Patents by Inventor Tim PUPHAL
Tim PUPHAL 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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Publication number: 20250136103Abstract: The disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for assisting an agent moving in a dynamic environment, in which at least one other agent is present. The method comprises: obtaining sensor information on the environment of the agent; predicting at least one behavior of at least one of the agent or the at least one other agent based on the obtained sensor information; determining at least one human factor relevant for the predicted at least one behavior; adapting the predicted at least one behavior based on the determined human factor; determining whether a communication based on the adapted at least one behavior is beneficial to the agent or an overall traffic objective, e.g., safety; and generating a signal based on the adapted at least one behavior in case of determining that the communication is beneficial, and outputting the generated signal to the agent.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2023Publication date: May 1, 2025Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tim Puphal, Matti Krüger
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Publication number: 20250104561Abstract: A method and system for assisting an operator of an ego-agent by communicating a risk in a future situation to the operator. A behavior planning algorithm is applied using a first value and a second value of the parameter in a cost function of the behavior planning algorithm to determine a first and second planned behavior. A current state of the ego-agent is determined to determine an actual behavior. Based on a relation of the first and second planned behavior and an actual behavior of the ego-agent, a personalized parameter value is estimated. A parameter correction value is determined based on the personalized parameter value and a target parameter value. The personalized parameter value is corrected using the parameter correction value to generate an adapted parameter value. The behavior planning algorithm is applied based on the adapted parameter value and estimating the risk, which is then communicated to the operator.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2023Publication date: March 27, 2025Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tim Puphal
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Publication number: 20250100584Abstract: The disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for assisting an ego-agent, the method comprising: estimating a visibility area of another agent being present in an environment of the ego-agent; computing a visibility state of the other agent with regard to the ego-agent using the estimated visibility area of the other agent; estimating a collision risk between the ego-agent and the other agent using the computed visibility state of the other agent; planning a behavior of the ego-agent by minimizing a total cost for the behavior, wherein the total cost comprise the estimated collision risk; and performing at least one of: informing the ego-agent on the estimated collision risk and/or the planned behavior of the ego-agent; outputting, dependent on the estimated collision risk, a warning that the other agent is not aware of the ego-agent; and controlling the ego-agent using the estimated collision risk and/or the planned behavior of the ego-agent.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2023Publication date: March 27, 2025Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tim Puphal
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Patent number: 12252119Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprises sensing an environment of the ego-agent that includes at least one other agent. The method predicts possible behaviors of the at least one other agent based on the sensed environment, and plans trajectories of the ego-agent for each possible behavior of the at least one other agent to generate a set of planned trajectories. The method proceeds with determining an actual trajectory of the ego-agent, and comparing the determined actual trajectory of the ego-agent with each of the planned trajectories of the ego-agent and determining a planned trajectory with a largest similarity to the actual trajectory of the ego-agent. Subsequently, a perceived situation as perceived by the ego-agent based on a particular predicted possible behavior of the predicted possible behaviors corresponding to the planned trajectory with the largest similarity is determined. The method executes an action in an assistance system based on the determined perceived situation.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2023Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Tim Puphal, Malte Probst, Raphael Wenzel
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Publication number: 20240326792Abstract: A computer-implemented method for detecting black-swan events for assisting operation of an ego-agent comprises sensing an environment of the ego-agent that includes at least one other agent and predicting behaviors of the at least one other agent based on the sensed environment. The method includes detecting at least one potential black-swan event in the environment of the ego-agent by determining at least one predicted possible behavior of the at least one other agent for which a computed situation probability is smaller than a first threshold, a computed collision probability exceeds a second threshold, and a determined collision severity exceeds a third threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2023Publication date: October 3, 2024Applicant: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Tim Puphal, Malte Probst, Raphael Wenzel
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Publication number: 20240326866Abstract: An automated driving vehicle 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d includes: an external information acquisition device configured to acquire external information regarding a state of surroundings of the automated driving vehicle as a vehicle of interest; an on-board communication device configured to receive a risk area notification regarding a high-risk area in a target traffic area 9a; an action plan formulation device configured to formulate an action plan for the vehicle of interest such that a behavior of the vehicle of interest is prevented from exceeding a predetermined behavior allowable range; and a travel control device configured to operate a travel actuator based on the action plan to cause the vehicle of interest to automatically travel. In a case where the vehicle of interest is moving within the high-risk area, the action plan formulation device sets the behavior allowable range to a range associated with the risk area notification.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2023Publication date: October 3, 2024Inventors: Ryohei HIRANO, Akihito KIMATA, Junta OCHIAI, Tim PUPHAL
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Publication number: 20240326793Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprises sensing an environment of the ego-agent that includes at least one other agent. The method predicts possible behaviors of the at least one other agent based on the sensed environment, and plans trajectories of the ego-agent for each possible behavior of the at least one other agent to generate a set of planned trajectories. The method proceeds with determining an actual trajectory of the ego-agent, and comparing the determined actual trajectory of the ego-agent with each of the planned trajectories of the ego-agent and determining a planned trajectory with a largest similarity to the actual trajectory of the ego-agent. Subsequently, a perceived situation as perceived by the ego-agent based on a particular predicted possible behavior of the predicted possible behaviors corresponding to the planned trajectory with the largest similarity is determined. The method executes an action in an assistance system based on the determined perceived situation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2023Publication date: October 3, 2024Applicant: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Tim Puphal, Malte Probst, Raphael Wenzel
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Patent number: 12087165Abstract: A predictor 62 predicts a future of a prediction target in a monitoring area. The predictor 62 includes a movement state information acquirer 620 configured to acquire movement state information, a surrounding state information acquirer 621 configured to acquire surrounding state information regarding movement states of traffic participants around the prediction target, a confirmation state information acquirer 623 configured to acquire confirmation state information regarding a surrounding confirmation state of a driver of the prediction target, a moving speed predictor 624 configured to predict a future moving speed of the prediction target on a basis of the movement state information, the surrounding state information, and the confirmation state information, and a collision predictor 625 configured to predict whether or not a collision will occur in a future of the prediction target on the basis of the movement state information, the surrounding state information, and the future moving speed.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2022Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD, Honda Research institute Europe GmbhInventors: Akihito Kimata, Tim Puphal, Ryohei Hirano, Masaki Okumoto, Yuji Takagi
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Patent number: 12055397Abstract: The present invention provides an advanced driver assistance system for assisting a driver of a vehicle. The system comprises a sensor unit, a processing unit and a display unit. The sensor unit is configured to sense an environment of the vehicle. The processing unit is configured to determine, based on a sensing output, at least one feature of the environment. The processing unit is configured to determine, for a current time, a risk zone of the feature, by estimating, based on at least one parameter of the vehicle at the current time, at each virtual position of two or more virtual positions of the vehicle a respective risk with regard to the feature; and by forming the risk zone based on the two or more risks. The display unit is configured to display the environment of the vehicle with the feature and the risk zone of the feature.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2022Date of Patent: August 6, 2024Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Julian Eggert, Tim Puphal, Benedict Flade, Chao Wang
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Publication number: 20240112581Abstract: A coordination support device includes a target traffic area recognizer configured to recognize traffic participants, a predictor configured to predict futures of a plurality of the traffic participants, and a coordination support information notifier configured to notify notification targets. The predictor includes a group classifier configured to divide the plurality of traffic participants into a plurality of moving groups G1 to G9 and acquire moving group information, a first predictor configured to predict whether or not a collision will occur among the moving groups G1 to G9 on the basis of the moving group information and specifies collision sites in the moving groups that are predicted to collide, and a second predictor configured to determine two or more specific traffic participants among the plurality of traffic participants on the basis of the collision sites and predict whether or not a collision will occur among the specific traffic participants.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: Ryohei HIRANO, Tim PUPHAL, Akihito KIMATA, Yuji TAKAGI
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Publication number: 20240112570Abstract: A predictor 62 predicts a future of a prediction target in a traffic area. The predictor 62 includes a movement state information acquirer 620 configured to acquire movement state information, a surrounding state information acquirer 621 configured to acquire surrounding state information, a traffic environment information acquirer 622 configured to acquire traffic environment information, a driver state information acquirer 623 configured to acquire driver state information, a traffic scene specifier 624 configured to specify a traffic scene on the basis of the movement state information, the surrounding state information, and the traffic environment information, an action pattern selector 625 configured to select, as a predicted action pattern, at least one from among a plurality of predetermined action patterns on the basis of the traffic scene and the driver state information, and an action predictor 626 configured to predict future action on the basis of the predicted action pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: Akihito KIMATA, Izumi KONDO, Tim PUPHAL, Naohiro SAKAMOTO, Masaki OKUMOTO, Ryohei HIRANO
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Publication number: 20240112582Abstract: A predictor 62 predicts a future of a prediction target in a monitoring area. The predictor 62 includes a movement state information acquirer 620 configured to acquire movement state information, a surrounding state information acquirer 621 configured to acquire surrounding state information regarding movement states of traffic participants around the prediction target, a confirmation state information acquirer 623 configured to acquire confirmation state information regarding a surrounding confirmation state of a driver of the prediction target, a moving speed predictor 624 configured to predict a future moving speed of the prediction target on a basis of the movement state information, the surrounding state information, and the confirmation state information, and a collision predictor 625 configured to predict whether or not a collision will occur in a future of the prediction target on the basis of the movement state information, the surrounding state information, and the future moving speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: Akihito KIMATA, Tim PUPHAL, Ryohei HIRANO, Masaki OKUMOTO, Yuji TAKAGI
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Publication number: 20240112580Abstract: A predictor 62 of a traffic safety support system includes a movement state information acquirer 620 configured to acquire movement state information of the prediction target, a surrounding state information acquirer 621 configured to acquire surrounding state information, a first movement state predictor 624 configured to predict a first predicted movement state on the basis of the movement state information, a second movement state predictor 625 configured to predict a second predicted movement state on the basis of the driver state information, a collision risk calculator 626 configured to calculate a first collision risk value for the first predicted movement state and a second collision risk value for the second predicted movement state, and a support controller 65 configured to execute support control for the prediction target in a case where at least one of the first and second collision risk values is greater than a predetermined threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: Akihito KIMATA, Ryohei HIRANO, Tim PUPHAL
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Publication number: 20230342635Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided. The method calculates an importance score for each agent of the at least one other agent based on the acquired sensor data and the acquired position and motion data, generates a list comprising the at least one other agent based on the calculated importance scores of the at least one other agent, partitions the generated list in at least one partition based on the importance score of the at least one other agent, and generates a prediction result by predicting a behavior of the at least one other agent included in the at least one partition based on the sensor data and the position and motion data using a selected behavior prediction model. The selected behavior prediction model is selected from a plurality of behavior prediction models based on the importance score of the at least one agent included in the at least one partition.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2023Publication date: October 26, 2023Applicant: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Tim Puphal, Julian Eggert
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Publication number: 20230343225Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for evaluating a mission of a mobile entity. The system comprises a means for obtaining information on a planned trajectory, the mobile entity, mission requirements, environment and public body rules, a means for transforming the information into a symbolic, probabilistic representation to generate a probabilistic logic program, wherein facts are extracted from the information and systematically designated with names within the probabilistic logic program, and a means for generating an answer to the a probabilistic logic query based on the probabilistic logic program.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2023Publication date: October 26, 2023Applicant: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Benedict Flade, Tim Puphal, Simon Kohaut
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Patent number: 11679782Abstract: A method and system for assisting operation of an ego-vehicle in the traffic situation with shared traffic space is provided, in which a future path for the ego-vehicle and a future path for another traffic participant and a relevant path corridor for each determine future path is determined. Based thereon, an overlap of the path corridors to define a shared traffic space is determined and individual distance measures between the ego-vehicle and the shared traffic space and between the other traffic participant and the shared traffic space are calculated to determine an asymmetry. Based on the asymmetry an order is determined and (partially) automated in accordance with trajectory determined based on the order, or information on the intended passing order is provided to the ego-vehicle driver.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Raphael Wenzel, Malte Probst, Tim Puphal, Thomas Weisswange
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Publication number: 20220315047Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for assisting a driver of an ego-vehicle in a traffic situation, wherein an ego-trajectory of the ego-vehicle and a trajectory of a traffic participant are calculated, an ego-trajectory alternative is generated by applying a lateral shift to the calculated ego-trajectory, an uncertainty area at least with respect to a lateral direction is determined for each trajectory, a spatio-temporal closeness of the uncertainty area of the ego-trajectory and the uncertainty area of the trajectory of the traffic participant is estimated for each of the plurality of ego-trajectories and an ego-trajectory is selected from the plurality of ego-trajectories based on the evaluated spatio-temporal closeness.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2021Publication date: October 6, 2022Applicant: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Malte Probst, Thomas Weisswange, Tim Puphal, Raphael Wenzel
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Publication number: 20220316897Abstract: The present invention provides an advanced driver assistance system for assisting a driver of a vehicle. The system comprises a sensor unit, a processing unit and a display unit. The sensor unit is configured to sense an environment of the vehicle. The processing unit is configured to determine, based on a sensing output, at least one feature of the environment. The processing unit is configured to determine, for a current time, a risk zone of the feature, by estimating, based on at least one parameter of the vehicle at the current time, at each virtual position of two or more virtual positions of the vehicle a respective risk with regard to the feature; and by forming the risk zone based on the two or more risks. The display unit is configured to display the environment of the vehicle with the feature and the risk zone of the feature.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2022Publication date: October 6, 2022Applicant: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Julian Eggert, Tim Puphal, Benedict Flade, Chao Wang
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Publication number: 20220234613Abstract: A method and system for assisting operation of an ego-vehicle in the traffic situation with shared traffic space is provided, in which a future path for the ego-vehicle and a future path for another traffic participant and a relevant path corridor for each determine future path is determined. Based thereon, an overlap of the path corridors to define a shared traffic space is determined and individual distance measures between the ego-vehicle and the shared traffic space and between the other traffic participant and the shared traffic space are calculated to determine an asymmetry. Based on the asymmetry an order is determined and (partially) automated in accordance with trajectory determined based on the order, or information on the intended passing order is provided to the ego-vehicle driver.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2021Publication date: July 28, 2022Applicant: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHInventors: Raphael Wenzel, Malte Probst, Tim Puphal, Thomas Weisswange
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Patent number: 11220261Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for use in a driver assistance system of an ego-vehicle. The method supports driving of the ego-vehicle and comprises the steps of retrieving a priority relationship between the ego-vehicle and at least one traffic participant involved in a traffic situation; selecting a prediction model for the at least one traffic participant depending on the priority relationship; predicting at last one hypothetical future trajectory for the ego-vehicle and, based on the selected prediction model, at last one hypothetical future trajectory for the at least one traffic participant; and calculating a behavior relevant score for ego-vehicle based on the calculated hypothetical future trajectories.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2020Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: HONDA RESEARCH INSTITUTE EUROPE GMBHInventors: Julian Eggert, Tim Puphal, Malte Probst