Patents Examined by Anne M Antonucci
  • Patent number: 11965748
    Abstract: A transportation system includes: a vehicle hub including a plurality of connection slots. The vehicle hub is configured such that, in response to vehicles being parked respectively in the connection slots, the vehicle hub is connected to interior spaces of the vehicles through the connection slots, the vehicles are categorized by use, and the connection slots are grouped by category such that connection slots grouped together by category, among the connection slots, are disposed adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Kwan Ji
  • Patent number: 11940283
    Abstract: A method for matching a vehicle with a user including receiving a user ride request for a vehicle from a plurality of available vehicles from a user, receiving a threshold vehicle risk score preference for the user, receiving a user risk score for the user, receiving a threshold user risk score preference for the plurality of available vehicles, identifying a subset of the plurality of available vehicles having a vehicle risk score at or below the threshold vehicle risk score preference of the user and a threshold user risk score preference at or above the user risk score of the user, and presenting the user with ride options for selecting one of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles of the subset of available vehicles for the user ride request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger A. Kyle, Christopher Risberg, Nikhil Rajendra, Timothy Wang, Jordan Frank, Jiju Thomas, Daniel C. Bracken, Joshua Batie, Michael D. Dorazio, Randy Kaushek
  • Patent number: 10635117
    Abstract: Tracking movement of a lead vehicle and following vehicles driving to a common destination to maintain a specific relationship of the lead vehicle with the following vehicle(s) traveling through traffic conditions or obstacles such as traffic lights, intersections with stop signs, merging onto other roads, and other traffic obstacles such as road construction on the route to the common destination. The specific relationship is maintained by using data regarding the following vehicles of: real-time speed of the following vehicle, the following vehicle's current location, distance from the following vehicle to the lead vehicles, presence of other vehicles between the lead vehicle and following vehicle, and presence of other vehicles in adjacent lanes to the following vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leslie Rodriguez, Abdolreza Salahshour
  • Patent number: 10611348
    Abstract: A braking system operable independent of driver input, where the braking system includes a primary brake system, a secondary brake system, a primary controller controlling fluid pressure in the primary brake system, and a secondary controller controlling fluid pressure in the secondary brake system independently of the primary controller. There is also an actuator which is part of the primary brake system, where the actuator is controlled by the primary controller. A reservoir is in fluid communication with both the primary brake system and the secondary brake system, to supply fluid to both the primary brake system and the secondary brake system. The primary controller selectively actuates the actuator to control the fluid pressure in the primary brake system independently of driver input, to provide braking capability to a fully autonomous driving vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Zipfel, Yuji Nakayasu, James Rizzo
  • Patent number: 10597029
    Abstract: A method to park a vehicle in a parking space using a parking assistant is provided. The course of a parking maneuver is dynamically adapted to boundaries of the parking space that are changed during the parking maneuver by determining whether and in which direction the boundaries of the parking space change during the parking maneuver. An originally determined first trajectory is replaced by a second trajectory that is adapted to changed boundaries of the parking space and along which the parking maneuver is continued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frederic Stefan, Christoph Arndt
  • Patent number: 10586461
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling the flight of aircraft are disclosed. An example system includes a flight management computer to receive a first time of arrival at a first target waypoint of an aircraft and a second time of arrival at a second target waypoint, determine a first set of cruise speed and descent speed pairs corresponding to the first time, the first set satisfying the first time, determine a second set of cruise speed and descent speed pairs corresponding to the second time, the second set satisfying the second time, select a cruise speed and descent speed pair from the first set or the second set, determine an aircraft trajectory that satisfies the selected cruise speed and descent speed pair, and cause at least one of: 1) the aircraft to travel along the aircraft trajectory or 2) the aircraft trajectory to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: David Garrido Lopez
  • Patent number: 10583067
    Abstract: User devices, methods, and computer-readable media are described for providing source-of-sound based navigation to a visually-impaired user. A sound detected at a user device of a visually-impaired user is categorized and an approximate location of a source of the sound is determined. A contextual analysis is performed based on the determined sound category such that the results of the contextual analysis indicate whether the visually-impaired user should be directed towards or away from the location of the sound source. An evacuation path is determined in those scenarios in which the user should be directed away from the detected sound and a tactile representation of the evacuation path is generated on a display of the visually-impaired user's device. A navigation path is determined in those scenarios in which the user should be directed towards the detected sound and a corresponding tactile representation thereof is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric V. Kline, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 10576981
    Abstract: A control system for an off-highway vehicle including a foot operated drive pedal, a foot operated retard pedal, and a hand operated auxiliary drive/retard control. The auxiliary drive/retard control is operable in a first state to signal a request for drive torque and a second state to signal a request for retard torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yidan Chang
  • Patent number: 10573187
    Abstract: A method and system for automatically controlling a vehicle is provided. The method includes generating an original route of travel for a first vehicle for travel from an original location to a destination location. The vehicle is directed from the original location to the destination location such that the vehicle initiates motion and navigates the original route of travel towards the destination location in accordance with the original route of travel. Monitored vehicular attributes of the first vehicle are received and environmental attributes associated with the original route of travel are monitored with respect the first vehicle. Navigational issues associated with the vehicle traveling along the original route of travel are determined based on the monitored vehicular attributes and results of monitoring the environmental attributes. The navigational issues are used to determine if the vehicle should continue to travel along the original route of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, Luis C. Cruz Huertas, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Edgar A. Zamora Duran
  • Patent number: 10564647
    Abstract: A method for automatic determination and/or monitoring of a target trajectory for a vehicle by which a starting point corresponding to the current position of the vehicle is connected to a target point. The method includes determining different trajectories of the vehicle that connect the starting point to the target point, detecting a further target trajectory for each road user, wherein each of the further target trajectories connects the starting point of the respective road user to a target point corresponding to the respective road user, determining the trajectories of the vehicle as collision-free trajectories that do not result in a collision with one of the further road users if the respective road user is moving on the target trajectory, and determining and/or monitoring the target trajectory of the vehicle depending on the collision-free trajectories of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Reza Balaghiasefi, Michael Düring, Kai Franke
  • Patent number: 10557712
    Abstract: A method and system. A common route is designated as a traveled route of a mobile device for a series of consecutive movements of the mobile device in a mobile network along a path of locations from an origin location of the path at an earliest activity of two or more activities of the mobile device to a destination location of the path at a latest activity of the two or more activities. A ratio is computed as a ratio of (i) a sum of a coverage area of a start cell in which one activity of the mobile device was initiated and a coverage area of an end cell in which the one activity of the mobile device was terminated to (ii) a distance between a centroid of the start cell and a centroid of the end cell such that the distance has a positive value. A confidence value as a function of the computed ratio is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Vodafone IP Licensing Limited
    Inventors: Damian F. Brennan, Nichola Jane Inglis Hickman, David Pollington, Kevin T. Scarr
  • Patent number: 10545501
    Abstract: An autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) includes a plurality of lightbulb changers and an actuator for controlling the plurality of lightbulb changers. A structure database stores structure data corresponding to a structure, the structure data including coordinate data corresponding to three-dimensional coordinates of a location that facilitates an unobstructed view of a plurality of exterior lights of the structure, the structure data further including schematic data that indicates positions on the structure of the plurality of exterior lights. A flight control system controls a position of the AAV, based on the coordinate data, to the location that facilitates the unobstructed view of the plurality of exterior lights of the structure. A camera captures image data corresponding to the unobstructed view of the plurality of exterior lights of the structure. A processor controls the AAV to perform a lighting inspection procedure and/or a lightbulb replacement process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Inventors: Marc Lipton, Bruce E. Stuckman
  • Patent number: 10534371
    Abstract: A system and method for providing power to and monitoring the energy usage includes at least one electrical control unit having an unmanned vehicle, at least one electrical control unit, a sensor enabled to monitor a given condition; a power source; a processor configured to be in communication with the at least one sensor and said power source, said processor further configured to manage communications with said management system; an unmanned vehicle releasably coupled to said electrical control unit, said processor being adapted to release said unmanned vehicle to enable the unmanned vehicle to separate from said electrical control unit, wherein said sensor is enabled to monitor at least one of the following: voltage, current, real power, apparent power, reactive power, frequency, total harmonic distortion, arc fault, plug loads, power factor, GFI, AFI, light, temperature, humidity, methane, carbon monoxide, motion, thermal, occupancy, radio frequency, audio, video, infrared, and combinations thereof and wh
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: 286 Two LLC
    Inventors: Paul Amelio, David Katz, Alfonso Amelio
  • Patent number: 10533870
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for mitigating the risks associated with operating an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle by using calculated route traversal values to select less risky travel routes and/or modify vehicle operation. Various approaches to achieving this risk mitigation are presented. A computing device is configured to generate a database of route traversal values. This device may receive a variety of historical route traversal information, real-time vehicle information, and/or route information from one of more data sources and calculate a route traversal value for the associated driving route. Subsequently, the computing device may provide the associated route traversal value to other devices, such as a vehicle navigation device associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle. An insurance company may use this information to help determine insurance premiums for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles by analyzing and/or mitigating the risk associated with operating those vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
    Inventor: Mark Slusar
  • Patent number: 10527521
    Abstract: The invention provides a railway condition monitoring sensor device attached to a railway bearing of a railway vehicle including at least one vibration sensor; means for detecting movement of the railway vehicle; a control unit for processing at least the signals obtained by the vibration sensor to determine a health parameter indicating the bearings state of health. The control unit triggers measurements based on at least one predetermined condition; and a wireless communication device for communicating the health parameter to a monitoring and control server. The control unit configured to be operated in an energy-saving sleep mode and in at an activated mode. The control unit is configured to switch from the sleep mode to the activated mode upon detecting that a predetermined set of conditions is met. The predetermined set of conditions includes the condition that the means for detecting the movement detects that the railway vehicle is moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventor: Julian Franchitti
  • Patent number: 10529231
    Abstract: Users who are traveling on a path between a first location and a second location may be informed by navigation devices about the user's selected route. The path may also feature two or more lanes, which may present comparative advantages (e.g., a toll-restricted lane may present less traffic, and a toll-free lane may present more traffic at a reduced cost). Presented herein are techniques for enabling navigation devices to advise users about the lanes of the path. A travel service may collect information about the respective lanes, such as traffic density and the typical travel duration of users utilizing the lane during various periods, and may transmit information about the predicted travel durations of the respective lanes to the device. Such information may enable the device to advise the user to choose a selected lane, according to the predicted travel durations of the lanes of the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: INRIX Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher L. Scofield
  • Patent number: 10527435
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, enable the apparatus at least to: for a defined road journey through a road network from a start location to an end location, assign respective sub-portions of the defined road journey to each of a group of mobile devices associated with one or more travellers for the road journey according to at least one predefined assignment criterion, wherein each of the group of mobile devices is configured for provision of live mapping data for live navigation of the respective sub-portion of the road journey.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Debmalya Biswas, Julian Nolan, Matthew John Lawrenson
  • Patent number: 10527450
    Abstract: A navigation apparatus for an autonomous vehicle includes circuitry configured to receive at least one route between a start location and a destination, display the at least one route on a first screen that allows selection of a first set of routes from the at least one route, receive a plurality of characteristics corresponding to each of the at least one route. Each characteristic of the plurality of characteristics is associated with a measure and a longest block within which each characteristic can be performed continuously. The circuitry further configured to divide a route of the at least one route to generate a plurality of segments based on the plurality of characteristics, and display the first set of routes, the plurality of characteristics corresponding to the first set of routes, the measure and the longest block corresponding to the plurality of characteristics on a second screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: John-Michael McNew, Kazutoshi Ebe, Danil V. Prokhorov, Michael J. Delp
  • Patent number: 10514264
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device are disclosed for generating a map for use in safely navigating hazards detected at a property. One method may include actions of receiving a request for a safe path to a property occupant that is located inside the property, obtaining a floor plan of the property, obtaining real-time sensor data generated by one or more sensors installed at the property that includes (i) sensor data indicative of a hazard at the property and (ii) a current location of the property occupant, generating a map of the property based on (i) the obtained real-time sensor data and (ii) the obtained floor plan, determining a safe path between an exit of the property and the current location of the property occupant, and providing, for output on a user device, the map of the property that visually indicates the safe path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventors: Matthew Daniel Correnti, Charles Richard Alpert, Aaron Lee Roberts
  • Patent number: 10514462
    Abstract: A method for configuring a perception component of a vehicle having one or more sensors includes generating a first set of training data that includes first sensor data corresponding to a first setting of one or more sensor parameters, and an indicator of the first setting. The method also includes generating a second set of training data that includes second sensor data corresponding to a second setting of the sensor parameter(s), and an indicator of the second setting. The method further includes training the perception component, at least by training a machine learning based model using the first and second training data sets. The trained perception component is configured to generate signals descriptive of a current state of the vehicle environment by processing sensor data generated by the sensor(s), and one or more indicators indicating which setting of the sensor parameter(s) corresponds to which portions of the generated sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Luminar Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Englard, Eric C. Danziger