Patents by Inventor Stephen McGill

Stephen McGill 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).

  • Systems and methods for switching between a driver mode and an autonomous driving mode for a vehicle
    Patent number: 11338856
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a steering wheel configured to output an output based on an input from a user, and a controller configured to: determine a target orientation of front wheels of a vehicle based on vehicle environment information, determine whether an orientation of the front wheels of the vehicle based on the output from the steering wheel deviates from the target orientation, disengage the steering wheel from the front wheels in response to determination that the orientation of the front wheels deviates from the target orientation, adjust the orientation of the front wheels to the target orientation and provide a feedback in response to adjusting the orientation of the front wheels to the target orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen McGill, Luke Fletcher, Kazunori Nimura, John Leonard, Gill Pratt
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SWITCHING BETWEEN A DRIVER MODE AND AN AUTONOMOUS DRIVING MODE FOR A VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20200198701
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a steering wheel configured to output an output based on an input from a user, and a controller configured to: determine a target orientation of front wheels of a vehicle based on vehicle environment information, determine whether an orientation of the front wheels of the vehicle based on the output from the steering wheel deviates from the target orientation, disengage the steering wheel from the front wheels in response to determination that the orientation of the front wheels deviates from the target orientation, adjust the orientation of the front wheels to the target orientation and provide a feedback in response to adjusting the orientation of the front wheels to the target orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen McGill, Luke Fletcher, Kazunori Nimura, John Leonard, Gill Pratt
  • Systems and methods for switching between a driver mode and an autonomous driving mode for a vehicle
    Patent number: 10633025
    Abstract: A vehicle system for operating a vehicle is provided. The vehicle system includes a first output device configured to output a first output, and a second output device configured to output a second output. The vehicle system operates the vehicle based on the first output from the first output device while obtaining vehicle environment information, determines whether an autonomous take-over event occurs based on the vehicle environment information, operates the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode in response to determining that the autonomous takeover event occurred, determines whether the vehicle system receives a take-over signal from the second output device, and operates the vehicle based on the second output from the second output device in response to determining that the vehicle system received the take-over signal from the second output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen McGill, Luke Fletcher, Kazunori Nimura, John Leonard, Gill Pratt
  • Systems and Methods For Switching Between A Driver Mode And An Autonomous Driving Mode For A Vehicle
    Publication number: 20190092389
    Abstract: A vehicle system for operating a vehicle is provided. The vehicle system includes a first output device configured to output a first output, and a second output device configured to output a second output. The vehicle system operates the vehicle based on the first output from the first output device while obtaining vehicle environment information, determines whether an autonomous take-over event occurs based on the vehicle environment information, operates the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode in response to determining that the autonomous takeover event occurred, determines whether the vehicle system receives a take-over signal from the second output device, and operates the vehicle based on the second output from the second output device in response to determining that the vehicle system received the take-over signal from the second output device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen McGill, Luke Fletcher, Kazunori Nimura, John Leonard, Gill Pratt