Patents by Inventor Robert D. Sims
Robert D. Sims 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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Patent number: 11698641Abstract: Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: initiating, by a controller onboard the vehicle, a first laser pulse from a first laser device; initiating, by a controller onboard the vehicle, a second laser pulse from a second laser device, wherein the initiating the second laser pulse is based on a phase shift angle; receiving, by the controller onboard the vehicle, first return data and second return data as a result of the first laser pulse and the second laser pulse; interleaving, by the controller onboard the vehicle, the first return pulse and the second return pulse to form a point cloud; and controlling, by the controller onboard the vehicle, the vehicle based on the point cloud.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2019Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Brian J. Hufnagel, Robert D. Sims, III, Nathaniel W. Hart
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Patent number: 11059478Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes at least one actuator configured to control vehicle steering, acceleration, or shifting, at least one sensor configured to emit a signal having a first encoding scheme and receive a return signal, and at least one controller in communication with the actuator and the sensor. The controller is configured to control the actuator according to a first mode and a second mode. The controller is further configured to, in response to the sensor receiving a return signal having the first encoding scheme, control the actuator according to the first mode and, in response to the sensor receiving a return signal not having the first encoding scheme, control the actuator according to the second mode.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2018Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Robert D. Sims, III, Brian J. Hufnagel
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Patent number: 10990834Abstract: The present application generally relates to a method and apparatus for object detection in a location obscured from a camera field of view in a motor vehicle. In particular, the system is operative to illuminate a FOV from a low angle using a light source, capture an image of the FOV from a high angle and to detect a shadow within the image indicative of an object being illuminated by the light source.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2018Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Nathaniel W. Hart, Robert D. Sims, III, Hao Yu
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Publication number: 20200341482Abstract: Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: initiating, by a controller onboard the vehicle, a first laser pulse from a first laser device; initiating, by a controller onboard the vehicle, a second laser pulse from a second laser device, wherein the initiating the second laser pulse is based on a phase shift angle; receiving, by the controller onboard the vehicle, first return data and second return data as a result of the first laser pulse and the second laser pulse; interleaving, by the controller onboard the vehicle, the first return pulse and the second return pulse to form a point cloud; and controlling, by the controller onboard the vehicle, the vehicle based on the point cloud.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2019Publication date: October 29, 2020Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Brian J. Hufnagel, Robert D. Sims, III, Nathaniel W. Hart
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Publication number: 20200193178Abstract: The present application generally relates to a method and apparatus for object detection in a location obscured from a camera field of view in a motor vehicle. In particular, the system is operative to illuminate a FOV from a low angle using a light source, capture an image of the FOV from a high angle and to detect a shadow within the image indivative of an object being illuminated by the light source.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2018Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventors: Nathaniel W. Hart, Robert D. Sims, III, Hao Yu
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Publication number: 20200114907Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes at least one actuator configured to control vehicle steering, acceleration, or shifting, at least one sensor configured to emit a signal having a first encoding scheme and receive a return signal, and at least one controller in communication with the actuator and the sensor. The controller is configured to control the actuator according to a first mode and a second mode. The controller is further configured to, in response to the sensor receiving a return signal having the first encoding scheme, control the actuator according to the first mode and, in response to the sensor receiving a return signal not having the first encoding scheme, control the actuator according to the second mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2018Publication date: April 16, 2020Inventors: Robert D. Sims, III, Brian J. Hufnagel
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Patent number: 10360458Abstract: A method of calculating at least one dimension of a towed vehicle includes sensing an image of the towed vehicle with an image sensing device. A feature on the towed vehicle in the sensed image of the towed vehicle is identified with a controller using a dimension determination algorithm. The dimension of the towed vehicle is determined from the identified feature of the towed vehicle, with the controller using the dimension determination algorithm. The dimension of the towed vehicle may be input into a vehicle tow controller, to enable the vehicle tow controller to control the tow vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2016Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Michael T. Chaney, Jr., Mohannad Murad, James N. Nickolaou, Robert D. Sims, III
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Patent number: 10310298Abstract: A smart sensor-cover apparatus for covering a sensor, such as a vehicle sensor, includes controllable layers, responsive to inputs, such as a wavelength-filtering controllable layer to selectively filter out select wavelengths of light; a polarizing layer controllable layer to selectively polarize or allow through light; a concealing controllable layer to change between a visible state and a concealed state; and an outermost, cleaning, layer configured to melt incident ice. The outermost layer in various embodiments has an outer surface positioned generally flush with an outer vehicle surface for operation of the apparatus, to promote the concealing effect when the concealing layer is not activate. The outermost layer may be configured to self-mend when scratched, and in some cases is hydrophobic, hydrophilic, or super hydrophilic outer surface. An insulating component, such as a glass or polycarbonate layer, is positioned between each adjacent controllable layer.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2016Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Jinsong Wang, Allan K. Lewis, Qingrong Zhao, Michael T. Chaney, Jr., Robert D. Sims, III, Wende Zhang, Xiaosong Huang
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Publication number: 20180113331Abstract: A smart sensor-cover apparatus for covering a sensor, such as a vehicle sensor, includes controllable layers, responsive to inputs, such as a wavelength-filtering controllable layer to selectively filter out select wavelengths of light; a polarizing layer controllable layer to selectively polarize or allow through light; a concealing controllable layer to change between a visible state and a concealed state; and an outermost, cleaning, layer configured to melt incident ice. The outermost layer in various embodiments has an outer surface positioned generally flush with an outer vehicle surface for operation of the apparatus, to promote the concealing effect when the concealing layer is not activate. The outermost layer may be configured to self-mend when scratched, and in some cases is hydrophobic, hydrophilic, or super hydrophilic outer surface. An insulating component, such as a glass or polycarbonate layer, is positioned between each adjacent controllable layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2016Publication date: April 26, 2018Inventors: Jinsong Wang, Allan K. Lewis, Qingrong Zhao, Michael T. Chaney, JR., Robert D. Sims, III, Wende Zhang, Xiaosong Huang
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Patent number: 9830925Abstract: An automatic speech recognition engine and a method of using the engine is described. The method pertains to front-end processing an audio signal and includes the steps of: identifying a plurality of voiced-frames of the audio signal; determining that one or more of the plurality of voiced-frames have a signal-to-noise (SNR) value greater than a first predetermined threshold; and based on the determination, bypassing noise suppression for the one or more of the plurality of voiced-frames.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2014Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Gaurav Talwar, Xufang Zhao, III, Robert D. Sims, III, Md Foezur Rahman Chowdhury
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Publication number: 20170300761Abstract: A method of calculating at least one dimension of a towed vehicle includes sensing an image of the towed vehicle with an image sensing device. A feature on the towed vehicle in the sensed image of the towed vehicle is identified with a controller using a dimension determination algorithm. The dimension of the towed vehicle is determined from the identified feature of the towed vehicle, with the controller using the dimension determination algorithm. The dimension of the towed vehicle may be input into a vehicle tow controller, to enable the vehicle tow controller to control the tow vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2016Publication date: October 19, 2017Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Michael T. Chaney, JR., Mohannad Murad, James N. Nickolaou, Robert D. Sims, III
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Patent number: 9731568Abstract: A method and system provide guided control of a hitching operation between a tow vehicle and a trailer. Dynamic pixel images are collected of the first and second hitch devices using a camera. The position of the second hitch device is determined using the controller. A first graphical overlay to the dynamic pixel images is displayed, with the first graphical overlay, e.g., guidelines, depicting a path of the tow vehicle. A distance between a calibrated position of the first hitch device and the determined position of the second hitch device is calculated and a second graphical overlay is displayed on zoomed-in images when the calculated distance is less than a calibrated distance. The second graphical overlay provides indicia of the positions of the first and second hitch devices. A control action executes when the second graphical overlay indicates substantial overlap or concentric alignment of the indicia of the respective positions.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Michael A. Wuergler, Robert D. Sims, III, Mohannad Murad, Luis A. Reyes Lopez
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Patent number: 9715877Abstract: A method searching navigation system data includes receiving a spoken utterance from a user, processing the spoken utterance to produce a dictation text substantially corresponding to the spoken utterance, and querying the navigation system data with the dictation text using an approximate string matching criteria and producing a results list associated therewith.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2014Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Robert D. Sims, III, Timothy J. Grost, Greg T. Lindemann
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Patent number: 9715878Abstract: A method for arbitrating spoken dialog results includes receiving a spoken utterance from a user within an environment; receiving first recognition results and a first confidence level associated with the spoken utterance from a first source; receiving second recognition results and a second confidence level associated with the spoken utterance from a second source; receiving human-machine-interface (HMI) information associated with the user; selecting between the first recognition results and the second recognition results based on at least one of the first confidence level, the second confidence level, and the HMI information.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2014Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventor: Robert D. Sims, III
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Publication number: 20170151846Abstract: A method and system provide guided control of a hitching operation between a tow vehicle and a trailer. Dynamic pixel images are collected of the first and second hitch devices using a camera. The position of the second hitch device is determined using the controller. A first graphical overlay to the dynamic pixel images is displayed, with the first graphical overlay, e.g., guidelines, depicting a path of the tow vehicle. A distance between a calibrated position of the first hitch device and the determined position of the second hitch device is calculated and a second graphical overlay is displayed on zoomed-in images when the calculated distance is less than a calibrated distance. The second graphical overlay provides indicia of the positions of the first and second hitch devices. A control action executes when the second graphical overlay indicates substantial overlap or concentric alignment of the indicia of the respective positions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2015Publication date: June 1, 2017Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Michael A. Wuergler, Robert D. Sims, III, Mohannad Murad, Luis A. Reyes Lopez
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Patent number: 9609408Abstract: A hands-free audio system for a vehicle and method of using the system is described. The method includes controlling the directionality of a vehicle microphone. The steps of the method may include: (a) receiving a sensor value from at least one of a vehicle seat position sensor, a vehicle seat orientation sensor, or a vehicle mirror orientation sensor; (b) based on the received sensor value(s) of step (a), determining an origin of a vehicle user's speech; and (c) controlling the microphone sensitivity directionality based on the determined origin.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2014Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Xufang Zhao, Robert D. Sims, III, Md Foezur Rahman Chowdhury, John J. Correia
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Patent number: 9598070Abstract: An embodiment an infotainment system for an automobile includes a navigation system, an entertainment system, an audio output device and a control system coupled to the navigation system, the entertainment system and the audio output device. The control system controls access by the navigation system and the entertainment system to the audio output device and includes a conversation recognizer that determines if a conversation is being conducted. The control system of this embodiment varies operation of the audio output device in the event a conversation is being conducted.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2010Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Bhavna Mathur, Andrew W. Gellatly, Cody R. Hansen, John P. Weiss, Matthew M. Highstrom, Robert D. Sims
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Patent number: 9601111Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adapting a speech system. In one example a method includes: processing a spoken command with one or more models of one or more model types to achieve model results; evaluating a frequency of the model results; and selectively updating the one or more models of the one or more model types based on the evaluating.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2013Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Ute Winter, Ron M. Hecht, Timothy J. Grost, Robert D. Sims, III
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Patent number: 9564125Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adapting a speech system. In one example a method includes: logging speech data from the speech system; detecting a user characteristic from the speech data; and selectively updating a language model based on the user characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2013Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Ron M. Hecht, Timothy J. Grost, Robert D. Sims, III, Ute Winter
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Patent number: 9558739Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adapting a speech system. In one example a method includes: logging speech data from the speech system; processing the speech data for a pattern of a user competence associated with at least one of task requests and interaction behavior; and selectively updating at least one of a system prompt and an interaction sequence based on the user competence.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2013Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Robert D. Sims, III, Timothy J. Grost, Ron M. Hecht, Ute Winter