Patents by Inventor Thorben Günzel
Thorben Günzel 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).
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Patent number: 11932237Abstract: A method for assisting a maneuvering procedure of a motor vehicle in a parking garage is disclosed, wherein the motor vehicle moves within the parking garage during the maneuvering procedure from a drop-off site in the parking garage to a predetermined position in the parking garage, wherein the maneuvering procedure of the motor vehicle is monitored by at least one sensor of the motor vehicle, comprising the steps: establishing a communication link between a controller of the motor vehicle and a vehicle-external unit of the parking garage; transmitting climate-specific measured data that are acquired by at least one measuring point in the parking garage from the at least one measuring point to the vehicle-external unit, and calibrating the at least one sensor of the motor vehicle depending on the climate-specific measured data.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Tilo Ernesti, Thorben Günzel, Daniel Mossau
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Patent number: 11900699Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a passenger of a vehicle in which the geographic position of the vehicle is recorded, and a viewing direction of the passenger is recorded by means of a eye-tracking device. A data memory is accessed in which objects and geographic positions assigned to them are saved and, by using the recorded geographic position of the vehicle, it is detected whether one of the objects is located in the environment of the vehicle, and whether the object in the environment of the vehicle was perceived by the passenger depending on the recorded viewing direction of the passenger, the recorded geographic position of the vehicle, and the geographic position of the detected object in the environment of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2019Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventor: Thorben Günzel
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Patent number: 11891064Abstract: Technologies and techniques for operating a backup assistance system for a vehicle, wherein the backup assistance system enables travel in reverse along a previously travelled trajectory, wherein a maximum distance for the reverse travel along the previously travelled trajectory is determined and output using a control unit on the basis of an expected error for the reverse travel along the previously travelled trajectory, in which the expected error exceeds a predefined error threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2021Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftInventors: Thorben Günzel, Sebastian Munk, Gregor Marek, Björn Zeise
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Patent number: 11853065Abstract: A method for assisting a driver of a vehicle with driving of the vehicle is disclosed, in which the surroundings of the vehicle are detected. The detection of the surroundings comprises the course of driving paths as well as movement data relating to other road users. Historic data obtained at least from past driving maneuvers by road users in the detected surroundings are called up for the surroundings, the detected surroundings of the vehicle are analyzed and a traffic situation of the vehicle in relation to at least one second road user of the other detected road users is determined. A likely driving maneuver of the second road user is predicted based on the called-up historic data and the current traffic situation, and a control signal for assisting the driver with driving of the vehicle is generated depending on the predicted driving maneuver of the second road user.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Stephan Max, Thorben Günzel
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Patent number: 11810149Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a passenger of a vehicle in which it is detected if informational content perceptible in the vehicle is being output, and recognition data on output informational contents are recorded. The method provides that a conversation in the interior of the vehicle is recorded using a microphone in the interior of the vehicle, at least during or for a time interval after the outputting of the informational content, an analysis is performed of the recorded conversation that was held while or for a time interval after the informational content was output, and by using the conversation analysis and the recorded recognition data of the informational content output during or before the conversation, it is detected whether the output informational content was perceived by a passenger of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2019Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventor: Thorben Günzel
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Patent number: 11648817Abstract: A method and a device for detecting odor nuisances along a route of a subject transportation vehicle and for predictively initiating measures for preventing the penetration of the odorants of the odor nuisance into the subject transportation vehicle during travel. The method includes collecting swarm data from a plurality of swarm transportation vehicles in the surroundings of the route of the subject transportation vehicle, relating to the odor nuisance of each swarm transportation vehicle, ascertaining locations of an odor nuisance from the collected swarm data, ascertaining the extent of the odor nuisance around the respective location of the odor nuisance, and initiating measures in the subject transportation vehicle when approaching the location of an odor nuisance while taking into account the extent of the odor nuisance along the future route, wherein the measure is implemented at a predefined distance from the extent of the odor nuisance.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2019Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Inventors: Thorben Günzel, Stephan Max
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Patent number: 11604245Abstract: The invention relates to a method for establishing the presence of a misalignment of at least one sensor within a sensor group with two or more sensors which detects objects in the surroundings of a motor vehicle, wherein at least two of the sensors differ from each other in their measuring principle and the measurement signals from the sensors are compared with each other.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2019Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Thorben Günzel, Philipp Hüger, Jana Seeland
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Patent number: 11520025Abstract: A method for checking a distance measuring device of a transportation vehicle wherein the distance measuring device has ultrasonic sensors. A functional impairment of at least one ultrasonic sensor, a check is performed to determine whether one of the ultrasonic sensors is maladjusted, and an often occurring source of a fault causing a functional impairment of ultrasonic sensors is considered.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2018Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Inventors: Thorben Günzel, Lynn Brennecke, Tilo Ernesti, Norman Hornung, Jan Brandes
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Patent number: 11441908Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a destination for a motor vehicle that is different from an intended location, comprising the following steps: specifying an intended location; determining a usage rate at the intended location by means of a computing apparatus on the basis of data provided on the intended location; determining a plurality of possible alternative destinations different from the intended location on the basis of the data provided on the intended location if the usage rate exceeds a predefined usage rate threshold value; determining a predicted usage rate at the possible alternative destinations by means of the computing apparatus on the basis of data provided on the possible alternative destinations; and selecting a destination from the plurality of possible alternative destinations while taking into consideration the predicted usage rate at the alternative destinations.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2018Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Stephan Max, Thorben Günzel
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Patent number: 11325587Abstract: A method directed to at least partially automated control of a motor vehicle while entering or exiting a parking space, including determining a destination position for the motor vehicle following the automated entering or exiting of a parking space; determining a trajectory the motor vehicle to reach the destination position from a starting position of the motor vehicle; providing data representing ground-level obstacles along the trajectory. If ground-level obstacle is detected along the trajectory, determining at least one longitudinal control parameter of the motor vehicle for driving over the ground-level obstacle. At least partially automated movement of the motor vehicle from the starting position until reaching the destination position long the determined trajectory by the at least one longitudinal control of the motor vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventor: Thorben Günzel
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Publication number: 20220113155Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing position data of at least one entrance to a navigation destination. The method comprises the following: receiving respective vehicle data from a plurality of vehicles by means of an external server device, the vehicle data characterizing the current state and/or the environment of the vehicle in question; checking if, for the navigation destination, position data of at least one entrance to the navigation destination are known; if this is not the case: determining the position data by means of evaluation of the vehicle data that were provided by vehicles when said vehicles stopped in the area of the navigation destination, and by means of map data associated with the navigation destination; associating the determined position data with the navigation destination such that the navigation system determines a driving route over the entrance to the navigation destination when the navigation destination is selected.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2019Publication date: April 14, 2022Applicant: Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftInventors: Thorben GÜNZEL, Stephan MAX
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Publication number: 20220084061Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a passenger of a vehicle in which it is detected if informational content perceptible in the vehicle is being output, and recognition data on output informational contents are recorded. The method provides that a conversation in the interior of the vehicle is recorded using a microphone in the interior of the vehicle, at least during or for a time interval after the outputting of the informational content, an analysis is performed of the recorded conversation that was held while or for a time interval after the informational content was output, and by using the conversation analysis and the recorded recognition data of the informational content output during or before the conversation, it is detected whether the output informational content was perceived by a passenger of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2019Publication date: March 17, 2022Applicant: Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftInventor: Thorben Günzel
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Publication number: 20220080970Abstract: Technologies and techniques for operating a backup assistance system for a vehicle, wherein the backup assistance system enables travel in reverse along a previously travelled trajectory, wherein a maximum distance for the reverse travel along the previously travelled trajectory is determined and output using a control unit on the basis of an expected error for the reverse travel along the previously travelled trajectory, in which the expected error exceeds a predefined error threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2021Publication date: March 17, 2022Inventors: Thorben Günzel, Sebastian Munk, Gregor Marek, Bjorn Zeise
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Publication number: 20220019824Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a passenger of a vehicle in which the geographic position of the vehicle is recorded, and a viewing direction of the passenger is recorded by means of a eye-tracking device. A data memory is accessed in which objects and geographic positions assigned to them are saved and, by using the recorded geographic position of the vehicle, it is detected whether one of the objects is located in the environment of the vehicle, and whether the object in the environment of the vehicle was perceived by the passenger depending on the recorded viewing direction of the passenger, the recorded geographic position of the vehicle, and the geographic position of the detected object in the environment of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2019Publication date: January 20, 2022Applicant: Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftInventor: Thorben Günzel
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Patent number: 11161511Abstract: A method for assisting an operation at least of one transportation vehicle, a corresponding assist system and the corresponding transportation vehicle. Respective environmental data are collected by transportation vehicles in areas in which two roads meet. A respective priority action is automatically determined from the environmental data for the areas. The determined priority actions are used to automatically determine priority rules for the areas. The determined priority rules are provided to at least one transportation vehicle to be operated to assist the operation of the transportation vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Inventors: Stephan Max, Thorben Günzel, Sven Klomp
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Publication number: 20210197803Abstract: A method for assisting a maneuvering procedure of a motor vehicle in a parking garage is disclosed, wherein the motor vehicle moves within the parking garage during the maneuvering procedure from a drop-off site in the parking garage to a predetermined position in the parking garage, wherein the maneuvering procedure of the motor vehicle is monitored by at least one sensor of the motor vehicle, comprising the steps: establishing a communication link between a controller of the motor vehicle and a vehicle-external unit of the parking garage; transmitting climate-specific measured data that are acquired by at least one measuring point in the parking garage from the at least one measuring point to the vehicle-external unit, and calibrating the at least one sensor of the motor vehicle depending on the climate-specific measured data.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2021Publication date: July 1, 2021Applicant: Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftInventors: Tilo Ernesti, Thorben Günzel, Daniel Mossau
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Publication number: 20210173063Abstract: A method for checking a distance measuring device of a transportation vehicle wherein the distance measuring device has ultrasonic sensors. A functional impairment of at least one ultrasonic sensor, a check is performed to determine whether one of the ultrasonic sensors is maladjusted, and an often occurring source of a fault causing a functional impairment of ultrasonic sensors is considered.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2018Publication date: June 10, 2021Inventors: Thorben GÜNZEL, Lynn BRENNECKE, Tilo ERNESTI, Norman HORNUNG, Jan BRANDES
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Publication number: 20200208990Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a destination for a motor vehicle that is different from an intended location, comprising the following steps: specifying an intended location; determining a usage rate at the intended location by means of a computing apparatus on the basis of data provided on the intended location; determining a plurality of possible alternative destinations different from the intended location on the basis of the data provided on the intended location if the usage rate exceeds a predefined usage rate threshold value; determining a predicted usage rate at the possible alternative destinations by means of the computing apparatus on the basis of data provided on the possible alternative destinations; and selecting a destination from the plurality of possible alternative destinations while taking into consideration the predicted usage rate at the alternative destinations.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2018Publication date: July 2, 2020Applicant: Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftInventors: Stephan Max, Thorben Günzel
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Publication number: 20200201334Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for assisting a driver of a vehicle with driving of the vehicle, in which the surroundings of the vehicle are detected, the detection of the surroundings comprising the course of driving paths as well as movement data relating to other road users. The method provides that historic data obtained at least from past driving maneuvers by road users in the detected surroundings are called up for said surroundings, the detected surroundings of the vehicle are analyzed and a traffic situation of the vehicle in relation to at least one second road user of the other detected road users is determined, a likely driving maneuver of the second road user is predicted based on the called-up historic data and the current traffic situation, and a control signal for assisting the driver with driving of the vehicle is generated depending on the predicted driving maneuver of the second road user. The disclosure further relates to a driver assistance system for carrying out said method.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2019Publication date: June 25, 2020Applicant: Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftInventors: Stephan Max, Thorben Günzel
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Publication number: 20200198623Abstract: A method directed to at least partially automated control of a motor vehicle while entering or exiting a parking space, including determining a destination position for the motor vehicle following the automated entering or exiting of a parking space; determining a trajectory the motor vehicle to reach the destination position from a starting position of the motor vehicle; providing data representing ground-level obstacles along the trajectory. If ground-level obstacle is detected along the trajectory, determining at least one longitudinal control parameter of the motor vehicle for driving over the ground-level obstacle. At least partially automated movement of the motor vehicle from the starting position until reaching the destination position long the determined trajectory by the at least one longitudinal control of the motor vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2019Publication date: June 25, 2020Inventor: Thorben Günzel