Google Inc.

Waymo LLC

X Development LLC

Other

Arris Enterprises LLC

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Digeo, Inc.

Arris Group, Inc.

Vulcan Ventures, Inc.

Michael George Sleator

Eric Holland

Min Wang

Zhe Li

Todd Krein

Toby Farrand

Steve Young

Robert Spies

Stephen G Perlman

Paul Heninwolf

Ross Koningstein

James Schmalzried

Girts Folkmanis

Mark Adrian Stubbs

The disclosure describes a system that includes a self-driving system for operating a vehicle autonomously, one or more optical transmitters mounted on the vehicle, and one or more computing devices in communication with the self-driving system and the one or more optical transmitters. The one or more computing devices are configured to operate the self-driving system to cause the vehicle to approach a designated location in proximity of a structure on which one or more receivers are mounted and determine that the one or more optical transmitters have an alignment with the one or more receivers. Then, the one or more computing devices are configured to operate the one or more optical transmitters to establish an optical communication link with the one or more receivers and transmit data to the one or more receivers over the optical communication link.

Vehicle with free-space optical link for log data uploading

A communication system is disclosed. The system can include a first communication unit including a first antenna, a second communication unit including a second antenna and a dielectric waveguide cable, and a rotary joint configured to enable the first unit to rotate with respect to the second unit about an axis of rotation of the system. The dielectric waveguide cable can extend from the second antenna to the rotary joint, where a proximal end of the cable can be coupled to the second antenna and a distal end of the cable can be affixed to the second unit at a location bordering a space defined by the rotary joint. The first and second units can be configured to engage in two-way communication with each other. An axis of the distal end of the cable can be substantially aligned with the axis of rotation of the system.

Automotive communication system with dielectric waveguide cable and wireless contactless rotary joint

A method of determining a distance between a vehicle and a sound source includes detecting, at a microphone of the vehicle, sounds from a sound source external to the vehicle. The sounds have a first frequency component at a first frequency and a second frequency component at a second frequency. The method also includes determining, at a processor of the vehicle, a classification of the sound source based on audio properties of the sounds. The method further includes determining a first energy level associated with the first frequency component and a second energy level associated with the second frequency component. The method also includes determining a ratio between the first energy level and the second energy level. The method further includes determining the distance between the vehicle and the sound source based on the ratio and the classification of the sound source.

Sound source distance estimation

One or more switchable magnetic systems is located near a battery attachment surface of an electric vehicle, where the battery attachment surface is configured to accept and electronically connect to a battery pack. The electric vehicle also includes a control system that operates the one or more switchable magnetic system switching from a first to a second state. In the first state the magnetic field of the switchable magnetic system secures the battery pack to the battery attachment surface so that the battery pack is electronically coupled to an electric motor of the electric vehicle. When the control system receives a message corresponding to removal of the battery pack, the control system switches the switchable magnetic system to the second state such that the battery pack is removable from the battery attachment surface.

Switchable magnetic battery docking

Methods and apparatus related to arrays of piezoelectric strands. Some implementations are directed to using an array of piezoelectric strands, along with associated driving and sensing components, to enable determination of one or more properties of external force(s) applied to the array, such as what areas of the array have external force being applied, a measure of the applied external force(s), material properties of object(s) applying the external force(s), etc. Each of the piezoelectric strands of an array may include at least a longitudinally extending piezoelectric material and a longitudinally extending conductive electrode.

Piezoelectric strands for tactile sensing

A magnetic end effector utilizing a switchable Halbach array includes a pair of opposing members that can move towards and away from each other. The switchable Halbach arrays are located on or near the inner surface of the opposing members. A mechanical switching system is used to control the switchable Halbach arrays by moving one or more magnets that make up the switchable Halbach arrays. When manipulated in a certain way, the switchable Halbach arrays cause the opposing members to move towards each other, and when manipulate in a different manner, cause the opposing members to move away from each other.

Magnetic end effector

Example implementations may relate to a rotary transformer configured to transmit data. In some implementations, the rotary transformer may include a primary transformer component with a primary winding magnetically coupled to a secondary transformer component with a secondary winding. The rotary transformer may also include a resonant circuit including a frequency determining element and an amplifier. The frequency determining element may consist of the primary and secondary windings connected in parallel to respective capacitors. The primary transformer component may be coupled to a fixed-frequency signal generator. The rotary transformer may include a modulator coupled to the secondary transformer component and configured to vary the phase of the resonant circuit to generate an output signal and a demodulator coupled to the primary transformer component and configured to demodulate the output signal.

Rotary transformer

The disclosed subject matter may provide a system and methods for commissioning a device or appliance into a network. A processor may detect the insertion of a removable device into a data receptacle of a first device. The first device may be an appliance or a network controller. Information may be retrieved from or delivered to the removable device. The information may be information specific to the appliance, such as model number, or may be information related to the network controller. For example, information delivered from the network controller to the removable device may include a network address assignment and network protocol to be used by an appliance when the appliance communicates with the network. The removable device may be removed from the first device and inserted into a data receptacle of a second device.

Device commissioning

Disclosed is a memory device in which the state of the memory may be set by a mechanical action, with or without mains power present. The memory state may be detected by a microcontroller. The state for the memory device may be reset by a microcontroller. The microcontroller may be external to an apparatus containing the memory device, adjacent to or within the apparatus.

System for automatic decommissioning of network participants based on pressure applied to compression element within the device

A system can receive a gesture from a user and configure a microphone system based on the received gesture to be more sensitive in the direction of a user from a device. The gesture can detected by a sensor and can be a touch input, input from a camera and a depth sensor and the like. The microphone system can include a microphone that can be electronically or mechanically steerable, or both. Acoustic signals received from the direction of the user and from other directions can be used in conjunction with an automatic speech recognition system to detect and process a command from the user.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Michael George Sleator