Patents by Inventor Robert A. E. Zidek

Robert A. E. Zidek 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: 11161501
    Abstract: In one embodiment, example systems and methods relate to generating an optimal path for a vehicle to avoid an obstacle. As the vehicle travels on a road segment, a polyline representing a path of the vehicle is generated. The polyline may include a plurality of nodes, and each node may have a set of coordinates with respect to the polyline. The vehicle uses sensors to detect one or more obstacles on the road, and lane boundaries of the road. The vehicle uses these obstacles and lane boundaries to calculate lateral constraints for the polyline. The vehicle then uses the lateral constraints and a quadratic program to optimize the polyline. The optimized polyline may be used to determine the optimal path for the vehicle that avoids the one or more obstacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Research Insititute, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. E. Zidek
  • Patent number: 11029697
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein relate to vehicular navigation. One embodiment generates a polyline reference path for a vehicle; stores a representation of the polyline in a data structure; detects a plurality of obstacles ahead of the vehicle; identifies one or more obstacle gates among the plurality of obstacles using path coordinates relative to the reference path, each obstacle gate including at least one cluster of obstacles; identifies one or more gaps within each of the one or more obstacle gates; determines an obstacle-avoidance path for the vehicle that passes through a particular one of the one or more gaps in each of the one or more obstacle gates; and controls one or more aspects of operation of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the obstacle-avoidance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander G. Cunningham, Robert A. E. Zidek, Noah J. Epstein
  • Patent number: 10928827
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating a path for a vehicle to travel. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving left and right boundary points of a corridor in which the vehicle is to travel and creating point pairs from the left and right boundary points. Respective ones of the point pairs include one of the left boundary points and one of the right boundary points that is a closest corresponding point of the right boundary points. The method further includes generating an output path according to an optimization problem that determines path points, with a respective one of the path points for each of the point pairs. The point pairs function as hard constraints for the corresponding respective ones of the path point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. E. Zidek
  • Publication number: 20200218261
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to generating a path for a vehicle to travel. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving left and right boundary points of a corridor in which the vehicle is to travel and creating point pairs from the left and right boundary points. Respective ones of the point pairs include one of the left boundary points and one of the right boundary points that is a closest corresponding point of the right boundary points. The method further includes generating an output path according to an optimization problem that determines path points, with a respective one of the path points for each of the point pairs. The point pairs function as hard constraints for the corresponding respective ones of the path point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventor: Robert A. E. Zidek
  • Publication number: 20200218277
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein relate to vehicular navigation. One embodiment generates a polyline reference path for a vehicle; stores a representation of the polyline in a data structure; detects a plurality of obstacles ahead of the vehicle; identifies one or more obstacle gates among the plurality of obstacles using path coordinates relative to the reference path, each obstacle gate including at least one cluster of obstacles; identifies one or more gaps within each of the one or more obstacle gates; determines an obstacle-avoidance path for the vehicle that passes through a particular one of the one or more gaps in each of the one or more obstacle gates; and controls one or more aspects of operation of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the obstacle-avoidance path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Alexander G. Cunningham, Robert A.E. Zidek, Noah J. Epstein
  • Publication number: 20200216061
    Abstract: In one embodiment, example systems and methods relate to generating an optimal path for a vehicle to avoid an obstacle. As the vehicle travels on a road segment, a polyline representing a path of the vehicle is generated. The polyline may include a plurality of nodes, and each node may have a set of coordinates with respect to the polyline. The vehicle uses sensors to detect one or more obstacles on the road, and lane boundaries of the road. The vehicle uses these obstacles and lane boundaries to calculate lateral constraints for the polyline. The vehicle then uses the lateral constraints and a quadratic program to optimize the polyline. The optimized polyline may be used to determine the optimal path for the vehicle that avoids the one or more obstacles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventor: Robert A. E. Zidek