Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Joseph Funke

This inventor holds 47 USPTO granted patents and 6 published patent applications and 2 EPO patents, primarily in Autonomous Vehicles. Top assignee: Zoox, Inc.. Active years: 2019-2026.

USPTO Granted Patents = 47 (Patent Applications = 6)

% Patents Active = 95.7

EPO Patents = 2 (Patent Applications = 4)

Average Co-Inventor Count = 3.7

ph-index = 9

Forward Citations = 368(Granted Patents)

Company Filing History:

47 out of 1,296

Zoox, Inc.

patents

Years Active: 2019-2026

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Areas of Expertise:

Trajectory Generation

Path Planning

Vehicle Control

Object Detection

Parking Location

Four-Wheel Steering

Dynamic Vehicle Controller

Fleet Control

Sensor Coverage

Vehicle Diagnostics

Driving Simulations

Unsafe Pickup Detection

47 patents (USPTO):Sort by Forward CitationsExplore Patents

1. 12746943 - Four wheel steering angle constraints (2026-09-29),

2. 12703394 - Remote assistance for vehicles (2026-08-11),

3. 12654745 - Recovery from stopping trajectory while in motion (2026-06-16),

4. 12565199 - Systems and methods for rapid deceleration (2026-03-03),

5. 12534105 - Tree search integrated dynamic vehicle controller profile for vehicle path planning (2026-01-27),

6. 12491910 - Autonomous vehicle trajectory generation and optimization (2025-12-09),

7. 12415510 - Simulated vehicle position errors in driving simulations (2025-09-16),

8. 12374125 - Object destination and trajectory prediction based on semantic features (2025-07-29),

9. 12291191 - Parking location filter (2025-05-06),

10. 12269508 - Determining parking locations based on multistage filtering (2025-04-08),

11. 12269506 - Autonomous vehicle operations related to detection of an unsafe passenger pickup/delivery condition (2025-04-08),

12. 12258004 - Independent control of vehicle wheels (2025-03-25),

13. 12252200 - Determining vehicle position using sideslip vector (2025-03-18),

14. 12208822 - Trajectory determination for four-wheel steering (2025-01-28),

15. 12208819 - Autonomous driving object detection and avoidance (2025-01-28),

Title: Joseph Funke: Innovating the Future of Autonomous Vehicles

Introduction

Joseph Funke, a prominent inventor based in Redwood City, CA, has made significant contributions to the field of autonomous vehicle technology. With an impressive portfolio of 34 patents, his work is instrumental in shaping the future of transportation and vehicle maneuverability.

Latest Patents

Among his latest innovations, two patents stand out:

1. **Trajectory determination for four-wheel steering** - This patent outlines a method for enhancing vehicle maneuverability and stability through independent control of leading and trailing wheels. By employing two vehicle models, one can determine and execute trajectories that improve the steering dynamics of the vehicle.

2. **Autonomous driving object detection and avoidance** - This invention introduces techniques that enable autonomous vehicles to navigate unstructured driving environments. By using a cost-based approach to associate objects detected in the vicinity, such vehicles can optimize their paths around obstacles by calculating costs for different driving strategies.

Career Highlights

Joseph Funke's career is marked by his innovative contributions at Zoox, Inc., a company dedicated to developing cutting-edge autonomous vehicle technologies. His expertise in trajectory determination and object detection has positioned him as a vital asset in the company’s mission to revolutionize transportation.

Collaborations

During his time at Zoox, Joseph has collaborated with notable coworkers, including Johannes Edren and Steven Cheng Qian. Together, they work on groundbreaking projects that push the boundaries of what is possible in autonomous driving technology.

Conclusion

Joseph Funke's inventions continue to pave the way for safer and more efficient autonomous vehicles. His dedication to innovation and collaboration reflects the spirit of advancement in the automotive industry, ensuring that the future of transportation remains bright.