Patents by Inventor Will Hargis

Will Hargis 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: 12534016
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating sound tokens, and methods for operating a vehicle are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of generating a sound token includes recording a sound of an object, generating a sound profile of the object, and storing the sound profile as a non-fungible token on a blockchain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2026
    Assignee: TOYOTA CONNECTED NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis, Charan S. Lota
  • Patent number: 12337686
    Abstract: Methods for generating a non-fungible token for controlling a physical vehicle and methods of controlling a physical vehicle are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of generating a non-fungible token for controlling a physical vehicle includes generating a virtual vehicle within a virtual environment, wherein the virtual vehicle corresponds to the physical vehicle, receiving, within the virtual environment, requests corresponding to a sequence of actions for one or more virtual vehicle components, controlling the virtual vehicle such that the virtual vehicle performs the sequence of actions, generating instructions for performing the sequence of actions by the physical vehicle, and generating the non-fungible token, wherein the non-fungible token comprises the instructions for performing the sequence of actions by the physical vehicle such that the non-fungible token is configured to control one or more physical vehicle components of the physical vehicle to perform the sequence of actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA CONNECTED NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis, Charan S. Lota
  • Patent number: 12223563
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically generating artwork from vehicle sensor data are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of generating an artwork includes receiving vehicle sensor data from a vehicle, inputting the vehicle sensor data into a trained model, and generating, by the trained model, the artwork based at least in part on the vehicle sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA CONNECTED NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis
  • Publication number: 20240351434
    Abstract: Methods for generating a non-fungible token for controlling a physical vehicle and methods of controlling a physical vehicle are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of generating a non-fungible token for controlling a physical vehicle includes generating a virtual vehicle within a virtual environment, wherein the virtual vehicle corresponds to the physical vehicle, receiving, within the virtual environment, requests corresponding to a sequence of actions for one or more virtual vehicle components, controlling the virtual vehicle such that the virtual vehicle performs the sequence of actions, generating instructions for performing the sequence of actions by the physical vehicle, and generating the non-fungible token, wherein the non-fungible token comprises the instructions for performing the sequence of actions by the physical vehicle such that the non-fungible token is configured to control one or more physical vehicle components of the physical vehicle to perform the sequence of actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Applicant: Toyota Connected North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis, Charan S. Lota
  • Publication number: 20240354760
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for managing a virtual vehicle includes one or more processors, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive a vehicle identification number of a physical vehicle, and generate a non-fungible token for the physical vehicle on a blockchain. The non-fungible token provides a virtual vehicle corresponding to the physical vehicle. The virtual vehicle is renderable in a virtual environment. The instructions further cause the processors to monitor one or more vehicle registration systems for a change in a title of the physical vehicle using the vehicle identification number, and when a change in the title of the physical vehicle is determined, determine a new owner of the physical vehicle and record a new owner name of the new owner of the physical vehicle on the blockchain to transfer ownership of the virtual vehicle to the new owner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Applicant: Toyota Connected North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis
  • Patent number: 12094274
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating vehicle profiles and rendering and operating a virtual world are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of generating a vehicle profile for operating a virtual vehicle in a virtual environment includes receiving vehicle sensor data from at least one sensor corresponding to a physical vehicle, determining at least one vehicle performance attribute from the vehicle sensor data, and storing the at least one vehicle performance attribute in the vehicle profile. The vehicle profile is operable to be used to render the virtual vehicle in the virtual environment based at least in part on the vehicle profile, and to operate the virtual vehicle in the virtual environment based at least in part on the vehicle profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Connected North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis
  • Publication number: 20240296599
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for modifying an appearance of a vehicle interior includes a display device including an electronic display operable to display images overlaid on the vehicle interior, a camera operable to acquire video data of the vehicle interior, one or more processors, and a computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that cause the one or more processors to identify three or more reference fiducials within the vehicle interior using the video data, and display an updated interior image using the electronic display such that the updated image is overlaid on the vehicle interior, wherein the interior image comprises three or more image fiducials that are overlaid on the three or more reference fiducials and the updated interior image modifies the vehicle interior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2023
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Applicant: Toyota Connected North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Shravanthi Denthumdas, Will Hargis
  • Publication number: 20240273557
    Abstract: A method for providing an NFT includes receiving CAN data from a current vehicle of a user, receiving, with the computing device, a specification of a new vehicle of the user, calculating an estimated carbon footprint based on CAN data from the current vehicle, calculating an expected carbon footprint based on the specification of the new vehicle and driving behavior defined by the CAN data from the current vehicle, determining a difference between the estimated carbon footprint and the expected carbon footprint, qualifying the new vehicle for the NFT, in response to determining that the difference is greater than a threshold value and the expected carbon footprint is less than the estimated carbon footprint, in response to qualifying the new vehicle for the NFT, executing an NFT design process, and causing the NFT generated by the NFT design process to be delivered to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Applicant: Toyota Connected North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Olarinre Salako, Danny Bargas, Varun Prasad, Daniel E. Holman, Shravanthi Denthumdas, Will Hargis, David Tsai, Jennifer Lerman, Brian Kursar
  • Publication number: 20240190341
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating sound tokens, and methods for operating a vehicle are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of generating a sound token includes recording a sound of an object, generating a sound profile of the object, and storing the sound profile as a non-fungible token on a blockchain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: Toyota Connected North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis, Charan S. Lota
  • Publication number: 20240104788
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically generating artwork from vehicle sensor data are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of generating an artwork includes receiving vehicle sensor data from a vehicle, inputting the vehicle sensor data into a trained model, and generating, by the trained model, the artwork based at least in part on the vehicle sensor data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Toyota Connected North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis
  • Publication number: 20240104982
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating vehicle profiles and rendering and operating a virtual world are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of generating a vehicle profile for operating a virtual vehicle in a virtual environment includes receiving vehicle sensor data from at least one sensor corresponding to a physical vehicle, determining at least one vehicle performance attribute from the vehicle sensor data, and storing the at least one vehicle performance attribute in the vehicle profile. The vehicle profile is operable to be used to render the virtual vehicle in the virtual environment based at least in part on the vehicle profile, and to operate the virtual vehicle in the virtual environment based at least in part on the vehicle profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Toyota Connected North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Tsai, Will Hargis