Patents by Inventor Christopher SCHAEFER

Christopher SCHAEFER 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: 20250242830
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating driving trajectories based on vehicle traces through lane gates. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a network of lane gates for a multi-lane road. The method also includes, for a target lane gate in the network, 1) identifying paths of connected lane gates passing through the target lane gate, 2) clustering vehicle traces passing through the target lane gate that have a same trace path, and 3) calculating a lateral position along the target lane gate for a cluster of vehicle traces. The method also includes generating a driving trajectory for the path based on lateral positions for the cluster at multiple lane gates along a path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250244144
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to estimating a line for a boundary line. In one example, a system includes a processor and a memory having instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a graph from key points of a boundary line and determine the longest-shortest path within the graph. The longest-shortest path represents a line estimate of the boundary line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250244145
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to grouping a plurality of points, such as trace points, in a region into one or more clusters based on one or more roadways. In one embodiment, a method includes connecting, using a plurality of edges, the plurality of points in the region, based on at least one predetermined criterion, to form a frame graph. The method includes generating a road graph based on the frame graph. The road graph identifies the one or more roadways in the region. The method includes grouping one or more of the plurality of points into the one or more clusters based on at least one second predetermined criterion. Each of the one or more clusters is associated with one of the one or more roadways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250242831
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating driving trajectories for routes along a road based on vehicle traces through lane gates. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a network of lane gates across a representation of a road. The method also includes, for a target lane gate, 1) clustering vehicle traces passing through the target lane gate based on a trace lateral position at the target lane gate and 2) placing a node for a cluster on the target lane gate at a representative lateral position for the cluster. The method also includes generating a driving trajectory for a path by connecting nodes on adjacent lane gates that share a vehicle trace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250244141
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating a road graph from a frame graph. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a frame graph of a region. The frame graph includes a plurality of points and a plurality of edges connecting the plurality of points based on at least one predetermined criterion. The method further includes generating a plurality of shortest paths. The plurality of shortest paths includes a shortest path between each two of the plurality of points connected by one or more of the plurality of edges. The method includes selecting the longest path from the plurality of shortest paths and generating a road graph based on at least the longest path. the road graph identifying one or more roadways in the region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250245887
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating, in a scalable manner, a road graph from points in a region of interest. In one embodiment, a method includes partitioning the region of interest into tiles. Each tile has an inner area and an outer area. Each tile has an inner border encapsulating the inner area and separating the inner area from the outer area and an outer border encapsulating the outer area. The tiles overlap neighboring tiles. The method includes generating a portion of a frame graph for each tile based on the points associated with each tile. The method includes generating a portion of a road graph based on the portion of frame graph within each tile and combining the portion of the road graph in the inner area into the road graph based on the points in the outer area of each tile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250141664
    Abstract: A method and system for a vehicle for binding a user account with a digital key is disclosed herein. The method includes receiving information about an account binding of a user from an administrative platform for the vehicle, the information about the account binding comprising information on a digital account key. The method also includes receiving access information from a user, the access information comprising information on a digital user key, and verifying that the digital account key and the digital user key match to obtain user grant information. The method further includes obtaining information about one or more personalized settings or services of the user for the vehicle based on the user grant information, and applying the one or more settings to the vehicle or enabling the one or more services for the user in the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Thorsten Knott, Olaf Mueller, Stefan Diewald, Sven Hofmann, Christoph Schaefer, Dominik Schwald
  • Publication number: 20250118090
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the estimation of lane lines along a roadway. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring sensor data about a roadway. The sensor data includes at least frames and associated point detections about a lane line associated with the roadway. The method includes identifying a selected point and nearby points of the point detections. The method includes projecting lines from the nearby points to an orthogonal line extending from the selected point to define projection points. The method includes estimating a line point of the lane line according to the projection points. The method includes generating an estimated line for the lane line using the line point and other line points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2023
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250102318
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to associating vehicle sensor data with road graphs. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and a memory storing machine-readable instructions. The machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to 1) map frames of a vehicle trace along a road to a respective nearest portion of a road graph for the road, 2) identify, as a non-baseline segment, a portion of the road graph for which there is a mapping inconsistency, and 3) for a baseline segment, associate vehicle sensor data captured at the frames with the respective nearest portion of the road graph.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250104447
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to estimating a lane graph describing a road portion. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a frame graph of a road portion. The frame graph has a plurality of cycles, and each cycle is an enclosed configuration of three or more edges. Each edge connects two trace points. Further, each edge has one or more relationship options between the two trace points and a probability value for each of the one or more relationship options. Each trace point is related to a position of a vehicle in the road portion. The method includes estimating, using a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) process, a lane graph describing the road portion based on at least a portion of the frame graph.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20250104269
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to implementing lane change detection strategies. In one embodiment, a method includes determining for each segment of a frame graph a left-handed distance and a right-handed distance based on a vehicle position indicator, a set of left lane boundary indicators, and a set of right lane boundary indicators within each segment; and determining if a lane change has occurred by evaluating changes in magnitude within a set of left-handed distances and a set of right-handed distances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20240386670
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to estimating lane elevation using headings for generating three-dimensional (3D) maps. In one embodiment, a method includes augmenting positions of detected lane boundaries with headings of a vehicle from sensor data. The method also includes adding the headings to vertices of two-dimensional (2D) lines using direction vectors between the vertices, wherein the 2D lines are directed towards the detected lane boundaries. The method also includes estimating elevations of the vertices including surrounding lane boundaries using a weighted average and vehicle poses from the sensor data, the surrounding lane boundaries having locations different than the positions and the weighted average factors directional differences between the vertices. The method also includes generating a 3D map of driving lanes having stacked roads identified using the elevations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Applicant: Woven by Toyota, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Christoph Schaefer, Shunsho Kaku
  • Patent number: 12117540
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving a localization estimate of a vehicle by leveraging localization estimates of surrounding vehicles. A vehicle may estimate its own location relative to a global reference frame. The vehicle may identify nearby vehicles. The vehicle may estimate the location of the nearby vehicles. The vehicle and nearby vehicles may generate and exchange localization packets containing information about the vehicles and the location estimates. The vehicle may refine its localization estimate based on received localization packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yasuda, Manuel Ludwig Kuehner, Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Patent number: 12089352
    Abstract: A pressure equalising device for a housing, including an inside, an outside, and a lattice-like cage having a gas passage opening. The gas passage opening connects the inside and the outside in a differential pressure-dependent and flow-conducting manner. The gas passage opening is covered by a gas-permeable membrane which includes at least one nonwoven layer. The nonwoven layer includes fibers which are substantially completely sheathed by a sheath of an elastomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: CARL FREUDENBERG KG
    Inventors: Christopher Schaefer, Ingo Stephan, Markus Filler
  • Publication number: 20240192019
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating a semantic map for a road portion. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving sensor data related to a road portion. The sensor data includes trace points and key points associated with the trace points. The trace points are related to positions of a vehicle in the road portion and the key points are related to lane boundaries. The method includes determining a relationship between the trace points based on the key points and determining characteristics of the road portion based on the relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: Woven by Toyota, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20240175706
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating a semantic map for a road segment. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving sensor data related to a road segment. The sensor data includes trace points and key points associated with the trace points. The trace points are related to positions of a vehicle in the road segment and the key points are related to lane boundaries. The method includes generating hypothetical lane configurations, generating scores based on how accurately the key points match the hypothetical lane configurations, and selecting one hypothetical lane configuration from the hypothetical lane configurations based on a score among the scores. The score indicating most accurate match. The method includes determining characteristics of the road segment based on the one hypothetical lane configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: Woven by Toyota, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20240175705
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating a semantic map for a road segment. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving sensor data related to a road segment, generating an orthogonal axis related to the road segment, and projecting the sensor data onto the orthogonal axis. The method includes generating a range of weighting functions based on potential characteristics of the road segment and determining a plurality of scores based on applying the range of weighting functions to the sensor data along the orthogonal axis. The method includes selecting one weighting function from the range of weighting functions based on one score of the plurality of scores, where the one score is a highest score. The method includes determining characteristics of the road segment based on the selected weighting function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: Woven by Toyota, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Christoph Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20240040716
    Abstract: A pressure equalising device for a housing, including an inside, an outside, and a lattice-like cage having a gas passage opening. The gas passage opening connects the inside and the outside in a differential pressure-dependent and flow-conducting manner. The gas passage opening is covered by a gas-permeable membrane which includes at least one nonwoven layer. The nonwoven layer includes fibers which are substantially completely sheathed by a sheath of an elastomer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Christopher SCHAEFER, Ingo STEPHAN, Markus FILLER
  • Publication number: 20230363371
    Abstract: A method for applying a spray agent to an agricultural land using a spray nozzle unit of an agricultural spray device. The method includes detecting first and second field sections of the agricultural land using an optical detection unit to obtain first and second pieces of image information from the first and second field sections, wherein the pieces of image information have a common lateral overlapping area having a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device; classifying plants in the obtained pieces of image information using a control unit; determining first and second plant identification numbers for first and second image evaluation areas in the obtained first and second pieces of image information using the classified plants; and applying the spray agent as a function of the determined plant identification numbers using the spray nozzle unit of the agricultural spray device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Andreas Weimer, Carl-Ludwig von Horstig, Christoph Schaefer, Farid Khani, Nicolas Houis
  • Patent number: 11704823
    Abstract: A preprocessing technique for synthetic radar images. An embodiment of a method for preprocessing synthetic aperture radar images includes: receiving range-compressed radar data generated from raw radar image data on-board a satellite or an airborne vehicle; generating a preliminary SAR image by performing a pre-focusing on the range-compressed radar data; extracting image subsectors from the preliminary SAR image; transmitting the extracted image subsectors to an on-ground portion; reconstructing the range-compressed radar data pertaining to the extracted image subsectors; and making the range-compressed radar data pertaining to the extracted image subsectors available for a Nominal synthetic aperture radar processor, wherein the Nominal synthetic aperture radar processor is configured to generate a focused SAR image having a nominal value of image resolution that is higher than the resolution of the preliminary SAR image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Schaefer, Jörg Hippler, Andrea Federico Loinger, Christoph Heer