Vehicular Patents (Class 348/148)
  • Patent number: 10988083
    Abstract: A visual field support image generation device for generating a visual field support image of a vehicle has a camera that captures an image from the vehicle and a processing section. The processing section covers the image captured by the camera to generate the visual filed support image. The image is covered by compressing the captured image so that a compression ratio of the captured image in a horizontal direction becomes higher than a compression ratio of the captured image in a vertical direction by using a depth vanishing point included in the captured image as the center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Michiguchi, Yoshimasa Okabe
  • Patent number: 10990834
    Abstract: The present application generally relates to a method and apparatus for object detection in a location obscured from a camera field of view in a motor vehicle. In particular, the system is operative to illuminate a FOV from a low angle using a light source, capture an image of the FOV from a high angle and to detect a shadow within the image indicative of an object being illuminated by the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel W. Hart, Robert D. Sims, III, Hao Yu
  • Patent number: 10986386
    Abstract: The present disclosure disclose a video surveillance method performed at a sever. After sending first video information of a target video to a first client, the server receives reported information indicating a playback state of the target video from the first client. The reported information is obtained when the first client plays a video source file of the target video according to original address information and updates a first-frame playback time stored on a first location in a multi-dimensional table according to a first first-frame playback time in the reported information. The server then obtains, according to the first-frame playback time, a timeout waiting time in second video information and sends the second video information to a second client. When the second client does not play the target video in the timeout waiting time, the playback state of the target video is determined as unsuccessful playback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Hancheng Liao
  • Patent number: 10986286
    Abstract: An image creation device is provided with an image acquisition unit acquiring multiple captured images of a peripheral area, a detection unit detecting a three-dimensional object present in the peripheral area, a first conversion unit converting the multiple captured images into multiple individual overhead images to create a first conversion image by means of an overall overhead image, a second conversion unit creating a second conversion image in which an image captured from a virtual camera is converted in accordance with the conversion rule, the virtual camera being virtually arranged at a virtual position set on the vehicle such that a virtual optical axis direction faces the direction of the three-dimensional object, and a synthesis unit synthesizes the second conversion image on the first conversion image to create a synthesis image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Maeda, Hiroaki Takeda, Hirohiko Yanagawa
  • Patent number: 10981545
    Abstract: A telescopic cleaning device is intended for projecting at least one cleaning and/or drying fluid onto a glass surface to be cleaned of a motor vehicle, such as an optical surface of an optical sensor of an optical detection system. The cleaning device includes at least one fluid distribution element, rendered movable, along an axis of elongation (X) and at the end of a movable piston between a retracted first position and an extended second position for cleaning and/or drying. The fluid distribution element comprises a distribution bar (4) inside which a fluid distribution channel (56) extends and the distribution bar is equipped with a heating device (60) integrated at least in part into the distribution bar in order to heat the fluid passing through said distribution channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Valeo Systèmes d'Essuyage
    Inventors: Philippe Picot, Jordan Vieille, Sébastien Rollet, Grégory Kolanowski, Giuseppe Grasso, Xavier Bousset, Maxime Baudouin
  • Patent number: 10984273
    Abstract: An attachable matter detection apparatus includes a controller configured to function as an extractor and a detector. The extractor extracts edge information of each pixel contained in a photographic image photographed by an imaging device. The detector detects a candidate area estimated to have a water droplet out of the photographic image based on a matching result between (i) each of the pixels converted into a predetermined data format based on the edge information extracted by the extractor and (ii) a template representing a water droplet and having the data format. The detector calculates a matching frequency with the template for a predetermined area along a contour of the candidate area, and excludes the candidate area when the candidate area satisfies a predetermined exclusion condition based on the matching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Ikeda, Nobunori Asayama, Takashi Kono, Yasushi Tani, Daisuke Yamamoto, Tomokazu Oki, Teruhiko Kamibayashi
  • Patent number: 10984264
    Abstract: A method and a device are for detecting and validating objects from camera images, e.g. for driver assistance systems. The method involves: capturing a series of camera images, detecting a potential collision object in at least one image, determining corresponding features in two consecutive images in the image region of the detected potential collision object, associating the corresponding features with a plane, and validating the potential collision object when the associated plane corresponds to a back plane or a side plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Walter
  • Patent number: 10984262
    Abstract: A learning method of a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) for monitoring one or more blind spots of a monitoring vehicle is provided. The learning method includes steps of: a learning device, if training data corresponding to output from a detector on the monitoring vehicle is inputted, instructing a cue information extracting layer to uses class information and location information on a monitored vehicle included in the training data, thereby outputting cue information on the monitored vehicle; instructing an FC layer for monitoring the blind spots to perform neural network operations by using the cue information, thereby outputting a result of determining whether the monitored vehicle is located on one of the blind spots; and instructing a loss layer to generate loss values by referring to the result and its corresponding GT, thereby learning parameters of the FC layer for monitoring the blind spots by backpropagating the loss values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: StradVision, Inc.
    Inventors: Kye-Hyeon Kim, Yongjoong Kim, Insu Kim, Hak-Kyoung Kim, Woonhyun Nam, Sukhoon Boo, Myungchul Sung, Donghun Yeo, Wooju Ryu, Taewoong Jang, Kyungjoong Jeong, Hongmo Je, Hojin Cho
  • Patent number: 10984655
    Abstract: Various aspects of a system and method for driving assistance along a path are disclosed herein. In accordance with an embodiment, a unique identifier is received from a communication device at an electronic control unit (ECU) of a first vehicle. The unique identifier is received when the first vehicle has reached a first location along a first portion of the path. A communication channel is established between the first vehicle and the communication device based on the received unique identifier. Data associated with a second portion of the path is received by the ECU from the communication device based on the established communication channel. Alert information associated with the second portion of the path is generated by the ECU based on the received data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manish Gupta, Ramesha Chelur Ramachandra Sastry, Pramod Chintalapoodi, Sho Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10979606
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention relates to a camera module comprising: a housing comprising a through hole; a lens module disposed in the through hole; a connector penetrating the housing and extending to an outside from an inside of the housing; a first substrate unit located inside the housing and having an image sensor mounted thereon; a second substrate unit disposed inside the housing and connected to the connector; and a flexible substrate for electrically connecting the first substrate and the second substrate unit, wherein the flexible substrate is coupled to a lower surface of the first substrate unit and a side surface of the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Wook Ahn, Sun Min Hwang, Je Kyung Park, Kyung Mok Yoon, Chul Ho Lee, Jong Chul Choi
  • Patent number: 10974649
    Abstract: A vehicular parking assist system includes a rear backup camera and a control having an image processor that processes image data captured by the rear backup camera. The control, as the vehicle is driven forward into a parking slot and reliant on processing of image data by the rear backup camera, determines a parking slot marker at a side boundary of the parking slot at which the vehicle is being parked and determines orientation of the vehicle relative to the determined parking slot marker. As the vehicle is driven forward into the parking slot, and reliant on processing by the processor of image data captured by the rear backup camera, a display screen in the vehicle displays information representative of the determined orientation of the vehicle relative to the parking slot marker so the driver can gauge orientation of the vehicle in the parking slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Krishna Koravadi
  • Patent number: 10979674
    Abstract: The invention is based, in part, on a system and method designed to be able to easily and automatically scale up to millions of cameras and users. To do this, this discourse teaches use of modern cloud computing technology, including automated service provisioning, automated virtual machine migration services, RESTful API, and various firewall traversing methods to facilitate the scaling process. Moreover, the system and method described herein teaches scalable cloud solutions providing for higher though-put camera provisioning and event recognition. The network may segregate the retrieval server from the storage server, and by doing so, minimizing the load on any one server and improving network efficiency and scalability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Intellivision
    Inventors: Vaidhi Nathan, Krishna Khadloya, Albert Kay, Prakash Narayan
  • Patent number: 10979611
    Abstract: A method of assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a metallic front housing member, a metallic rear housing member, a lens assembly and a circuit board. The front housing member has a lens receiving portion and a circuit board attachment portion. An imager is disposed on a first side of the circuit board and a connector is disposed on a second side of the circuit board. With the circuit board attached at the front housing member and with the lens assembly disposed at a lens receiving portion of the front housing member, images are focused at an imaging plane of the imager by adjusting the lens assembly relative to the imager. With the images focused at the imaging plane of the imager, the lens assembly is retained relative to the front housing member via an ultra-violet (UV) curable adhesive. The front housing member and the rear housing member are attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Steven V. Byrne, Ben Stickler, Richard Rieden, Matthew C. Sesti, Brian D. Brasier
  • Patent number: 10977917
    Abstract: A camera transmits a captured image of a surveillance area to a server. A microphone receives a sound of the surveillance area and transmits the sound to the server. The server detects a warning sound starting based on a harming behavior on a vehicle in a surveillance area and arriving from the vehicle using the sound of the surveillance area, determines an occurrence position of the harming behavior based on the detection of the warning sound, acquires a captured image of the occurrence position, determines the vehicle on which the harming behavior is executed using the captured image of the occurrence position, acquires information regarding the vehicle, and records the information regarding the vehicle and the captured image of the occurrence position in association with each other in an accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamitsu Arai, Marie Kanda, Takahiro Yoshimura, Atsuharu Yamamoto, Kazuma Ohtani, Takashi Kamio
  • Patent number: 10974764
    Abstract: Disclosed is a parking assist device (100) including a parking assist control unit (5) that performs parking assist for a host vehicle (1) by using a first sensor (4) for parking assist disposed in the host vehicle (1), and a guide display control unit (25) that causes a display device (20) to display a guide display based on a first effective detection range (AL, AR) of the first sensor (4) in a state in which the guide display is superimposed on a front view with respect to the host vehicle (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Inoue, Mitsuo Shimotani, Tadashi Miyahara
  • Patent number: 10970562
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus is provided in which the detection range of a left-front-corner sonar (12a) located at the vehicle's left front corner is included in the field of view of a second imaging means (14) located at the vehicle's left front corner. When the left-front-corner sonar (12a) detects a three-dimensional object at the vehicle's left front corner, an image processing means (3) synthesizes an image of the image created using a second imaging means (14) and the images created with four cameras (7a-7d) for imaging the complete periphery of the vehicle, and creates a bird's-eye-view image (40b). The detection range of the left-front-corner sonar (12a) is included within a region of the bird's-eye image (40b) on the basis of the image created with the second imaging means (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Michiguchi, Tatsuto Ryugo, Kenji Okano, Yukiko Kanno
  • Patent number: 10967791
    Abstract: There is disclosed a viewing system coupled to a motor vehicle having a frame having a roof, at least one support, and a body with the at least one support supporting the roof over the body. The system can comprise at least one camera, at least one screen coupled to the support. In addition, each camera is coupled to the at least one support and wherein said at least one screen is in communication with the first set of cameras, wherein said at least one screen displays images presented by the first set of cameras. This device can provide additional view in the blind spot of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: Serge B. Hoyda
  • Patent number: 10969441
    Abstract: In various embodiments, an illumination apparatus is provided. The illumination apparatus includes a housing, in which at least one radiation source is fixed. A phosphor that is fastened to the housing is arranged downstream of the radiation source. The phosphor is connected to a crack detector, which is used for crack monitoring of the phosphor. A signal path is provided. The signal path connects the crack detector to an evaluation unit that is fixed to the housing. The signal path is formed by at least two contact pins and a flexible printed circuit board that is connected to the crack detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: OSRAM GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Schmidt, Melanie Zumkley, Daniel Vogel
  • Patent number: 10970812
    Abstract: An image processing device according to an embodiment exemplarily includes, as an example: a processor that acquires a taken image obtained by imaging surroundings of a vehicle by an imaging unit mounted on the vehicle; projects the taken image to a stereoscopic projection plane including the vehicle and a first projection region rising above the vehicle and produces a composite image of the stereoscopic projection plane when viewed from a virtual viewpoint; causes a display to display the composite image; determines a target parking region in which the vehicle is parked in the stereoscopic projection plane; and shifts at least a part of a movement path of the vehicle from a position of the vehicle to the target parking region and the target parking region of the vehicle to a second projection region horizontal to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kinji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10970570
    Abstract: A device for clustering light spots, the device is configured to receive an image captured by a camera, detect light spots in the image, calculate a distance measure for each of a plurality of pairs of light spots detected in the image, and group the detected light spots to clusters based on the calculated distance measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Robert Kaltenhaeuser
  • Patent number: 10970568
    Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and viewing exterior of the vehicle. A control has an image processor for processing frames of image data captured by the camera. The control receives vehicle motion data indicative of motion of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving. When the vehicle is moving, the control, responsive at least in part to image processing of multiple frames of captured image data, detects an object present exterior of the vehicle. The control, responsive at least in part to the received vehicle motion data and image processing of multiple frames of captured image data, determines motion of the detected object relative to the moving vehicle by (i) determining corresponding object points in at least two frames of captured image data and (ii) estimating object motion trajectory of the detected object based at least in part on the determined corresponding object points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Nikhil Gupta, Liang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10970585
    Abstract: An adhering substance detection apparatus according to an embodiment includes a calculating unit and a determining unit. The calculating unit calculates, for each cell composed of a predetermined number of pixels in a captured image, an edge feature value that is based on edge vectors in the pixels, and that classifies an edge orientation that is included in the edge feature value, into two types of angle classes. The determining unit determines a condition of adhering substance adhering to an image capturing apparatus that captured the captured image, based on a transition count representing number of transitions the angle class goes through within a unit region that is a predetermined region composed of a predetermined number of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Ikeda, Nobunori Asayama, Takashi Kono, Yasushi Tani, Daisuke Yamamoto, Tomokazu Oki, Teruhiko Kamibayashi
  • Patent number: 10963709
    Abstract: The techniques discussed herein may comprise refining a classification of an object detected as being represented in sensor data. For example, refining the classification may comprise determining a sub-classification of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Kratarth Goel, Sarah Tariq
  • Patent number: 10964213
    Abstract: A parking assist system for use in a parking lot including parking spaces for a plurality of vehicles includes: a vehicle sensor which determines whether an assisted vehicle attempting to enter or exit one of the parking spaces is a general vehicle that travels through vehicle operation by a driver or an autonomous vehicle capable of self-driving according to an external travel signal; and a travel signal transmitter which, when the assisted vehicle is determined as the general vehicle, transmits, to a specific autonomous vehicle among parked autonomous vehicles, a travel signal for traveling to an available position for enabling the entry or the exit of the assisted vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironori Obayashi, Waka Sengoku
  • Patent number: 10960821
    Abstract: An image display apparatus has: an imaging device (11L, 11R) that is placed at a tiltable housing (15L, 15R) and that is configured to image a rear side area (BL_area, BR_area) of a vehicle (1), the housing being allowed to rotate around a predetermined rotational axis (?L, ?R) that is along a direction inclined to a yaw axis of the vehicle; and a displaying device (14) that is configured to display an external image captured by the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoaki Iida, Susumu Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10960822
    Abstract: A vehicular rearview vision system includes a driver-side display device disposed at an interior driver side region of a vehicle and viewable by a driver of the vehicle, a first camera disposed at the vehicle so as to have at least a rearward and sideward field of view, and a second camera disposed at a driver side of the vehicle so as to have at least a sideward and forward field of view that at least partially views an A-pillar blind spot region forward and sideward of a driver-side A-pillar of the vehicle. The driver-side display device displays video images derived from image data captured by the first camera, and the driver-side display device displays driver-side A-pillar blind spot video images derived from image data captured by the second camera. The displayed rearview video images may be at least partially surrounded by the displayed driver-side A-pillar blind spot video images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Michael J. Baur
  • Patent number: 10958866
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a photographed data acquisition unit that acquires photographed data of surroundings of a vehicle, an event detection unit that determines, when acceleration of a first threshold or greater applied to the vehicle is detected, that a first level event has occurred, while when acceleration of a second threshold or greater is detected, determine that a second level event has occurred, in which the second threshold is greater than the first threshold, and a recording control unit that, in the detection of the first level event, stores the photographed data as first level event data, while in the detection of the second level event, stores the photographed data as second level event data, and when the first level event data is reproduced within a first period from the occurrence of the first level event, stores the first level event data as the second level event data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD Corporation
    Inventor: Takuji Teruuchi
  • Patent number: 10958846
    Abstract: A method for configuring a sensor, which is adapted to be installed on a moving object, includes obtaining localization information of the sensor from a localization device, obtaining characteristic information and localization information of at least one element from a digital map, and choosing one or more elements of the at least one element in the digital map. The method also includes configuring the sensor according to the characteristic information and/or the localization information of the one or more chosen elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Maximilian Doemling, Sebastian Granzow, Wanli Jiang, Qianshan Li, Rick Li, Bill Lv, Ivan Xu, Tomas Xu
  • Patent number: 10956756
    Abstract: Computerized methods are performable by a driver assistance system while the host vehicle is moving. The driver assistance system includes a camera connectible to a processor. First and second image frames are captured from the field of view of the camera. Corresponding image points of the road are tracked from the first image frame to the second image frame. Image motion between the corresponding image points of the road is processed to detect a hazard in the road. The corresponding image points are determined to be of a moving shadow cast on the road to avoid a false positive detection of a hazard in the road or the corresponding image points are determined not to be of a moving shadow cast on the road to verify detection of a hazard in the road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Mobileeye Vision Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Gideon Stein, Erez Dagan
  • Patent number: 10954108
    Abstract: A method for supporting remote control of a container crane, the container crane being configured to move containers from one location to another. The method is performed in a container crane control system, and includes the steps of: receiving work order information, each work order specifying a location of a container to be picked up and a destination of the container to be placed; obtaining a first video stream of images of a pick-up location; identifying the container to be picked up in the images of the first video stream; modifying the first video stream images, which includes highlighting the container to be picked up; and presenting the modified video stream of images on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Alessandro Zanarini, Bjorn Holmberg, Susanne Schmitt
  • Patent number: 10956760
    Abstract: A server for vehicle sharing includes a receiver receiving a first or second trigger command in relation with renting of the vehicle; a controller generating an activation command based on the first trigger command and generating a hiding command based on the second trigger command, wherein the activation command can cause the vehicle to activate an image capturing component arranged inside the vehicle so as to obtain one or more images of the vehicle interior, and the hiding command can cause the vehicle to hide the image capturing component from view of a user inside the vehicle; and a transmitter transmitting the activation command or the hiding command to the vehicle. The receiver can receive the images of the vehicle interior from the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Markus Seidel, Biyun Zhou
  • Patent number: 10957023
    Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a camera disposed at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield, which includes a blackout region and a light-transmitting window through the blackout region. The camera views through the windshield at the light-transmitting window. The field of view of the camera encompasses at least part of the blackout region around the light-transmitting window, such that some of the photosensing elements do not receive light that passes through the light-transmitting window. A control processes image data captured by the camera to provide a dewarped image and does not use some of the photosensing elements of the camera when providing the dewarped image. The light-transmitting window of the blackout region is sized and shaped such that the photosensing elements that are not used by the control in dewarping the image are the same photosensing elements that do not receive light that passes through the light-transmitting window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Alan M. Cordeiro
  • Patent number: 10951864
    Abstract: Example implementations are provided for an arrangement of co-aligned rotating sensors. One example device includes a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) transmitter that emits light pulses toward a scene according to a pointing direction of the device. The device also includes a LIDAR receiver that detects reflections of the emitted light pulses reflecting from the scene. The device also includes an image sensor that captures an image of the scene based on at least external light originating from one or more external light sources. The device also includes a platform that supports the LIDAR transmitter, the LIDAR receiver, and the image sensor in a particular relative arrangement. The device also includes an actuator that rotates the platform about an axis to adjust the pointing direction of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Droz, Simon Verghese, Brendan Hermalyn
  • Patent number: 10946813
    Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a camera module having a housing that houses at least (i) electronic circuitry disposed at a main printed circuit board (PCB) and (ii) an imager assembly. The imager assembly includes an imager, an imager PCB and a lens barrel. Electronic circuitry is disposed at an upper side and at a lower side of the main PCB. The lower side of the main PCB faces a lower housing portion and the upper side of the main PCB faces an upper housing portion. A flexible cable electrically connects electronic circuitry disposed at the imager PCB with electronic circuitry disposed at the main PCB. An electronic component of electronic circuitry disposed at the main PCB is in thermal conductivity with a thermal element, which is in thermal conductivity with the lower housing portion to enhance heat transfer from the electronic component to the lower housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Garret F. Achenbach, Brian A. Gorman, Brian F. Smith, Steven G. Gebauer
  • Patent number: 10950004
    Abstract: The present disclosure proposes a method, an apparatus, a device, and a medium for calibrating an intelligent roadside unit. The method includes: obtaining an intelligent driving vehicle within a preset range of the intelligent roadside unit; obtaining a first point cloud detected by a first radar in the intelligent driving vehicle, and obtaining location information of the intelligent driving vehicle; obtaining a second point cloud detected by a second radar in the intelligent roadside unit; and obtaining location information of the second radar based on the first point cloud, the second point cloud, and the location information of the intelligent driving vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yifeng Shi, Tian Xia, Xing Hu, Haisong Wang, Ji Tao
  • Patent number: 10946795
    Abstract: Systems for detecting the surrounding conditions of a moving body are provided. An example system includes a plurality of lighting devices installed inside the moving body and a sensor configured to detect the surrounding condition. The system is configured to forcibly change the state of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices (change from an unlit state to a lighting state or a blinking state, change in the emission color, or change in the luminance) when the sensor detects an object, to which attention must be paid during traveling of the moving body, in the surroundings of the moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masahiro Kato
  • Patent number: 10943131
    Abstract: An image processing method includes: determining a candidate track in an image of a road, wherein the candidate track is modelled as a parameterized line or curve corresponding to a candidate lane marking in the image of a road; dividing the candidate track into a plurality of cells, each cell corresponding to a segment of the candidate track; determining at least one marklet for a plurality of said cells, wherein each marklet of a cell corresponds to a line or curve connecting left and right edges of the candidate lane marking; determining at least one local feature of each of said plurality of cells based on characteristics of said marklets; determining at least one global feature of the candidate track by aggregating the local features of the plurality of cells; and determining if the candidate lane marking represents a lane marking based on the at least one global feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Yu Su, Andre Paus, Kun Zhao, Mirko Meuter, Christian Nunn
  • Patent number: 10943355
    Abstract: Systems and methods for movement detection are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining image data and range data representing a scene external to an autonomous vehicle, the image data including at least a first image and a second image that depict the scene. The method includes identifying a set of corresponding image features from the image data, the set of corresponding image features including a first feature in the first image having a correspondence with a second feature in the second image. The method includes determining a respective distance for each of the first feature and the second feature based at least in part on the range data. The method includes determining a velocity associated with a portion of a scene represented by the set of corresponding image features based at least in part on the respective distance for the first feature and the second feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Ashton James Fagg, Narek Melik-Barkhudarov
  • Patent number: 10940799
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inner rear-view device for a vehicle that includes a stay, a pivot, a bracket, a housing, a knob, a rear-view unit, a switching mechanism, a fixed engagement section, an elastically-engaged section, an elastically-deformed section, and a suppressing section. The inner rear-view device for the vehicle can adjust angles of a screen and the like and prevent movement of a knob at the time of angle adjustment of the screen and the like even when pivot torque is increased by a magnitude that corresponds to an increase in masses of the housing and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Ichikoh Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nozaki, Masayuki Iwaki, Keisuke Honda
  • Patent number: 10943400
    Abstract: Some embodiments described herein relate to a multimodal user interface for use in an automobile. The multimodal user interface may display information on a windshield of the automobile, such as by projecting information on the windshield, and may accept input from a user via multiple modalities, which may include a speech interface as well as other interfaces. The other interfaces may include interfaces allowing a user to provide geometric input by indicating an angle. In some embodiments, a user may define a task to be performed using multiple different input modalities. For example, the user may provide via the speech interface speech input describing a task that the user is requesting be performed, and may provide via one or more other interfaces geometric parameters regarding the task. The multimodal user interface may determine the task and the geometric parameters from the inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Cerence Operating Company
    Inventors: Mohammad Mehdi Moniri, Nils Lenke
  • Patent number: 10935989
    Abstract: Methods and systems for navigating a vehicle along a surface employ a scanner to scan a light beam over the surface; employ light reflected by one or more fiducial markers on the surface onto pixels of a receiver to determine a spatial arrangement of the fiducial markers on the surface; and compare the spatial arrangement of the fiducial markers with a predetermined map of the fiducial markers to determine a location of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Inventor: Gerard Dirk Smits
  • Patent number: 10926702
    Abstract: A method of displaying video images includes capturing by a single vehicular camera positioned at a front portion of a vehicle and processing the captured image data by performing a first image manipulation on a first region of the image to generate a first manipulated region, a second image manipulation on a second region of the image to generate a second manipulated region, and a third image manipulation on a third region of the image to generate a third manipulated region. A manipulated image is displayed that includes a first manipulated region, a second manipulated region and a third manipulated region. The displayed manipulated image is discontinuous at a first seam between the first manipulated region and the second manipulated region and is discontinuous at a second seam between the first manipulated region and the third manipulated region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Yuesheng Lu
  • Patent number: 10928225
    Abstract: An assembly includes a housing defining a chamber. The assembly includes a sensor supported by the housing. The assembly includes a deflector forward of the sensor and having a front surface designed to direct air upward and a rear surface opposite the front surface. The housing has a vent in fluid communication with the chamber and aimed at the rear surface of the deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Venkatesh Krishnan, Raghu Raman Surineedi, Matthew Dennis Smith Boswell, Rashaun Phinisee, Michael Robertson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10926716
    Abstract: A holder (10) for mounting a camera in a through-opening (12) in the region of a bumper (14) of a vehicle (16) has an outer part (18) that can be mounted on the bumper (14) from an outer face (20) of the bumper and an inner part (22) that can be mounted from an inner face (24) of the bumper (14). A receiving space (26) for receiving the camera is formed between the outer part (18) and the inner part (22) and the outer part (18) is designed for mounting the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf Wuertemberger, Thomas Weiss
  • Patent number: 10928899
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for handling multiple Eye-Gaze Tracking (EGT) sources in virtual, augmented, or mixed reality (xR) applications are described. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: receive a first EGT vector from a first EGT system and a second EGT vector from a second EGT system; calculate a composite EGT vector using a first weight associated with the first EGT system and a second weight associated with the second EGT system; and render an image, in part, based upon the composite EGT vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Karthikeyan Krishnakumar, Vivek Viswanatha Iyer
  • Patent number: 10930003
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a processor is configured to function as an information acquisition unit configured to acquire object size information from image data by a first method and a second method in continuous imaging, and an imaging control unit configured to perform an exposure while performing follow-up drive of an optical system so as to reduce a difference between the object size information and target size information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Kazami
  • Patent number: 10927527
    Abstract: A surroundings monitoring device of a crawler-type work machine includes: cameras configured to take images of surroundings of the crawler-type work machine; a display unit configured to display the images taken by the cameras; and a controller configured to superimpose an outer-edge guide image generated based on the farthest position of an undercarriage from a revolution center of the crawler-type work machine on the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaomi Machida, Takeshi Kurihara
  • Patent number: 10930004
    Abstract: A method of detecting a trailer angle of a trailer being towed by a vehicle includes capturing frames of image data via a camera of the vehicle while the vehicle is towing a trailer, and, via processing by an image processor of frames of captured image data while the vehicle is towing the trailer, determining presence of the trailer being towed by the vehicle, and determining feature vectors of the trailer being towed by the vehicle. The feature vectors of the trailer are determined by determining features that have similar angular changes between a current frame of captured image data and a previous frame of captured image data. The angle of the trailer relative to the vehicle is determined responsive to tracking of determined feature vectors of the trailer present in the field of view of the camera over multiple frames of captured image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Horst D. Diessner, Jyothi P. Gali, Nikhil Gupta, Hilda Faraji, Galina Okouneva, Akinyele O. Ikuseru
  • Patent number: 10926984
    Abstract: A method for providing driver assistance for an industrial truck and an industrial truck, particularly a forklift, including capturing steering movement of a steering device of the industrial truck, capturing images of at least part of a surrounding area of the industrial truck using at least one camera, superimposing both a travel path of contours of the industrial truck and a travel path of contours of a load transported on the industrial truck corresponding to the captured steering movement on the captured images, and displaying the captured images having the superimposed travel paths of contours of the industrial truck and the load transported on the industrial truck on a display device disposed in a region of a driver's position of the industrial truck. The contours of the load are obtained from a measurement system of the industrial truck or from virtual models of loads stored in an image processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Jungheinrich AG
    Inventors: Hennes Fischbach, Lars Dohrmann, Sebastian Rockel
  • Patent number: 10922563
    Abstract: A vehicular control system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) and a plurality of cameras including side-viewing cameras and a front or forward-viewing camera and/or a rearward-viewing camera. The cameras connect with the ECU via respective coaxial cables. Image data captured by the cameras is converted at a respective LVDS serializer to a respective image signal and is carried to the ECU via the respective coaxial cable by LVDS. The image signals are de-serialized at the respective LVDS de-serializer of the ECU. The image processor of the ECU may process a de-serialized image signal to detect a vehicle present in the field of view of the front camera, whereby, responsive to determination that the equipped vehicle and the detected vehicle may collide, the system may, at least in part, control a braking system of the equipped vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Axel Nix, Joern Ihlenburg, Nazar F. Bally, Duane W. Gebauer