Patents by Inventor Soonho Kong

Soonho Kong 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: 11801852
    Abstract: A method performed by an autonomous vehicle includes identifying a condition preventing the autonomous vehicle from proceeding along an intended route. The method also includes prompting a passenger of the autonomous vehicle to interact with a driver of a first vehicle in response to identifying the condition. The method further includes receiving, from the passenger, an input at an interface of the autonomous vehicle indicating a successful interaction or an unsuccessful interaction with the driver. The method also includes controlling the autonomous vehicle to proceed along the intended route based on the input indicating the successful interaction with the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Soonho Kong, Jonathan Decastro, Nikos Arechiga, Frank Permenter
  • Patent number: 11518408
    Abstract: A driver monitor system and method for predicting impairment of a user of a vehicle. The system includes video cameras, an input device for inputting a list of medications being taken by the driver. Processing circuitry predicts side effects of the medications based on the half-life of the medication, detecting eye gaze movement, eye lid position, and facial expression of the user using images from the video camera, predicting whether the user is transitioning into an impaired physical state that is a side effect of the medications, verifying the side effect of the medications, determining whether the user is fit to drive using the verified side effects of the medications, and outputting to the vehicle an instruction to operate the vehicle in a level of automation that makes up for the at least one side effect or to perform a safe pull over operation of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Nikos Arechiga-Gonzalez, Soonho Kong, Jonathan Decastro, Frank Permenter, Dennis Park
  • Patent number: 11479239
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a parking method and system for a vehicle. For example, the parking system can include a processor and an output circuit. As another example, the parking system can include the processor and a compelling unit. The processor can be configured to determine whether a first weather condition, such as snowing, raining, icing and hailing, at a first parking location meets a first criterion, and identify, when the first weather condition meets the first criterion, a second parking location at which a second weather condition meets a second criterion different from the first criterion. The output unit can be configured to output an alert to the vehicle parked at the first parking location indicating that the vehicle is to be moved to the second parking location. The compelling unit can be configured to compel the vehicle to move to the second parking location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Nikos Arechiga-Gonzalez, Soonho Kong, Jonathan Decastro, Frank Permenter, Dennis Park
  • Publication number: 20220153302
    Abstract: A driver monitor system and method for predicting impairment of a user of a vehicle. The system includes video cameras, an input device for inputting a list of medications being taken by the driver. Processing circuitry predicts side effects of the medications based on the half-life of the medication, detecting eye gaze movement, eye lid position, and facial expression of the user using images from the video camera, predicting whether the user is transitioning into an impaired physical state that is a side effect of the medications, verifying the side effect of the medications, determining whether the user is fit to drive using the verified side effects of the medications, and outputting to the vehicle an instruction to operate the vehicle in a level of automation that makes up for the at least one side effect or to perform a safe pull over operation of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Nikos ARECHIGA-GONZALEZ, Soonho KONG, Jonathan DECASTRO, Frank PERMENTER, Dennis PARK
  • Publication number: 20220153258
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a parking method and system for a vehicle. For example, the parking system can include a processor and an output circuit. As another example, the parking system can include the processor and a compelling unit. The processor can be configured to determine whether a first weather condition, such as snowing, raining, icing and hailing, at a first parking location meets a first criterion, and identify, when the first weather condition meets the first criterion, a second parking location at which a second weather condition meets a second criterion different from the first criterion. The output unit can be configured to output an alert to the vehicle parked at the first parking location indicating that the vehicle is to be moved to the second parking location. The compelling unit can be configured to compel the vehicle to move to the second parking location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Nikos ARECHIGA-GONZALEZ, Soonho KONG, Jonathan DECASTRO, Frank PERMENTER, Dennis PARK
  • Publication number: 20220017103
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically generating solver code for a nonlinear model predictive controller are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of automatically generating solver code for a nonlinear model predictive control solver includes receiving an optimal control problem code, wherein the optimal control problem code represents an optimal control problem comprising a cost function, one or more constraints, and a continuous time model representing dynamics of a system. The method further includes receiving a discretization method preference, a linearization point preference, and a parameter specification, and encoding the optimal control problem into an optimization problem by discretizing the optimal control problem according to the discretization method preference, and linearizing the optimal control problem according to the linearization point preference. The method further includes generating the solver code from the optimization problem.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Koehler, Soonho Kong, Frank N. Permenter, Kevin Zaseck, Avinash Balachandran
  • Patent number: 11157756
    Abstract: An artificial intelligence perception system for detecting one or more objects includes one or more processors, at least one sensor, and a memory device. The memory device includes an image capture module, an object identifying module, and a logical scaffold module. The image capture module and the object identifying module cause the one or more processors to obtain sensor information of a field of view from a sensor, identify an object within the sensor information, and determine at least one property of the object. The logical scaffold module causes the one or more processors to determine, by a logical scaffold, when the at least one property of the object as determined by the object identifying module is one of a true condition or a false condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikos Arechiga Gonzalez, Soonho Kong, Jonathan DeCastro, Sagar Behere, Dennis Park
  • Publication number: 20210316744
    Abstract: A method performed by an autonomous vehicle includes identifying a condition preventing the autonomous vehicle from proceeding along an intended route. The method also includes prompting a passenger of the autonomous vehicle to interact with a driver of a first vehicle in response to identifying the condition. The method further includes receiving, from the passenger, an input at an interface of the autonomous vehicle indicating a successful interaction or an unsuccessful interaction with the driver. The method also includes controlling the autonomous vehicle to proceed along the intended route based on the input indicating the successful interaction with the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Soonho KONG, Jonathan DECASTRO, Nikos ARECHIGA, Frank PERMENTER
  • Patent number: 11072342
    Abstract: A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle includes navigating the autonomous vehicle based on a set of rules. The method also includes identifying an abnormality in a current driving situation. The method further includes prompting a passenger of the autonomous vehicle to interact with a driver of a first vehicle in response to identifying the abnormality. The method still further includes controlling the autonomous vehicle to violate one or more rules of the set of rules in response to an indication of a successful interaction with the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Soonho Kong, Jonathan DeCastro, Nikos Arechiga, Frank Permenter
  • Publication number: 20210056321
    Abstract: An artificial intelligence perception system for detecting one or more objects includes one or more processors, at least one sensor, and a memory device. The memory device includes an image capture module, an object identifying module, and a logical scaffold module. The image capture module and the object identifying module cause the one or more processors to obtain sensor information of a field of view from a sensor, identify an object within the sensor information, and determine at least one property of the object. The logical scaffold module causes the one or more processors to determine, by a logical scaffold, when the at least one property of the object as determined by the object identifying module is one of a true condition or a false condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Nikos Arechiga Gonzalez, Soonho Kong, Jonathan DeCastro, Sagar Behere, Dennis Park
  • Publication number: 20200262444
    Abstract: A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle includes navigating the autonomous vehicle based on a set of rules. The method also includes identifying an abnormality in a current driving situation. The method further includes prompting a passenger of the autonomous vehicle to interact with a driver of a first vehicle in response to identifying the abnormality. The method still further includes controlling the autonomous vehicle to violate one or more rules of the set of rules in response to an indication of a successful interaction with the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Soonho KONG, Jonathan DECASTRO, Nikos ARECHIGA, Frank PERMENTER
  • Patent number: 10621858
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving situational awareness of a user. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to acquiring, in a personal device, sensor data from a set of sensors that perceive a surrounding environment of the user, identifying from the sensor data one or more objects in the surrounding environment relative to the user. The method includes determining a threat to the user from the one or more objects according to at least trajectories of the one or more objects embodied in the sensor data. The method includes generating, via the personal device, an indicator to inform the user of the one or more objects according to the threat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan DeCastro, Frank Permenter, Soonho Kong, Nikos Arechiga Gonzalez