Patents by Inventor Steve Roberson

Steve Roberson 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: 9135803
    Abstract: The method, system, and computer-readable medium causes the monitoring of a vehicle operator during the course of vehicle operation to determine whether the vehicle operator is impaired and causes a mitigating response when an impairment is determined to exist. The vehicle operator, the environment surrounding the vehicle, or forces acting on the vehicle may be monitored using a variety of sensors, including optical sensors, accelerometers, or biometric sensors (e.g., skin conductivity, heart rate, or voice modulation). When the vehicle operator is determined to be impaired, an alert or other mitigating response is implemented, based on the sensor data. In some embodiments, mitigating actions may be taken to avoid vehicle operator impairment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian Mark Fields, Steve Roberson, Aaron Scott Chan, Kenneth Jason Sanchez, Matthew Christopher Jon Donovan
  • Patent number: 9056616
    Abstract: Tagged driving events may be generated during a driving session from sensor data collected via one or more sensors and/or entered by an instructor. The tagged driving events may include a description of each driving event and its associated severity or weight as it relates to a scoring process as well as a time and/or a location of the driving event. A driving session report may be generated using the tagged driving events and may include a driver feedback score that is weighted based on the severity associated with each of the tagged driving events and/or the collected data, a map of the driving session route that indicates a map location of each tagged driving event, and/or a listing of each tagged driving event. The driving session report may be displayed such that a user may select a tagged driving event to view information associated with the tagged driving event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
    Inventors: Brian Mark Fields, Steve Roberson, Abhishek Harish, Hyunji Lim, Matthew James Waughtel
  • Patent number: 8981942
    Abstract: The method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitates monitoring a vehicle operator, the environment ahead of the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle during the course of vehicle operation to determine whether the vehicle operator is impaired (e.g., distracted, drowsy, intoxicated), alerting the vehicle operator when impairment is detected, and log data relating to vehicle operator impairment for further analysis. The method, system, and computer-readable medium may monitor the vehicle operator, the environment ahead of the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle using either or both of optical sensors or accelerometers. In particular, one optical sensor may monitor the vehicle operator to detect eye blinks, head nods, head rotations, and/or gaze fixation. Another optical sensor may monitor the road ahead of the vehicle to detect lane deviation, lane centering, and time to collision. The accelerometers may detect acceleration in the direction of vehicle travel and/or lateral acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
    Inventors: Jibo He, Brian M. Fields, Steve Roberson, Steve Cielocha, Jufeng Peng, Julian Coltea
  • Patent number: 8930269
    Abstract: The method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitates monitoring a vehicle operator, the environment ahead of the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle during the course of vehicle operation to determine whether the vehicle operator is impaired (e.g., distracted, drowsy), log data relating to vehicle operator impairment for further analysis, and send the data to a server for analysis. The method, system, and computer-readable medium may monitor the vehicle operator, the environment ahead of the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle using either or both of optical sensors or accelerometers. In particular, one optical sensor may monitor the vehicle operator to detect eye blinks, head nods, head rotations, and/or gaze fixation. Another optical sensor may monitor the road ahead of the vehicle to detect lane deviation, lane centering, and time to collision. The accelerometers may detect acceleration in the direction of vehicle travel and/or lateral acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
    Inventors: Jibo He, Brian M. Fields, Steve Roberson, Steve Cielocha, Jufeng Peng, Julian Coltea
  • Patent number: 8876535
    Abstract: Driving skill data is gathered with one or more accelerometers during a driving session of a first student driver, including one or more of acceleration data, braking data, or steering data and wherein the driving skill data includes one or more of a timestamp or location stamp. A driving session report is generated with a computer processor. The driving session report includes a calculation of one or more of a student driver acceleration skill score based on the acceleration data, a student driver braking skill score based on the braking data, or a student driver steering skill score based on the steering data and storing the one or more scores on a computer-readable medium. The driving session report is displayed. Driving skill data may be gathered and driving session reports may be generated for subsequent student drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
    Inventors: Brian M. Fields, Jibo He, John Adrian Nepomuceno, Steve Roberson, Bryan Allen Plummer, Kurtis C. Houdek, Neeraj Jain
  • Publication number: 20140272810
    Abstract: Driving skill data is gathered with one or more accelerometers during a driving session of a first student driver, including one or more of acceleration data, braking data, or steering data and wherein the driving skill data includes one or more of a timestamp or location stamp. A driving session report is generated with a computer processor. The driving session report includes a calculation of one or more of a student driver acceleration skill score based on the acceleration data, a student driver braking skill score based on the braking data, or a student driver steering skill score based on the steering data and storing the one or more scores on a computer-readable medium. The driving session report is displayed. Driving skill data may be gathered and driving session reports may be generated for subsequent student drivers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Brian M. Fields, Jibo He, John Adrian Nepomuceno, Steve Roberson, Bryan Allen Plummer, Kurtis C. Houdek, Neeraj Jain
  • Publication number: 20140168399
    Abstract: The method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitates monitoring one or more eyes of a vehicle operator during a driving session to generate a plurality of gaze location logs with gaze location values and timestamps. The gaze location value may be generated by determining a focal point of the vehicle operator's gaze, determining which of a plurality of areas of the vehicle is associated with the focal point, and assigning the gaze location value based on the area of the vehicle associated with the focal point. The gaze location logs may be analyzed to determine the duration of the vehicle operator's gaze at each area of the vehicle. Based on the duration of the vehicle operators gaze, recommendations to improve vehicle operator performance may be determined and communicated to the vehicle operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: Bryan Allen Plummer, Parker Andrew Brown, Jibo He, Brian M. Fields, Steve Roberson, Steve Cielocha, Jufeng Peng
  • Patent number: 7407171
    Abstract: A cart for transporting cargo is provided having a first extendable member having a roller coupled to the bottom end of the first extendable member and a connection point on the first extendable member proximate to the roller. The cart also has a second extendable member having a roller coupled to the bottom end of the second extendable member and a connection point on the second extendable member proximate to the roller. The cart has a handle having a linkage that is coupled to the top ends of each of the first and second extendable members. One or more bands may be coupled to the connecting point of the first or second member and to a securing point located at any point between the ends of a member so as to secure the cargo in a position against the first and second members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Inventor: Steve Roberson
  • Publication number: 20080023942
    Abstract: A cart for transporting cargo is provided having a first extendable member having a roller coupled to the bottom end of the first extendable member and a connection point on the first extendable member proximate to the roller. The cart also has a second extendable member having a roller coupled to the bottom end of the second extendable member and a connection point on the second extendable member proximate to the roller. The cart has a handle having a linkage that is coupled to the top ends of each of the first and second extendable members. One or more bands may be coupled to the connecting point of the first or second member and to a securing point located at any point between the ends of a member so as to secure the cargo in a position against the first and second members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventor: Steve Roberson
  • Patent number: 7278643
    Abstract: A cart for transporting cargo is provided having a first extendable member having a roller coupled to the bottom end of the first extendable member and a connection point on the first extendable member proximate to the roller. The cart also has a second extendable member having a roller coupled to the bottom end of the second extendable member and a connection point on the second extendable member proximate to the roller. The cart has a handle having a linkage that is coupled to the top ends of each of the first and second extendable members. One or more bands may be coupled to the connecting point of the first or second member and to a securing point located at any point between the ends of a member so as to secure the cargo in a position against the first and second members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Inventor: Steve Roberson
  • Publication number: 20050189738
    Abstract: A cart for transporting cargo is provided having a first extendable member having a roller coupled to the bottom end of the first extendable member and a connection point on the first extendable member proximate to the roller. The cart also has a second extendable member having a roller coupled to the bottom end of the second extendable member and a connection point on the second extendable member proximate to the roller. The cart has a handle having a linkage that is coupled to the top ends of each of the first and second extendable members. One or more bands may be coupled to the connecting point of the first or second member and to a securing point located at any point between the ends of a member so as to secure the cargo in a position against the first and second members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventor: Steve Roberson