Patents Examined by Adam D Tissot
  • Patent number: 11904687
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus configured to control a driving motor coupled to at least one wheel includes a motor controller, a vehicle speed calculator, and a vehicle speed setter. The motor controller controls the driving motor in a constant speed driving mode. The vehicle speed calculator calculates a first vehicle speed based on a rotation angle of the driving motor. The vehicle speed setter sets, as a driving speed in the constant speed driving mode, a second vehicle speed based on the first vehicle speed and a brake operation amount. The vehicle speed setter sets zero as the second vehicle speed when the brake operation amount exceeds its threshold and the first vehicle speed falls below its threshold, and sets the first vehicle speed as the second vehicle speed when the brake operation amount does not exceed its threshold r the first vehicle speed does not fall below its.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shoto Arai
  • Patent number: 11900663
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with traffic sign recognition, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an orchestrator, disposed in a CA/AD vehicle, to receive a classification and a location of a traffic sign, while the CA/AD vehicle is enroute to a destination. In response, the orchestrator query a remote sign locator service or a local database on the CA/AD vehicle for a reference description of the traffic sign, determine whether the classification is correct, and output a result of the determination. The classification of the traffic sign is generated based at least in part on computer vision, and the orchestrator includes an anomaly detector to detect anomalies between the classification and the reference description, and determine whether the classification is correct based at least in part on an amount of anomalies detected. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Oleg Pogorelik
  • Patent number: 11895938
    Abstract: Continued and precise operation of an agricultural implement exists even where a subsystem, such as a GPS receiver, wireless communicator, a sensor, or the like, fails, falters, or is otherwise unusable. Data is continually tracked to the extent possible during failure or faltering and is temporarily stored. To continue operations during periods of unavailability, a representation of planted ground is anticipated by other agricultural implements and/or calculated with agricultural data from other agricultural implements. Normal operations then continue until data sync can catch back up to real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan McMahan, Jason Schoon, Matthew Moeller, Matthew Baker
  • Patent number: 11897540
    Abstract: A driving support ECU is configured to, when s specific recognition state occurs where a lane marker recognized changes from a left lane marker to a right lane marker or vice versa under a one side lane marker recognizable state, set a steering angle guard value to a second steering angle guard value smaller than a first steering angle guard value and set a steering angle speed guard value to a second steering angle speed guard value smaller than a first steering angle speed guard value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirohito Ide
  • Patent number: 11891002
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a capture device and a processor. The capture device may be configured to generate a plurality of video frames corresponding to users of a vehicle. The processor may be configured to perform operations to detect objects in the video frames, detect users of the vehicle based on the objects detected in the video frames, determine a comfort profile for the users and select a reaction to adjust vehicle components according to the comfort profile of the detected users. The comfort profile may be determined in response to characteristics of the users. The characteristics of the users may be determined by performing the operations on each of the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Ambarella International LP
    Inventors: Shimon Pertsel, Patrick Martin
  • Patent number: 11891137
    Abstract: A steer-by-wire steering system for a vehicle, including: an operating device including a steering operating member, a counterforce applying mechanism configured to apply, to the steering operating member, an operation counterforce by a counterforce motor, and an operating controller configured to control the operation counterforce; a steering device including a steering actuator configured to steer a wheel by a steering motor and a steering controller configured to control an amount of steering of the wheel by the steering actuator; and a communication line communicably connecting the operating controller and the steering controller, wherein the steering controller is configured to: determine a status code based on a status of the steering device; and transmit the status code to the operating controller via the communication line; and wherein the operating controller is configured to change a magnitude of the operation counterforce in accordance with the status code received by the operating controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Iida, Masaharu Yamashita, Kenji Shibata, Yuji Fujita, Takashi Kodera, Isao Namikawa, Satoshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11884255
    Abstract: Excess fuel consumption monitor and feedback systems for vehicles include sensor arrays of two primary types including those sensors deployed as part of a vehicle manufacturer established sensor suite and sensors deployed as after-market sensors. Together, these sensor suites include sensors coupled to vehicle subsystems and operating environments associated with the vehicle. Data from these sensors may be used as parametric inputs to drive algorithmic calculations which have outputs that express excess fuel consumption. Expressions of excess fuel consumption may be made instantaneously as real-time feedback to a vehicle operator/driver and/or a fleet manager as part of a summary report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Palmer, Slaven Sljivar
  • Patent number: 11884343
    Abstract: A steering feel assisting apparatus of a steer-by-wire (SBW) system, may include a disk configured to rotate together with a steering shaft; a cam engaged to an actuator and configured to receive a rotational force of the actuator to be eccentrically rotated; and a brake arm configured to selectively friction-contact with an external peripheral surface of the disk to provide a predetermined frictional force in a forward rotation direction of the disk as the brake arm rotates in conjunction with rotation of the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Sang Woo Hwang, Young Dae Park, Byung Rim Lee, Min Jun Kim, Se Hyun Chang, Hyeon Seok Cho
  • Patent number: 11884184
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a control unit configured to determine whether to include a regenerative brake in specifications of a proposed vehicle based on regenerative brake operation data acquired while a first vehicle including the regenerative brake is traveling in a predetermined area. The proposed vehicle is a vehicle proposed as a vehicle for a customer to drive in the predetermined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke Tanimori, Ryota Nakabayashi, Osamu Izumida, Takeshi Kanou, Naoki Yamada, Kazuyuki Inoue, Shin Sakurada, Hiromitsu Fujii
  • Patent number: 11884323
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining a turning radius of a trailer attached to a towing vehicle and moved by the latter, comprising a computing unit, which is connected to a measuring sensor system, which transmits sensor data about current movements of the trailer to the computing unit, and which sensor data is considered by the computing unit for the determination of the turning radius. The invention also relates to a trailer, which is equipped with a device, which uses a method of this type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lemken Gmbh & Co KG
    Inventors: Gyorgy Jozsef Biro, Christoph Muller
  • Patent number: 11884164
    Abstract: A system for controlling charging of a battery of an eco-friendly vehicle includes: an on-board charger (OBC) mounted in the vehicle, setting a required charging current based on available charging current information received from a power supply unit supplying power for charging the battery, transmitting the required charging current to the power supply unit, and converting the power supplied from the power supply unit to charge the battery; and a controller determining whether charging of the battery is completed, and when it is determined that charging of the battery is abnormally terminated in a state where charging is not completed, changing the required charging current to charge the battery based on first information supplied from the power supply unit upon abnormal termination of charging and based on second information supplied from the power supply unit upon normal completion of charging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Kyu Beom Ko
  • Patent number: 11878667
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for decelerating a motor vehicle during emergency braking, wherein the entire emergency braking is automatically carried out by a longitudinal dynamics system of the motor vehicle, wherein, for emergency braking, a total braking torque is automatically generated by the longitudinal dynamics system of the motor vehicle, and, for this purpose, a first braking torque is generated at least as a proportion of the total braking torque by an electric motor of an electric drive of the motor vehicle in a time interval beginning with the automatic initiation of the emergency braking and shorter than the total duration of the emergency braking, in which time interval the total braking torque cannot yet be generated solely by a service brake system of the longitudinal dynamics system. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Bastian Witte
  • Patent number: 11878704
    Abstract: An electronic control device is mounted on a vehicle equipped with a plurality of hardware capable of operation, and comprises an information collection unit which collects external information of the vehicle, a storage unit which stores a plurality of processing specifications which prescribe processing to be executed by each of the plurality of hardware and the external information to be used by the plurality of hardware for performing operation, and an applied condition, which is a condition related to the external information and a status of the plurality of hardware for applying each of the plurality of processing specifications, and a processing control unit which determines one processing specification among the plurality of processing specifications from a correspondence to the condition based on the collected external information and the status of the plurality of hardware, and controls the plurality of hardware based on the determined processing specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taisuke Ueta, Satoshi Tsutsumi, Yuta Muto, Hideyuki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11878605
    Abstract: Described herein are battery modules comprising integrated module converters, electric-vehicle battery systems comprising such modules, and methods of operating thereof. An electric-vehicle battery system comprises a high-voltage battery pack and high-voltage contactors that controllably isolate the pack's high-voltage area from other areas in the vehicle. The pack comprises multiple battery modules with battery cells and a primary module converter constantly connected to these cells. Each module has a lower voltage than the entire pack. The power output from the primary module converters is used to operate a battery controller and to close/activate the contactors in response to the switch position (e.g., an ignition switch). The primary module converters can be either constantly activated or controllably activated in response to the switch moving into an activated position. For example, a secondary module converter, with a lower power rating, can be used for this primary module converter activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: DIMAAG-AI, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Wright, George Fellingham
  • Patent number: 11873040
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for monitoring a steering system, in particular during an operation in a vehicle, in which method a load characteristic of at least one steering component of the steering system is determined and is evaluated in order to determine a stress and/or a state of the steering component. According to the disclosure, the load characteristic comprises at least one load on the steering component caused by an external application of force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas John, Michael Friedel, Stefan Kersten Weber, Susanne Meyer
  • Patent number: 11868132
    Abstract: A system and method for implementing pedestrian avoidance strategies for a mobile robot that include receiving position data of a pedestrian and the mobile robot from systems of the mobile robot and estimating positions of the pedestrian and the mobile robot based on the position data. The system and method also include determining an expected intersection point of paths of the pedestrian and the mobile robot and an estimated time for the pedestrian to reach and cross the expected intersection point of the paths. The system and method further include implementing a pedestrian avoidance strategy based on the positions of the pedestrian and the mobile robot and the expected point in time when the pedestrian will reach and cross the expected intersection point of the paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shih-Yun Lo, Katsu Yamane, Kenichiro Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 11853292
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for evaluating driving data included in a data log, accessing, based on the request, an evaluation configuration file that includes a metric-calculation configuration specifying one or more metric calculators configured to generate one or more output metrics from the driving data and a validation configuration configured to validate the one or more output metrics, instantiating the one or more metric calculators specified by the metric-calculation configuration included in the evaluation configuration file, determining particular driving data from the driving data included in the data log based on the one or more instantiated metric calculators, and generating the one or more output metrics for the particular driving data by using the instantiated one or more metric calculators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Woven by Toyota, U.S., Inc.
    Inventors: Shaojing Li, Yingting Xiao
  • Patent number: 11854389
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for improving traffic safety and efficiency. The system includes various signal transmitters and receivers positioned throughout roadways, within automobiles, in smartphones, or supported by a cellular network backbone, for distributing traffic related information to users and traffic controller equipment. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow for vehicles and/or pedestrians to initiate a dual-transmission of cellular and RF signals for changing a traffic light state, where the first signal received at a traffic intersection controller unit is processed for changing the traffic light state (e.g., changing a light from red to green on-demand). Other embodiments of the present disclosure allow for users to receive visible and/or audible traffic related alerts on mobile devices, where the alerts are based on data shared between nearby drivers, pedestrians, and the traffic controlling equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Information, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Patrick Mulligan, Iain Jeffrey Mulligan
  • Patent number: 11851121
    Abstract: An apparatus for reducing vibration of a steering wheel may include: a judder compensation logic unit configured to calculate judder compensation torque for removing a judder which occurs in a steering wheel of a vehicle, based on one or more of a motor current, vehicle speed and vehicle wheel speed; and a judder compensation diagnosis unit configured to determine an operation state of the judder compensation logic unit based on one or more of the vehicle wheel speed, steering torque and a brake state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: In Hyuk Kim, Pil Woo Lee, Kwang Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 11840295
    Abstract: A steering system includes a steering shaft; a motor configured to generate a torque applied to the steering shaft; and a control unit configured to control the motor. The control unit has a function of performing steering angle feedback control for causing a steering angle that is a rotation angle of a steering wheel to reach a target steering angle that is set based on a point of view of adjusting a rotational position of the steering wheel, as an adjustment process of adjusting the rotational position of the steering wheel. The control unit is configured to set a limit value for limiting a change range of the target steering angle with respect to the steering angle at each moment in a period in which automatic rotation of the steering wheel is hindered in a case where the automatic rotation is hindered while the adjustment process is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Kakimoto, Yoshiyuki Uchino, Kenji Shibata, Takafumi Sato