Patents by Inventor Thomas Pilarski

Thomas Pilarski 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: 11874660
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle uses a secondary vehicle control system to supplement a primary vehicle control system to perform a controlled stop if an adverse event is detected in the primary vehicle control system. The secondary vehicle control system may use a redundant lateral velocity determined by a different sensor from that used by the primary vehicle control system to determine lateral velocity for use in controlling the autonomous vehicle to perform the controlled stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: AURORA OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Ethan Eade, Nathaniel Gist, IV, Thomas Pilarski
  • Publication number: 20220308580
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle uses a secondary vehicle control system to supplement a primary vehicle control system to perform a controlled stop if an adverse event is detected in the primary vehicle control system. The secondary vehicle control system may use a redundant lateral velocity determined by a different sensor from that used by the primary vehicle control system to determine lateral velocity for use in controlling the autonomous vehicle to perform the controlled stop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Ethan Eade, Nathaniel Gist, IV, Thomas Pilarski
  • Patent number: 11403492
    Abstract: In techniques disclosed herein, machine learning models can be utilized in the control of autonomous vehicle(s), where the machine learning models are trained using automatically generated training instances. In some such implementations, a label corresponding to an object in a labeled instance of training data can be mapped to the corresponding instance of unlabeled training data. For example, an instance of sensor data can be captured using one or more sensors of a first sensor suite of a first vehicle can be labeled. The label(s) can be mapped to an instance of data captured using one or more sensors of a second sensor suite of a second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Aurora Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Sebastien Valois, Thomas Pilarski, Daniel Munoz
  • Publication number: 20220230026
    Abstract: In techniques disclosed herein, machine learning models can be utilized in the control of autonomous vehicle(s), where the machine learning models are trained using automatically generated training instances. In some such implementations, a label corresponding to an object in a labeled instance of training data can be mapped to the corresponding instance of unlabeled training data. For example, an instance of sensor data can be captured using one or more sensors of a first sensor suite of a first vehicle can be labeled. The label(s) can be mapped to an instance of data captured using one or more sensors of a second sensor suite of a second vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Jean-Sebastien Valois, Thomas Pilarski, Daniel Munoz
  • Patent number: 11353867
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle uses a secondary vehicle control system to supplement a primary vehicle control system to perform a controlled stop if an adverse event is detected in the primary vehicle control system. The secondary vehicle control system may use a redundant lateral velocity determined by a different sensor from that used by the primary vehicle control system to determine lateral velocity for use in controlling the autonomous vehicle to perform the controlled stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Aurora Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan Eade, Nathaniel Gist, IV, Thomas Pilarski
  • Patent number: 11256263
    Abstract: Sensor data collected via an autonomous vehicle can be labeled using sensor data collected via an additional vehicle, such as a non-autonomous vehicle mounted with a vehicle agnostic removable hardware pod. A training instance can include an instance of data collected by an autonomous vehicle sensor suite and one or more corresponding labels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Aurora Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Sebastien Valois, Thomas Pilarski, Daniel Munoz
  • Patent number: 10775804
    Abstract: A downwardly-directed optical array sensor may be used in an autonomous vehicle to enable a velocity (e.g., an overall velocity having a direction and magnitude, or a velocity in a particular direction, e.g., along a longitudinal or lateral axis of a vehicle) to be determined based upon images of a ground or driving surface captured from multiple downwardly-directed optical sensors having different respective fields of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Aurora Innovation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan Eade, Nathaniel Gist, IV, Thomas Pilarski
  • Patent number: 10747223
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle uses a secondary vehicle control system to supplement a primary vehicle control system to perform a controlled stop if an adverse event is detected in the primary vehicle control system. The secondary vehicle control system may use a redundant lateral velocity determined by a different sensor from that used by the primary vehicle control system to determine lateral velocity for use in controlling the autonomous vehicle to perform the controlled stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Aurora Innovation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan Eade, Nathaniel Gist, IV, Thomas Pilarski
  • Publication number: 20200210777
    Abstract: In techniques disclosed herein, machine learning models can be utilized in the control of autonomous vehicle(s), where the machine learning models are trained using automatically generated training instances. In some such implementations, a label corresponding to an object in a labeled instance of training data can be mapped to the corresponding instance of unlabeled training data. For example, an instance of sensor data can be captured using one or more sensors of a first sensor suite of a first vehicle can be labeled. The label(s) can be mapped to an instance of data captured using one or more sensors of a second sensor suite of a second vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Jean-Sebastien Valois, Thomas Pilarski, Daniel Munoz
  • Publication number: 20200142422
    Abstract: Sensor data collected via an autonomous vehicle can be labeled using sensor data collected via an additional vehicle, such as a non-autonomous vehicle mounted with a vehicle agnostic removable hardware pod. A training instance can include an instance of data collected by an autonomous vehicle sensor suite and one or more corresponding labels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Jean-Sebastien Valois, Thomas Pilarski, Daniel Munoz
  • Patent number: 10160378
    Abstract: A control system of a self-driving vehicle (SDV) can dynamically determine a set of autonomous driving actions to be performed by the SDV, and generate a set of intention outputs using a light output system of the SDV based on the set of autonomous driving actions, where the set of intention outputs indicating the set of autonomous driving actions prior to the SDV executing the set of autonomous driving actions. The control system can then execute the set of autonomous driving actions using acceleration, braking, and steering systems of the SDV. While executing the set of autonomous driving actions, the control system can generate a corresponding set of reactive outputs using the light output system to indicate the set of autonomous driving actions being executed, where the corresponding set of reactive outputs replacing the set of intention outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeney, Thomas Pilarski, William Payne Ross, Chenggang Liu
  • Publication number: 20180072218
    Abstract: A control system of a self-driving vehicle (SDV) can dynamically determine a set of autonomous driving actions to be performed by the SDV, and generate a set of intention outputs using a light output system of the SDV based on the set of autonomous driving actions, where the set of intention outputs indicating the set of autonomous driving actions prior to the SDV executing the set of autonomous driving actions. The control system can then execute the set of autonomous driving actions using acceleration, braking, and steering systems of the SDV. While executing the set of autonomous driving actions, the control system can generate a corresponding set of reactive outputs using the light output system to indicate the set of autonomous driving actions being executed, where the corresponding set of reactive outputs replacing the set of intention outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeney, Thomas Pilarski, William Payne Ross, Chenggang Liu
  • Patent number: 9902311
    Abstract: A control system of a self-driving vehicle (SDV) can process sensor data from a sensor system of the SDV to autonomously control acceleration, steering, and braking systems of the SDV along a current route. Based on the current route, the control system can dynamically determine a set of immediate actions to be performed by the SDV. Based on the set of immediate actions, the control system can generate a set of intention outputs on a lighting strip of the SDV, the set of intention outputs indicating the set of immediate actions prior to the SDV executing the set of immediate actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeney, Thomas Pilarski, William Payne Ross, Chenggang Liu
  • Publication number: 20170329332
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle operates to obtain sensor data for a road segment that is in front of the vehicle. The autonomous vehicle can include a control system which processes the sensor data to determine an interference value that reflects a probability that at least a detected object will interfere with a selected path of the autonomous vehicle at one or more points of the road segment. The control system of the autonomous vehicle can adjust operation of the autonomous vehicle based on the determined interference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas Pilarski, James Bagnell, Anthony Stentz, Peter Rander, Brett Browning
  • Publication number: 20170240098
    Abstract: A control system of a self-driving vehicle (SDV) can process sensor data from a sensor system of the SDV to autonomously control acceleration, steering, and braking systems of the SDV along a current route. Based on the current route, the control system can dynamically determine a set of immediate actions to be performed by the SDV. Based on the set of immediate actions, the control system can generate a set of intention outputs on a lighting strip of the SDV, the set of intention outputs indicating the set of immediate actions prior to the SDV executing the set of immediate actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeney, Thomas Pilarski, William Payne Ross, Chenggang Liu
  • Patent number: 6336051
    Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine (harvester) is automatically controlled and steered so as to completely harvest all crop in a field. A Global Positioning System (GPS) and an Inertial Navigation System provide data regarding the position and orientation of the harvester in a field. A Field Coverage Planner constructs a field coverage plan which defines a path for the harvester to follow in cutting crop from a field. Video images of the field in front of the harvester are derived alternately from two video cameras mounted on opposite sides of the harvester. The video images are processed in a Video Processing Computer to detect the crop line between cut and uncut crop and generate steering signals for steering the harvester along the crop line. Video images are also processed to detect the end of a row at the end of a field and supply a measure of the distance to the end of the row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Henning Pangels, Thomas Pilarski, Kerien Fitzpatrick, Michael Happold, Mark Ollis, William Whittaker, Anthony Stentz