Patents by Inventor Arthur Daniel Costea

Arthur Daniel Costea 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).

  • Publication number: 20260202544
    Abstract: Techniques for determining labels for potentially small, moving, and non-impeding objects in an environment are disclosed. Unlabeled lidar segments may be evaluated to determine whether segments are associated with objects located in a drivable region and to determine one or more characteristics of such segments. This determination includes comparing segment characteristics to various criteria that may be associated with small, dynamic objects, such as object size, motion, occlusion, and/or solidity. Based on this evaluation and whether the segment is in a drivable region, the system determines whether to label the segment as a small, dynamic, non-impeding object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2026
    Publication date: July 16, 2026
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, David Pfeiffer, Zeng Wang
  • Patent number: 12681186
    Abstract: Techniques for determining labels for potentially non-impeding objects in an environment are disclosed. Unlabeled lidar segments may be evaluated to determine whether they are located in a drivable road in an environment and to determine a lidar intensity value for the segments. Based on the intensity and whether the segment is in a drivable region, the system determines a corresponding range of lidar values associated with a label or no label. The system assigns the label (or no label) associated with the corresponding range. The label and associated segment data may then be used to classify an object associated with the segment, control a vehicle, and train a machine-learned model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, David Pfeiffer, Zeng Wang
  • Publication number: 20260148535
    Abstract: Techniques for determining labels and occupancy data for voxels and pixels representing object protrusions are disclosed. The occupancy status of voxels surrounding an occupied voxel is determined and used to determine the occupancy density of the occupied voxel. The loss for the occupied voxel is adjusted inversely proportionately to the occupancy density. The adjusted-loss voxel is used to train a machine-learned model to detect objects in an environment and, specifically, to more accurately detect objects having protrusions that may otherwise not be associated with the object. This model may be used to provide data used to control a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2024
    Publication date: May 28, 2026
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, Rajendramayavan Rajendran Sathyam
  • Patent number: 12578469
    Abstract: Techniques for determining labels for potentially small, moving, and non-impeding objects in an environment are disclosed. Unlabeled lidar segments may be evaluated to determine whether segments are associated with objects located in a drivable region and to determine one or more characteristics of such segments. This determination includes comparing segment characteristics to various criteria that may be associated with small, dynamic objects, such as object size, motion, occlusion, and/or solidity. Based on this evaluation and whether the segment is in a drivable region, the system determines whether to label the segment as a small, dynamic, non-impeding object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, David Pfeiffer, Zeng Wang
  • Publication number: 20250298144
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting and classifying objects using lidar data are discussed herein. In some cases, the system may be configured to utilize a predetermined number of prior frames of lidar data to assist with detecting and classifying objects. In some implementations, the system may utilize a subset of the data associated with the prior lidar frames together with the full set of data associated with a current frame to detect and classify the objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2025
    Publication date: September 25, 2025
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, David Pfeiffer, Zeng Wang, Allan Zelener
  • Patent number: 12345821
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting and classifying objects using lidar data are discussed herein. In some cases, the system may be configured to utilize a predetermined number of prior frames of lidar data to assist with detecting and classifying objects. In some implementations, the system may utilize a subset of the data associated with the prior lidar frames together with the full set of data associated with a current frame to detect and classify the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, David Pfeiffer, Zeng Wang, Allan Zelener
  • Patent number: 11623661
    Abstract: Techniques for controlling a vehicle based on height data and/or classification data being determined utilizing multi-channel image data are discussed herein. The vehicle can capture lidar data as it traverses an environment. The lidar data can be associated with a voxel space as three-dimensional data. Semantic information can be determined and associated with the lidar data and/or the three-dimensional voxel space. A multi-channel input image can be determined based on the three-dimensional voxel space and input into a machine learned (ML) model. The ML model can output data to determine height data and/or classification data associated with a ground surface of the environment. The height data and/or classification data can be utilized to determine a mesh associated with the ground surface. The mesh can be used to control the vehicle and/or determine additional objects proximate the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, Robert Evan Mahieu, David Pfeiffer, Zeng Wang
  • Publication number: 20230095410
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting and classifying objects using lidar data are discussed herein. In some cases, the system may be configured to utilize a predetermined number of prior frames of lidar data to assist with detecting and classifying objects. In some implementations, the system may utilize a subset of the data associated with the prior lidar frames together with the full set of data associated with a current frame to detect and classify the objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, David Pfeiffer, Zeng Wang, Allan Zelener
  • Publication number: 20220111868
    Abstract: Techniques for estimating ground height based on lidar data are discussed herein. A vehicle captures lidar data as it traverses an environment. The lidar data can be associated with a voxel space as three-dimensional data. Semantic information can be determined and associated with the lidar data and/or the three-dimensional voxel space. A multi-channel input image can be determined based on the three-dimensional voxel space and input into a machine learned (ML) model. The ML model can output data to determine height data and/or classification data associated with a ground surface of the environment. The height data and/or classification data can be utilized to determine a mesh associated with the ground surface. The mesh can be used to control the vehicle and/or determine additional objects proximate the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Arthur Daniel Costea, Robert Evan Mahieu, David Pfeiffer, Zeng Wang