Patents by Inventor Tim Uwe Falkenmayer

Tim Uwe Falkenmayer 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: 11729123
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sending content are provided. One embodiment of a method includes identifying content provided to a user, receiving an indication that the user desires to share the content to a recipient, and determining a content provider that provided the content to the user and a preferred content provider of the recipient. Some embodiments are configured for determining an address associated with the recipient and providing instructions for the preferred content provider to provide the content to the recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Patent number: 11599767
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an automotive virtual personal assistant configured to provide intelligent support to a user, mindful of the user environment both in and out of a vehicle. Further, the automotive virtual personal assistant is configured to contextualize user-specific vehicle-based and cloud-based data to intimately interact with the user and predict future user actions. Vehicle-based data may include spoken natural language, visible and infrared camera video, as well as on-board sensors of the type commonly found in vehicles. Cloud-based data may include web searchable content and connectivity to personal user accounts, fully integrated to provide an attentive and predictive user experience. In contextualizing and communicating these data, the automotive virtual personal assistant provides improved safety and an enhanced user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Patent number: 11285896
    Abstract: A method, a system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for vehicle sharing are provided. The method includes receiving a user request via a ride share agent. The ride share agent is communicatively coupled to a server. The method further includes identifying a vehicle from one of ride share providers based on the user request, retrieving one or more settings associated with one or more systems of the identified vehicle from the server, determining a setting of a system of the identified vehicle based on at least one physical characteristic of the user when the setting of the system is not stored in the server, and implementing the one or more settings on the identified vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Patent number: 11131556
    Abstract: A method and system for selecting a point of interest are provided. The method includes receiving a user request from a vehicle user, determining a wait time for each of a plurality of points of interest, identifying a point of interest from the plurality points of interest based on the user request and the determined wait times at the plurality of points of interest, receiving a user input from the vehicle user, and updating navigation directions of a vehicle based on the identified point of interest when the user input includes an acknowledgment of the identified point of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Patent number: 10802793
    Abstract: A vehicle virtual assistance system include one or more processors, one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, a microphone communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the microphone receives acoustic vibrations, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules. The vehicle virtual assistance system receives, through the microphone, a voice request for a meal from a user of a vehicle, determines a recipe for the meal based on the voice request, retrieve one or more ingredients based on the recipe, locates a store within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and transmits an instruction related to the one or more ingredients to a store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Patent number: 10720156
    Abstract: Methods and systems for communicating with a vehicle companion are disclosed. The vehicle companion can include receiving state information about an operator and environmental information about a vehicular environment. A cognitive load and a cognitive requirement can be determined using the state information and the environmental information, respectively. The cognitive load and the cognitive requirement are then compared to determine if an intervention indicator exists. The vehicle companion can then enter into conversation with the operator in response to the intervention indicator, including topics selected based on the operator's personality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20200041303
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for weather support are provided. In an embodiment, a request from a user to check weather information is received, and trip information provided by the request is also identified. The weather information in response to the request is retrieved and output to the user. In another embodiment, user information of the user and the trip information of the trip are captured. The weather information corresponding to the trip is retrieved and output to the user. In addition, trip suggestions are provided to the user. In yet another embodiment, the trip information is retrieved and available routes are identified corresponding to the trip. Further, respective weather information, respective traffic information, and respective physical information of each of the available routes are retrieved. Route for the trip is determined based on the respective weather information, the respective physical information and the respective traffic information of each of the available routes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. FRIEDMAN, Prince Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Patent number: 10555369
    Abstract: A method and device are provided to monitor a wireless link state for an electric-powered vehicle, and comparing the wireless link state with a wireless-link trigger condition. When the wireless link state compares favorably with the wireless-link trigger condition, a thick-client application request may be transmitted based on the wireless-link trigger condition. A thick-client application load is received in response, and the thin-client application is transitioned to a thick-client application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Patent number: 10546580
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and vehicle components for providing a corrected pronunciation suggestion to a user are disclosed. A method includes receiving, by a microphone communicatively coupled to a processing device, a voice input from the user, the voice input including a particularly pronounced word. The method further includes comparing, by the processing device, the particularly pronounced word to one or more reference words in a reference table, determining, by the processing device, that the particularly pronounced word has been potentially mispronounced by the user based on the one or more reference words in the reference table, determining, by the processing device, a corrected pronunciation suggestion from the one or more reference words, and providing, via a user interface, the corrected pronunciation suggestion to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACUTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190366959
    Abstract: A method, a system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for vehicle sharing are provided. The method includes receiving a user request via a ride share agent. The ride share agent is communicatively coupled to a server. The method further includes identifying a vehicle from one of ride share providers based on the user request, retrieving one or more settings associated with one or more systems of the identified vehicle from the server, determining a setting of a system of the identified vehicle based on at least one physical characteristic of the user when the setting of the system is not stored in the server, and implementing the one or more settings on the identified vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190311241
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an automotive virtual personal assistant configured to provide intelligent support to a user, mindful of the user environment both in and out of a vehicle. Further, the automotive virtual personal assistant is configured to contextualize user-specific vehicle-based and cloud-based data to intimately interact with the user and predict future user actions. Vehicle-based data may include spoken natural language, visible and infrared camera video, as well as on-board sensors of the type commonly found in vehicles. Cloud-based data may include web searchable content and connectivity to personal user accounts, fully integrated to provide an attentive and predictive user experience. In contextualizing and communicating these data, the automotive virtual personal assistant provides improved safety and an enhanced user experience.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190255995
    Abstract: Methods and systems for communicating with a vehicle companion are disclosed. The vehicle companion can include receiving state information about an operator and environmental information about a vehicular environment. A cognitive load and a cognitive requirement can be determined using the state information and the environmental information, respectively. The cognitive load and the cognitive requirement are then compared to determine if an intervention indicator exists. The vehicle companion can then enter into conversation with the operator in response to the intervention indicator, including topics selected based on the operator's personality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190257665
    Abstract: A method and system for selecting a point of interest are provided. The method includes receiving a user request from a vehicle user, determining a wait time for each of a plurality of points of interest, identifying a point of interest from the plurality points of interest based on the user request and the determined wait times at the plurality of points of interest, receiving a user input from the vehicle user, and updating navigation directions of a vehicle based on the identified point of interest when the user input includes an acknowledgment of the identified point of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A FRIEDMAN, Prince R. REMEGIO, Tim Uwe FALKENMAYER, Roger Akira KYLE, Ryoma KAKIMI, Luke D. HEIDE, Nishikant Narayan PURANIK
  • Patent number: 10381005
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and vehicle components for determining user frustration are disclosed. A method includes receiving, by a microphone communicatively coupled to a processing device, a voice input from a user, the voice input corresponding to an interaction between the user and a voice recognition system and including indicators of the user frustration. The method further includes determining, by the processing device, that the user is frustrated from the indicators, connecting, by the processing device, the user to a call center operator, transmitting, by the processing device, data to a call center computing device associated with the call center operator, the data corresponding to a user input and/or a vehicle response that resulted in the user frustration, receiving, by the processing device, commands from the call center computing device, and executing, by the processing device, processes that correspond to the commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190237067
    Abstract: A method and device for providing voice command operation in a passenger vehicle cabin having multiple occupants are disclosed. The method and device operate to monitor microphone data relating to voice commands within a vehicle cabin and determine whether the microphone data includes wake-up-word data. When the wake-up-word data relates to more than one of a plurality of vehicle cabin zones and more than one wake-up-words are coincident, the method and device operate to monitor respective microphone data for voice command data from each of the more than one of the respective ones of the plurality of vehicle cabin zones. Upon detection, the voice command data may be processed to produce respective vehicle device commands and the vehicle device command(s) can be transmitted to effect the voice command data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190215898
    Abstract: A method and device are provided to monitor a wireless link state for an electric-powered vehicle, and comparing the wireless link state with a wireless-link trigger condition. When the wireless link state compares favorably with the wireless-link trigger condition, a thick-client application request may be transmitted based on the wireless-link trigger condition. A thick-client application load is received in response, and the thin-client application is transitioned to a thick-client application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190172446
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and vehicle components for providing a corrected pronunciation suggestion to a user are disclosed. A method includes receiving, by a microphone communicatively coupled to a processing device, a voice input from the user, the voice input including a particularly pronounced word. The method further includes comparing, by the processing device, the particularly pronounced word to one or more reference words in a reference table, determining, by the processing device, that the particularly pronounced word has been potentially mispronounced by the user based on the one or more reference words in the reference table, determining, by the processing device, a corrected pronunciation suggestion from the one or more reference words, and providing, via a user interface, the corrected pronunciation suggestion to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190173818
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sending content are provided. One embodiment of a method includes identifying content provided to a user, receiving an indication that the user desires to share the content to a recipient, and determining a content provider that provided the content to the user and a preferred content provider of the recipient. Some embodiments are configured for determining an address associated with the recipient and providing instructions for the preferred content provider to provide the content to the recipient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190172007
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking a shipment are provided. One embodiment of a method includes determining a predetermined destination for delivery of a package for a user, where the package is being delivered by a carrier, determining that delivery of the package to the predetermined destination has been interrupted and the package is being delivered to a new destination, and determining a location of the new destination. Some embodiments include providing a user option to route a vehicle to the new destination to retrieve the package and, in response to a user selection of the user option, providing routing of the vehicle to the new destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Publication number: 20190164544
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and vehicle components for determining user frustration are disclosed. A method includes receiving, by a microphone communicatively coupled to a processing device, a voice input from a user, the voice input corresponding to an interaction between the user and a voice recognition system and including indicators of the user frustration. The method further includes determining, by the processing device, that the user is frustrated from the indicators, connecting, by the processing device, the user to a call center operator, transmitting, by the processing device, data to a call center computing device associated with the call center operator, the data corresponding to a user input and/or a vehicle response that resulted in the user frustration, receiving, by the processing device, commands from the call center computing device, and executing, by the processing device, processes that correspond to the commands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik