Patents by Inventor Christoph Sprunk

Christoph Sprunk 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: 11915490
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for the generation and use of a surfel map with semantic labels. One of the methods includes receiving a surfel map that includes a plurality of surfels, wherein each surfel has associated data that includes one or more semantic labels; obtaining sensor data for one or more locations in the environment, the sensor data having been captured by one or more sensors of a first vehicle; determining one or more surfels corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data; identifying one or more semantic labels for the one or more surfels corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data; and performing, for each surfel corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data, a label-specific detection process for the surfel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Dragomir Anguelov, Colin Andrew Braley, Christoph Sprunk
  • Patent number: 11774596
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for processing data generated by a sensing system that rotationally senses an environment. In one aspect, a method comprises partitioning a predetermined period of time into a plurality of sub-periods, wherein the predetermined period of time is a period of time for which data generated by the sensing system constitutes a complete rotational sensing of the environment; for each sub-period: receiving current data generated by the sensing system during the sub-period and characterizing a respective partial scene of the environment; processing the current data using an object detection neural network to generate a current object detection output that is specific to the respective partial scene of the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jonathon Shlens, Vijay Vasudevan, Jiquan Ngiam, Wei Han, Zhifeng Chen, Brandon Chauloon Yang, Benjamin James Caine, Zhengdong Zhang, Christoph Sprunk, Ouais Alsharif, Junhua Mao, Chen Wu
  • Publication number: 20230076479
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for the generation and use of a surfel map with semantic labels. One of the methods includes receiving a surfel map that includes a plurality of surfels, wherein each surfel has associated data that includes one or more semantic labels; obtaining sensor data for one or more locations in the environment, the sensor data having been captured by one or more sensors of a first vehicle; determining one or more surfels corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data; identifying one or more semantic labels for the one or more surfels corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data; and performing, for each surfel corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data, a label-specific detection process for the surfel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Dragomir Anguelov, Colin Andrew Braley, Christoph Sprunk
  • Publication number: 20220415042
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for processing data generated by a sensing system that rotationally senses an environment. In one aspect, a method comprises partitioning a predetermined period of time into a plurality of sub-periods, wherein the predetermined period of time is a period of time for which data generated by the sensing system constitutes a complete rotational sensing of the environment; for each sub-period: receiving current data generated by the sensing system during the sub-period and characterizing a respective partial scene of the environment; processing the current data using an object detection neural network to generate a current object detection output that is specific to the respective partial scene of the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Jonathon Shlens, Vijay Vasudevan, Jiquan Ngiam, Wei Han, Zhifeng Chen, Brandon Chauloon Yang, Benjamin James Caine, Zhengdong Zhang, Christoph Sprunk, Ouais Alsharif, Junhua Mao, Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 11508147
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for processing data generated by a sensing system that rotationally senses an environment. In one aspect, a method comprises partitioning a predetermined period of time into a plurality of sub-periods, wherein the predetermined period of time is a period of time for which data generated by the sensing system constitutes a complete rotational sensing of the environment; for each sub-period: receiving current data generated by the sensing system during the sub-period and characterizing a respective partial scene of the environment; processing the current data using an object detection neural network to generate a current object detection output that is specific to the respective partial scene of the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jonathon Shlens, Vijay Vasudevan, Jiquan Ngiam, Wei Han, Zhifeng Chen, Brandon Chauloon Yang, Benjamin James Caine, Zhengdong Zhang, Christoph Sprunk, Ouais Alsharif, Junhua Mao, Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 11417110
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for the generation and use of a surfel map with semantic labels. One of the methods includes receiving a surfel map that includes a plurality of surfels, wherein each surfel has associated data that includes one or more semantic labels; obtaining sensor data for one or more locations in the environment, the sensor data having been captured by one or more sensors of a first vehicle; determining one or more surfels corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data; identifying one or more semantic labels for the one or more surfels corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data; and performing, for each surfel corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data, a label-specific detection process for the surfel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Dragomir Anguelov, Colin Andrew Braley, Christoph Sprunk
  • Publication number: 20220076030
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for the generation and use of a surfel map with semantic labels. One of the methods includes receiving a surfel map that includes a plurality of surfels, wherein each surfel has associated data that includes one or more semantic labels; obtaining sensor data for one or more locations in the environment, the sensor data having been captured by one or more sensors of a first vehicle; determining one or more surfels corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data; identifying one or more semantic labels for the one or more surfels corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data; and performing, for each surfel corresponding to the one or more locations of the obtained sensor data, a label-specific detection process for the surfel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Dragomir Anguelov, Colin Andrew Braley, Christoph Sprunk
  • Publication number: 20220063662
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for autonomous driving with surfel maps. In some implementations, a three-dimensional representation of a real-world environment is obtained. Each of the surfels can correspond to a respective point of plurality of points in a three-dimensional space of the real-world environment. Input sensor data is received from multiple sensors installed on the autonomous vehicle. A pedestrian is detected from the input sensor data. A determination is made that the pedestrian is located behind a barrier. A driving plan is updated based on determining that the pedestrian is located behind a barrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Christoph Sprunk, David Harrison Silver, Carlos Hernandez Esteban, Michael Montemerlo, Peter Pawlowski, David Yonchar Margines
  • Publication number: 20210279465
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for processing data generated by a sensing system that rotationally senses an environment. In one aspect, a method comprises partitioning a predetermined period of time into a plurality of sub-periods, wherein the predetermined period of time is a period of time for which data generated by the sensing system constitutes a complete rotational sensing of the environment; for each sub-period: receiving current data generated by the sensing system during the sub-period and characterizing a respective partial scene of the environment; processing the current data using an object detection neural network to generate a current object detection output that is specific to the respective partial scene of the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Jonathon Shlens, Vijay Vasudevan, Jiquan Ngiam, Wei Han, Zhifeng Chen, Brandon Chauloon Yang, Benjamin James Caine, Zhengdong Zhang, Christoph Sprunk, Ouais Alsharif, Junhua Mao, Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 9145286
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an autonomous industrial truck (1), having the following method steps: determining, by means of a measuring apparatus (6) of the autonomous industrial truck (1), whether the industrial truck potentially hits at least one obstacle (7) on the basis of the present movement of said industrial truck (1), determining that point (14) of the industrial truck (1), and determining a maximum velocity for the present movement of the industrial truck (1) on the basis of the determined distance (d), with the result that the industrial truck reliably comes to a standstill in front of the obstacle (7) on the basis of possible braking of the industrial truck (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Pfaff, Christoph Sprunk
  • Publication number: 20130060415
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an autonomous industrial truck (1), having the following method steps: determining, by means of a measuring apparatus (6) of the autonomous industrial truck (1), whether the industrial truck potentially hits at least one obstacle (7) on the basis of the present movement of said industrial truck (1), determining that point (14) of the industrial truck (1), and determining a maximum velocity for the present movement of the industrial truck (1) on the basis of the determined distance (d), with the result that the industrial truck reliably comes to a standstill in front of the obstacle (7) on the basis of possible braking of the industrial truck (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: KUKA LABORATORIES GMBH
    Inventors: Patrick Pfaff, Christoph Sprunk