Patents by Inventor Neal A. Seegmiller

Neal A. Seegmiller 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).

  • Publication number: 20210389770
    Abstract: A system of linearizing a trajectory of an autonomous vehicle about a reference path includes a computing device and a computer-readable storage medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Scott Julian Varnhagen, Alice Kassar, Ghassan Atmeh, Neal Seegmiller, Ramadev Burigsay Hukkeri
  • Publication number: 20210108936
    Abstract: Systems and methods of maneuvering an autonomous vehicle in a local region using topological planning, while traversing a route to a destination location, are disclosed. The system includes an autonomous vehicle including one or more sensors and a processor. The processor is configured to determine the local region on the route and receive real-time information corresponding to the local region. The processor performs topological planning to identify on or more topologically distinct classes of trajectories, compute a constraint set for each of the one or more topologically distinct classes of trajectories, optimize a trajectory to generate a candidate trajectory for each constraint set, and select a trajectory for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the local region from amongst the one or more candidate trajectories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Neal Seegmiller, Christopher Cunningham, Ramadev Burigsay Hukkeri, Thomas Petroff, Albert Costa
  • Publication number: 20210107566
    Abstract: A method and a system for maneuvering an autonomous vehicle is disclosed. The system includes an autonomous vehicle including one or more sensors and a processor. The processor is configured to generate a nominal route from a start position toward a destination with reference to a road network map. The nominal route includes a plurality of consecutive lane segments from the start position to the destination. The processor is further configured to use the road network map to identify at least one candidate lane segment corresponding to one or more of the plurality of consecutive lane segments to generate an expanded route representation, generate a multi-corridor representation of a local region around the autonomous vehicle while travelling on the nominal path, and generate a trajectory for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the local region using the multi-corridor representation and perception data corresponding to the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Neal Seegmiller, Christopher Cunningham, Ramadev B. Hukkeri, Thomas Petroff, Albert Costa
  • Publication number: 20210061269
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle navigates an intersection in which occlusions block the vehicle's ability to detect moving objects. The vehicle handles this by generating a phantom obstacle behind the occlusion. The vehicle will predict the speed of the phantom obstacle and use the predicted speed to assess whether the phantom obstacle may collide with the vehicle. If a collision is a risk, the vehicle will slow or stop until it confirms that either (a) the phantom obstacle is not a real obstacle or (b) the vehicle can proceed at a speed that avoids the collision. To determine which occlusions shield real objects, the system may use a rasterized visibility grid of the area to identify occlusions that may accommodate the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Petroff, Neal Seegmiller, Albert Costa, Christopher Cunningham, G. Peter K. Carr, Sameer Bardapurkar
  • Patent number: 10775136
    Abstract: An armor system for protecting vehicles and other equipment against projectiles and similar threats. A track is mounted on the equipment, and an upper sled and lower sled are moveably attached to the track. An armor panel is pivotally attached to one sled and is pivotally attached with arms to the other sled. The two sleds are independently actuated along the track, such that their relative positions determine both the translational and rotational position of the armor panel. The armor panel can be quickly rotated from an undeployed position against the vehicle through a desired arc outward from the vehicle, which increases the edge-on or nearly edge-on presentation of the armor panel to the projectile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: James D. Walker, Daniel J. Pomerening, Kristopher C. Kozak, Nicholas J. Mueschke, Isaias S. Chocron, Gregory N. Wattis, Jesse A. Beavers, Oliver P. Harrison, Stephan J. Lemmer, Neal A. Seegmiller
  • Publication number: 20190331462
    Abstract: An armor system for protecting vehicles and other equipment against projectiles and similar threats. A track is mounted on the equipment, and an upper sled and lower sled are moveably attached to the track. An armor panel is pivotally attached to one sled and is pivotally attached with arms to the other sled. The two sleds are independently actuated along the track, such that their relative positions determine both the translational and rotational position of the armor panel. The armor panel can be quickly rotated from an undeployed position against the vehicle through a desired arc outward from the vehicle, which increases the edge-on or nearly edge-on presentation of the armor panel to the projectile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: James D. Walker, Daniel J. Pomerening, Kristopher C. Kozak, Nicholas J. Mueschke, Isaias S. Chocron, Gregory N. Wattis, Jesse A. Beavers, Oliver P. Harrison, Stephan J. Lemmer, Neal A. Seegmiller
  • Patent number: 9402282
    Abstract: A pulsed induction heating system removes bonded elements from underlying substrates. A coil loop of a tool fits around the base of the element to be removed. The tool heats the element and the substrate in short pulses that are followed by brief, non-heated wait periods. The temperature of the substrate is measured during the wait periods between pulses to avoid overheating. When the substrate reaches a target temperature, the adhesive is sufficiently softened such that the element and adhesive are readily scraped off without damaging the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Neal A. Seegmiller, Stuart C. Street
  • Publication number: 20100237054
    Abstract: A pulsed induction heating system removes bonded elements from underlying substrates. A coil loop of a tool fits around the base of the element to be removed. The tool heats the element and the substrate in short pulses that are followed by brief, non-heated wait periods. The temperature of the substrate is measured during the wait periods between pulses to avoid overheating. When the substrate reaches a target temperature, the adhesive is sufficiently softened such that the element and adhesive are readily scraped off without damaging the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Neal A. Seegmiller, Stuart C. Street