Patents by Inventor Donald K. Grimm

Donald K. Grimm 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: 12207156
    Abstract: A charging unit guidance system includes a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions that upon execution by the processor, cause the processor to receive a sequence of user states associated with a user of a first autonomous vehicle, each user state being one of a walking state and an at-charging-unit state and the sequence of user states being based on a sequence of observed user speeds associated with detected user position data associated with movement of the user from the first autonomous vehicle to a charging unit and at the charging unit, determine a charging unit location of the charging unit based on a correlation between the at-charging-unit states in the sequence of user states and the user position data, and upload the charging unit location associated with the charging unit to an edge computing system, the edge computing system being configured to provide guidance instructions to the charging unit to a second autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the charging unit location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bo Yu, Donald K. Grimm
  • Patent number: 12194919
    Abstract: A method for enabling vehicle connected services for a hearing-impaired vehicle occupant includes receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors of a vehicle. The sensor data includes scene data indicative of a scene inside the vehicle and outside the vehicle. The method further includes determining that the hearing-impaired vehicle occupant is articulating sign language using the sensor data. Also, the method includes determining a vehicle-occupant message corresponding to the sign language articulated by the hearing-impaired vehicle occupant to generate vehicle occupant-message data in response to determining that the hearing-impaired vehicle occupant is articulating sign language. The method further includes transmitting the vehicle occupant-message data and the scene data to a remote system in response to generating the vehicle occupant-message data. Further, the method includes receiving a vehicle connected service from the remote system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Esther Anderson, Fan Bai, Donald K. Grimm, Paul E. Krajewski, Jace C. Stokes, Peter Finnegan, Hannah Elizabeth Wagner, Himabindu G. Sundaram, Mark T. Gaylord, Travis Scott Hester, Mark L. Reuss
  • Patent number: 12172607
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for estimating atmospheric properties using a LIDAR sensor. A control system includes a LIDAR sensor configured to detect a distance to an object, and an intensity of light reflected by the object. A controller's a target selection module determines whether the object is a target for use in estimating the atmospheric properties. A data collection module collects values of the distance and the intensity as detected by the LIDAR sensor. The atmospheric properties are determined based on the values of the distance and the intensity. In response to the determined atmospheric properties, the actuator is operated to effect an action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Brent N Bacchus, Donald K Grimm
  • Publication number: 20240400087
    Abstract: A method for selecting a route along an intersection includes receiving map data, receiving vehicle telemetry data crowdsourced from a plurality of remote vehicles. The method includes determining a sight distance using the map data, determining an average vehicle speed along the intersection using the vehicle telemetry data, determining a time available to navigate through the intersection using the sight distance and the average vehicle speed along the intersection, determining a ratio between the time available to navigate through the intersection and a time required to navigate the intersection, and determining a cost value of the intersection using the ratio between the time available to navigate through the intersection and the time required to navigate the intersection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Donald K. Grimm, Iain Cameron
  • Patent number: 12158354
    Abstract: A system comprises a computer including a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions such that the processor is programmed to receive sensor data including wheel speed measurements, suspension displacement measurements, and tire leak detection data from a vehicle, estimate a rough road measurement based on a deviation of a wheel speed with respect to an average wheel speed and or based on suspension displacement sensor signals and generate temporal spatial map data indicative of a location and a roughness severity metric of a roadway portion based on the rough road measurement and tire leak detection data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Carlos Eduardo Arreaza, Amin Abdossalami, Joseph K. Moore, Donald K. Grimm, Fan Bai, Harnit Kaur Anand, Jinzhu Chen
  • Patent number: 12142142
    Abstract: A method for determining a risk boundary in response to the plurality of indications of hard braking events wherein the risk boundary is indicative of a plurality of speed flow pairs at which a risk of a hard braking event is below a threshold value, determining, at a road segment level, a set of speed flow pairs of average speed and vehicle count and a plurality of indications of hard braking events, determining a host vehicle speed, and performing at least one of reducing the host vehicle speed and increasing a host vehicle following distance in response to the host vehicle speed exceeding the risk boundary for the vehicle flow density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Richard Gordon, Donald K Grimm
  • Patent number: 12131555
    Abstract: A sequence of images and a vehicle location associated with each of the images is received at a traffic light ROI management system. At least one traffic light is detected in each image. A ECS traffic light ROI is defined for each image. The ECS traffic light ROI encloses the detected traffic lights. A visual feature template is generated for each image. The visual feature template is based on the ECS traffic light ROI for the image. Each visual feature template is mapped to the vehicle location associated with the image to a HD map. The HD map is transmitted to an autonomous vehicle to enable the autonomous vehicle to identify a real-time traffic light ROI in a real-time image based on a match between a first visual feature template and real-time visual features of the real-time image at the vehicle location associated with the first visual feature template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bo Yu, Ashok Yendluri, Lawrence Andrew Bush, Kevin Khoi Hoang, Donald K. Grimm, Fan Bai
  • Patent number: 12122382
    Abstract: A first closed lane segment file including a first lane change histogram and a lane closure start point associated with a closed lane segment of a first lane of a road is received from a lane change data aggregation system at a lane change management system. The first lane change histogram includes a distribution of a plurality of lane change points received from vehicles that previously engaged in a lane change from the first lane to a second lane of the road in response to the closed lane segment. A lane change control point is determined based on the first lane change histogram at the lane change management system. A command is issued from the lane change management system to an ADS of the autonomous vehicle to initiate a lane change from the first lane to the second lane at the lane change control point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Curtis L. Hay, Donald K. Grimm, Chuan Li, David Allen Craig
  • Patent number: 12111176
    Abstract: A method includes receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors of a plurality of vehicles. The sensor data includes vehicle GPS data and sensed lane line data of the roadway. The method further includes creating a plurality of multi-layer bitmaps for each of the plurality of vehicles using the sensor data, fusing the plurality of the multi-layer bitmaps of each of the plurality of vehicles to create a fused multi-layer bitmap, creating a plurality of multi-layer probability density bitmaps using the fused multi-layer bitmap, extracting lane line data from the plurality of multi-layer probability density bitmaps, and creating the high-definition (HD) map of the roadway using the multi-layer probability density bitmaps and the lane line data extracted from the plurality of multi-layer probability density bitmaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bo Yu, Joon Hwang, Gui Chen, Carl P. Darukhanavala, Vivek Vijaya Kumar, Shu Chen, Donald K. Grimm, Fan Bai
  • Patent number: 12113555
    Abstract: A system comprises a computer including a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions such that the processor is programmed to: receive metadata and results including at least one data transmission constraint, perform a search of a k-d tree based on the at least one data transmission constraint, and select at least one data compression process from the k-d tree based on the search. The k-d tree includes a plurality of nodes corresponding to data compression solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Shu Chen, Jinzhu Chen, Donald K. Grimm, Mahesh Pottelu
  • Patent number: 12110033
    Abstract: In various embodiments, methods and systems are provided for processing data pertaining to a vehicle event for a vehicle. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, vehicle sensor data is obtained from one or more vehicle sensors pertaining to the vehicle event. Also in an exemplary embodiment, an assessment of the vehicle event is determined via a processor, including as to a fault or a severity, or both associated with the vehicle event, based on the vehicle sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Andrew P Rose, Donald K Grimm, Fan Bai
  • Patent number: 12106459
    Abstract: A system for quantitively determining quality for pavement markings disposed along pavement on a roadway includes one or more controllers in wireless communication with a plurality of vehicles. The one or more controllers receive image data represents the pavement markings disposed along the pavement collected by the plurality of vehicles. The one or more controllers execute instructions to determine at least one of a color distance measurement between a mean color space value of the pavement markings and an ideal marking color space value and a marking intensity contrast ratio between the pavement markings and the pavement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Fahim Ahmed, Richard Gordon, Donald K. Grimm
  • Publication number: 20240308534
    Abstract: A system for determining a condition of a roadway a vehicle is traveling on includes an illumination device, a camera, a display, and a vehicle controller in electrical communication with the illumination device, the camera, and the display. The vehicle controller is programmed to project the light beam onto the roadway surface using the illumination device. The vehicle controller is further programmed to capture a plurality of images of the light beam on the roadway surface using the camera as the vehicle is in motion. The vehicle controller is further programmed to determine a severity of a deformation in the roadway surface based at least in part on the plurality of images of the light beam on the roadway surface. The vehicle controller is further programmed to notify the occupant of the vehicle using the display based on the severity of the deformation in the roadway surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Manoj Sharma, Joseph F. Szczerba, Donald K. Grimm
  • Publication number: 20240308336
    Abstract: A system for facilitating interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external interface in proximity to the autonomous vehicle including a plurality of external sensors positioned on the autonomous vehicle and adapted to collect data relative to an environment surrounding and in proximity to the autonomous vehicle, a controller having a wireless communication module, the wireless communication module adapted to facilitate wireless data exchange between the controller and remote entities, the controller adapted to receive data collected from the plurality of external sensors and identify an interaction mode for the external interface, a microphone and a speaker adapted to facilitate audible communication between the controller and the external interface, and a video display adapted to display visual information to the external interface, wherein the controller is adapted to perform an interaction with the external interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Michael Alan Losh, Manoj Sharma, Donald K. Grimm
  • Patent number: 12090988
    Abstract: A system comprises a computer including a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions such that the processor is programmed to receive geoindexed detected vehicle event data from at least one vehicle occurring within a predefined time period, normalize the geoindexed detected vehicle event data according to Global Position System (GPS) data corresponding to a geoindex map, and generate an infrastructure recommendation based on the normalized and aggregated geoindexed detected vehicle event data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Carlos Eduardo Arreaza, Amin Abdossalami, Joseph K. Moore, Halit Zengin, Donald K. Grimm, Shawn F. Granda, Yue Zhuang, Harnit Kaur Anand
  • Publication number: 20240304083
    Abstract: A system and method of identifying and quantifying congestion within a traffic stream including obtaining telemetric data from a plurality of vehicles traveling within a plurality of normalized road segments, determining a property of each normalized road segment based on the telemetric data and a road profile for each road segment, determining a disruption score indicative of a level of disruption in a traffic flow within each road segment, mapping the road segments within a two-dimensional spatial-temporal grid of cells, wherein each cell represents a normalized road segment at a specified time, for each cell, determining if the traffic flow is congested, identifying a congested traffic stream including a plurality of contiguous cells that have congested traffic flow, quantifying the congested traffic stream, and providing an output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Inventors: Richard Gordon, Donald K. Grimm, Fan Bai
  • Publication number: 20240294174
    Abstract: A method for assessing lateral acceleration includes receiving vehicle telemetry data. The vehicle telemetry data includes a plurality of geographical positions along the curved trajectory traveled by the vehicle, the heading of the vehicle at each of the plurality of geographical, and the velocity of the vehicle at each of the plurality of geographical positions. The method further includes determining a curve radius of the curve trajectory traveled by the vehicle using the vehicle telemetry data and determining a lateral acceleration of the vehicle at each of the plurality of geographical positions along the curve trajectory The method further includes converting the lateral acceleration of the vehicle at each of the plurality of geographical positions along the curve trajectory traveled by the vehicle into a g-force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Inventors: Richard Gordon, Donald K. Grimm
  • Publication number: 20240278717
    Abstract: A method for enabling vehicle connected services for a hearing-impaired vehicle occupant includes receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors of a vehicle. The sensor data includes scene data indicative of a scene inside the vehicle and outside the vehicle. The method further includes determining that the hearing-impaired vehicle occupant is articulating sign language using the sensor data. Also, the method includes determining a vehicle-occupant message corresponding to the sign language articulated by the hearing-impaired vehicle occupant to generate vehicle occupant-message data in response to determining that the hearing-impaired vehicle occupant is articulating sign language. The method further includes transmitting the vehicle occupant-message data and the scene data to a remote system in response to generating the vehicle occupant-message data. Further, the method includes receiving a vehicle connected service from the remote system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2023
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: Esther Anderson, Fan Bai, Donald K. Grimm, Paul E. Krajewski, Jace C. Stokes, Peter Finnegan, Hannah Elizabeth Wagner, Himabindu G. Sundaram, Mark T. Gaylord, Travis Scott Hester, Mark L. Reuss
  • Patent number: 12051324
    Abstract: Examples described herein provide a computer-implemented method that includes includes receiving, by a processing device of a vehicle, first road data. The method further includes receiving, by the processing device of the vehicle, second road data from a sensor associated with the vehicle. The method further includes identifying, by the processing device of the vehicle, an object based at least in part on the first road data and the second road data. The method further includes causing, by the processing device of the vehicle, the object to be illuminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Naserian, Bryan Quintanilla, Donald K Grimm, Paul E Krajewski, Fan Bai, Craig A Kollar, Abby Szafranski
  • Patent number: 12039862
    Abstract: A computer is provided for a system for detecting, characterizing, and mitigating road network congestion. The system includes a plurality of motor vehicles. Each motor vehicle includes a telematics control unit (TCU) for generating one or more location signals for a location of the associated motor vehicle and one or more event signals for an event related to the associated motor vehicle. The computer includes one or more processors for receiving the location signal and/or the event signal from the TCU of the associated motor vehicles. The computer further includes a non-transitory computer readable storage medium (CRM) including instructions, such that the processor is programmed to identify a location of the road network congestion at a current time step. The processor is further programmed to track the road network congestion and predict the road network congestion at a next time step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Fan Bai, Donald K. Grimm, Paul E. Krajewski, Jiang-Ling Du, Mason David Gemar