Patents Examined by Tamara L Weber
  • Patent number: 11753076
    Abstract: A vehicle hitching assistance system includes a controller acquiring image data from the vehicle and identifying a plurality of trailers within in a specified area of the image data. The specified area is less than a total field of the image data and corresponds at least with left and right steering angle limits of the vehicle. The controller further receives a selection of a subject trailer of the plurality of trailers identified within the specified area, identifies a coupler of the subject trailer, and outputs a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler of the subject trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Michael Mayer, Seyed Armin Raeis Hosseiny, Bo Bao, Luke Niewiadomski
  • Patent number: 11745742
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to generating a speed plan for an autonomous vehicle. As an example, the vehicle is maneuvered in an autonomous driving mode along a route using pre-stored map information. This information identifies a plurality of keep clear regions where the vehicle should not stop but can drive through in the autonomous driving mode. Each keep clear region of the plurality of keep clear regions is associated with a priority value. A subset of the plurality of keep clear regions is identified based on the route. A speed plan for stopping the vehicle is generated based on the priority values associated with the keep clear regions of the subset. The speed plan identifies a location for stopping the vehicle. The speed plan is used to stop the vehicle in the location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Jared Stephen Russell, Dmitri A. Dolgov, Nathaniel Fairfield, Laura Estelle Lindzey, Christopher Paul Urmson
  • Patent number: 11745762
    Abstract: A method may include obtaining one or more inputs in which each of the inputs describes at least one of: a state of an autonomous vehicle (AV) or a state of an object; and identifying a prediction context of the AV based on the inputs. The method may also include determining a relevancy of each object of a plurality of objects to the AV in relation to the prediction context; and outputting a set of relevant objects based on the relevancy determination for each of the plurality of objects. Another method may include obtaining a set of objects designated as relevant to operation of an AV; selecting a trajectory prediction approach for a given object based on context of the AV and characteristics of the given object; predicting a trajectory of the given object using the selected trajectory prediction approach; and outputting the given object and the predicted trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: CYNGN, INC.
    Inventors: Biao Ma, Lior Tal
  • Patent number: 11731616
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system for preventing collision with a cut-in vehicle may include a counterpart vehicle detector detecting driving information of a surrounding vehicle to deliver the driving information of the surrounding vehicle to a vehicle controller, a host vehicle detector detecting driving information of a host vehicle to deliver the driving information of the host vehicle to the vehicle controller, and the vehicle controller generating avoidance routes for avoiding collision with the surrounding vehicle entering a front of the host vehicle, designating a reach location according to a speed at a specific interval on the avoidance routes, and selecting an avoidance route for avoiding the collision among the plurality of avoidance routes, and then controlling a speed of the host vehicle to reach the reach location for avoiding the collision with the surrounding vehicle on the selected avoidance route, when there is possibility of collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jin Young Park
  • Patent number: 11731698
    Abstract: Navigation of a solar vehicle is provided by obtaining a target geographic destination for the vehicle having one or more photovoltaic solar arrays; obtaining configuration data defining a target solar vector relative to a reference frame of the vehicle; identifying a current geographic positioning of the vehicle via a geo-positioning system of the vehicle, including a current geographic location and a current geographic orientation of the vehicle; identifying a current solar vector relative to the reference frame of the vehicle; and during at least a portion of a solar day, outputting a steering command for the vehicle for an indirect path from the current geographic location toward the target geographic destination that is based, at least in part, on a comparison of the current solar vector to the target solar vector. The steering command can be presented to a human operator or programmatically implemented by an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Liquid Robotics, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher David Cencula
  • Patent number: 11726437
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for the utilization of vehicle control systems to cause a vehicle to take preventative action responsive to the detection of a near short term adverse driving scenario. A vehicle control system may receive information corresponding to vehicle operation data and ancillary data. Based on the received vehicle operation data and the received ancillary data, a multi-dimension risk score module may calculate risk scores associated with the received vehicle operation data and the received ancillary data. Subsequently, the vehicle control systems may cause the vehicle to perform at least one of a close call detection action and a close call detection alert to lessen the risk associated with the received vehicle operation data and the received ancillary data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
    Inventor: Sunil Chintakindi
  • Patent number: 11717351
    Abstract: A navigation surgical system, a registration method thereof and an electronic device are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: SUZHOU MICROPORT ORTHOBOT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tao Li, Chao He, Wuchao Cheng
  • Patent number: 11718319
    Abstract: Each of a plurality of landing pads is sized and shaped to accommodate an AV. Landing pad sensor(s) are located in or around each landing pad. A control subsystem receives landing pad sensor data from the one or more landing pad sensors and receives, from a first AV traveling to a location of the plurality of landing pads, a request for an assigned landing pad in which the first AV should park. In response to this request, the control subsystem determines, based on the received landing pad sensor data, whether a first landing pad is free of obstructions that would prevent receipt of the first AV. If the first landing pad is free of obstructions, an indication is provided to the AV that the first landing pad is the assigned landing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Jason Robert Lau, Leon Moore White, III
  • Patent number: 11714429
    Abstract: A vehicle to transport a first drone and a second drone includes a controller and a storage unit. The storage unit is configured to store a plurality of package containers. The controller is configured to initiate movement of a package container from the storage unit to the first drone and to initiate coupling of a first electromechanical interface of a plurality of electromechanical interfaces of the package container to the first drone. The controller is also configured to release the first drone from the vehicle with instructions for the first drone to move the package container to a package container reception point configured to couple to a second electromechanical interface of the plurality of electromechanical interfaces. The second drone is configured to provide data to the first drone. The data is related to a route from the vehicle to the package container reception point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Motogo, LLC
    Inventors: David Brian Ruth, Yuan-Chang Lo
  • Patent number: 11708089
    Abstract: Systems and methods for curiosity development in an agent located in an uncertain environment are provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a goal state module, a curiosity module, and a planning module. The goal module is configured to calculate a goal state of a goal associated with the environment. The curiosity module is configured to determine an uncertainty value for the environment and calculate a curiosity reward based on the uncertainty value. The planning module is configured to update a motion plan based on the goal state and the curiosity reward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ran Tian, Haiming Gang, David Francis Isele
  • Patent number: 11702088
    Abstract: A driver assistance system of a vehicle includes a forward viewing camera, a forward sensing non-vision sensor, and an ECU having at least one data processor. The ECU, responsive to processing of image data captured by the camera and to processing of sensor data captured by the non-vision sensor, provides a driving assistance function for the vehicle. The ECU detects presence of objects forward of the vehicle via processing of captured image data and captured sensor data. The ECU determines an error in object detection by determining difference between object detection based on processing of captured image data and object detection based on processing of captured sensor data. The ECU disables at least part of the driving assist function at least in part responsive to the determined error in object detection being greater than a threshold error level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Chundrlik, Jr., Dominik Raudszus
  • Patent number: 11697435
    Abstract: This application is directed to predicting vehicle actions according to a hierarchy of interconnected vehicle actions. The hierarchy of interconnected vehicle actions includes a plurality of predefined vehicle actions that are organized to define a plurality of vehicle action sequences. A first vehicle obtains one or more images of a road and a second vehicle, and predicts a sequence of vehicle actions of the second vehicle through the hierarchy of interconnected vehicle actions using the one or more images. The first vehicle is controlled to drive at least partially autonomously based on the predicted sequence of vehicle actions of the second vehicle. In some embodiments, the hierarchy of interconnected vehicle actions includes a first action level that is defined according to a stage of a trip and corresponds to three predefined vehicle actions of: “start a trip,” “move in a trip,” and “complete a trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: PlusAI, Inc.
    Inventors: I-Hsuan Yang, Yu Wang
  • Patent number: 11691650
    Abstract: A computing system can be configured to input data that describes sensor data into an object detection model and receive, as an output of the object detection model, object detection data describing features of the plurality of the actors relative to the autonomous vehicle. The computing system can generate an input sequence that describes the object detection data. The computing system can analyze the input sequence using an interaction model to produce, as an output of the interaction model, an attention embedding with respect to the plurality of actors. The computing system can be configured to input the attention embedding into a recurrent model and determine respective trajectories for the plurality of actors based on motion forecast data received as an output of the recurrent model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Lingyun Li, Bin Yang, Ming Liang, Wenyuan Zeng, Mengye Ren, Sean Segal, Raquel Urtasun
  • Patent number: 11690680
    Abstract: Protective packaging, surgical kits, systems, and methods are described herein for assisting in determining whether a tool is properly installed on a surgical device. The protective packaging retains the tool and has trackable features defined relative to a tool center point of the tool. The trackable features have a predetermined state defined relative to the tool center point and the trackable features are configured to be detectable by a localizer to locate the tool center point. One or more controllers can compare the actual state of the tool center point with an expected state of the tool center point, which is based on an expected condition in which the tool is properly mounted to the surgical device. Based on the comparison, the one or more controllers can determine whether the tool is properly mounted to the surgical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Roberto Montane, Brandt Williams, Seamus Gilhooley, Jonathan Mark Morgan, Mark Palm, Michael Vu
  • Patent number: 11690681
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surgical robot including a control system, a force identification system, a robotic arm system and a navigation system, the robotic arm system including a robotic arm, a robotic arm terminal detachably connected to a trackable element. The navigation system acquires and provides a registration point of interest on an object to the robotic arm system. The robotic arm system controls movements of the robotic arm to drive the trackable element to move to the registration point of interest. The force identification system detects and provides a force applied to the robotic arm terminal to the control system. The control system determines whether the trackable element has moved to the registration point of interest on the object. The present disclosure also provides a method for bone registration of the surgical robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SUZHOU MICROPORT ORTHOBOT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Weili Peng, Zhou Jiang, Feng Sun, Chao He, Tao Li
  • Patent number: 11679776
    Abstract: A system 100 for autonomous vehicle operation can include: a low-level safety platform 130; and can optionally include and/or interface with any or all of: an autonomous agent 102, a sensor system, a computing system 120, a vehicle communication network 140, a vehicle control system 150, and/or any suitable components. The system functions to facilitate fallback planning and/or execution at the autonomous agent. Additionally or alternatively, the system can function to transition the autonomous agent between a primary (autonomous) operation mode and a fallback operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: May Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ye, John Cavicchio, Andres Tamez, Jacob Lucero, Justin Tesmer, Anush Gandra, Yaxin Luan, Shane DeMeulenaere
  • Patent number: 11680801
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for navigating a host vehicle. In an embodiment, a processing device may be configured to receive a captured image acquired by a camera onboard the host vehicle; provide the captured image to an analysis module configured to generate an output including an indicator of a contact position of the occluded pedestrian with the ground surface, the analysis module including a trained model trained based a plurality of training images having been modified to occlude a region where a training pedestrian contacts a training ground surface; receive from the analysis module the generated output, including the indicator of the contact position of the occluded pedestrian with the ground surface; and cause at least one navigational action by the host vehicle based on the indicator of the contact position of the occluded pedestrian with the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Mobileye Vision Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Ariel Benou, David Aloni, Dmitry Kirzhner, Jack Kario
  • Patent number: 11673564
    Abstract: A system 100 for autonomous vehicle operation can include: a low-level safety platform 130; and can optionally include and/or interface with any or all of: an autonomous agent 102, a sensor system, a computing system 120, a vehicle communication network 140, a vehicle control system 150, and/or any suitable components. The system functions to facilitate fallback planning and/or execution at the autonomous agent. Additionally or alternatively, the system can function to transition the autonomous agent between a primary (autonomous) operation mode and a fallback operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: May Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ye, John Cavicchio, Andres Tamez, Jacob Lucero, Justin Tesmer, Anush Gandra, Yaxin Luan, Shane DeMeulenaere
  • Patent number: 11673566
    Abstract: A system 100 for autonomous vehicle operation can include: a low-level safety platform 130; and can optionally include and/or interface with any or all of: an autonomous agent 102, a sensor system, a computing system 120, a vehicle communication network 140, a vehicle control system 150, and/or any suitable components. The system functions to facilitate fallback planning and/or execution at the autonomous agent. Additionally or alternatively, the system can function to transition the autonomous agent between a primary (autonomous) operation mode and a fallback operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: May Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ye, John Cavicchio, Andres Tamez, Jacob Lucero, Justin Tesmer, Anush Gandra, Yaxin Luan, Shane DeMeulenaere
  • Patent number: 11673586
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter includes a failure detection sub-system operatively connectable to an autonomous vehicle that comprises an autonomous control sub-system that is configured to process real-time sensory data and generate commands for controlling the autonomous vehicle; the failure detection sub-system is configured to determine, based on real-time behavioral-data and real-time mapping data, whether a violation of the at least one safety rule is occurring; and generate one or more vehicle control commands for controlling at least one driving sub-system in case a violation of the safety rules is detected, wherein processing done by failure detection sub-system is less computationally intensive as compared to processing done by the autonomous control sub-system in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Elta Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Meir Shabtai, Danny Meisler, Ohad Shmueli