Patents by Inventor Daniel Lynn Larner
Daniel Lynn Larner 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: 11975633Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system. The system may include a rotational control system configured to rotate a seat of a vehicle, and one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may have one or more processors that are configured to determine that an impact is imminent at a location on the vehicle along a collision axis. A most favorable orientation may be determined by the one or more processors based on the determined location and collision axis. Using the rotational control system, the one or more processors may rotate the seat of the vehicle to the most favorable orientation in order to reduce risks of serious injury to a passenger in the seat caused by the imminent impact. A translational control system may be used by the one or more processors to translate the seat of the vehicle to a position relative to the determined location.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2022Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Daniel Lynn Larner, Courtney McCool, Thomas Daniel, Atul Gupta, Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Peter Craig Lombrozo
-
Patent number: 11906328Abstract: A flexible device mounting kit allows to securely attach a sensor or another device to an arbitrary surface, including a surface that is very uneven. The kit includes a scaffolding assembly which includes a scaffolding guide and scaffolding teeth attached to the guide in a way that allows some of the teeth to move relative to the guide when the bottom of the teeth is pressed against uneven surface. When the assembly is pressed against the surface, the positions of the teeth adjust, forming, together with the surface, a cavity into which a gluing compound can be filled. A device mount to which a sensor (or another device) can be attached is pressed into the gluing compound before the gluing compound solidifies. As the gluing compound securely connects the sensor mount to the surface, the device can be securely placed within the mount regardless of how uneven the surface is.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2021Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: Novity, Inc.Inventors: Kai Frank Goebel, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Publication number: 20230365136Abstract: The disclosure relates to assessing and responding to wheel slippage and estimating road friction for a road surface. For instance, a vehicle may be controlled in an autonomous driving mode in order to follow a trajectory. A wheel of the vehicle may be determined to be slipping such that the vehicle has limited steering control. In response to determining that the wheel is slipping, steering of one or more wheels may be controlled in order to orient the one or more wheels towards the trajectory in order to allow the vehicle to proceed towards the trajectory when the wheel is no longer slipping. In addition, the road friction may be estimated based on the determination that the wheel is slipping. The vehicle may be controlled in the autonomous driving mode based on the estimated road friction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2023Publication date: November 16, 2023Inventors: Peter Craig Lombrozo, Courtney McCool, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Patent number: 11766982Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to deployable structures, such as airbag systems, for vehicles. A system is disclosed for reducing likelihood of injury to a passenger in a collision. The system may include a seat configured to accommodate the passenger and an airbag system. At least a portion of the airbag system may be incorporated into a vehicle prior to deployment of the airbag system. The airbag system may include an airbag and a locking feature. The locking feature may be configured to lock the airbag with a locking portion of a vehicle when the airbag system has been deployed. The locking feature may be attached to the airbag. Aside from airbags, other confining structures, such as nets, shades, curtains, etc., may also be used as deployable structures.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2022Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Daniel Lynn Larner, Thomas Daniel, Courtney McCool, Atul Gupta, Peter Craig Lombrozo
-
Publication number: 20230219471Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system that includes a seat mounted in a vehicle. The seat includes a base, a back support, a hinge, and a seat belt integrated into the seat. The back support is capable of rotating relative to the base and thereby reclining. The hinge is between the base and the back support and is configured to lock the back support in positions in relation to the base. The seat belt has a shoulder portion and a lap portion and is attached to the seat at a shoulder anchor in the back support and a base anchor in the base. When a generated torque, created from a forward force applied by the shoulder portion of the seat belt, exceeds a threshold amount of torque, the hinge is configured to unlock and back support is configured to rotate forward from a reclined position towards an upright position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: Thomas Daniel, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Patent number: 11697418Abstract: The disclosure relates to assessing and responding to wheel slippage and estimating road friction for a road surface. For instance, a vehicle may be controlled in an autonomous driving mode in order to follow a trajectory. A wheel of the vehicle may be determined to be slipping such that the vehicle has limited steering control. In response to determining that the wheel is slipping, steering of one or more wheels may be controlled in order to orient the one or more wheels towards the trajectory in order to allow the vehicle to proceed towards the trajectory when the wheel is no longer slipping. In addition, the road friction may be estimated based on the determination that the wheel is slipping. The vehicle may be controlled in the autonomous driving mode based on the estimated road friction.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2018Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Peter Craig Lombrozo, Courtney McCool, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Patent number: 11667222Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system that includes one or more cabin components in a vehicle and one or more computing devices of the vehicle. The one or more computing devices are configured to determine that a vehicle will have an acceleration in a first direction at a future time and an acceleration time associated with the acceleration of the vehicle, alter the one or more cabin components of the vehicle before the acceleration time, and adjust the one or more cabin components of the vehicle based on the acceleration of the vehicle over time.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2019Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Daniel Lynn Larner, Keith Hutchings
-
Patent number: 11639122Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system that includes a seat mounted in a vehicle. The seat includes a base, a back support, a hinge, and a seat belt integrated into the seat. The back support is capable of rotating relative to the base and thereby reclining. The hinge is between the base and the back support and is configured to lock the back support in positions in relation to the base. The seat belt has a shoulder portion and a lap portion and is attached to the seat at a shoulder anchor in the back support and a base anchor in the base. When a generated torque, created from a forward force applied by the shoulder portion of the seat belt, exceeds a threshold amount of torque, the hinge is configured to unlock and back support is configured to rotate forward from a reclined position towards an upright position.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2021Date of Patent: May 2, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Thomas Daniel, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Patent number: 11585670Abstract: The disclosure provides for a method for determining a route for passenger comfort and operating a vehicle according to the determined route. To start, a set of routes from a start location to an end location may be determined. Each route includes one or more portions. For each route of the set of routes, a total motion sickness value is determined based on a sway motion sickness value, a surge motion sickness value, and a heave motion sickness value for each of the given portions. The total motion sickness value for a route reflects a likelihood that a user will experience motion sickness while in a vehicle along the route. A route may then be selected from the set of routes based on the total motion sickness value of each route of the set of routes, and the vehicle may be maneuvered according to the selected route.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2021Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Daniel Lynn Larner, Jared Stephen Russell
-
Patent number: 11524608Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system. The system may include a rotational control system configured to rotate a seat of a vehicle, and one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may have one or more processors that are configured to determine that an impact is imminent at a location on the vehicle along a collision axis. A most favorable orientation may be determined by the one or more processors based on the determined location and collision axis. Using the rotational control system, the one or more processors may rotate the seat of the vehicle to the most favorable orientation in order to reduce risks of serious injury to a passenger in the seat caused by the imminent impact. A translational control system may be used by the one or more processors to translate the seat of the vehicle to a position relative to the determined location.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2020Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Daniel Lynn Larner, Courtney McCool, Thomas Daniel, Atul Gupta, Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Peter Craig Lombrozo
-
Publication number: 20220316924Abstract: A flexible device mounting kit allows to securely attach a sensor or another device to an arbitrary surface, including a surface that is very uneven. The kit includes a scaffolding assembly which includes a scaffolding guide and scaffolding teeth attached to the guide in a way that allows some of the teeth to move relative to the guide when the bottom of the teeth is pressed against uneven surface. When the assembly is pressed against the surface, the positions of the teeth adjust, forming, together with the surface, a cavity into which a gluing compound can be filled. A device mount to which a sensor (or another device) can be attached is pressed into the gluing compound before the gluing compound solidifies. As the gluing compound securely connects the sensor mount to the surface, the device can be securely placed within the mount regardless of how uneven the surface is.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2021Publication date: October 6, 2022Inventors: Kai Frank Goebel, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Patent number: 11292418Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to deployable structures, such as airbag systems, for vehicles. A system is disclosed for reducing likelihood of injury to a passenger in a collision. The system may include a seat configured to accommodate the passenger and an airbag system. At least a portion of the airbag system may be incorporated into a vehicle prior to deployment of the airbag system. The airbag system may include an airbag and a locking feature. The locking feature may be configured to lock the airbag with a locking portion of a vehicle when the airbag system has been deployed. The locking feature may be attached to the airbag. Aside from airbags, other confining structures, such as nets, shades, curtains, etc., may also be used as deployable structures.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Daniel Lynn Larner, Thomas Daniel, Courtney McCool, Atul Gupta, Peter Craig Lombrozo
-
Publication number: 20210370812Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system that includes a seat mounted in a vehicle. The seat includes a base, a back support, a hinge, and a seat belt integrated into the seat. The back support is capable of rotating relative to the base and thereby reclining. The hinge is between the base and the back support and is configured to lock the back support in positions in relation to the base. The seat belt has a shoulder portion and a lap portion and is attached to the seat at a shoulder anchor in the back support and a base anchor in the base. When a generated torque, created from a forward force applied by the shoulder portion of the seat belt, exceeds a threshold amount of torque, the hinge is configured to unlock and back support is configured to rotate forward from a reclined position towards an upright position.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Thomas Daniel, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Patent number: 11117501Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system that includes a seat mounted in a vehicle. The seat includes a base, a back support, a hinge, and a seat belt integrated into the seat. The back support is capable of rotating relative to the base and thereby reclining. The hinge is between the base and the back support and is configured to lock the back support in positions in relation to the base. The seat belt has a shoulder portion and a lap portion and is attached to the seat at a shoulder anchor in the back support and a base anchor in the base. When a generated torque, created from a forward force applied by the shoulder portion of the seat belt, exceeds a threshold amount of torque, the hinge is configured to unlock and back support is configured to rotate forward from a reclined position towards an upright position.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2019Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Thomas Daniel, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Publication number: 20210164796Abstract: The disclosure provides for a method for determining a route for passenger comfort and operating a vehicle according to the determined route. To start, a set of routes from a start location to an end location may be determined. Each route includes one or more portions. For each route of the set of routes, a total motion sickness value is determined based on a sway motion sickness value, a surge motion sickness value, and a heave motion sickness value for each of the given portions. The total motion sickness value for a route reflects a likelihood that a user will experience motion sickness while in a vehicle along the route. A route may then be selected from the set of routes based on the total motion sickness value of each route of the set of routes, and the vehicle may be maneuvered according to the selected route.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2021Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventors: Daniel Lynn Larner, Jared Stephen Russell
-
Patent number: 10942037Abstract: The disclosure provides for a method for determining a route for passenger comfort and operating a vehicle according to the determined route. To start, a set of routes from a start location to an end location may be determined. Each route includes one or more portions. For each route of the set of routes, a total motion sickness value is determined based on a sway motion sickness value, a surge motion sickness value, and a heave motion sickness value for each of the given portions. The total motion sickness value for a route reflects a likelihood that a user will experience motion sickness while in a vehicle along the route. A route may then be selected from the set of routes based on the total motion sickness value of each route of the set of routes, and the vehicle may be maneuvered according to the selected route.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2018Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Daniel Lynn Larner, Jared Stephen Russell
-
Patent number: 10857963Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to deployable structures, such as airbag systems, for vehicles. A system is disclosed for reducing likelihood of injury to a passenger in a collision. The system may include a seat configured to accommodate the passenger and an airbag system. At least a portion of the airbag system may be incorporated into a vehicle prior to deployment of the airbag system. The airbag system may include an airbag and a locking feature. The locking feature may be configured to lock the airbag with a locking portion of a vehicle when the airbag system has been deployed. The locking feature may be attached to the airbag. Aside from airbags, other confining structures, such as nets, shades, curtains, etc., may also be used as deployable structures.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2018Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Daniel Lynn Larner, Thomas Daniel, Courtney McCool, Atul Gupta, Peter Craig Lombrozo
-
Patent number: 10787201Abstract: The technology relates to vehicle panels. The vehicle panel may comprise a top layer and a bottom layer. The top and bottom layers may be bonded together. The bond of the top and bottom layer may be a weld. One or more energy absorbing layers may be positioned between the top layer and the bottom layer. The one or more energy absorbing layers may be comprised of one or more energy absorbing materials. The energy absorbing layers may be aluminum honeycomb and polyurethane foam.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2017Date of Patent: September 29, 2020Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Daniel Lynn Larner, Atul Gupta, Thomas Daniel
-
Patent number: 10759379Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to adjusting a shear pin to minimize an impact force felt by an object in a collision with a vehicle. For example, one or more second computing devices may receive, from one or more first computing devices, information indicating that an impact with an object is imminent. In response to the received information, the second computing devices may determine a first shear force for a first shear pin, wherein the first shear force is a desired amount of shear force necessary to break the first shear pin. The second computing devices may send a triggering signal to activate an actuator prior to an impact with the identified impact target. The actuator, in response to receiving the triggering signal, may adjust the first shear pin in a first pinhole, so the first shear pin will break at the first shear force.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2018Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Atul Gupta, Thomas Daniel, Daniel Lynn Larner
-
Publication number: 20200207301Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to net systems. The net system reduces the risk of injury caused by impact with a vehicle to an object or a pedestrian. The net system may include a net configured to deploy in a vehicle's environment in order to reduce the likelihood of an object colliding directly with the vehicle. The one or more energy reduction structures may be arranged on the net, and the one or more energy reduction structures may be configured to reduce injury caused by impact of the object by absorbing impact energy.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2017Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Peter Craig Lombrozo, Daniel Lynn Larner, Atul Gupta