Patents by Inventor Benjamin J. Gaffney

Benjamin J. Gaffney 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: 11313693
    Abstract: A system for closest in path vehicle following using surrounding vehicles motion flow is provided and includes a sensor device of a host vehicle generating data related to vehicles upon a drivable surface. The system further includes a navigation controller including a computerized processor operable to monitor the data from the sensor device, define a portion of the plurality of vehicles as a swarm of vehicles, identify one of the plurality of vehicles as a closest in path vehicle to be followed, evaluate the data to determine whether the closest in path vehicle to be followed is exhibiting good behavior in relation to the swarm of vehicles, and, when the closest in path vehicle to be followed is exhibiting the good behavior, generate a breadcrumbing navigation path based upon the data. The system further includes a vehicle controller controlling the host vehicle based upon the breadcrumbing navigation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ryan A. MacDonald, Mohammadali Shahriari, Dorothy Lui, Donovan J. Wisner, Benjamin J. Gaffney
  • Publication number: 20210278231
    Abstract: A system for closest in path vehicle following using surrounding vehicles motion flow is provided and includes a sensor device of a host vehicle generating data related to vehicles upon a drivable surface. The system further includes a navigation controller including a computerized processor operable to monitor the data from the sensor device, define a portion of the plurality of vehicles as a swarm of vehicles, identify one of the plurality of vehicles as a closest in path vehicle to be followed, evaluate the data to determine whether the closest in path vehicle to be followed is exhibiting good behavior in relation to the swarm of vehicles, and, when the closest in path vehicle to be followed is exhibiting the good behavior, generate a breadcrumbing navigation path based upon the data. The system further includes a vehicle controller controlling the host vehicle based upon the breadcrumbing navigation path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ryan A. MacDonald, Mohammadali Shahriari, Dorothy Lui, Donovan J. Wisner, Benjamin J. Gaffney
  • Patent number: 10347132
    Abstract: One general aspect includes a system to send a distress notification, the system including a memory configured to include one or more executable instructions and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions, where the executable instructions enable the processor to: receive pedestrian movement information from a pedestrian detection sensor; receive third-party vehicle movement information from a vehicle detection sensor; and based at least in part on both the pedestrian movement information and third-party vehicle movement information, provide a collision warning notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Janakan Chandrakumar, Benjamin J. Gaffney, Reza Zarringhalam