Patents by Inventor William Brian LATHROP

William Brian LATHROP 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: 10906401
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and a touchpad integrated into the steering wheel, situated in a channel, and adapted to input commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventor: William Brian Lathrop
  • Patent number: 10451428
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for a semi-autonomous vehicle to have optional routes that vary in an amount of autonomous driving offered. The system performs processes including aggregating data from various sources to thereby position and orient the vehicle, assigning an autonomous driving value to different route segments, determining an optimal route by minimizing a distance between a start position and a destination position and maximizing the percent autonomous value assigned, and displaying the optimal route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Audi AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, Peter Oel, Daniel Lipinski, Erik Glaser, James Leigh Toggweiler, Nathaniel Coser
  • Patent number: 10363818
    Abstract: A display unit for a vehicle includes an electronic display and a light guide coupled to a portion of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Nathaniel Coser, Erik Glaser, William Brian Lathrop, Maria Mejia
  • Patent number: 10300930
    Abstract: A system of a semi-autonomous driving vehicle for transitioning from a semi-autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode. A navigation system to determine a route to a destination. A vehicle head unit to receive data that comprises information related to a geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited along the determined route to the destination. A processor to process the received data to determine if the semi-autonomous driving vehicle in autonomous mode is approaching a geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited. The semi-autonomous driving vehicle issues a notification to the driver of the semi-autonomous driving vehicle requesting the driver to manually drive the semi-autonomous driving vehicle in response to a determination that the semi-autonomous driving vehicle is approaching the geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG, Audi AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, Nathaniel Paffett-Lugassy
  • Publication number: 20190070962
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and a touchpad integrated into the steering wheel, situated in a channel, and adapted to input commands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventor: William Brian Lathrop
  • Patent number: 10118490
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and a touchpad integrated into the steering wheel, situated in a channel, and adapted to input commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventor: William Brian Lathrop
  • Patent number: 10030987
    Abstract: An in-vehicle system and method for presenting a relevancy-graded navigation map to a driver of a vehicle. The relevancy-graded navigation deemphasizes map elements that are not relevant to driving the vehicle. The relevancy-graded navigation map allows the driver to focus more on controlling the vehicle by reducing the amount of time it takes to interpret a navigation map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG, Audi AG
    Inventors: Heiko Maiwand, William Brian Lathrop, Erik Glaser, Marco Antonio Lobato Fregoso
  • Patent number: 9902265
    Abstract: A display device for a vehicle includes a display unit, a display layer, and a light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, Maria Mejia, Erik Glaser, Nathaniel Coser, Helen Lu
  • Publication number: 20170259832
    Abstract: A system of a semi-autonomous driving vehicle for transitioning from a semi-autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode. A navigation system to determine a route to a destination. A vehicle head unit to receive data that comprises information related to a geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited along the determined route to the destination. A processor to process the received data to determine if the semi-autonomous driving vehicle in autonomous mode is approaching a geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited. The semi-autonomous driving vehicle issues a notification to the driver of the semi-autonomous driving vehicle requesting the driver to manually drive the semi-autonomous driving vehicle in response to a determination that the semi-autonomous driving vehicle is approaching the geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: William Brian LATHROP, Nathaniel PAFFETT-LUGASSY
  • Publication number: 20170219364
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for a semi-autonomous vehicle to have optional routes that vary in an amount of autonomous driving offered. The system performs processes including aggregating data from various sources to thereby position and orient the vehicle, assigning an autonomous driving value to different route segments, determining an optimal route by minimizing a distance between a start position and a destination position and maximizing the percent autonomous value assigned, and displaying the optimal route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: William Brian LATHROP, Peter OEL, Daniel LIPINSKI, Eric GLASER, James Leigh TOGGWEILER, Nathaniel Coser COSER
  • Patent number: 9688288
    Abstract: A system of a semi-autonomous driving vehicle for transitioning from a semi- autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode. A navigation system to determine a route to a destination. A vehicle head unit to receive data that comprises information related to a geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited along the determined route to the destination. A processor to process the received data to determine if the semi-autonomous driving vehicle in autonomous mode is approaching a geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited. The semi-autonomous driving vehicle issues a notification to the driver of the semi-autonomous driving vehicle requesting the driver to manually drive the semi-autonomous driving vehicle in response to a determination that the semi-autonomous driving vehicle is approaching the geographic zone in which autonomous driving is discouraged or prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG et al., Audi AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, Nathaniel Paffett-Lugassy
  • Patent number: 9618354
    Abstract: A method includes: providing a map database; providing a landmark database; providing at least one user-specific landmark type; determining navigation instructions based on the map database, the landmark database, and the at least one user-specific landmark type; and outputting the determined navigation instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Philip Tseng, William Brian Lathrop, Jo Ann Sison, Crystal Juarez
  • Publication number: 20160231132
    Abstract: An in-vehicle system and method for presenting a relevancy-graded navigation map to a driver of a vehicle. The relevancy-graded navigation deemphasizes map elements that are not relevant to driving the vehicle. The relevancy-graded navigation map allows the driver to focus more on controlling the vehicle by reducing the amount of time it takes to interpret a navigation map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Heiko MAIWAND, William Brian LATHROP, Erik GLASER, Marco Antonio LOBATO FREGOSO
  • Patent number: 9333983
    Abstract: A steering wheel is configured as a dual-state input device configured to operate in two distinct states based on a current driving mode. In a manual driving mode, the input device is configured to control a limited set of vehicle functions and in an autonomous mode the input device is configured to control an expanded set of vehicle functions. The steering wheel includes a wheel rim movably mounted on a steering column and a hub disposed within a center of the wheel rim on the steering column, the main body portion comprising an interactive touch screen disposed on the main body portion. The wheel rim is configured to disengage from the hub and move along the steering column to a retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG, Audi AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, James Leigh Toggweiler, Erik Robert Glaser, Nathaniel Robert Coser, Bryan Grant
  • Patent number: 9244527
    Abstract: A control system, components and methodologies enable control of vehicle and in-vehicle system functionality via gesture recognition. In illustrative embodiments, the control system, constituent components and methodologies determine what functionality a user wishes to control by tracking the user's gaze to identify a selected function or function set. In combination with identifying the selected function and function set, one or more sensors installed in the vehicle detect one or more user gestures initiated by a user to interact with and/or control the selected function/function set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, Maria Esther Mejia Gonzalez, Bryan Grant, Heiko Maiwand
  • Patent number: 9238409
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel, a first touchpad integrated into the steering wheel adapted to input commands, a second touchpad integrated into the steering wheel and spatially separated from the first touchpad adapted to input commands, and a coordination module adapted to generate a command to operate a function of the motor vehicle as a function of a touch motion over the first touchpad and a simultaneously-occurring touch motion over the second touchpad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, Evan Small, Enrique Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9070209
    Abstract: A moving control console having a touchscreen, a motor connected to the digital display unit and a housing in which the digital display unit is movable in different stages. The user interface graphics animations on the digital display are matched to the movement of the digital display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Brian Ng, Maria Esther Mejia Gonzalez, William Brian Lathrop
  • Patent number: 9031729
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle which includes obtaining, via at least one detecting device, behavior information of a driver in the vehicle, and transitioning control statuses of the vehicle according to the driver behavior information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, Erik Glaser, Nathaniel Coser, Bryan Grant, James Toggweiler
  • Patent number: 8843268
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor vehicle having a steering wheel, the motor vehicle including a first display, integrated into the steering wheel, for the variable representation of information; a first touchscreen, situated over the first display, for the input of commands; a second display, integrated into the steering wheel and separated spatially from the first display, for the variable representation of information; and a second touchscreen, situated over the second display, for the input of commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: William Brian Lathrop, Evan Small, Deborah Garcia
  • Publication number: 20140277896
    Abstract: A steering wheel is configured as a dual-state input device configured to operate in two distinct states based on a current driving mode. In a manual driving mode, the input device is configured to control a limited set of vehicle functions and in an autonomous mode the input device is configured to control an expanded set of vehicle functions. The steering wheel includes a wheel rim movably mounted on a steering column and a hub disposed within a center of the wheel rim on the steering column, the main body portion comprising an interactive touch screen disposed on the main body portion. The wheel rim is configured to disengage from the hub and move along the steering column to a retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: William Brian LATHROP, James Leigh TOGGWEILER, Erik Robert GLASER, Nathaniel Robert COSER, Bryan GRANT