the first operation component, wherein the first vehicle control unit is configured to control a first data connection between the first operation component and the first vehicle control unit by a first signal to the first operation component, and a second vehicle control unit connected to the first operation component, wherein the second vehicle control unit is configured to control a second data connection between the first operation component and the second vehicle control unit by a second signal to the first operation component. The first data connection and the second data connection can be controlled so that at least one of the first data connection and the second data connection is enabled or disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventors: Huba Nemeth, Falk Hecker, Tamas Rapp
  • Patent number: 11521396
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Ajay Jain, Sergio Casas, Renjie Liao, Yuwen Xiong, Song Feng, Sean Segal, Raquel Urtasun
  • Patent number: 11514343
    Abstract: Simulated degraded sensor data may be generated for use in training a model. For instance, first sensor data collected by a sensor of a perception system of an autonomous vehicle may be received and converted into the simulated degraded sensor data for a particular degrading condition, such as a weather-related degrading condition. Then, the simulated degraded sensor data may be used to train a model for evaluating performance of the perception system to detect objects external to the autonomous vehicle under one or more conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Armstrong-Crews, Arthur Safira, Alex Mccauley, Ruffin Evans
  • Patent number: 11511775
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the dynamic, context-based distribution of program codes in a control system of a vehicle. The control system has a plurality of control apparatuses for executing the program codes. The program codes are assigned to the corresponding control apparatuses of the control system by a global placement graph. In doing so, the global placement graph is calculated in a computing unit that is located outside of the control system. The data of the global placement graph are transmitted to the control system. It is provided for the global placement graph to be calculated based on the current configuration as well as known reconfigurations, wherein the selection of the next node of the global placement graph to be calculated is calculated using the probability of occurrence of an error as well as the effect of the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Tobias Kain, Maximilian Wesche, Hendrik Decke, Julian-Steffen Müller
  • Patent number: 11511805
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vehicle guidance device is to be installed in a vehicle for providing path guidance to the vehicle. The device includes a plurality of receivers that receives a ranging information signal via a ultrasonic-wave ranging sensor, the ranging information signal including an ultrasonic-wave ranging signal on which path guidance information is superimposed, the ultrasonic-wave ranging signal being for measuring a distance to an object; an information extractor that extracts, for each of the receivers, the path guidance information from the ranging information signal; and a path guide that provides the path guidance on the basis of a distance corresponding to the ultrasonic-wave ranging signal and the path guidance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ippei Sugae, Kiyokazu Ieda
  • Patent number: 11512966
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus, a control method, and a program which improve usability of techniques for generating a travel plan for a vehicle are provided. The information processing apparatus such as a server includes a controller. In a case in which information on a departure place is accepted, the controller selects at least one destination from one or more destination candidates and generates a travel plan for a vehicle from the departure place to the at least one destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keiko Nakano, Yu Nagata, Takashi Hayashi, Ryota Kondo
  • Patent number: 11514276
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying recurrent stops of a vehicle fleet having a plurality of vehicles. The method comprises retrieving historical GPS tracks of the vehicle fleet over a period of time; detecting stops made by the vehicle fleet along travelled routes that are associated with the historical GPS tracks; constructing a coverage area that covers the travelled routes; discretizing the coverage area into a plurality of cells; determining whether a cell is a recurrent stop based on a fleet stay period associated with that cell; and classifying a determined recurrent stop into a plurality of categories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Verizon Connect Development Limited
    Inventors: Samuele Salti, Francesco Sambo, Leonardo Taccari, Luca Bravi, Alessandro Lori
  • Patent number: 11514398
    Abstract: One variation of a method for deploying fixed cameras within a store includes: dispatching a robotic system to autonomously navigate along a set of inventory structures in the store and generate a spatial map of the store during a scan cycle; generating an accessibility heatmap representing accessibility of regions of the store to the robotic system based on the spatial map; generating a product value heatmap for the store based on locations and sales volumes of products in the store; accessing a number of fixed cameras allocated to the store; generating a composite heatmap for the store based on the accessibility heatmap and the product value heatmap; identifying a subset of inventory structures occupying a set of locations within the store corresponding to critical amplitudes in the composite heatmap; and generating a prompt to install the number of fixed cameras facing the subset of inventory structures in the store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Simbe Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Bogolea, Durgesh Tiwari
  • Patent number: 11506509
    Abstract: An interactive digital map is provided via a user interface of a computing device. A request to obtain travel directions to a destination is received via the user interface. An indication of a ride from a pick-up location to a drop-off location, to traverse at least a portion of the route, is obtained from a third-party provider of a ride service. Visualization information for rendering a visualization of the ride on the digital map also is received from the third-party provider of the ride service. The visualization of the ride on the digital map is generated in accordance with the received visualization information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Izaak Rubin, Holger-Frederik Flier, Sara Torti
  • Patent number: 11505177
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a target yaw rate calculator; a primary limit yaw rate calculator; a yaw rate comparator; a secondary limit yaw rate calculator; and a vertical load controller. The target yaw rate calculator calculates a target yaw rate of the vehicle. The primary limit yaw rate calculator calculates a primary limit yaw rate on a basis of a vertical load on a wheel. The yaw rate comparator compares the target yaw rate with the primary limit yaw rate. The secondary limit yaw rate calculator calculates a secondary limit yaw rate in a case where a distribution of the vertical load on the wheel is changed in a case where the target yaw rate exceeds the primary limit yaw rate. The vertical load controller changes the vertical load on a basis of the secondary limit yaw rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Okada, Satoshi Yoshizawa, Tsubasa Ono
  • Patent number: 11507091
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes receiving sensor data generated by a set of vehicles. The method also includes performing a first set of processing operations on the sensor data. The method further includes providing an exploration interface configured to allow one or more of browsing, searching, and visualization of the sensor data. The method further includes selecting a subset of the sensor data. The method further includes performing a second set of processing operations on the subset of the sensor data. The method further includes provisioning one or more of computational resources and storage resources for developing an autonomous vehicle (AV) model based on the subset of the sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, PORSCHE AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Mohamed Kacem Abida, Danil Kazankov
  • Patent number: 11508254
    Abstract: A training and/or assistance platform for air traffic management is provided. The platform includes an air traffic management electronic system for obtaining input data representative of air traffic, to deliver, to an air traffic controller, information established as a function of the obtained input data, and to receive instructions from the air traffic controller The platform further includes a block for automatically determining instructions based on input data representative of at least the state of air traffic. The platform further includes an electronic processing module for collecting said input data and to provide it to the automatic determining block The platform further includes a neural network derived from learning on an input data history obtained by an electronic air traffic control system and received air traffic control instruction(s) received by the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Béatrice Pesquet, Fateh Kaakai, Warren Beeston
  • Patent number: 11500101
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for curb detection using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors. One example of a method for curb detection includes acquiring, based on a scan of an area around a vehicle, a point-cloud frame that includes a description of an intensity of a reflection of the area around the vehicle, selecting a subset of points from the point-cloud frame, seeding each of a plurality of clusters based on the selected points, determining a criterion for each of the selected points, increasing a size of each of the plurality of clusters by including additional points from the point-cloud frame that meet the criterion for the corresponding cluster, identifying a largest cluster of the plurality of clusters upon completion of the increasing step, and detecting a curb based on a boundary of the largest cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Yujie Wei, Xue Mei
  • Patent number: 11500104
    Abstract: A reference pose of an object in a coordinate system of a map of an area is determined. The reference pose is based on a three-dimensional (3D) reference model representing the object. A first pose of the object is determined as the object moves with respect to the coordinate system. The first pose is determined based on the reference pose and sensor data collected by the sensor at a first time. A second pose of the object is determined as the object continues to move with respect to the coordinate system. The second pose is determined based on the reference pose, the first pose, and sensor data collected by the sensor at a second time consecutive to the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Siddharth Agarwal, Faizan Shaik, Ankit Girish Vora, Sangjin Lee, Mostafa Parchami
  • Patent number: 11493397
    Abstract: A method for determining stability of a vehicle having a load suspended from the vehicle is provided. The method can include obtaining measurements from a plurality of sensors positioned on the vehicle, obtaining a measurement from a vehicle accelerometer operative to determine an inclination of the vehicle, determining a position of the load suspended from the vehicle, determining a slung load of the load suspended from the vehicle, using the determined slung load and the determined position of the load suspended from the vehicle, determining tipping moments acting on the vehicle, determining righting moments acting on the vehicle and determining a tipping stability based on the determined tipping moments and determined righting moments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Brandt Industries Canada Ltd.
    Inventors: Dan Bonnet, Mitch Stilborn, Chris Semple, Daniel Klassen
  • Patent number: 11486988
    Abstract: This disclosure relates, e.g., to a method for calibrating the alignment of a moving object sensor that comprises the steps: Detection of the movement of the object sensor, multiple detection of at least one static object by the moving object sensor at different positions of the object sensor, calculation of the relative positions of the static object with respect to the corresponding positions of the object sensor, calculation of anticipated positions of the static object from the relative positions while assuming an alignment error of the object sensor, calculation of an error parameter from the anticipated positions, and minimization of the error parameter by adapting the alignment error of the object sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Niklas Koch, Christian Merfels, Ugur Kekec
  • Patent number: 11487046
    Abstract: Example methods and systems for detecting weather conditions using vehicle onboard sensors are provided. An example method includes receiving laser data collected for an environment of a vehicle, and the laser data includes a plurality of laser data points. The method also includes associating, by a computing device, laser data points of the plurality of laser data points with one or more objects in the environment, and determining given laser data points of the plurality of laser data points that are unassociated with the one or more objects in the environment as being representative of an untracked object. The method also includes based on one or more untracked objects being determined, identifying by the computing device an indication of a weather condition of the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Jiajun Zhu, Dmitri Dolgov, Dave Ferguson
  • Patent number: 11486719
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein include a mobile computing device to determine network condition information associated with a route segment. The route segment may be one of a number of route segments defining at least one route from a starting location to a destination. The mobile computing device may determine a route from the starting location to the destination based on the network condition information. The mobile computing device may upload the network condition information to a crowdsourcing server. A mobile computing device may predict a future location of the device based on device context, determine a safety level for the predicted location, and notify the user if the safety level is below a threshold safety level. The device context may include location, time of day, and other data. The safety level may be determined based on predefined crime data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Tahoe Research, LTD.
    Inventors: Ren Wang, Zhonghong Ou, Arvind Kumar, Kristoffer Fleming, Tsung-Yuan C. Tai, Timothy J. Gresham, John C. Weast, Corey Kukis
  • Patent number: 11483675
    Abstract: A vehicle movement tracking system that employs floor mats having ridges for generating location information in the form of modulated vibrations, detectable with an accelerometer. Two sensors are in a wheel of a vehicle. One sensor senses wheel rotation, and the other sensor senses vertical acceleration. The vehicle passes over a floor mat comprising vertically elevated ridges thereon that code the mat and thereby indicate the location at which the mat is at. When the vehicle travels over this mat the vertical acceleration sensor in the wheel detects the vertically elevated ridges and the wheel rotation sensor detects the distance between the vertically elevated ridges. In combination these two sensors are used to create a location word that denotes the mat over which the vehicle passes over. The location word is stored in non-volatile memory and later uploaded to a location collection station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Enrique Aleman, Monte Denton, Keith Edwin Curtis
  • Patent number: 11479146
    Abstract: The battery thermal management system includes a battery pack, a circulation subsystem, and a heat exchanger. The system can optionally include a cooling system, a reservoir, a de-ionization filter, a battery charger, and a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Joby Aero, Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest Villanueva, Nathaniel Martin, JoeBen Bevirt, Jonathan Wagner, Kevin Witt, Brian Uznanski, Austin Newman