Patents by Inventor Richard W. Backs

Richard W. Backs 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: 9824286
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining an inattentive state of an operator of a vehicle and for providing information to the operator of the vehicle by obtaining face images of the operator of the vehicle, obtaining images of an environment of the vehicle, determining one or more areas of interest in the environment of the vehicle based on the images of the environment, obtaining, from a relevance and priority database, relevance and priority values corresponding to the one or more areas of interest, determining a probability of attention of the operator of the vehicle to the one or more areas of interest based on the images of the environment and the relevance and priority values, determining an attention deficiency based on the determined probability of attention and the face images, and providing the information to the operator of the vehicle based on the determined attention deficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Pujitha Gunaratne, Richard W. Backs
  • Publication number: 20160171322
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining an inattentive state of an operator of a vehicle and for providing information to the operator of the vehicle by obtaining face images of the operator of the vehicle, obtaining images of an environment of the vehicle, determining one or more areas of interest in the environment of the vehicle based on the images of the environment, obtaining, from a relevance and priority database, relevance and priority values corresponding to the one or more areas of interest, determining a probability of attention of the operator of the vehicle to the one or more areas of interest based on the images of the environment and the relevance and priority values, determining an attention deficiency based on the determined probability of attention and the face images, and providing the information to the operator of the vehicle based on the determined attention deficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Pujitha GUNARATNE, Richard W. BACKS
  • Patent number: 9299237
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining an inattentive state of an operator of a vehicle and for providing information to the operator of the vehicle by obtaining face images of the operator of the vehicle, obtaining images of an environment of the vehicle, determining one or more areas of interest in the environment of the vehicle based on the images of the environment, obtaining, from a relevance and priority database, relevance and priority values corresponding to the one or more areas of interest, determining a probability of attention of the operator of the vehicle to the one or more areas of interest based on the images of the environment and the relevance and priority values, determining an attention deficiency based on the determined probability of attention and the face images, and providing the information to the operator of the vehicle based on the determined attention deficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Pujitha Gunaratne, Richard W. Backs
  • Publication number: 20140340228
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining an inattentive state of an operator of a vehicle and for providing information to the operator of the vehicle by obtaining face images of the operator of the vehicle, obtaining images of an environment of the vehicle, determining one or more areas of interest in the environment of the vehicle based on the images of the environment, obtaining, from a relevance and priority database, relevance and priority values corresponding to the one or more areas of interest, determining a probability of attention of the operator of the vehicle to the one or more areas of interest based on the images of the environment and the relevance and priority values, determining an attention deficiency based on the determined probability of attention and the face images, and providing the information to the operator of the vehicle based on the determined attention deficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Pujitha GUNARATNE, Richard W. BACKS
  • Patent number: 8847771
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining an inattentive state of an operator of a vehicle and for providing information to the operator of the vehicle by obtaining face images of the operator of the vehicle, obtaining images of an environment of the vehicle, determining one or more areas of interest in the environment of the vehicle based on the images of the environment, obtaining, from a relevance and priority database, relevance and priority values corresponding to the one or more areas of interest, determining a probability of attention of the operator of the vehicle to the one or more areas of interest based on the images of the environment and the relevance and priority values, determining an attention deficiency based on the determined probability of attention and the face images, and providing the information to the operator of the vehicle based on the determined attention deficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Pujitha Gunaratne, Richard W. Backs
  • Publication number: 20140210978
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining an inattentive state of an operator of a vehicle and for providing information to the operator of the vehicle by obtaining face images of the operator of the vehicle, obtaining images of an environment of the vehicle, determining one or more areas of interest in the environment of the vehicle based on the images of the environment, obtaining, from a relevance and priority database, relevance and priority values corresponding to the one or more areas of interest, determining a probability of attention of the operator of the vehicle to the one or more areas of interest based on the images of the environment and the relevance and priority values, determining an attention deficiency based on the determined probability of attention and the face images, and providing the information to the operator of the vehicle based on the determined attention deficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Pujitha Gunaratne, Richard W. Backs