Patents by Inventor Julien Mercay
Julien Mercay 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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Publication number: 20210362736Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for determining when to provide and providing secondary disengage alerts for a vehicle having autonomous and manual driving modes. For instance, while the vehicle is being controlled in the autonomous driving mode, receiving user input at one or more using input devices of the vehicle. In response to receiving the user input, the vehicle may be transitioned from the autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode and provide a primary disengage alert to an occupant of the vehicle regarding the transition. Whether to provide a secondary disengage alert may be determined based on at least circumstances of the user input. After the transition, the secondary disengage alert may be provided based on the determination.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2021Publication date: November 25, 2021Inventors: Philip Nemec, Keith Hutchings, Julien Mercay, Annissa Al-Alusi, Saswat Panigrahi, Cristi Landy, Matthew Schwall
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Patent number: 11155205Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of facilitating communications from an autonomous vehicle to a user. For instance, a method may include, while attempting to pick up the user and prior to the user entering an vehicle, inputting a current location of the vehicle and map information into a model in order to identify a type of communication action for communicating a location of the vehicle to the user; enabling a first communication based on the type of the communication action; determining whether the user has responded to the first communication from received sensor data; and enabling a second communication based on the determination of whether the user has responded to the communication.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Salil Pandit, Julien Mercay, Clement Wright
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Patent number: 11077863Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for determining when to provide and providing secondary disengage alerts for a vehicle having autonomous and manual driving modes. For instance, while the vehicle is being controlled in the autonomous driving mode, receiving user input at one or more using input devices of the vehicle. In response to receiving the user input, the vehicle may be transitioned from the autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode and provide a primary disengage alert to an occupant of the vehicle regarding the transition. Whether to provide a secondary disengage alert may be determined based on at least circumstances of the user input. After the transition, the secondary disengage alert may be provided based on the determination.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2019Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Philip Nemec, Keith Hutchings, Julien Mercay, Annissa Al-Alusi, Saswat Panigrahi, Cristi Landy, Matthew Schwall
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Publication number: 20210221393Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to prioritizing notifications for a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode. As an example, a set of notifications based on one or more messages received or transmitted by a planning system of the vehicle may be generated. Each notification of the set of notifications is assigned a priority ranking. The set of notifications may be stored in a cache and the one or more processors may determine a first notification for display based on the priority rankings of the set of notifications and the first notification may be displayed on a display of the vehicle to a passenger of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Inventors: Maria Moon, Hans-olav Cavelie, Juliet Rothenberg, Julien Mercay, Ryan Powell, Yang Li
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Patent number: 11056003Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering an occupant of the vehicle to a destination autonomously as well as providing information about the vehicle and the vehicle's environment for display to the occupant.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2019Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Min Li Chan, Philip Nemec, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Julien Mercay, Peter Crandall
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Publication number: 20210141376Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to a method of managing a fleet of autonomous vehicles providing trip services. The method includes receiving information identifying an intermediate destination and a final destination for a trip. In this example, the intermediate destination is a destination where an autonomous vehicle will drop off and wait for a passenger in order to continue the trip, and the final destination is a destination where the trip ends. The method also includes determining an amount of waiting time the vehicle is likely to be waiting for the passenger at the intermediate destination, determining how a vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles should spend the amount of waiting time, and sending an instruction to the vehicle, based on the determination of how the vehicle should spend the amount of waiting time.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2020Publication date: May 13, 2021Inventors: Cristi Landy, Julien Mercay, Saksiri Tanphaichitr, Laurens Andreas Feenstra, Salil Pandit
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Publication number: 20210106266Abstract: Assessing a likelihood of a person experiencing a fatigue event when the person tasked with monitoring a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode may include receiving a set of response times for a psychomotor vigilance test administered to the person. The test may include a plurality of trials which involve a person lifting a finger from a user input device. Whether the person passed or failed each trial of the set of trials may be determined. A model trained using data from prior psychomotor vigilance tests administered to the person may be identified for the person. Results of the determinations of whether the person passed or failed each trial of the set of trials may be input into the model in order to determine a value representative of a likelihood of a fatigue event. An intervention response may be initiated based on the value.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2019Publication date: April 15, 2021Inventors: Keith Hutchings, Julien Mercay, Nirmal Patel, Ilmo van der Lowe, Vasily Starostenko, Samrat Kansara
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Patent number: 10957203Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering an occupant of the vehicle to a destination autonomously as well as providing information about the vehicle and the vehicle's environment for display to the occupant.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2020Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Min Li Chan, Philip Nemec, Brian Douglas Cullinane, Julien Mercay, Peter Crandall
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Patent number: 10933886Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to prioritizing notifications for a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode. As an example, a set of notifications based on one or more messages received or transmitted by a planning system of the vehicle may be generated. Each notification of the set of notifications is assigned a priority ranking. The set of notifications may be stored in a cache and the one or more processors may determine a first notification for display based on the priority rankings of the set of notifications and the first notification may be displayed on a display of the vehicle to a passenger of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2017Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Maria Moon, Hans-olav Cavelie, Juliet Rothenberg, Julien Mercay, Ryan Powell, Yang Li
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Publication number: 20210046946Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for determining when to provide and providing secondary disengage alerts for a vehicle having autonomous and manual driving modes. For instance, while the vehicle is being controlled in the autonomous driving mode, receiving user input at one or more using input devices of the vehicle. In response to receiving the user input, the vehicle may be transitioned from the autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode and provide a primary disengage alert to an occupant of the vehicle regarding the transition. Whether to provide a secondary disengage alert may be determined based on at least circumstances of the user input. After the transition, the secondary disengage alert may be provided based on the determination.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2019Publication date: February 18, 2021Inventors: Philip Nemec, Keith Hutchings, Julien Mercay, Annissa Al-Alusi, Saswat Panigrahi
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Publication number: 20210001865Abstract: This technology relates to dynamically detecting, managing and mitigating driver fatigue in autonomous systems. For instance, interactions of a driver in a vehicle may be monitored to determine a distance or time when primary tasks associated with operation of the vehicle or secondary tasks issued by the vehicle computing were last performed. If primary tasks or secondary tasks are not performed within given distance thresholds or time limits, then one or more secondary tasks are initiated by the computing device of the vehicle. In another instance, potential driver fatigue, driver distraction or overreliance on an automated driving system is detected based on gaze direction or pattern of a driver.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2020Publication date: January 7, 2021Inventors: Keith Hutchings, Julien Mercay, Philip Nemec, Hans-olav CaveLie, Saswat Panigrahi, Renaud-Roland Hubert, Johan Engstrom
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Publication number: 20210001864Abstract: This technology relates to dynamically detecting, managing and mitigating driver fatigue in autonomous systems. For instance, interactions of a driver in a vehicle may be monitored to determine a distance or time when primary tasks associated with operation of the vehicle or secondary tasks issued by the vehicle computing were last performed. If primary tasks or secondary tasks are not performed within given distance thresholds or time limits, then one or more secondary tasks are initiated by the computing device of the vehicle. In another instance, potential driver fatigue, driver distraction or overreliance on an automated driving system is detected based on gaze direction or pattern of a driver. For example, a detected gaze direction or pattern may be compared to an expected gaze direction or pattern given the surrounding environment in a vicinity of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2020Publication date: January 7, 2021Inventors: Keith Hutchings, Julien Mercay, Philip Nemec, Hans-olav Cavelie, Saswat Panigrahi, Renaud-Roland Hubert, Johan Engstrom
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Patent number: 10877479Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to a method of managing a fleet of autonomous vehicles providing trip services. The method includes receiving information identifying an intermediate destination and a final destination for a trip. In this example, the intermediate destination is a destination where an autonomous vehicle will drop off and wait for a passenger in order to continue the trip, and the final destination is a destination where the trip ends. The method also includes determining an amount of waiting time the vehicle is likely to be waiting for the passenger at the intermediate destination, determining how a vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles should spend the amount of waiting time, and sending an instruction to the vehicle, based on the determination of how the vehicle should spend the amount of waiting time.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2018Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Cristi Landy, Julien Mercay, Saksiri Tanphaichitr, Laurens Andreas Feenstra, Salil Pandit
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Patent number: 10807605Abstract: This technology relates to dynamically detecting, managing and mitigating driver fatigue in autonomous systems. For instance, interactions of a driver in a vehicle may be monitored to determine a distance or time when primary tasks associated with operation of the vehicle or secondary tasks issued by the vehicle computing were last performed. If primary tasks or secondary tasks are not performed within given distance thresholds or time limits, then one or more secondary tasks are initiated by the computing device of the vehicle. In another instance, potential driver fatigue, driver distraction or overreliance on an automated driving system is detected based on gaze direction or pattern of a driver. For example, a detected gaze direction or pattern may be compared to an expected gaze direction or pattern given the surrounding environment in a vicinity of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Keith Hutchings, Julien Mercay, Philip Nemec, Hans-olav CaveLie, Saswat Panigrahi, Renaud-Roland Hubert, Johan Engstrom
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Publication number: 20200290509Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of facilitating communications from an autonomous vehicle to a user. For instance, a method may include, while attempting to pick up the user and prior to the user entering an vehicle, inputting a current location of the vehicle and map information into a model in order to identify a type of communication action for communicating a location of the vehicle to the user; enabling a first communication based on the type of the communication action; determining whether the user has responded to the first communication from received sensor data; and enabling a second communication based on the determination of whether the user has responded to the communication.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2020Publication date: September 17, 2020Inventors: Salil Pandit, Julien Mercay, Clement Wright
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Publication number: 20200234588Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate providing a lane change notification when a vehicle is to perform a lane change. One or more computing devices may generate and display a video, where the video is generated from a perspective of a virtual camera at a default position and default pitch. The one or more computing devices may receive an indication that the vehicle is to perform a lane change from a first lane to a second lane and adjust, after the vehicle receives the indication, the default position and default pitch of the virtual camera to an updated position further above the vehicle relative to ground than the default position and an updated pitch directed more towards the ground than the default pitch. The video may be generated and displayed from the perspective of the virtual camera at the updated position and updated pitch.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2020Publication date: July 23, 2020Inventors: Nirmal Patel, Peter Crandall, Julien Mercay
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Patent number: 10696222Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of facilitating communications from an autonomous vehicle to a user. For instance, a method may include, while attempting to pick up the user and prior to the user entering an vehicle, inputting a current location of the vehicle and map information into a model in order to identify a type of communication action for communicating a location of the vehicle to the user; enabling a first communication based on the type of the communication action; determining whether the user has responded to the first communication from received sensor data; and enabling a second communication based on the determination of whether the user has responded to the communication.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2019Date of Patent: June 30, 2020Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Salil Pandit, Julien Mercay, Clement Wright
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Publication number: 20200198644Abstract: This technology relates to dynamically detecting, managing and mitigating driver fatigue in autonomous systems. For instance, interactions of a driver in a vehicle may be monitored to determine a distance or time when primary tasks associated with operation of the vehicle or secondary tasks issued by the vehicle computing were last performed. If primary tasks or secondary tasks are not performed within given distance thresholds or time limits, then one or more secondary tasks are initiated by the computing device of the vehicle. In another instance, potential driver fatigue, driver distraction or overreliance on an automated driving system is detected based on gaze direction or pattern of a driver. For example, a detected gaze direction or pattern may be compared to an expected gaze direction or pattern given the surrounding environment in a vicinity of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2018Publication date: June 25, 2020Inventors: Keith Hutchings, Julien Mercay, Philip Nemec, Hans-olav CaveLie, Saswat Panigrahi, Renaud-Roland Hubert, Johan Engstrom
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Publication number: 20200192363Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to a method of managing a fleet of autonomous vehicles providing trip services. The method includes receiving information identifying an intermediate destination and a final destination for a trip. In this example, the intermediate destination is a destination where an autonomous vehicle will drop off and wait for a passenger in order to continue the trip, and the final destination is a destination where the trip ends. The method also includes determining an amount of waiting time the vehicle is likely to be waiting for the passenger at the intermediate destination, determining how a vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles should spend the amount of waiting time, and sending an instruction to the vehicle, based on the determination of how the vehicle should spend the amount of waiting time.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2018Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventors: Cristi Landy, Julien Mercay, Saksiri Tanphaichitr, Laurens Andreas Feenstra, Salil Pandit
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Publication number: 20200175428Abstract: The technology relates to assigning customer service requests for a fleet of autonomous vehicles providing trip services. For instance, a message having contents including information about a trip the vehicle is currently servicing may be received from a computing device of an autonomous vehicle of the fleet of vehicles. A request for customer service for the vehicle may be generated based on the contents of the message. A priority of the request may be determined based on the contents of the message. The request may be inserted into a queue based on the priority. The request may be assigned to a customer service representative based on a place of the request in the queue.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2018Publication date: June 4, 2020Inventors: Julien Mercay, Laurens Andreas Feenstra, Shir Yehoshua, Kyle Bechtel, Peter Colijn, Angela Wise