Patents by Inventor Benjamin Charrow

Benjamin Charrow 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: 11938967
    Abstract: The technology relates to maneuvering a vehicle prior to making a turn from a current lane of the vehicle. As an example, a route that includes making the turn from the lane is identified. An area of the lane prior to the turn having a lane width of at least a predetermined size is also identified. Sensor data identifying an object within the lane is received from a perception system of a vehicle. Characteristics of the object, including a location of the object relative to the vehicle, are identified from the sensor data. The vehicle is then maneuvered through the area prior to making the turn using the identified characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Charrow, Nathaniel Fairfield
  • Publication number: 20230093126
    Abstract: The technology involves evaluating components of an autonomous vehicle that can be meaningfully evaluated over a single operational iteration. One or more snapshots of single iteration scenarios can be tested quickly and efficiently, either on vehicle or via a back-end system. Each snapshot corresponds to a particular point in time when a given component runs. Each snapshot contains a serialized set of inputs necessary to evaluate the particular component. These inputs comprise the minimal amount of information needed to accurately and faithfully recreate what the component did or does. Each snapshot is triggered at the particular point in time based on one or more criteria associated with either a driving scenario or a component of the vehicle during autonomous driving. A serialized snapshot may be retrieved from storage and deserialized, so that the system may evaluate the state of the component at the particular point in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Applicant: WAYMO LLC
    Inventors: Shir Yehoshua, Benjamin Charrow
  • Publication number: 20220187834
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for generation of trajectories for a vehicle driving in an autonomous driving mode. In one instance, a default number of trajectories to be generated may be identified. A set of maneuvering options may be selected from a set of predetermined maneuvering options based on the number of trajectories. The set of maneuvering options may be filtered based on the default number of trajectories. A set of trajectories may be generated based on the filtered set of maneuvering option such that each trajectory of the set corresponds to a different maneuvering behavior. A cost for each trajectory of the set of trajectories may be determined, and one of the trajectories of the set of trajectories may be selected based on the determined costs. The vehicle may be maneuvered in the autonomous driving mode according to the selected one of the trajectories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Guillaume Dupre, Benjamin Charrow
  • Patent number: 11256260
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for generation of trajectories for a vehicle driving in an autonomous driving mode. In one instance, a default number of trajectories to be generated may be identified. A set of maneuvering options may be selected from a set of predetermined maneuvering options based on the number of trajectories. The set of maneuvering options may be filtered based on the default number of trajectories. A set of trajectories may be generated based on the filtered set of maneuvering option such that each trajectory of the set corresponds to a different maneuvering behavior. A cost for each trajectory of the set of trajectories may be determined, and one of the trajectories of the set of trajectories may be selected based on the determined costs. The vehicle may be maneuvered in the autonomous driving mode according to the selected one of the trajectories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Guillaume Dupre, Benjamin Charrow
  • Publication number: 20210240184
    Abstract: The technology relates to maneuvering a vehicle prior to making a turn from a current lane of the vehicle. As an example, a route that includes making the turn from the lane is identified. An area of the lane prior to the turn having a lane width of at least a predetermined size is also identified. Sensor data identifying an object within the lane is received from a perception system of a vehicle. Characteristics of the object, including a location of the object relative to the vehicle, are identified from the sensor data. The vehicle is then maneuvered through the area prior to making the turn using the identified characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Benjamin Charrow, Nathaniel Fairfield
  • Patent number: 11009875
    Abstract: The technology relates to maneuvering a vehicle prior to making a turn from a current lane of the vehicle. As an example, a route that includes making the turn from the lane is identified. An area of the lane prior to the turn having a lane width of at least a predetermined size is also identified. Sensor data identifying an object within the lane is received from a perception system of a vehicle. Characteristics of the object, including a location of the object relative to the vehicle, are identified from the sensor data. The vehicle is then maneuvered through the area prior to making the turn using the identified characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Inventors: Benjamin Charrow, Nathaniel Fairfield
  • Publication number: 20200110414
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for generation of trajectories for a vehicle driving in an autonomous driving mode. In one instance, a default number of trajectories to be generated may be identified. A set of maneuvering options may be selected from a set of predetermined maneuvering options based on the number of trajectories. The set of maneuvering options may be filtered based on the default number of trajectories. A set of trajectories may be generated based on the filtered set of maneuvering option such that each trajectory of the set corresponds to a different maneuvering behavior. A cost for each trajectory of the set of trajectories may be determined, and one of the trajectories of the set of trajectories may be selected based on the determined costs. The vehicle may be maneuvered in the autonomous driving mode according to the selected one of the trajectories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: Guillaume Dupre, Benjamin Charrow
  • Publication number: 20180259957
    Abstract: The technology relates to maneuvering a vehicle prior to making a turn from a current lane of the vehicle. As an example, a route that includes making the turn from the lane is identified. An area of the lane prior to the turn having a lane width of at least a predetermined size is also identified. Sensor data identifying an object within the lane is received from a perception system of a vehicle. Characteristics of the object, including a location of the object relative to the vehicle, are identified from the sensor data. The vehicle is then maneuvered through the area prior to making the turn using the identified characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Benjamin Charrow, Nathaniel Fairfield
  • Patent number: 9868391
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to providing audible indications to objects located externally to a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode. For instance, a vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving mode along a particular path. Information identifying a characteristic and a location of an object is received. When vehicle is determined to be prevented from proceeding along the particular path because of the location of the object, a scenario is identified using the characteristic. The scenario is associated with a predetermined period of time and a type of audible indication used to identify an audible indication. After the waiting the predetermined period, when the object is determined to still be preventing the vehicle from proceeding along the particular path, the audible indication is played through a speaker of the vehicle to encourage the object to take an action to allow the vehicle to proceed along the particular path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Fairfield, Benjamin Charrow
  • Patent number: 9198154
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to permit location discovery, including location discovery in indoor settings. The method may identify a wireless fingerprint present at a geographical location and determine whether the wireless fingerprint corresponds to a previously observed wireless fingerprint associated with the predefined geographical location. A new wireless fingerprint and a geographical location, or bind, may be received by the system and the system may evaluate whether or not the new bind is erroneous or not, or if the new bind is an improvement over existing binds in determining whether or not to accept the new bind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Ledlie, Jamey Hicks, Einat Minkov, Jun-geun Park, Dorothy W. Curtis, Benjamin Charrow, Seth J. Teller, Jonathan Battat
  • Patent number: 8581698
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to permit location discovery, including location discovery in indoor settings. The method may identify a wireless signature present at a geographical location and determine whether the wireless signature corresponds to a previously observed wireless signature associated with the predefined geographical location. In instances in which the wireless signature fails to correspond to a previously observed wireless signature, the method may also receive an identification of a geographical location and associate, such as by means of a processor, the wireless signature with the identification of the geographical location. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignees: Nokia Corporation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Jonathan Ledlie, Jamey Hicks, Seth J. Teller, Dorothy W. Curtis, Jonathan Battat, Benjamin Charrow
  • Publication number: 20110306354
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to permit location discovery, including location discovery in indoor settings. The method may identify a wireless fingerprint present at a geographical location and determine whether the wireless fingerprint corresponds to a previously observed wireless fingerprint associated with the predefined geographical location. A new wireless fingerprint and a geographical location, or bind, may be received by the system and the system may evaluate whether or not the new bind is erroneous or not, or if the new bind is an improvement over existing binds in determining whether or not to accept the new bind.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicants: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NOKIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan Ledlie, Jamey Hicks, Einat Minkov, Jun-geun Park, Dorothy W. Curtis, Benjamin Charrow, Seth J. Teller, Jonathan Battat
  • Publication number: 20100127887
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to permit location discovery, including location discovery in indoor settings. The method may identify a wireless signature present at a geographical location and determine whether the wireless signature corresponds to a previously observed wireless signature associated with the predefined geographical location. In instances in which the wireless signature fails to correspond to a previously observed wireless signature, the method may also receive an identification of a geographical location and associate, such as by means of a processor, the wireless signature with the identification of the geographical location. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventors: Jonathan Ledlie, Jamey Hicks, Seth J. Teller, Dorothy W. Curtis, Jonathan Battat, Benjamin Charrow