Patents by Inventor Calvin Karl Johnson

Calvin Karl Johnson 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: 20240045424
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Kristiina Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Kennedy Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Patent number: 11803183
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Kristiina Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Kennedy Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Patent number: 11747811
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle having one or more computing devices that may receive instructions to pick up a passenger at a pickup location and determine when the vehicle is within a first distance of the pickup location. When the vehicle is within the first distance, the computing devices may make a first attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger. When the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle on the first attempt, the computing devices may maneuvering the vehicle in order to make a second attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger. When the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle on the second attempt, the computing devices may stop the vehicle in a current lane to wait for the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Brian Douglas Cullinane, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Anne Kristiina Aula, Jennifer Arden, Nathaniel Fairfield, Joshua Seth Herbach, Calvin Karl Johnson, Renaud-Roland Hubert
  • Publication number: 20210055726
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Kristiina Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Kennedy Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Patent number: 10795355
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Kristiina Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Kennedy Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Patent number: 10261512
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle having one or more computing devices that may receive instructions to pick up a passenger at a pickup location and determine when the vehicle is within a first distance of the pickup location. When the vehicle is within the first distance, the computing devices may make a first attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger. When the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle on the first attempt, the computing devices may maneuvering the vehicle in order to make a second attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger. When the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle on the second attempt, the computing devices may stop the vehicle in a current lane to wait for the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Brian Douglas Cullinane, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Anne Kristiina Aula, Jennifer Arden, Nathaniel Fairfield, Joshua Seth Herbach, Calvin Karl Johnson, Renaud-Roland Hubert
  • Publication number: 20180267531
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Kristiina Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Kennedy Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Patent number: 9983582
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Kristiina Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Kennedy Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Patent number: 9547307
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle having one or more computing devices that may receive instructions to pick up a passenger at a pickup location and determine when the vehicle is within a first distance of the pickup location. When the vehicle is within the first distance, the computing devices may make a first attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger. When the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle on the first attempt, the computing devices may maneuvering the vehicle in order to make a second attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger. When the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle on the second attempt, the computing devices may stop the vehicle in a current lane to wait for the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Douglas Cullinane, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Anne Kristiina Aula, Jennifer Arden, Nathaniel Fairfield, Joshua Seth Herbach, Calvin Karl Johnson, Renaud-Roland Hubert
  • Publication number: 20160349750
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Kristiina Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Kennedy Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Patent number: 9436182
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Publication number: 20150337587
    Abstract: In one aspect, a vehicle's computing device may receive information identifying a client computing device, a pickup location, and an encryption key. When the vehicle is within a given distance of the pickup location, the computing device uses the encryption key to authenticate the client computing device. When the client computing device is authenticated, the computing device may estimate a first distance between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device. The computing device may then automatically determine when to unlock the vehicle by selecting between a first distance value and a second distance value. The first value is selected when the first distance is greater than a threshold value, and the second value is selected when the first distance is less than the threshold value. The computing device may unlock the vehicle based on the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: David Tse-Zhou Lu, Calvin Karl Johnson, Renaud-Roland Hubert
  • Publication number: 20150338849
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Philip Nemec, Anne Aula, David Tse-Zhou Lu, Brian Cullinane, Calvin Karl Johnson, Albert Shane, Christopher Ludwick, YooJung Ahn
  • Patent number: 9194168
    Abstract: In one aspect, a vehicle's computing device may receive information identifying a client computing device, a pickup location, and an encryption key. When the vehicle is within a given distance of the pickup location, the computing device uses the encryption key to authenticate the client computing device. When the client computing device is authenticated, the computing device may estimate a first distance between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device. The computing device may then automatically determine when to unlock the vehicle by selecting between a first distance value and a second distance value. The first value is selected when the first distance is greater than a threshold value, and the second value is selected when the first distance is less than the threshold value. The computing device may unlock the vehicle based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: David Tse-Zhou Lu, Calvin Karl Johnson, Renaud-Roland Hubert