Patents by Inventor Kristofer D. KUSANO

Kristofer D. KUSANO 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: 11015940
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to correcting the longitudinal position of a vehicle using mapped landmarks. One embodiment identifies, in stored map data, a mapped landmark that is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle; identifies one or more detected stationary objects that are within a predetermined distance from the mapped landmark; tracks the one or more detected stationary objects for at least a first predetermined time period; matches, with the mapped landmark, a particular object among the one or more tracked detected stationary objects; tracks the particular object for at least a second predetermined time period; calculates a longitudinal distance between the particular object and the mapped landmark; and corrects the longitudinal position of the vehicle based on the longitudinal distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Kristofer D. Kusano
  • Patent number: 10921138
    Abstract: The virtual reality navigation system can display the position of an autonomous vehicle at a predetermined amount of time in the future via virtual reality. A virtual reality display can display a virtual reality autonomous vehicle, as if the virtual reality autonomous vehicle is the autonomous vehicle operating at the predetermined amount of time in the future. Additionally, a virtual reality interface can provide an interface for an operator to interact with the environment of the autonomous vehicle. The virtual reality interface can receive an alternate route selection, and display in virtual reality the one or more maneuvers that would be required to reach the selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Yi Li, Hideki Hada, Miles J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10611371
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to predicting lane changes for nearby vehicles of a host vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to detecting that one or more of the nearby vehicles are present proximate to the host vehicle, collecting pose information about the nearby vehicles. The nearby vehicles are traveling proximate to the host vehicle and in a direction of the host vehicle. The method includes analyzing the pose information of the nearby vehicles using separate recurrent units of a structural recurrent neural network (S-RNN) to generate factors according to the lanes. The method includes generating prediction indicators for the nearby vehicles as a function of the factors for the lanes using the S-RNN. The method includes providing electronic outputs identifying the prediction indicators that specify a likelihood of the nearby vehicles changing between the lanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., The Regents of The University of Michigan
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Sajan Patel, Brent Griffin, Jason J. Corso
  • Publication number: 20200018605
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to correcting the longitudinal position of a vehicle using mapped landmarks. One embodiment identifies, in stored map data, a mapped landmark that is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle; identifies one or more detected stationary objects that are within a predetermined distance from the mapped landmark; tracks the one or more detected stationary objects for at least a first predetermined time period; matches, with the mapped landmark, a particular object among the one or more tracked detected stationary objects; tracks the particular object for at least a second predetermined time period; calculates a longitudinal distance between the particular object and the mapped landmark; and corrects the longitudinal position of the vehicle based on the longitudinal distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventor: Kristofer D. Kusano
  • Publication number: 20190077398
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to predicting lane changes for nearby vehicles of a host vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to detecting that one or more of the nearby vehicles are present proximate to the host vehicle, collecting pose information about the nearby vehicles. The nearby vehicles are traveling proximate to the host vehicle and in a direction of the host vehicle. The method includes analyzing the pose information of the nearby vehicles using separate recurrent units of a structural recurrent neural network (S-RNN) to generate factors according to the lanes. The method includes generating prediction indicators for the nearby vehicles as a function of the factors for the lanes using the S-RNN. The method includes providing electronic outputs identifying the prediction indicators that specify a likelihood of the nearby vehicles changing between the lanes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Sajan Patel, Brent Griffin, Jason J. Corso
  • Publication number: 20180259349
    Abstract: The virtual reality navigation system can display the position of an autonomous vehicle at a predetermined amount of time in the future via virtual reality. A virtual reality display can display a virtual reality autonomous vehicle, as if the virtual reality autonomous vehicle is the autonomous vehicle operating at the predetermined amount of time in the future. Additionally, a virtual reality interface can provide an interface for an operator to interact with the environment of the autonomous vehicle. The virtual reality interface can receive an alternate route selection, and display in virtual reality the one or more maneuvers that would be required to reach the selection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kristofer D. KUSANO, Yi Li, Hideki HADA, Miles J. JOHNSON
  • Patent number: 10053110
    Abstract: A system and associated methodology that controls a vehicle component as a function of a user input. The system stores a plurality of functions associated with a plurality of touching gestures, receives the user input, determines, based on the user input, a user gesture wherein the user gesture corresponds to one of the plurality of touching gestures, determines a function associated with the user gesture, determines a feature of the user gesture, determines an operational parameter of the function based on the feature. Then, the system controls the vehicle component associated with the function as a function of the operational parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Yi Li, Miles J. Johnson, Kristofer D. Kusano, Danil V. Prokhorov
  • Patent number: 10048080
    Abstract: The virtual reality navigation system can display the position of an autonomous vehicle at a predetermined amount of time in the future via virtual reality. A virtual reality display can display a virtual reality autonomous vehicle, as if the virtual reality autonomous vehicle is the autonomous vehicle operating at the predetermined amount of time in the future. Additionally, a virtual reality interface can provide an interface for an operator to interact with the environment of the autonomous vehicle. The virtual reality interface can receive an alternate route selection, and display in virtual reality the one or more maneuvers that would be required to reach the selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Yi Li, Hideki Hada, Miles J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9829889
    Abstract: A method for operating an autonomous vehicle that includes guiding the autonomous vehicle along a planned path of travel. The autonomous vehicle may be brought to a stop along the planned path of travel, during which an operator of the vehicle may offer to allow another vehicle and/or person to pass in front of the stopped autonomous vehicle. The vehicle to which the offer is directed may transmit an acceptance signal in response to the offer signal indicating acceptance of the offer. The acceptance signal may be received by the autonomous vehicle, which may modify its planned path of travel in response to receiving the acceptance signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Rini Sherony
  • Patent number: 9828001
    Abstract: Arrangements described herein can present a confidence in an autonomous operation of a vehicle to one or more users. At least one operational status for a support system of the vehicle can be acquired. Based on the acquired operational status, a confidence in the autonomous operation of the vehicle can be determined. Responsive to determining the confidence in the autonomous operation of the vehicle, a confidence icon can be caused to be displayed within the vehicle. The confidence icon can include an emoticon that conveys an emotion corresponding to the determined confidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Danil V. Prokhorov
  • Publication number: 20170329337
    Abstract: A method for operating an autonomous vehicle that includes guiding the autonomous vehicle along a planned path of travel. The autonomous vehicle may be brought to a stop along the planned path of travel, during which an operator of the vehicle may offer to allow another vehicle and/or person to pass in front of the stopped autonomous vehicle. The vehicle to which the offer is directed may transmit an acceptance signal in response to the offer signal indicating acceptance of the offer. The acceptance signal may be received by the autonomous vehicle, which may modify its planned path of travel in response to receiving the acceptance signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Rini Sherony
  • Publication number: 20170320501
    Abstract: A system and associated methodology that controls a vehicle component as a function of a user input. The system stores a plurality of functions associated with a plurality of touching gestures, receives the user input, determines, based on the user input, a user gesture wherein the user gesture corresponds to one of the plurality of touching gestures, determines a function associated with the user gesture, determines a feature of the user gesture, determines an operational parameter of the function based on the feature. Then, the system controls the vehicle component associated with the function as a function of the operational parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Yi LI, Miles J. JOHNSON, Kristofer D. KUSANO, DaniI V. PROKHOROV
  • Publication number: 20170291615
    Abstract: Arrangements described herein can present a confidence in an autonomous operation of a vehicle to one or more users. At least one operational status for a support system of the vehicle can be acquired. Based on the acquired operational status, a confidence in the autonomous operation of the vehicle can be determined. Responsive to determining the confidence in the autonomous operation of the vehicle, a confidence icon can be caused to be displayed within the vehicle. The confidence icon can include an emoticon that conveys an emotion corresponding to the determined confidence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2016
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Danil V. Prokhorov
  • Publication number: 20170276494
    Abstract: The virtual reality navigation system can display the position of an autonomous vehicle at a predetermined amount of time in the future via virtual reality. A virtual reality display can display a virtual reality autonomous vehicle, as if the virtual reality autonomous vehicle is the autonomous vehicle operating at the predetermined amount of time in the future. Additionally, a virtual reality interface can provide an interface for an operator to interact with the environment of the autonomous vehicle. The virtual reality interface can receive an alternate route selection, and display in virtual reality the one or more maneuvers that would be required to reach the selection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kristofer D. KUSANO, Yi LI, Hideki HADA, Miles J. JOHNSON