Toyota Research Institute, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Woven by Toyota, Inc.

Hiroshi Yasuda

Manuel Ludwig Kuehner

Jaime Camhi

Daniel J Brooks

Scott Michael Harris

Guillermo Pita Gil

Simon A I Stent

Yan Ming Jonathan Goh

Alexander Russell Green

Jean Marcel Dos Reis Costa

Avinash Balachandran

Thor Lewis

Stephanie Paepcke

Kun-Hsin Chen

Ryan W Wolcott

James Cazzoli

Julian MacNeille Mason

Naveen Suresh Kuppuswamy

Ashlimarie Dong

James Veluya

Helena Zhang

Carlo Vega

Christoffer Rodemeyer

Jemma Robinson

David Landa

Shunsho Kaku

Hai Jin

Hirofumi Aoki

Takaaki Tagawa

Julia I Pralle

Alexander Christoph Schaefer

Andrea Michelle Rios Lazcano

Andrea Lazcano

Systems and methods for increasing the privacy of occupants of a vehicle are disclosed. In one example, a system includes a processor and a memory that has a privacy module with instructions. The instructions cause the processor to determine a first vehicle viewing area of a first vehicle and a second vehicle viewing area of a second vehicle. In response to determining when the first vehicle viewing area at least partially overlaps the second vehicle viewing area, the instructions cause the processor to send a control signal to control a longitudinal position of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle such that the first vehicle viewing area does not overlap the second vehicle viewing area.

System and method for modifying the longitudinal position of a vehicle with respect to another vehicle to increase privacy

A method for adjusting a direction of focus for a driver includes identifying a first direction of focus, of the driver of a vehicle, at a first time period in accordance with monitoring one or both of a gaze direction of the driver or a head pose of the driver. The method further includes generating audio from one or more speakers of a set of speakers located within a cabin of the vehicle based on identifying the first direction of focus, a spatial location of the audio corresponding to an expected direction of focus. The method also includes terminating the audio signal in accordance with a second direction of focus, at a second time period, being within a range of the expected direction of focus, the second direction of focus being determined based on the monitoring of one or both of the gaze direction or the head pose.

Directing a drivers gaze based on directional audio

Systems and methods described herein relate to adjusting presentation of media content in a vehicular environment. In one embodiment, a system for adjusting presentation of media content in a vehicular environment estimates a time at which an operational design domain (ODD) boundary will occur for a vehicle that is operating in an at least semi-autonomous driving mode. The system also processes automatically a media-content item presented to an occupant of the vehicle to generate a modified media-content item, the modified media-content item having a duration that results in presentation of the modified media-content item concluding at a predetermined time not later than the estimated time.

Systems and methods for adjusting presentation of media content in a vehicular environment

A system for mitigating an effect of a collision between a vehicle and an obstacle can include a processor and a memory. The memory can store a seat occupancy determination module and a set of modules including a candidate response determination module, a candidate response evaluation module, and a controller module. The seat occupancy determination module can determine a state of a seat with respect to being occupied by a living being, the seat being on a first side opposite of a second side at which an operator is located. The set of modules can cause, in response to the state being: (1) occupied, a first set of operations to be implemented and (2) unoccupied, a second set of operations to be implemented. Each of the first set and the second set can be different from a current trajectory of the vehicle and can mitigate the effect of the collision.

Mitigating an effect of a collision between a vehicle and an obstacle

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to training a vehicle driver based on in-cabin or external light triggers. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and a memory storing machine-readable instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to monitor a vehicle location along a roadway. A map of the roadway indicates a target location for a driving maneuver to be performed. When the vehicle location is within a threshold distance from a target location on the map, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control a vehicle light based on a vehicle light setting associated with the driving maneuver.

Systems and methods for training drivers via vehicle light control

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to keeping an operator of a host vehicle that is semi-autonomous or autonomous engaged. In one embodiment, a method includes determining whether a disengagement ratio of the host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold value and determining whether driving conditions at an upcoming road segment are conducive for disengagement of autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle. The method includes disengaging the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in response to at least the disengagement ratio being below the predetermined threshold value and the driving conditions being conducive for the disengagement of the autonomous vehicle control.

Autonomous vehicle operator engagement

Systems and methods are provided to notify an operator of an active and correctly operating driving automation system. More specifically, the notification is executed through modulation of longitudinal vehicle dynamics based on cruising speed or following distance to a leading vehicle.

Increasing operator confidence of an active driving automation system by modifying longitudinal vehicle dynamics

Systems and methods are provided for improving a contact condition between a charging cable and a charging port. A charging cable may be plugged into a charging power to charge an electrical device. A charging cable may include a plug which may mate with prongs of a charging port. The plug may include sensors and a vibrator. The sensors may detect when a user intends to plug the charging cable into the charging port. Upon detection of intent to plug the charging cable into the charging port. The vibrator may be activated and may vibrate the plug. The vibration may generate relative movement between the prongs of the charging port and the plug. The movement may release dirt, dust, and corrosive materials from the charging port and plug, resulting in increased cleanliness. The movement may also assist in forming a more secure connection between the charging cable and plug.

Systems and methods for improving contact condition of charging cable and port

A system includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory has a human-machine interface module having instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to identify, based on sensor data regarding a vehicle and an environment in which the vehicle operates, an event in which the vehicle should perform an autonomous steering maneuver determined by an autonomous driving system. The instructions further cause the processor to, in response to identifying the event, decouple control of a steering rack of the vehicle by a handwheel of the vehicle and reduce a rational movement of the handwheel from a normal range to a restricted range, and determine, by the autonomous driving system, the autonomous steering maneuver to be performed by the vehicle influenced by an angle of the handwheel detected by the processor when the rotational movement of the handwheel is in the restricted range.

Human-machine interface control system

A system is provided for implementing trajectory analysis entry controls. A trajectory analysis entry control system is implemented in a vehicle, and supports remote and automatic entry control functions for the vehicle. For example the system triggers various automatic entry controls functions, such as remotely unlocking doors and/or a trunk of a vehicle, by tracking and analyzing a user's trajectory of movement while they are approaching the vehicle. A system includes a user identification device to identify whether a user is authorized to access the vehicle, such as a driver. The system also includes a trajectory tracking device that determines a trajectory of the user with respect to the vehicle. As the user's trajectory is determined to be approaching the vehicle, the trajectory tracking device further determines which entry point of the vehicle the user is approaching and automatically engages an automatic unlocking of that access point of the vehicle.

Systems and methods to utilize user trajectory analysis for automatic vehicle controls

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving passenger compartment air quality in a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to acquiring sensor data that includes at least air quality information about a surrounding environment of an ego vehicle, analyzing the sensor data to determine whether the air quality information satisfies an action threshold specifying that air around the ego vehicle is of a poor quality. The method includes identifying a source of the air having the poor quality, including whether a leading vehicle in front of the ego vehicle is the source. The method includes generating a response to the air having the poor quality according to the source. The method includes controlling the ego vehicle according to the response.

Systems and methods for avoidance of external odors in a vehicle

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to adjusting a vehicle display that occludes a view of an operator in response to identifying a risk. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to determining a vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode, displaying content on at least one display within the vehicle that occludes a field-of-view (FOV) of an operator through a window of the vehicle. The method includes analyzing sensor data from at least one sensor of the vehicle to identify a risk associated with a path of the vehicle. The method includes, in response to determining the risk satisfies a risk threshold, adjusting display of the content associated with the display occluding the FOV.

Adjusting a vehicle display that occludes a view of an operator in response to identifying a risk

A system for contemporaneously calibrating a gaze-tracking system and authorizing access to a first other system can include a processor and a memory. The memory can store a preliminary operations module, an authorization module, and a gaze-tracking module. The preliminary operations module can include instructions to compare a trajectory, of a point of gaze of an eye, with a pattern associated both with a calibration of the gaze-tracking system and with a first authorization process, that excludes an iris recognition process, for the first other system. The authorization module can include instructions to cause an access to the first other system to be authorized. The gaze-tracking module can include instructions to: (1) cause the gaze-tracking system to be calibrated and (2) cause, in response to the gaze-tracking system being calibrated, the gaze-tracking system to be configured to be a user interface for a second other system.

Contemporaneously calibrating a gaze-tracking system and authorizing access to another system

A steering wheel-based HMI system for a vehicle includes a steer-by-wire system and a control module. The steer-by-wire system includes a steering wheel and a torque feedback unit mechanically connected to the steering wheel. The control module is communicatively connected to the torque feedback unit. The control module is configured to identify a communication, gather information about user securement of the steering wheel, and operate the torque feedback unit to apply a supplementary torque to the steering wheel for haptically issuing the communication through the steering wheel. The supplementary torque has a magnitude that is scaled based on the information about user securement of the steering wheel.

Steering wheel-based HMI system

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to implementing and calibrating a learning model for inferring operator intent by estimating grip intensity. In one embodiment, a method includes estimating, using a learning model during a driving scenario, first grip intensity on a steering device for a vehicle according to initial image data depicting a hand of an operator gripping outside the set areas that have pressure sensors. The method also includes calibrating the learning model for the operator and the steering device using grip measurements and additional image data acquired from gripping inside the set areas. The method also includes computing, using the learning model during the driving scenario, second grip intensity outside the set areas on the steering device according to hand images acquired about the operator. The method also includes adapting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle according to the second grip intensity.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Hiroshi Yasuda