Patents by Inventor Thomas Eigel

Thomas Eigel 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: 12043275
    Abstract: A method for operating a driver information system in an ego vehicle is provided wherein an additional road user is detected in a road area lying in front of the ego vehicle. A target trajectory for the ego vehicle is generated by a driver assistance system for at least partially automatic transverse control of the ego vehicle depending on the additional road user, and a driver information display is generated and output. The driver information display comprises a graphic road user object that represents the additional road user. The driver information display furthermore comprises a trajectory object which represents the target trajectory of the ego vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Gordon Seitz, Johanna Sandbrink, Marie Puhle, Thomas Eigel
  • Patent number: 11912283
    Abstract: Technologies and techniques for automatically generating labeled steering torque data, with which an artificial intelligence (AI) unit is trained to detect hands-off conditions when the vehicle is being operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Felix Stahl
  • Patent number: 11807239
    Abstract: Technologies and techniques for automatically preparing and/or executing a possible lane change with an ego vehicle traveling in moving traffic from a first lane to a second lane of a multi-lane roadway by means of a driver assistance system and to a driver assistance system. Gaps are detected between two vehicles, and the relative positions and movements of the gaps relative to the ego vehicle will facilitate a potential lane change of the ego vehicle. The driver assistance system adjusts the following distance and/or following speed of the ego vehicle relative to the vehicle ahead in such a way that changing a lane and merging into a gap of an adjacent lane is possible by means of a transverse guidance of the ego vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Felix Kallmeyer
  • Patent number: 11745739
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for supporting a lane changing procedure for a vehicle with a cruise control apparatus, wherein the cruise control apparatus adjusts a speed of the vehicle to a target speed, comprising the following steps: receiving environmental data on an environment of the vehicle using an input apparatus, wherein the environmental data at least comprise information on other vehicles in a target lane, determining a current traffic density and a current flow speed in the target lane based on the environmental data using an evaluation apparatus, adapting the target speed based on the determined current traffic density and the current flow speed by using the evaluation apparatus, forwarding the adapted target speed to the cruise control apparatus. The invention further relates to an associated device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Timur Aminev, Stefan Detering, Jens Hoedt, Sören Lindner
  • Patent number: 11697430
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for providing a route stipulation for a route system of a vehicle, comprising the following steps: providing a plurality of detected trajectories of further vehicles in a route section to be used, ascertaining a trajectory stipulation from the detected trajectories, ascertaining a deviation zone from the detected trajectories, wherein the deviation zone is determined on the basis of a deviation of at least individual detected trajectories from the trajectory stipulation, determining the route stipulation at least on the basis of the trajectory stipulation and the deviation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Timur Aminev, Stefan Detering, Jens Hoedt
  • Patent number: 11453397
    Abstract: An assistance System for a vehicle for providing an emergency stop assistance function that includes an execution device to execute the emergency stop assistance function using at least one of a plurality of activation stages; a detection device for automatic detection of driver inactivity, in order to activate the emergency stop assistance function using a first stage selection of the activation stages; a triggering device for monitoring an operating element of an electrical parking brake or a parking lock of a transmission of the vehicle, in order to activate the emergency assistance function using a second stage selection of the activation stages, which differs from the first stage selection, in the case of a manual activation of the operating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Benjamin Klink, Dominik Kirschner, Thomas Eigel, Johanna Wegner, Sebastian Busch
  • Patent number: 11433862
    Abstract: A driving assistance system for a transportation vehicle, a corresponding transportation vehicle, and a corresponding operating method. The driving assistance system for supporting the longitudinal control of the transportation vehicle identifies an obstacle ahead of the transportation vehicle based on environment data. According to a first functionality, the driving assistance system causes emergency braking to bring the transportation vehicle to a standstill to avoid a collision. According to a second functionality, the driving assistance system causes a longitudinal control intervention that is reduced compared to the emergency braking to slow down the transportation vehicle once the obstacle is detected and before the transportation vehicle has approached the obstacle to such an extent that the collision is only prevented by emergency braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Sebastian Busch
  • Patent number: 11373534
    Abstract: A method for providing map data in a first transportation vehicle wherein position data is detected by second transportation vehicles concerning people detected by the second transportation vehicles in a surrounding area of the respective second transportation vehicles and is transmitted to a central data-processing unit so that at least one route which is at least partly used by at least some of the people is specified by the central data processing unit based on the aggregated position data and that route data of the specified at least one route is provided as part of the map data in the first transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Sebastian Busch
  • Patent number: 11345401
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving hands-off recognition in a vehicle with steering torque-based recognition in that swarm data are provided from vehicles that recognize hands-off situations with hand distance sensors in the steering wheel. Both recognition results over a certain route section are compared and, in the case of deviations, the correctness of the results of the hand distance sensors is assumed. On this basis, route sections are determined in which steering torque-based recognition is unreliable. Based on this recognition, systems with steering torque evaluation can then be re-parameterized in order to be more reliable relative to the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Felix Stahl
  • Publication number: 20220144297
    Abstract: A method for operating a driver information system in an ego vehicle is provided wherein an additional road user is detected in a road area lying in front of the ego vehicle. A target trajectory for the ego vehicle is generated by a driver assistance system for at least partially automatic transverse control of the ego vehicle depending on the additional road user, and a driver information display is generated and output. The driver information display comprises a graphic road user object that represents the additional road user. The driver information display furthermore comprises a trajectory object which represents the target trajectory of the ego vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gordon Seitz, Johanna Sandbrink, Marie Puhle, Thomas Eigel
  • Publication number: 20210331672
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for supporting a lane changing procedure for a vehicle with a cruise control apparatus, wherein the cruise control apparatus adjusts a speed of the vehicle to a target speed, comprising the following steps: receiving environmental data on an environment of the vehicle using an input apparatus, wherein the environmental data at least comprise information on other vehicles in a target lane, determining a current traffic density and a current flow speed in the target lane based on the environmental data using an evaluation apparatus, adapting the target speed based on the determined current traffic density and the current flow speed by using the evaluation apparatus, forwarding the adapted target speed to the cruise control apparatus. The invention further relates to an associated device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Timur Aminev, Stefan Detering, Jens Hoedt, Sören Lindner
  • Publication number: 20210316752
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for providing a route stipulation for a route system of a vehicle, comprising the following steps: providing a plurality of detected trajectories of further vehicles in a route section to be used, ascertaining a trajectory stipulation from the detected trajectories, ascertaining a deviation zone from the detected trajectories, wherein the deviation zone is determined on the basis of a deviation of at least individual detected trajectories from the trajectory stipulation, determining the route stipulation at least on the basis of the trajectory stipulation and the deviation zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Timur Aminev, Stefan Detering, Jens Hoedt
  • Patent number: 11118933
    Abstract: A method for providing an automation function for a transportation vehicle, wherein environment data are detected. Based on the detected environment data, the automation function is activated and a quality measure is determined. A quality level on a multi-level scale is determined based on the quality measure, and a graphical output is generated and output. The output includes a quality display element that is formed based on the quality measure. Also disclosed is a system for providing an automation function for a transportation vehicle including a detection unit to detect environment data, an evaluation unit to activate the automation function and to determine a quality measure based on the detected environment data, and a control unit to generate a graphical output and to output the graphical output by a display unit. The output includes a quality display element formed based on the quality measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Stefan Detering, Andreas Stele, Timur Aminev
  • Patent number: 11091089
    Abstract: A method for operating a transportation vehicle that includes an emergency assistance system to issue a warning signal to the surroundings of the transportation vehicle based on a risk factor in the presence of initial indications of no longer sufficiently guaranteed human or technical control of the transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Inventor: Thomas Eigel
  • Publication number: 20210070358
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving hands-off recognition in a vehicle with steering torque-based recognition in that swarm data are provided from vehicles that recognize hands-off situations with hand distance sensors in the steering wheel. Both recognition results over a certain route section are compared and, in the case of deviations, the correctness of the results of the hand distance sensors is assumed. On this basis, route sections are determined in which steering torque-based recognition is unreliable. Based on this recognition, systems with steering torque evaluation can then be re-parameterized in order to be more reliable relative to the route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Felix Stahl
  • Patent number: 10907973
    Abstract: A method and a device for predicting the future course of a roadway for a transportation vehicle driving on a road, wherein the road has a first section, a bend and a second section, and the bend is arranged between the first and the second section. The method determines an approximated course of a road derived from a digital map material using an original clothoid segment, wherein the clothoid segment has a starting point on the first section, an end point on the second section, and the clothoid segment sweeps over the angle defined by the bend between the first and the second section, and continuously corrects the original clothoid segment by subsequent corrective clothoid segments, wherein the corrective clothoid segments take into account the curvature of the route actually traveled by the transportation vehicle after the starting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Inventor: Thomas Eigel
  • Publication number: 20210023986
    Abstract: A method for operating a transportation vehicle that includes an emergency assistance system to issue a warning signal to the surroundings of the transportation vehicle based on a risk factor in the presence of initial indications of no longer sufficiently guaranteed human or technical control of the transportation vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventor: Thomas EIGEL
  • Publication number: 20210024075
    Abstract: Technologies and techniques for automatically generating labeled steering torque data, with which an artificial intelligence (AI) unit is trained to detect hands-off conditions when the vehicle is being operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Felix Stahl
  • Publication number: 20200377098
    Abstract: An assistance System for a vehicle for providing an emergency stop assistance function that includes an execution device to execute the emergency stop assistance function using at least one of a plurality of activation stages; a detection device for automatic detection of driver inactivity, in order to activate the emergency stop assistance function using a first stage selection of the activation stages; a triggering device for monitoring an operating element of an electrical parking brake or a parking lock of a transmission of the vehicle, in order to activate the emergency assistance function using a second stage selection of the activation stages, which differs from the first stage selection, in the case of a manual activation of the operating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Benjamin Klink, Dominik Kirschner, Thomas Eigel, Johanna Wegner, Sebastian Busch
  • Publication number: 20200189598
    Abstract: Technologies and techniques for automatically preparing and/or executing a possible lane change with an ego vehicle traveling in moving traffic from a first lane to a second lane of a multi-lane roadway by means of a driver assistance system and to a driver assistance system. Gaps are detected between two vehicles, and the relative positions and movements of the gaps relative to the ego vehicle will facilitate a potential lane change of the ego vehicle. The driver assistance system adjusts the following distance and/or following speed of the ego vehicle relative to the vehicle ahead in such a way that changing a lane and merging into a gap of an adjacent lane is possible by means of a transverse guidance of the ego vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas Eigel, Felix Kallmeyer