Patents by Inventor Andrew Backhouse

Andrew Backhouse has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11919512
    Abstract: A method and system for predicting a near future path for a vehicle. For predicting the near future path sensor data and vehicle driving data is collected. Road data is collected indicative of a roadway on the presently occupied road for the vehicle. The sensor data and the vehicle driving data is pre-processed to provide object data comprising a time series of previous positions, headings, and velocities of each of the objects relative the vehicle. The object data, the vehicle driving data, and the road data is processed in a deep neural network to predict the near future path for the vehicle. The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anders Movert, Anders Ödblom, Andrew Backhouse, Nasser Mohammadiha, Peter Hardå
  • Patent number: 11814040
    Abstract: A method for predicting a trajectory of at least one secondary road user for avoiding a collision course with the secondary road user for a host vehicle. The method includes determining the present location for the host vehicle, retrieving a plurality of modelled clusters of trajectories for a present traffic situation, and detecting the position and speed of the at least one secondary road user. The method also includes predicting at least one feasible trajectory for the at least one secondary road user based on the position and the speed of the at least one secondary road user to the plurality of modelled clusters of trajectories and selecting at least one feasible trajectory of the feasible trajectories for each secondary road user based on a selection criterion. At least one action is performed based on the selected at least one feasible trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignees: Volvo Car Corporation, Zenuity AB
    Inventors: Peter Hardå, Anders Ödblom, Nasser Mohammadiha, Andrew Backhouse, Anders Movert
  • Publication number: 20230129223
    Abstract: A free space-verification system and a method performed by a free-space verification system and for supporting and/or providing confidence in that a perception system of an ADS of a vehicle detects presence of objects. The system obtains sensor data of vehicle surroundings; generates perception data of vehicle surroundings based on fusing the sensor data; determines that the perception system perceives at least a first zone in the vehicle surroundings, free from objects; separately evaluates obtained sensor data to encounter potential sensor-specific detections in an at least first extended zone at least partly encompassing the at least first zone; and determines when respective potential sensor-specific detections within the at least first extended zone for a predeterminable number of and/or combination of the surrounding detecting sensors, comply with at least a first free-space verifying criterium, that the at least first zone is verified as object-free.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel SVENSSON, Andrew BACKHOUSE, Maryam FATEMI DEZFOULI
  • Publication number: 20230054590
    Abstract: An object validation system for validating perceived surrounding objects to support safety-critical threat assessment governing emergency maneuvering of an ADS on-board a vehicle. The system stores in respective sensor/modality-specific data buffers, respective sensor/modality-specific sensor data obtained at least during a predeterminable time interval continuously and/or intermittently from one or more vehicle-mounted surrounding detecting sensors. The system determines with support from a perception module configured to generate perception data based on sensor data from one or more vehicle-mounted surrounding detecting sensors, object data of a perceived object valid for the time interval. The system evaluates one or more of the respective sensor/modality-specific data buffers, separately, in view of the object data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Andrew BACKHOUSE, Daniel SVENSSON, Abu Sajana RAHMATHULLAH, Jacek SZYMONIK, Malin LUNDGREN
  • Patent number: 11351992
    Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for assisting a driver of a vehicle (1) to drive with precaution. Vehicle environment monitoring sensors (3a, 3b) determines other road users and particular features associated with a traffic situation of the vehicle (1) and hypotheses are applied related to hypothetical threats that may arise based thereupon. A driver level of attention, required to handle the hypothetical threats, and a time until that level will be required is estimated. A current driver level of attention is derived, from driver-monitoring sensors (4). If determined that the estimated required driver level of attention exceeds the current and the time until the estimated driver level of attention will be required is less than a threshold-time (tthres), there is produced at least one of visual (5), acoustic (6) and haptic (7) information to a vehicle driver environment, and/or triggered at least one of automated braking (8) and steering (9) of the vehicle (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignees: ZENUITY AB, VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mattias Brännström, Claes Olsson, Andrew Backhouse, Victor Trent
  • Publication number: 20200023835
    Abstract: A method for predicting a trajectory of at least one secondary road user for avoiding a collision course with the secondary road user for a host vehicle. Determining the present location for the host vehicle. Retrieving a plurality of modelled clusters of trajectories for a present traffic situation. Detecting the position and speed of the at least one secondary road user. Predicting at least one feasible trajectory for the at least one secondary road user based on the position and the speed of the at least one secondary road user to the plurality of modelled clusters of trajectories. Selecting at least one feasible trajectory of the feasible trajectories for each secondary road user based on a selection criterion. Performing at least one action based on the selected at least one feasible trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Peter HARDÅ, Anders ÖDBLOM, Nasser MOHAMMADIHA, Andrew BACKHOUSE, Anders MOVERT
  • Publication number: 20190367016
    Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for assisting a driver of a vehicle (1) to drive with precaution. Vehicle environment monitoring sensors (3a, 3b) determines other road users and particular features associated with a traffic situation of the vehicle (1) and hypotheses are applied related to hypothetical threats that may arise based thereupon. A driver level of attention, required to handle the hypothetical threats, and a time until that level will be required is estimated. A current driver level of attention is derived, from driver-monitoring sensors (4). If determined that the estimated required driver level of attention exceeds the current and the time until the estimated driver level of attention will be required is less than a threshold-time (tthres), there is produced at least one of visual (5), acoustic (6) and haptic (7) information to a vehicle driver environment, and/or triggered at least one of automated braking (8) and steering (9) of the vehicle (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicants: ZENUITY AB, VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mattias BRÄNNSTRÖM, Claes OLSSON, Andrew BACKHOUSE, Victor TRENT
  • Publication number: 20190179328
    Abstract: A method and system for predicting a near future path for a vehicle. For predicting the near future path sensor data and vehicle driving data is collected. Road data is collected indicative of a roadway on the presently occupied road for the vehicle. The sensor data and the vehicle driving data is pre-processed to provide object data comprising a time series of previous positions, headings, and velocities of each of the objects relative the vehicle. The object data, the vehicle driving data, and the road data is processed in a deep neural network to predict the near future path for the vehicle. The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: Anders MOVERT, Anders ÖDBLOM, Andrew BACKHOUSE, Nasser MOHAMMADIHA, Peter HARDÅ
  • Patent number: 10304327
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a safety margin threshold of one or more driver support functions of a vehicle, to be suitable for a driving zone in which the vehicle is—or is to be—positioned comprises determining a geographical position of the vehicle, determining a driving zone associated with the vehicle position, which driving zone is selected from one or more pre-defined geographical driving zones, deriving previous statistical driving behaviour data indicative of one or more statistical driving style safety indicators associated with the driving zone, and adjusting a safety margin threshold of at least a first driver support function of the vehicle, based on the one or more statistical driving style safety indicators. The disclosure also relates to a driver support threshold adapting system in accordance with the foregoing, and a vehicle at least partly comprising such a driver support threshold adapting system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Per Landfors, Andrew Backhouse
  • Patent number: 10053007
    Abstract: A motor vehicle collision warning system is described, as well as an automotive vehicle including such a motor vehicle collision warning system. The motor vehicle collision warning system is adapted for analyzing an unwound amount of a driver safety belt and adding an additional distracted reaction time to a pre-set driver reaction time based on the analysis of the unwound amount of the driver safety in order to provide a collision warning earlier than a collision warning based on the pre-set driver reaction time when a driver is determined as being distracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Backhouse, Martin Magnusson
  • Publication number: 20170365165
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a safety margin threshold of one or more driver support functions of a vehicle, to be suitable for a driving zone in which the vehicle is—or is to be—positioned comprises determining a geographical position of the vehicle, determining a driving zone associated with the vehicle position, which driving zone is selected from one or more pre-defined geographical driving zones, deriving previous statistical driving behaviour data indicative of one or more statistical driving style safety indicators associated with the driving zone, and adjusting a safety margin threshold of at least a first driver support function of the vehicle, based on the one or more statistical driving style safety indicators. The disclosure also relates to a driver support threshold adapting system in accordance with the foregoing, and a vehicle at least partly comprising such a driver support threshold adapting system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Per Landfors, Andrew Backhouse
  • Patent number: 9545896
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a motor vehicle safety arrangement and method for positioning an occupant properly on a vehicle seat and restraining the occupant thus positioned in preparation of the vehicle potentially being subject to a rear-end collision. A safety belt is associated with the vehicle seat and an electric reversible safety belt retractor is associated with the safety belt. A rearward-looking detection system detects and classifies the collision risk for an approaching object. At least one sensor monitors one or more vehicle parameters. A control unit determines a driving state as critical or non-critical from the monitored vehicle parameters. The control unit controls the electric reversible safety belt retractor to apply a predetermined pullback force on the safety belt in response to the collision risk for an approaching object being classified as high within a predetermined time of an indicated critical driving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew Backhouse, David Madas
  • Patent number: 9315174
    Abstract: An onboard perception system of a vehicle is contemplated. The system may include a state assessment unit adapted to at least assess a state of a first external object located in a vicinity of the vehicle hosting the onboard perception system, at least a first sensor assembly for assessing sound information, and an evaluation means adapted to evaluate a change in the state of the first external object by using the assessed sound information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Mattias Braennstroem, Andrew Backhouse, Lars Hammarstrand, Christian Applehult
  • Publication number: 20150100624
    Abstract: A Virtual Network Computing (VNC) server functions as a web-based proxy server to facilitate peer-to-peer connections in a VNC environment. An objective of the web-based proxy server is to overcome limitations caused when a machine resides behind a firewall. In the configuration of the present invention, the web-based server performs the functions of a conventional client machine while a client in the peer-to-peer configuration performs the conventional server listening function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Andrew Backhouse, William Francis Abt, JR., Brian Patrick Burns
  • Publication number: 20140207339
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a motor vehicle safety arrangement and method for positioning an occupant properly on a vehicle seat and restraining the occupant thus positioned in preparation of the vehicle potentially being subject to a rear-end collision. A safety belt is associated with the vehicle seat and an electric reversible safety belt retractor is associated with the safety belt. A rearward-looking detection system detects and classifies the collision risk for an approaching object. At least one sensor monitors one or more vehicle parameters. A control unit determines a driving state as critical or non-critical from the monitored vehicle parameters. The control unit controls the electric reversible safety belt retractor to apply a predetermined pullback force on the safety belt in response to the collision risk for an approaching object being classified as high within a predetermined time of an indicated critical driving state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew BACKHOUSE, David MADAS
  • Patent number: 8755998
    Abstract: A method for reducing the risk of a collision between a vehicle and at least a first external object is contemplated. The risk of a collision may be reduced with use of a collision avoidance system having a detection unit adapted to issue a control signal in the event it detects a collision involving a first external object in a vicinity of the host vehicle, and an action unit adapted to operate the collision avoidance system such that an emergency maneuver can be initiated by the collision avoidance system at an earlier stage if the control signal is issued, as compared to when no control signal is issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Mattias Braennstroem, Andrew Backhouse, Lars Hammarstrand, Christian Applehult
  • Publication number: 20140009276
    Abstract: A motor vehicle collision warning system is described, as well as an automotive vehicle including such a motor vehicle collision warning system. The motor vehicle collision warning system is adapted for analyzing an unwound amount of a driver safety belt and adding an additional distracted reaction time to a pre-set driver reaction time based on the analysis of the unwound amount of the driver safety in order to provide a collision warning earlier than a collision warning based on the pre-set driver reaction time when a driver is determined as being distracted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Andrew Backhouse, Martin Magnusson
  • Patent number: 8448163
    Abstract: Web applications are deployed for execution within the existing framework of Open Services Gateway initiative (OSGi) when they are written in the commonly-employed Java™ (trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc) 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) language. The intended deployment of J2EE web applications is detected and the J2EE application contents are converted into appropriate OSGi bundles using a provisioner. The provisioner employs its list of available provision providers to create the OSGi bundles that correspond to the J2EE application contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Andrew Backhouse
  • Publication number: 20120203436
    Abstract: An onboard perception system of a vehicle is contemplated. The system may include a state assessment unit adapted to at least assess a state of a first external object located in a vicinity of the vehicle hosting the onboard perception system, at least a first sensor assembly for assessing sound information, and an evaluation means adapted to evaluate a change in the state of the first external object by using the assessed sound information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mattias Braennstroem, Andrew Backhouse, Lars Hammarstrand, Christian Applehult
  • Publication number: 20120203418
    Abstract: A method for reducing the risk of a collision between a vehicle and at least a first external object is contemplated. The risk of a collision may be reduced with use of a collision avoidance system having a detection unit adapted to issue a control signal in the event it detects a collision involving a first external object in a vicinity of the host vehicle, and an action unit adapted to operate the collision avoidance system such that an emergency manoeuvre can be initiated by the collision avoidance system at an earlier stage if the control signal is issued, as compared to when no control signal is issued.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mattias Braennstroem, Andrew Backhouse, Lars Hammarstrand, Christian Applehult