Automatic Route Guidance Vehicle Patents (Class 701/23)
  • Patent number: 11325640
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an motor-driven power steering (MDPS) may include: a driving information input unit configured to receive driving information; a steering angle position control unit configured to receive a command steering angle and a current motor steering angle of a driving motor, and output an autonomous driving command; and an MDPS control unit configured to drive the driving motor based on the autonomous driving command in an autonomous driving mode, determine whether a driver intervenes in steering, calculate a driver command by the driver's steering according to whether the driver intervenes in steering, and change an operation mode from the autonomous driving mode to a driver mode while driving the driving motor with a compensation output between the driver command and the autonomous driving command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 11325606
    Abstract: Methods, devices and systems enable controlling an autonomous vehicle by identifying vehicles that are within a threshold distance of the autonomous vehicle, determining an autonomous capability metric of each of the identified vehicles, and adjusting a driving parameter of the autonomous vehicle based on the determined autonomous capability metric of each of the identified vehicles. Embodiments may further include determining, based on the determined ACMs, whether one or more identified vehicles would provide an operational advantage to the autonomous vehicle in a cooperative driving engagement, and initiating a cooperative driving engagement with the one or more identified vehicles in response to determining that the one or more identified vehicles would provide an operational advantage to the autonomous vehicle in a cooperative driving engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John Anthony Dougherty, Jordan Scott Burklund, Kristen Wagner Cerase, Stephen Marc Chaves, Ross Eric Kessler, Paul Daniel Martin, Daniel Warren Mellinger, III, Michael Joshua Shomin
  • Patent number: 11325603
    Abstract: Systems and methods for estimating lane geometry are disclosed herein. One embodiment receives sensor data from one or more sensors; detects a road agent based on the sensor data; detects, based on the sensor data, that the road agent has performed a lane shift from a first lane of a roadway to a second lane of the roadway; and estimates a boundary line between the first lane of the roadway and the second lane of the roadway based, at least in part, on the detected lane shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen G. McGill, Jr., Guy Rosman, Luke S. Fletcher
  • Patent number: 11319240
    Abstract: The invention concerns a trim element for a motor vehicle comprising at least one glass sheet having an absorption coefficient lower than 5 m?1 in the wavelength range from 1051 nm to 1650 nm and having an external and an internal faces. According to the present invention, an infrared-based remote sensing device in the wavelength range from 1051 nm to 1650 nm, is placed behind the internal face of the glass sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: AGC GLASS EUROPE
    Inventors: Thomas Lambricht, Yannick Sartenaer, Quentin Fraselle, Nicolas Chorine, Maxime Collignon
  • Patent number: 11318963
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided. The vehicle control apparatus can obtain periphery information of a vehicle and perform following control including steering and acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle. In a case in which a front vehicle which is to be a following target does not satisfy a specific condition not including a speed condition, the vehicle control apparatus performs at least one of: lowering an automation level; and requesting a driver of the vehicle to perform a predetermined task which is not requested to the driver in a case in which the front vehicle satisfies the specific condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tadahiko Kanoh
  • Patent number: 11318865
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle is provided. The autonomous vehicle includes a vehicle control device positioned proximate a forward end of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle further includes a passenger seat. The passenger seat defines a seating orientation and is configurable in at least a first position and a second position. When the passenger seat is in the first position, the seating orientation is directed towards the rear end of the autonomous vehicle. In addition, the vehicle control device is substantially obscured from access from a passenger compartment of the autonomous vehicle. When the passenger seat is in the second position, the seating orientation is directed towards the forward end of the autonomous vehicle. In addition, the vehicle control device is accessible from the passenger compartment of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Johad Husseini Ellis
  • Patent number: 11320279
    Abstract: A travel route management system includes an area setting unit that sets a work site to an outer peripheral area SA and an area CA to be worked on an inner side of the outer peripheral area SA, and a route element selecting unit that sequentially selects a next travel route element to be traveled on next, from among multiple mutually-parallel travel route elements, the travel route elements constituting a travel route that covers the area CA to be worked. The route element selecting unit selects a U-turn travel route for moving from a travel route element serving as a movement origin to a next travel route element serving as a movement destination, the selection being made on the basis of an interval between the movement origin and the movement destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Sakura Tomita, Tomohiko Sano, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tetsuya Nakajima, Makoto Oshitani, Kenichi Iwami, Osamu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11322025
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for validating the existence of roadwork is provided. The method comprises, for example, retrieving information for at least one segment of a road captured by a plurality of vehicles. The information comprises at least two of lane marking data, speed funnel presence data, and traffic behavior change data. The method also comprises generating a confidence score based on analysis of the retrieved information. The method further comprises validating the existence of the roadwork on the at least one segment of the road based on the generated confidence score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Zhenhua Zhang, Leon Stenneth
  • Patent number: 11320831
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mover including an object detecting unit and either a masking processing unit or a transmission restricting unit as an additional processing unit. The object detecting unit detects an object based on a reception signal output from a receiver unit by having a transmitter unit transmit a scanning wave and by having the receiver unit receive a reflected wave, which is a component, reflected from the object, of the scanning wave. The masking processing unit performs masking processing of masking, in accordance with a timing at which, and/or a direction of incidence in which, a disturbance wave, not depending on the scanning wave, is incident on the receiver unit, a portion of the reception signal output from the receiver unit. The transmission restricting unit restricts a transmission range in which the transmitter unit transmits the scanning wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shirouzu, Yoshihiro Ikawa, Osamu Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11320828
    Abstract: Provided is a robotic device, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; one or more motors to drive the set of wheels; a controller in communication with the one or more motors; one or more surface cleaning tools; at least one sensor; a camera; one or more processors; a medium storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations including: capturing, with the camera of the robotic device, spatial data of surroundings of the robotic device; generating, with the one or more processors of the robotic device, a movement path based on the spatial data of the surroundings; inferring, with the one or more processors of the robotic device, a location of the robotic device; and updating, with the one or more processors of the robotic device, the movement path to exclude locations of the movement path that the robotic device has previously been located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: AI Incorporated
    Inventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 11312397
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a capturer to capture a driver of the vehicle driving in an autonomous driving mode to obtain driver position information; a driver state detector to detect a state of the driver; and a controller to determine a time required to change from the autonomous driving mode to a manual operation mode based on the obtained driver position information and the detected driver state. In particular, the controller controls the change to driving mode of the vehicle based on the determined time to change from the autonomous driving mode to the manual operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donghyuk Kim, Seunghyun Kim, Ilhwan Kim, Hong Gi Park, Kyung-joo Bang
  • Patent number: 11312377
    Abstract: Method and device for autonomous driving of a vehicle on a roadway in a direction of travel. A trajectory for driving on the roadway in the direction of travel is determined. A bending strip of limited length defines the trajectory, wherein the bending strip is fixed at one end thereof in a node which defines a starting point of the trajectory. A course of the trajectory is determined, starting from the starting point, in dependence on a bending line of the bending strip, which line extends, starting from the node, to the other end of the bending strip. A representation of a roadway boundary defines a boundary condition for the determination of the trajectory. A quality measure is defined in dependence on a property of the bending strip. The bending line which satisfies the boundary condition and for which the quality measure has an extremal value is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventors: Georg Tardy-Tuch, Florian Strecker, Michael Glatz
  • Patent number: 11312373
    Abstract: A computer is programmed to identify a target vehicle to be monitored and to identify first and second virtual boundaries on a roadway based on a position of the target vehicle. The computer is further programmed to determine a first constraint value based on (1) a first boundary approach velocity and (2) a first boundary approach acceleration and a second constraint value based on (1) a second boundary approach velocity and (2) a second boundary approach acceleration. The computer is further programmed to identify a maneuver of the target vehicle based on whether the first and second constraint values violate respective thresholds or a position of the target vehicle relative to the first and second virtual boundaries violates a threshold and to adjust a path of a host vehicle according to the identified maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yousaf Rahman, Mrdjan J. Jankovic, Mario Anthony Santillo
  • Patent number: 11314252
    Abstract: Autonomous driving includes evaluating information about an environment surrounding a vehicle, generating, based on the evaluation of the information about the environment surrounding the vehicle, a driving plan for performing a driving maneuver, and operating vehicle systems in the vehicle to perform the driving maneuver according to the driving plan. The autonomous driving further includes receiving a traffic behavior model that describes a predominating driving behavior of a like population of reference vehicles. Under the driving plan, a driving behavior of the vehicle matches the predominating driving behavior of the like population of reference vehiclesAutonomous driving includes identifying a driving behavior of a vehicle based on an evaluation of information about manual operation of the vehicle and information about an environment surrounding the vehicle, and operating vehicle systems in the vehicle to perform a driving maneuver according to a driving plan for performing the driving maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Kuffner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11315418
    Abstract: Providing user assistance in a vehicle includes identifying a driving behavior of the vehicle based on an evaluation of information about manual operation of the vehicle and information about an environment surrounding the vehicle, and issuing an alert to a user prompting the user to implement corrective manual operation. The user assistance further includes receiving a traffic behavior model that describes a predominating driving behavior of a like population of reference vehicles, and issuing the alert to a user prompting the user to implement corrective manual operation in response to identifying that the driving behavior of the vehicle does not match the predominating driving behavior of the like population of reference vehicles. Under the corrective manual operation, the driving behavior of the vehicle matches the predominating driving behavior of the like population of reference vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Kuffner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11315419
    Abstract: Providing user assistance in a vehicle includes identifying a traffic behavior of an object in an environment surrounding the vehicle based on an evaluation of information about the environment surrounding the vehicle while the vehicle is in the midst of manual operation, and issuing an alert to a user prompting the user to implement defensive manual operation. The user assistance further includes receiving a traffic behavior model that describes a predominating traffic behavior of a like population of reference objects, and issuing the alert to a user prompting the user to implement defensive manual operation in response to identifying that the traffic behavior of the object does not match the predominating traffic behavior of the like population of reference objects. Under the defensive manual operation, the traffic behavior of the object is addressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Kuffner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11312372
    Abstract: A system, comprising a computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to input second vehicle sensor data received via one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle (V-to-V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V-to-I) networking into a generative query neural network (GQN) trained to generate second vehicle viewpoint data and predict a path for a second vehicle based on the second vehicle viewpoint data with a reinforcement learning deep neural network (RLDNN). The computer can be further programmed to obtain a confidence for the predicted second vehicle path from a Bayesian framework applied to the RLDNN and determine a first vehicle path based on the predicted second vehicle path and the confidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Michael Herman, Ashwin Arunmozhi, Venkatesh Krishnan
  • Patent number: 11314256
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method and system for controlling mechanical transmission of an intelligent wheelchair. The system may include a processor, a motion module, and a tripod head. The processor may be configured to perform operations of receiving information, constructing a map, planning a route, and generating a control parameter. The motion module may execute the control parameter to move around and may include a sensor to sense information. The tripod head may include a sensor to sense the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SICHUAN GOLDEN RIDGE INTELLIGENCE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Weirong Liu, Jiaxin Li, Yin Jiao, Li Yan, Dong Dong, Yifeng Huang
  • Patent number: 11314973
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a lane line-based intelligent driving control method and apparatus, and an electronic device. The method includes: obtaining a lane line detection result of a vehicle traveling environment; determining, according to a traveling state of the vehicle and the lane line detection result, an estimated distance of traveling out of the lane line by the vehicle and/or estimated time of traveling out of the lane line by the vehicle; and performing intelligent driving control on the vehicle according to the estimated distance and/or the estimated time. The embodiments of the present disclosure implement lane line-based intelligent control on the vehicle traveling state, thereby helping to improve the driving safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SHANGHAI SENSETIME INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenzhi Liu, Chendi Yu, Guangliang Cheng, Haibo Zhu
  • Patent number: 11314253
    Abstract: Autonomous driving includes identifying a traffic behavior of an object in an environment surrounding a vehicle based on an evaluation of information about the environment surrounding the vehicle while the vehicle is in the midst of manual operation, and operating vehicle systems in the vehicle to perform a driving maneuver according to a driving plan for performing the driving maneuver. The autonomous driving further includes receiving a traffic behavior model that describes a predominating traffic behavior of a like population of reference objects, and operating the vehicle systems to perform the driving maneuver according to the driving plan in response to identifying that the traffic behavior of the object does not match the predominating traffic behavior of the like population of reference objects. Under the driving plan, the traffic behavior of the object is addressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Kuffner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11307589
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vessel navigation system and navigation method thereof, the method includes: (a) driving a vessel to sail along a sailing path including at least two nodes, the at least two nodes include a first node and a second node connected by a first line segment; (b) generating a first tracking point on the first line segment when a distance between the vessel and the first node being less than a first length, and driving the vessel to sail according to the first tracking point; (c) generating a second tracking point on the first line segment when a distance between the vessel and the first tracking point being less than the first length, and driving the vessel to sail according to the second tracking point; and then completing the navigation of the sailing path by repeating the step (b) and step (c) until the vessel passes through each node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: SHIP AND OCEAN INDUSTRIES R&D CENTER
    Inventors: Feng-Yeang Chung, Ching-Chin Tu, Chun-Han Chu, Min-Hsiang Hsu
  • Patent number: 11307596
    Abstract: A ground service vehicle system employs autonomous vehicles that can be reconfigured with interchangeable service modules to provide different services. The autonomous service vehicles can be remotely controlled and dispatched in swarms to provide different services at a location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Steve G. Mackin, Peter J. Knudsen
  • Patent number: 11302023
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method of generating a horizontal plane hypothesis includes obtaining a point cloud of a scene including a plurality of points in a gravity-aligned coordinate system. The method includes generating, based on the plurality of points, a height histogram indicative of a plurality of non-overlapping height ranges in the gravity-aligned coordinate system and a respective plurality of weights. The method includes generating one or more horizontal plane hypotheses based on the height histogram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Oliver Montague Welton Dunkley, Michael Jaison Gnanasekar, Aitor Aldoma Buchaca
  • Patent number: 11300976
    Abstract: A work vehicle automatic traveling system includes a route element selecting unit that, on the basis of state information, sequentially selects a next travel route element on which a work vehicle is to travel next, from a travel route element set and a circling route element set. The route element selecting unit includes a cooperative route element selection rule, which is employed when a plurality of work vehicles carry out work travel cooperatively in an area CA to be worked, and an independent route element selection rule, which is employed when a single independent work vehicle among the work vehicles carries out work travel independently in the area CA to be worked. Also described is selecting the next travel route element based on the independent route element selection rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Sakura Tomita, Tomohiko Sano, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Tetsuya Nakajima, Makoto Oshitani, Kenichi Iwami, Osamu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11300421
    Abstract: An alighting position setting device includes an option presentation unit configured to present an occupant of a vehicle with multiple options set in advance relating to a request for an alighting position for a destination when the vehicle in an autonomous driving toward the destination set in advance approaches the destination, an option recognition unit configured to recognize the option selected by the occupant from the multiple options, and an alighting position setting unit configured to set an alighting position based on the request for the alighting position corresponding to the option selected by the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junya Watanabe, Seiji Arakawa, Yuji Sasaki, Masafumi Hayakawa, Naotoshi Kadotani, Takashi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11301767
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus may be configured to implement automatic semantic classification of a detected object(s) disposed in a region of an environment external to an autonomous vehicle. The automatic semantic classification may include analyzing over a time period, patterns in a predicted behavior of the detected object(s) to infer a semantic classification of the detected object(s). Analysis may include processing of sensor data from the autonomous vehicle to generate heat maps indicative of a location of the detected object(s) in the region during the time period. Probabilistic statistical analysis may be applied to the sensor data to determine a confidence level in the inferred semantic classification. The inferred semantic classification may be applied to the detected object(s) when the confidence level exceeds a predetermined threshold value (e.g., greater than 50%).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse Sol Levinson, Gabriel Thurston Sibley, Ashutosh Gajanan Rege
  • Patent number: 11300966
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a vehicle control method, including: acquiring current driving information of a vehicle; determining, according to the current driving information and a preset risk map, whether the vehicle drives to a risky road segment; and controlling a driving state of the vehicle accordingly when it is determined that the vehicle drives to the risky road segment. By presetting a risk map, defining road and roadside risky areas in the map, defining risky road segments of roads according to the road and roadside risky areas, determining in real time, whether the vehicle drives to a risky road segment, and controlling a driving state of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle drives to the risky road segment, so as to avoid risks that the risky areas cause to the driving of the vehicle, the driving safety of the vehicle can be effectively improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Inventors: Fan Yang, Xiaoxing Zhu, Xiang Liu, Shuang Zhang, Jingjing Xue
  • Patent number: 11300954
    Abstract: A controller is provided to predict potential future engagement or disengagement of an automated driving feature in a vehicle and proactively implement operations to reduce the likelihood of the disengagement or increase the likelihood of the engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Claudia V. Goldman-Shenhar
  • Patent number: 11292448
    Abstract: A longitudinal driver assistance system in a motor vehicle includes a capture system configured to detect upcoming relevant events which require adaptation of a predefined maximum permissible top speed, and a functional unit which, upon detecting an upcoming relevant event, is configured to determine, based on a location of the upcoming relevant event, a first location or first time, the reaching of which causes the functional unit to output a notification to a driver of the vehicle relating to an automatic adaptation of the maximum permissible top speed. The functional unit is also configured to determine a second location or time to be reached after the first location or first time, respectively, the reaching of which causes the functional unit to intervene in a longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle in a direction of a new maximum permissible top speed at the location of the upcoming relevant event if there is no driver-initiated refusal of the automatic adaptation of the maximum permissible top speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Holger Ulrich, Stefan Knoller, Walter Kagerer, Andreas Lechner
  • Patent number: 11292491
    Abstract: A server includes: a candidate trajectory generation part for generating a candidate traveling trajectory of a target vehicle; a trajectory simulator for executing a trajectory simulation on the candidate traveling trajectory generated by the candidate trajectory generation part; a trajectory evaluation part for determining a traveling trajectory based on a result of the trajectory simulation; a vehicle coordination part for transmitting information of the traveling trajectory determined by the trajectory evaluation part to an onboard device; an infrastructure coordination part for obtaining sensing information from an infrastructure sensor; an ambient environment generation part for generating information indicating an ambient environment of the traveling trajectory, based on the sensing information obtained by the infrastructure coordination part; and a resetting determination part for determining whether to reset the traveling trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Matsumoto, Tsuneo Sobue, Akihiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 11294371
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle which includes multiple independent control systems that provide redundancy as to specific and critical safety situations which may be encountered when the autonomous vehicle is in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Letwin, Sean Kelly
  • Patent number: 11294042
    Abstract: Embodiments of present disclosure relates to method and system to accurate detection of partial visual fault in lidar sensor of moving vehicle. Initially, first line cluster data for static objects present within first predefined view of Lidar sensor is determined. Static objects are tracked until viewing angle of Lidar sensor for corresponding static object is 90°. The tracking is performed based on second line cluster data corresponding to first line cluster data for static objects present within second predefined view of Lidar sensor. During tracking, non-observation of second line cluster data corresponding to first line cluster data, for one or more static objects is detected. Angle of non-observation is determined for one or more static objects upon detection. Presence of partial visual fault for Lidar sensor is detected based on angle of non-observation, for notifying navigation system associated with moving vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Wipro Limited
    Inventors: Balaji Sunil Kumar, Manas Sarkar
  • Patent number: 11292493
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to determine, for a host vehicle operating in a first operation mode, a first operation mode transition location based on a time to transition the host vehicle from the first operation mode to a second operation mode, a current speed of the host vehicle, and a distance from the host vehicle to an operation mode transition boundary location, to determine a second operation mode transition location that is a specified distance from the first operation mode transition location, the specified distance based on the current host vehicle speed, to transition from the first operation mode to the second operation mode upon reaching the first operation mode transition location, and to transition from the second operation mode to the first operation mode when the second operation mode transition location is between a current location of the host vehicle and the operation mode transition boundary location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Jones, Alexander Jaeckel
  • Patent number: 11292470
    Abstract: A method to establish a lane-change maneuver, the method includes the steps of calculating a plurality of anchor points along a projected vehicle route and, based on the plurality of anchor points, generating a lane-change maneuver trajectory. The plurality of anchor points can include: a first anchor point based on time, a second anchor point where the vehicle would cross a lane boundary from a host lane to a target lane, and a third anchor point where counter steering torque would be applied to center the vehicle in the target lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Tetyana V. Mamchuk, Paul A. Adam, Gabriel T. Choi, Joseph M. Burdge
  • Patent number: 11294059
    Abstract: A system and method including, determining an alignment between one or more points of a first point set and one or more points of a second point set; predicting a first set of Doppler velocity information for the first point set to produce a first predicted set of Doppler velocity information; comparing a second set of Doppler velocity information and the first predicted set of Doppler velocity information to compute one or more Doppler velocity errors; predicting a third set of Doppler velocity information for the second point set to produce a second predicted set of Doppler velocity information; comparing a fourth set of Doppler velocity information and the second predicted set of Doppler velocity information to compute Doppler velocity errors; and producing a transform that aligns the one or more points of the first point set with the one or more points of the second point set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Aeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno Hexsel, Heethesh Vhalve Naresh
  • Patent number: 11294090
    Abstract: In a marker detection method for detecting magnetic markers (10) laid in a road by sensor units (11) attached to a vehicle (5), in a marker detection system (1) including two sensor units (11) arranged so as to be separated in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle (5) and two magnetic markers (10) arranged at spacings equal thereto so as to be simultaneously detectable by the two sensor units (11), magnetism generation sources simultaneously detected by the two sensor units (11) are detected as the magnetic markers (10), thereby reducing erroneous detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11285947
    Abstract: A traveling control apparatus includes: an information obtainer configured to obtain braking state information of a braking device in the host vehicle; and an ACC-ECU configured to execute traveling control including constant speed traveling control to cause the host vehicle to travel at a constant speed based on a preset vehicle speed, and follow-up traveling control to cause the host vehicle to travel so as to follow another vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance. The ACC-ECU deactivates the ACC at a time when a braking performance index EV1z, derived from braking state information obtained by the information obtainer while the ACC being in operation, is deemed to be decreased by more than a predetermined first variation width IN_dif1, as compared with a braking performance index EV1a at a time of the ACC having been activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Matsushita, Yoshimichi Kawamoto, Takashi Horiguchi, Shigeru Yamawaki
  • Patent number: 11287820
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate generally to autonomous vehicles. The features described improve the safety, use, driver experience, and performance of these vehicles by performing a behavior analysis on mobile objects in the vicinity of an autonomous vehicle. Specifically, the autonomous vehicle is capable of detecting nearby objects, such as vehicles and pedestrians, and is able to determine how the detected vehicles and pedestrians perceive their surroundings. The autonomous vehicle may then use this information to safely maneuver around all nearby objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Jiajun Zhu, David I. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 11287816
    Abstract: A computing system can generate a map constraint interface enabling a fleet operator to update map constraints for autonomous vehicles (AVs). The map constraint interface can comprise a unified document model enabling the fleet operator to configure a set of constraint layers of autonomy maps utilized by the AVs. Each constraint layer can include a toggle feature that enables the fleet operator to enable and disable the constraint layer. The system can receive, via the map constraint interface, a set of inputs configuring the set of constraint layers of the one or more autonomy maps, compile a set of updated map constraints, corresponding to the configured set of constraint layers, into a document container, and output the document container to a subset of the AVs to enable the subset of AVs to integrate the set of updated map constraints with the autonomy maps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Panzica, Brett Bavar, Julie Derence, Marcial Hernandez, Tashwin Khurana, Bryan Nagy, Jordan Romaidis, Adrian Rechy Romero
  • Patent number: 11287263
    Abstract: A position capturing system (1) includes a vehicle (5) provided with a measuring unit (2) which magnetically detects a magnetic marker (10) laid in a road and determines a polarity thereof and a GPS unit (35) which measures a position; a database (34) having stored therein a laying position of each of magnetic markers (10) linked with polarity information of the magnetic marker (10); and a position capturing unit (32) which executes processes for capturing the position of the vehicle (5) by selecting corresponding laying position from the database (34) when any of the magnetic markers (10) is detected; and when any of the magnetic markers (10) is detected, selects the laying position located in a specified area with reference to a measured position by the GPS unit (35) and linked with polarity information which complies with the polarity of the detected magnetic marker (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11285955
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle, includes a traveling control unit configured to control traveling of the vehicle including a course change, and a regulation unit configured to regulate a plurality of course changes of the vehicle within a predetermined period by the traveling control unit. Regulation by the regulation unit is changed based on a situation of the vehicle at the time of traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kanta Tsuji, Tadahiko Kanoh, Daichi Kato
  • Patent number: 11285965
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an autonomous vehicle and associated interface system that includes multiple vehicle interface computing devices that provide redundant vehicle commands. As one example, an autonomous vehicle interface system can include a first vehicle interface computing device located within the autonomous vehicle and physically coupled to the autonomous vehicle. The first vehicle interface computing device can provide a first plurality of selectable vehicle commands to a human passenger of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle interface system can further include a second vehicle interface computing device that provides a second plurality of selectable vehicle commands to the human passenger. For example, the second vehicle interface computing device can be the passenger's own device (e.g., smartphone). The second plurality of selectable vehicle commands can include at least some of the same vehicle commands as the first plurality of selectable vehicle commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Molly Castle Nix, Sean Chin, Dennis Zhao, Eric James Hanson
  • Patent number: 11285974
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a vehicle, an information terminal apparatus that can provide, on a display unit, a plurality of contents which provide training on an operation method of the vehicle, and a server that can communicate with the vehicle and the information terminal apparatus. The information terminal apparatus includes a display control unit configured to cause the display unit to display a first content that provides training on an operation method including a method to start an operation of a specific function of the vehicle and a second content that provides, to a user of the vehicle who has been trained by the first content and is registered in the server, training on an operation method corresponding to a phenomenon that can occur while the specific function is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Ikeda, Takafumi Hirose, Kentaro Ishisaka, Takashi Watanabe, Junpei Yashima, Katsuya Yashiro, Toru Kokaki, Daiki Nishida, Yuta Takada, Yuji Fujiki
  • Patent number: 11279373
    Abstract: During automated driving of a vehicle, an automated driving system searches for a driver's acceptable range being a range of an automated driving parameter accepted by a driver of the vehicle. A positive response is the driver's response when the automated driving parameter is within the driver's acceptable range. A negative response is the driver's response when the automated driving parameter is beyond the driver's acceptable range. The automated driving system executes: parameter change processing that actively changes the automated driving parameter; response determination processing that determines whether the driver's response to the parameter change processing is the positive response or the negative response based on a result of detection by a driver response detection device; and search processing that repeatedly executes the parameter change processing and the response determination processing to search for the driver's acceptable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki Matsushita, Koji Taguchi
  • Patent number: 11279353
    Abstract: A lane departure prevention apparatus (17) has: a departure preventing device (172) for preventing a vehicle (1) from departing from a driving lane by controlling at least one of a steering apparatus (142) and a braking apparatus (13) selected on the basis of a state of the vehicle, when it is determined that the vehicle may depart from the driving lane; and a determining device for determining whether or not an abnormality condition that it is difficult for a person to normally drive the vehicle is satisfied, the departure preventing device prevents the vehicle from departing from the driving lane by controlling the braking apparatus even if the state of the vehicle is not a predetermined state in which the departure preventing device should prevent the vehicle from departing from the driving lane by controlling the braking apparatus, when it is determined that the abnormality condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki Ikeda, Ryo Inomata, Akira Nagae, Hironori Ito
  • Patent number: 11281219
    Abstract: Technologies for steering sensors in a sensor carrier structure on an autonomous vehicle (AV) are described herein. In some examples, a sensor positioning platform on an AV can include an actuator system including a motor configured to move and reposition a sensor carrier structure having a plurality of sensors; a motor controller configured to receive instructions for controlling the motor to reposition the sensor carrier structure and, based on the instructions, send to the motor control signals configured to control the motor to reposition the sensor carrier structure; one or more hoses arranged within tubes mounted to a portion of the actuator system and configured to output sensor cleaning substances through a thru-bore on the actuator system; and one or more cleaning systems configured to receive the sensor cleaning substances and spray the sensor cleaning substances on one or more sensors on the sensor carrier structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: GM Cruise Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Barrett Herse, Roger Lo
  • Patent number: 11281221
    Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for performing autonomous path navigation using deep neural networks. The method includes the steps of receiving image data at a deep neural network (DNN), determining, by the DNN, both an orientation of a vehicle with respect to a path and a lateral position of the vehicle with respect to the path, utilizing the image data, and controlling a location of the vehicle, utilizing the orientation of the vehicle with respect to the path and the lateral position of the vehicle with respect to the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Alexey Kamenev, Jeffrey David Smith, Stanley Thomas Birchfield
  • Patent number: 11279360
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system includes an information acquiring device configured to acquire driving environment information and a travelling control device configured to execute lane change control from a first lane to a second lane during autonomous driving based on the driving environment information. The travelling control device is configured to perform a continuation determining process of determining whether to continue the lane change control based on a combination of a progress level and an influence level when a subsequent vehicle in the second lane is detected based on the driving environment information and a stop request for execution of the lane change control is detected after execution of the lane change control has started. The progress level represents progress of the lane change control and the influence level represents a predicted degree of influence of continuing the lane change control on the subsequent vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Fukuda, Shota Fujii
  • Patent number: 11276261
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for on-demand delivery of a payload by an unmanned vehicle. An unmanned vehicle may comprise a chamber configured to house a payload and adjust a payload state. The payload state may be adjusted based on detection of a tampering event. An unmanned vehicle may also comprise an authentication system configured to allow access to the payload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventor: Jeremy Rephlo
  • Patent number: 11273821
    Abstract: Provided is a parking assistance method capable of storing surrounding situation of a parking target position appropriate to be referred to during autonomous parking. The parking assistance method of storing the surrounding situation of the parking target position when parking at the parking target position and executing the autonomous parking using the stored surrounding situation, includes a step of detecting the surrounding situation; a step of indicating the detected surrounding situation; a step of receiving a determination of whether the indicated surrounding situation are appropriate input by an occupant; and a step of storing the surrounding situation when the determination of appropriateness is input by the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Ichiro Yamaguchi, Yasuhisa Hayakawa, Takahiko Oki