Patents by Inventor Jeffrey S. Piasecki

Jeffrey S. Piasecki 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: 9307207
    Abstract: A method for generating a glare-reduced image from images captured by a camera device of a subject vehicle includes obtaining a short-exposure image and a long-exposure image and generating a resulting high dynamic range image based on the short-exposure and long-exposure images. Pixel values are monitored within both the short- and long-exposure images. A light source region is identified within both the short- and long-exposure images based on the monitored pixel values. A glaring region is identified based on the identified light source region and one of calculated pixel ratios and calculated pixel differences between the monitored pixel values of the long- and short-exposure images. The identified glaring region upon the resulting high dynamic range image is modified with the identified light source region within the short-exposure image. The glare-reduced image is generated based on the modified identified glaring region upon the resulting HDR image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Kent S. Lybecker, Jeffrey S. Piasecki, Ryan M. Frakes, Travis S. Hester
  • Patent number: 9045074
    Abstract: A driver alert system includes a computer processor disposed in a vehicle. The computer processor is configured to receive driver attention data over a vehicle network during a driving event. The computer processor executes logic to process the driver attention data and evaluate the driver attention data for a triggering event. The system also includes a steering wheel unit disposed in the vehicle and lights that are integrated on a front windshield-facing surface of a steering wheel of the steering wheel unit. The lights are positioned at an angle to reflect light off of a front windshield of the vehicle. The system also includes a controller disposed in the steering wheel unit. The controller is communicatively coupled to the lights and the vehicle network. The controller receives a request from the computer processor to activate the lights when the triggering event has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Piasecki, Charles A. Green, Debbie E. Nachtegall
  • Publication number: 20150109444
    Abstract: A method of displaying a captured image on a display device of a driven vehicle. A scene exterior of the driven vehicle is captured by an at least one vision-based imaging and at least one sensing device. A time-to-collision is determined for each object detected. A comprehensive time-to-collision is determined for each object as a function of each of the determined time-to-collisions for each object. An image of the captured scene is generated by a processor. The image is dynamically expanded to include sensed objects in the image. Sensed objects are highlighted in the dynamically expanded image. The highlighted objects identifies objects proximate to the driven vehicle that are potential collisions to the driven vehicle. The dynamically expanded image with highlighted objects and associated collective time-to-collisions are displayed for each highlighted object in the display device that is determined as a potential collision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi, Dennis B. Kazensky, Jeffrey S. Piasecki, Charles A. Green, Ryan M. Frakes, Raymond J. Kiefer
  • Publication number: 20150042799
    Abstract: A method of displaying a captured image on a display device of a driven vehicle. A scene exterior of the driven vehicle is captured by an at least one vision-based imaging device mounted on the driven vehicle. Objects in a vicinity of the driven vehicle are sensed. An image of the captured scene is generated by a processor. The image is dynamically expanded to include sensed objects in the image. The sensed objects are highlighted in the dynamically expanded image. The highlighted objects identify vehicles proximate to the driven vehicle that are potential collisions to the driven vehicle. The dynamically expanded image is displayed with highlighted objects in the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi, Dennis B. Kazensky, Jeffrey S. Piasecki, Charles A. Green, Ryan M. Frakes
  • Publication number: 20140347485
    Abstract: A system and method for determining when to display frontal curb view images to a driver of a vehicle, and what types of images to display. A variety of factors—such as vehicle speed, GPS/location data, the existence of a curb in forward-view images, and vehicle driving history—are evaluated as potential triggers for the curb view display, which is intended for situations where the driver is pulling the vehicle into a parking spot which is bounded in front by a curb or other structure. When forward curb-view display is triggered, a second evaluation is performed to determine what image or images to display which will provide the best view of the vehicle's position relative to the curb. The selected images are digitally synthesized or enhanced, and displayed on a console-mounted or in-dash display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Kent S. Lybecker, Jeffrey S. Piasecki, Bakhtiar Brian Litkouhi, Ryan M. Frakes
  • Publication number: 20140347470
    Abstract: A system and method for creating an enhanced virtual top-down view of an area in front of a vehicle, using images from left-front and right-front cameras. The enhanced virtual top-down view not only provides the driver with a top-down view perspective which is not directly available from raw camera images, but also removes the distortion and exaggerated perspective effects which are inherent in wide-angle lens images. The enhanced virtual top-down view also includes corrections for three types of problems which are typically present in de-warped images—including artificial protrusion of vehicle body parts into the image, low resolution and noise around the edges of the image, and a “double vision” effect for objects above ground level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: WENDE ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, KENT S. LYBECKER, JEFFREY S. PIASECKI, BAKHTIAR BRIAN LITKOUHI, RYAN M. FRAKES
  • Publication number: 20140347469
    Abstract: A system and method for creating an enhanced perspective view of an area in front of a vehicle, using images from left-front and right-front cameras. The enhanced perspective view removes the distortion and exaggerated perspective effects which are inherent in wide-angle lens images. The enhanced perspective view uses a camera model including a virtual image surface and other processing techniques which provide corrections for two types of problems which are typically present in de-warped perspective images—including a stretching effect at the peripheral area of a wide-angle image de-warped by rectilinear projection, and double image of objects in an area where left-front and right-front camera images overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Wende ZHANG, Jinsong WANG, Kent S. LYBECKER, Jeffrey S. PIASECKI, Bakhtiar Brian LITKOUHI, Ryan M. FRAKES
  • Publication number: 20140192227
    Abstract: A method for generating a glare-reduced image from images captured by a camera device of a subject vehicle includes obtaining a short-exposure image and a long-exposure image and generating a resulting high dynamic range image based on the short-exposure and long-exposure images. Pixel values are monitored within both the short- and long-exposure images. A light source region is identified within both the short- and long-exposure images based on the monitored pixel values. A glaring region is identified based on the identified light source region and one of calculated pixel ratios and calculated pixel differences between the monitored pixel values of the long- and short-exposure images. The identified glaring region upon the resulting high dynamic range image is modified with the identified light source region within the short-exposure image. The glare-reduced image is generated based on the modified identified glaring region upon the resulting HDR image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: WENDE ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, KENT S. LYBECKER, JEFFREY S. PIASECKI, RYAN M. FRAKES, TRAVIS S. HESTER
  • Publication number: 20140193032
    Abstract: Method for applying super-resolution to images captured by a camera device of a vehicle includes receiving a plurality of image frames captured by the camera device. For each image frame, a region of interest is identified within the image frame requiring resolution related to detail per pixel to be increased. Spatially-implemented super-resolution is applied to the region of interest within each image to enhance image sharpness within the region of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: WENDE ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, KENT S. LYBECKER, JEFFREY S. PIASECKI, RYAN M. FRAKES, TRAVIS S. HESTER
  • Publication number: 20140176781
    Abstract: An apparatus for capturing an image includes a plurality of lens elements coaxially encompassed within a lens housing. One of the lens elements includes an aspheric lens element having a surface profile configured to enhance a desired region of a captured image. At least one glare-reducing element coaxial with the plurality of lens elements receives light subsequent to the light sequentially passing through each of the lens elements. An imaging chip receives the light subsequent to the light passing through the at least one glare-reducing element. The imaging chip includes a plurality of green, blue and red pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: WENDE ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, KENT S. LYBECKER, JEFFREY S. PIASECKI, RYAN M. FRAKES, TRAVIS S. HESTER
  • Publication number: 20140176724
    Abstract: An apparatus for capturing an image includes a plurality of lens elements coaxially encompassed within a lens housing. A split-sub-pixel imaging chip includes an IR-pass filter coating applied on selected sub-pixels. The sub-pixels include a long exposure sub-pixel and a short-exposure sub-pixel for each of a plurality of green blue and red pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Kent S. Lybecker, Jeffrey S. Piasecki, Ryan M. Frakes, Travis S. Hester
  • Publication number: 20140159887
    Abstract: A driver alert system includes a computer processor disposed in a vehicle. The computer processor is configured to receive driver attention data over a vehicle network during a driving event. The computer processor executes logic to process the driver attention data and evaluate the driver attention data for a triggering event. The system also includes a steering wheel unit disposed in the vehicle and lights that are integrated on a front windshield-facing surface of a steering wheel of the steering wheel unit. The lights are positioned at an angle to reflect light off of a front windshield of the vehicle. The system also includes a controller disposed in the steering wheel unit. The controller is communicatively coupled to the lights and the vehicle network. The controller receives a request from the computer processor to activate the lights when the triggering event has occurred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Piasecki, Charles A. Green, Debbie E. Nachtegall
  • Publication number: 20140114534
    Abstract: A method for displaying a captured image on a display device. A scene is captured by at least one vision-based imaging device. A virtual image of the captured scene is generated by a processor using a camera model. A view synthesis technique is applied to the captured image by the processor for generating a de-warped virtual image. A dynamic rearview mirror display mode is actuated for enabling a viewing mode of the de-warped image on the rearview mirror display device. The de-warped image is displayed in the enabled viewing mode on the rearview mirror display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Kent S. Lybecker, Jeffrey S. Piasecki, James Clem, Charles A. Green, Ryan M. Frakes, Travis S. Hester
  • Publication number: 20140111637
    Abstract: A vehicle imaging system includes an image capture device capturing an image exterior of a vehicle. The captured image includes at least a portion of a sky scene. A processor generates a virtual image of a virtual sky scene from the portion of the sky scene captured by the image capture device. The processor determines a brightness of the virtual sky scene from the virtual image. The processor dynamically adjusts a brightness of the captured image based the determined brightness of the virtual image. A rear view mirror display device displays the adjusted captured image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Kent S. Lybecker, Jeffrey S. Piasecki, James Clem, Charles A. Green, Ryan M. Frakes, Travis S. Hester