Patents by Inventor David Ian Franklin Ferguson
David Ian Franklin Ferguson 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).
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Patent number: 11908328Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to previously stored information about the driving environment. The apparatus may include an autonomous driving computer system configured to detect one or more vehicles in the driving environment, and determine corresponding trajectories for those detected vehicles. The autonomous driving computer system may then compare the determined trajectories to an expected trajectory of a hypothetical vehicle in the driving environment. Based on the comparison, the autonomous driving computer system may determine whether the driving environment has changed and/or a probability that the driving environment has changed, relative to the previously stored information about the driving environment.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2023Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: Waymo LLCInventor: David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Publication number: 20240005671Abstract: An autonomous vehicle is configured to detect an active turn signal indicator on another vehicle. An image-capture device of the autonomous vehicle captures an image of a field of view of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle captures the image with a short exposure to emphasize objects having brightness above a threshold. Additionally, a bounding area for a second vehicle located within the image is determined. The autonomous vehicle identifies a group of pixels within the bounding area based on a first color of the group of pixels. The autonomous vehicle also calculates an oscillation of an intensity of the group of pixels. Based on the oscillation of the intensity, the autonomous vehicle determines a likelihood that the second vehicle has a first active turn signal. Additionally, the autonomous vehicle is controlled based at least on the likelihood that the second vehicle has a first active turn signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2023Publication date: January 4, 2024Inventors: Abhijit Ogale, David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Patent number: 11790666Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an autonomous vehicle having a vehicle control system. The vehicle control system includes an image processing system. The image processing system receives an image that includes a plurality of image portions. The image processing system also calculates a score for each image portion. The score indicates a level of confidence that a given image portion represents an illuminated component of a traffic light. The image processing system further identifies one or more candidate portions from among the plurality of image portions. Additionally, the image processing system determines that a particular candidate portion represents an illuminated component of a traffic light using a classifier. Further, the image processing system provides instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the particular candidate portion representing an illuminated component of a traffic light.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2022Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Andreas Wendel, David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Publication number: 20230290251Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to previously stored information about the driving environment. The apparatus may include an autonomous driving computer system configured to detect one or more vehicles in the driving environment, and determine corresponding trajectories for those detected vehicles. The autonomous driving computer system may then compare the determined trajectories to an expected trajectory of a hypothetical vehicle in the driving environment. Based on the comparison, the autonomous driving computer system may determine whether the driving environment has changed and/or a probability that the driving environment has changed, relative to the previously stored information about the driving environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2023Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventor: David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Patent number: 11709490Abstract: As an example, data identifying characteristics of a road user as well as contextual information about the vehicle's environment is received from the vehicle's perception system. A prediction of the intent of the object including an action of a predetermined list of actions to be initiated by the road user and a point in time for initiation of the action is generated using the data. A prediction of the behavior of the road user for a predetermined period of time into the future indicating that the road user is not going to initiate the action during the predetermined period of time is generated using the data. When the prediction of the behavior indicates that the road user is not going to initiate the action during the predetermined period of time, the vehicle is maneuvered according to the prediction of the intent prior to the vehicle passing the object.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2021Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Stéphane Ross, David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Patent number: 11636765Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to previously stored information about the driving environment. The apparatus may include an autonomous driving computer system configured to detect one or more vehicles in the driving environment, and determine corresponding trajectories for those detected vehicles. The autonomous driving computer system may then compare the determined trajectories to an expected trajectory of a hypothetical vehicle in the driving environment. Based on the comparison, the autonomous driving computer system may determine whether the driving environment has changed and/or a probability that the driving environment has changed, relative to the previously stored information about the driving environment.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventor: David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Patent number: 11551458Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to classifying the status of objects. For examples, one or more computing devices detect an object from an image of a vehicle's environment. The object is associated with a location. The one or more computing devices receive data corresponding to the surfaces of objects in the vehicle's environment and identifying data within a region around the location of the object. The one or more computing devices also determine whether the data within the region corresponds to a planar surface extending away from an edge of the object. Based on this determination, the one or more computing devices classify the status of the object.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2020Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, David Harrison Silver, Hyman Jack Murveit
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Publication number: 20220197290Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for controlling autonomous vehicles utilizing maps that include visibility information. A map is stored at a computing device associated with a vehicle. The vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode that supports a plurality of driving behaviors. The map includes information about a plurality of roads, a plurality of features, and visibility information for at least a first feature in the plurality of features. The computing device queries the map for visibility information for the first feature at a first position. The computing device, in response to querying the map, receives the visibility information for the first feature at the first position. The computing device selects a driving behavior for the vehicle based on the visibility information. The computing device controls the vehicle in accordance with the selected driving behavior.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2022Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, Nathaniel Fairfield, Bradley Templeton
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Patent number: 11321573Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an autonomous vehicle having a vehicle control system. The vehicle control system includes an image processing system. The image processing system receives an image that includes a plurality of image portions. The image processing system also calculates a score for each image portion. The score indicates a level of confidence that a given image portion represents an illuminated component of a traffic light. The image processing system further identifies one or more candidate portions from among the plurality of image portions. Additionally, the image processing system determines that a particular candidate portion represents an illuminated component of a traffic light using a classifier. Further, the image processing system provides instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the particular candidate portion representing an illuminated component of a traffic light.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2019Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Andreas Wendel, David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Patent number: 11300962Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for controlling autonomous vehicles utilizing maps that include visibility information. A map is stored at a computing device associated with a vehicle. The vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode that supports a plurality of driving behaviors. The map includes information about a plurality of roads, a plurality of features, and visibility information for at least a first feature in the plurality of features. The computing device queries the map for visibility information for the first feature at a first position. The computing device, in response to querying the map, receives the visibility information for the first feature at the first position. The computing device selects a driving behavior for the vehicle based on the visibility information. The computing device controls the vehicle in accordance with the selected driving behavior.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2020Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, Nathaniel Fairfield, Bradley Templeton
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Patent number: 11281230Abstract: A computing device of a first vehicle may receive a first image and a second image of a second vehicle having flashing light signals. The computing device may determine, in the first image and the second image, an image region that bounds the second vehicle such that the image region substantially encompasses the second vehicle. The computing device may determine a polar grid that partitions the image region in the first image and the second image into polar bins, and identify portions of image data exhibiting a change in color and a change in brightness between the first image and the second image. The computing device may determine a type of the flashing light signals and a type of the second vehicle; and accordingly provide instructions to control the first vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2020Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Wan-Yen Lo, David Ian Franklin Ferguson, Abhijit Ogale
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Patent number: 11126868Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate controlling autonomous vehicles or vehicles having an autonomous driving mode. More particularly, these vehicles may identify and respond to other vehicles engaged in a parallel parking maneuver by receiving sensor data corresponding to objects in an autonomous vehicle's environment and including location information for the objects over time. An object corresponding to another vehicle in a lane in front of the first vehicle may be identified from the sensor data. A pattern of actions of the other vehicle identified form the sensor data is used to determine that the second vehicle is engaged in a parallel parking maneuver based on a pattern of actions exhibited by the other vehicle identified from the sensor data. The determination is then used to control the autonomous vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Harrison Silver, David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Publication number: 20210232830Abstract: An autonomous vehicle is configured to detect an active turn signal indicator on another vehicle. An image-capture device of the autonomous vehicle captures an image of a field of view of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle captures the image with a short exposure to emphasize objects having brightness above a threshold. Additionally, a bounding area for a second vehicle located within the image is determined. The autonomous vehicle identifies a group of pixels within the bounding area based on a first color of the group of pixels. The autonomous vehicle also calculates an oscillation of an intensity of the group of pixels. Based on the oscillation of the intensity, the autonomous vehicle determines a likelihood that the second vehicle has a first active turn signal. Additionally, the autonomous vehicle is controlled based at least on the likelihood that the second vehicle has a first active turn signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2021Publication date: July 29, 2021Inventors: Abhijit Ogale, David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Publication number: 20210225172Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to previously stored information about the driving environment. The apparatus may include an autonomous driving computer system configured to detect one or more vehicles in the driving environment, and determine corresponding trajectories for those detected vehicles. The autonomous driving computer system may then compare the determined trajectories to an expected trajectory of a hypothetical vehicle in the driving environment. Based on the comparison, the autonomous driving computer system may determine whether the driving environment has changed and/or a probability that the driving environment has changed, relative to the previously stored information about the driving environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Inventor: David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Patent number: 11011061Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to previously stored information about the driving environment. The apparatus may include an autonomous driving computer system configured to detect one or more vehicles in the driving environment, and determine corresponding trajectories for those detected vehicles. The autonomous driving computer system may then compare the determined trajectories to an expected trajectory of a hypothetical vehicle in the driving environment. Based on the comparison, the autonomous driving computer system may determine whether the driving environment has changed and/or a probability that the driving environment has changed, relative to the previously stored information about the driving environment.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventor: David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Patent number: 10955846Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to detecting and responding to stop signs. An object detected in a vehicle's environment having location coordinates may be identified as a stop sign and, it may be determined whether the location coordinates of the identified stop sign correspond to a location of a stop sign in detailed map information. Then, whether the identified stop sign applies to the vehicle may be determined based on the detailed map information or on a number of factors. Then, if the identified stop sign is determined to apply to the vehicle, responses of the vehicle to the stop sign may be determined, and, the vehicle may be controlled based on the determined responses.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Harrison Silver, David Ian Franklin Ferguson, Abhijit S. Ogale, Wan-Yen Lo
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Patent number: 10935979Abstract: As an example, data identifying characteristics of a road user as well as contextual information about the vehicle's environment is received from the vehicle's perception system. A prediction of the intent of the object including an action of a predetermined list of actions to be initiated by the road user and a point in time for initiation of the action is generated using the data. A prediction of the behavior of the road user for a predetermined period of time into the future indicating that the road user is not going to initiate the action during the predetermined period of time is generated using the data. When the prediction of the behavior indicates that the road user is not going to initiate the action during the predetermined period of time, the vehicle is maneuvered according to the prediction of the intent prior to the vehicle passing the object.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Stéphane Ross, David Ian Franklin Ferguson
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Patent number: 10899345Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to detecting and responding to objects in a vehicle's environment. For example, an object may be identified in a vehicle's environment, the object having a heading and location. A set of possible actions for the object may be generated using map information describing the vehicle's environment and the heading and location of the object. A set of possible future trajectories of the object may be generated based on the set of possible actions. A likelihood value of each trajectory of the set of possible future trajectories may be determined based on contextual information including a status of the detected object. A final future trajectory is determined based on the determined likelihood value for each trajectory of the set of possible future trajectories. The vehicle is then maneuvered in order to avoid the final future trajectory and the object.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, David Harrison Silver, Stéphane Ross, Nathaniel Fairfield, Ioan-Alexandru Sucan
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Patent number: 10782695Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for controlling autonomous vehicles utilizing maps that include visibility information. A map is stored at a computing device associated with a vehicle. The vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode that supports a plurality of driving behaviors. The map includes information about a plurality of roads, a plurality of features, and visibility information for at least a first feature in the plurality of features. The computing device queries the map for visibility information for the first feature at a first position. The computing device, in response to querying the map, receives the visibility information for the first feature at the first position. The computing device selects a driving behavior for the vehicle based on the visibility information. The computing device controls the vehicle in accordance with the selected driving behavior.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2018Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, Nathaniel Fairfield, Bradley Templeton
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Patent number: 10740630Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to classifying teh status of objects. For examples, one or more computing devices detect an object from an image of a vehicle's environment. The object is associated with a location. The one or more computing devices receive data corresponding to the surfaces of objects in the vehicle's environment and identifying data within a region around the location of the object. The one or more computing devices also determine whether the data within the region corresponds to a planar surface extending away from an edge of the object. Based on this determination, the one or more computing devices classify the status of the object.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2018Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, David Harrison Silver, Hyman Jack Murveit