Patents Examined by Anshul Sood
  • Patent number: 11884299
    Abstract: A vehicle traveling control device includes: a communicator periodically receiving a dynamic map; a sensor management circuit collecting, from one or more sensors measuring a state of objects around a vehicle, a result of measurement representing the state of objects around the vehicle; a surrounding information comparator comparing object data represented by the dynamic map with object data represented by the result of measurement, and in response to finding mismatching object data, detecting, from the mismatching object data, data of the dynamic map representing an object within a specified range from the vehicle; and a proximity information processor setting, from the data of the dynamic map detected by the surrounding information comparator, data representing the vehicle as an avoidance non-target object in traveling control, and setting data representing an object other than the vehicle as an avoidance target object in traveling control or the avoidance non-target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kyoko Hosoi, Kenichi Nakura, Takeshi Suehiro, Takashi Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11884320
    Abstract: A control system is disclosed for use in a zero turn vehicle, including an electric controller in communication with a pair of independent drive units. A joystick is pivotable between a plurality of pivot positions, each pivot position corresponding to a particular rotational speed and direction of each driven wheel. A plurality of driving modes stored in the controller each map a different set of speeds and directions for each driven wheel onto the plurality of pivot positions. The joystick may also rotate about a vertical axis to provide zero turn capability. In at least one driving mode, when the rotational speed of one driven wheel is zero, the rotational speed of the other driven wheels is zero, and when the rotational speed of one driven wheel is non-zero, the rotational speed of the other driven wheel is non-zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Alyn Brown, Scott W. Keller
  • Patent number: 11866020
    Abstract: Data is received regarding vehicle braking events, each event occurring on one of a plurality of vehicles, and each event associated with a location. A determination is made that the braking events correspond to a pattern. Based on determining that the braking events correspond to the pattern, a first location is identified. In response to identifying the first location, at least one action is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Lodestar Licensing Group LLC
    Inventor: Gil Golov
  • Patent number: 11865891
    Abstract: A system for active roll control for a vehicle body is provided and includes a sensor operable to monitor a tilt of the body and a suspension system. The suspension system includes an active sway bar including a first bar portion, a second bar portion, and an active roll control motor disposed between the first bar portion and the second bar portion. The active roll control motor is operable to turn the first bar portion in relation to the second bar portion. The system further includes a computerized active roll control controller which is operative to monitor a driving mode including one of straight-line driving and rounding a curve on a road, monitor an output of the sensor, determine a desired roll moment based upon the driving mode and the output of the sensor, and control the active roll control motor based upon the desired roll moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Robert G. Izak, Nojan Medinei, Larry G. Gepfrey, Bo Yu
  • Patent number: 11858506
    Abstract: A method for predicting the trajectories of extraneous objects in the surroundings of an ego vehicle, and for determining a separate future trajectory adapted thereto for the ego vehicle. The method includes identifying the extraneous objects are identified. It is ascertained toward which proximate destination the movement of each of the extraneous objects is headed and according to which basic rules this movement occurs. It is ascertained toward which proximate destination the movement of the ego vehicle is headed and according to which basic rules this movement occurs. One quality function each is established for the ego vehicle and the extraneous objects. One quality measure each is established for the ego vehicle as well as for the extraneous objects. Those optimal movement strategies of the ego vehicle and of the extraneous objects that maximize the quality measure are ascertained. The sought trajectories are ascertained from the optimal movement strategies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Seyed Jalal Etesami
  • Patent number: 11851050
    Abstract: A vehicle computing system may implement techniques to control a vehicle to avoid collisions between the vehicle and agents (e.g., dynamic objects) in an environment. The techniques may include generating a representation of a path of the vehicle through an environment as a polygon. The vehicle computing system may compare the two-dimensional path with a trajectory of an agent determined using sensor data to determine a collision zone between the vehicle and the agent. The vehicle computing system may determine a risk of collision based on predicted velocities and probable accelerations of the vehicle and the agent approaching and traveling through the collision zone. Based at least in part on the risk of collision, the vehicle computing system may cause the vehicle to perform an action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Jefferson Bradfield Packer, William Anthony Silva, Zhenqi Huang
  • Patent number: 11854108
    Abstract: A system including a landing location where a drone at least one of delivers and acquires a parcel, and a homing device to interact with the drone to guide the drone to the landing location independent of interaction from another source. The homing device guides the drone during the landing phase of a flight plan. A method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Inventors: Emmett Farris, William F. McGee, II
  • Patent number: 11845427
    Abstract: A stability control method of a vehicle includes: determining possibility of broadside collision; as a result of the determining, when the possibility of broadside collision is present, applying a standby hydraulic pressure to a hydraulic brake device; when broadside collision is detected, performing evasion steering using the hydraulic brake device in consideration of a direction of the broadside collision; and performing stability control after the evasion steering is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Hui Un Son, Jea Mun Lee, Sung Bae Jeon, Ji Hoon Kang, Jin Kyeom Cho
  • Patent number: 11834046
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an intersection information detection section that detects information on an intersection, and includes a traveling route detection section that detects a traveling route of the vehicle and a cross road detection section that detects a cross road intersecting the traveling route, an operation detection section that detects a plan of operation of the vehicle at the intersection, a waiting position setting section that sets a waiting position where the vehicle is caused to wait at the intersection until the vehicle becomes possible to perform the operation, and a determination section that determines whether the vehicle can perform the operation by the time a traffic light on the traveling route at the intersection turns red. The waiting position setting section sets a position, where another vehicle is not hindered from traveling on the crossing road by the vehicle stopped at the waiting position, as the waiting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuta Komoguchi, Yohei Masui, Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Takumi Uematsu
  • Patent number: 11827503
    Abstract: Operating a materials handling vehicle includes monitoring, by a controller, a first vehicle drive parameter during a first manual operation of the vehicle by an operator; monitoring, by the controller, the first vehicle drive parameter during a second manual operation of the vehicle by the operator; receiving, by the controller after the first manual operation of the vehicle and the second manual operation of the vehicle, a request to implement a semi-automated driving operation; calculating, by the controller, a first weighted average based on the monitored first vehicle drive parameter during the first manual operation of the vehicle and the monitored first vehicle parameter during the second manual operation of the vehicle; and based at least in part on the calculated first weighted average, controlling, by the controller, implementation of the semi-automated driving operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Sebastian Theos, Johannes Nachtigal, Andreas Simon
  • Patent number: 11822350
    Abstract: A system for adjusting a load on a tethered aircraft is disclosed. The aircraft is tethered to a payload. The system determines a new position for the tethered aircraft in the event that due to environmental effects, e.g., the aircraft is flying upwind or downwind, the load experienced by the tethered aircraft is not optimal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Damon Vander Lind, Gregory Mainland Horn
  • Patent number: 11814072
    Abstract: A method for conditional operation of an autonomous agent includes: collecting a set of inputs; processing the set of inputs; determining a set of policies for the agent; evaluating the set of policies; and operating the ego agent. A system for conditional operation of an autonomous agent includes a set of computing subsystems (equivalently referred to herein as a set of computers) and/or processing subsystems (equivalently referred to herein as a set of processors), which function to implement any or all of the processes of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: May Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Collin Johnson, Alexander Cunningham, Timothy Saucer, Edwin B. Olson
  • Patent number: 11807229
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle braking support device. The braking support device includes: detection units for detecting a state around a host vehicle; a braking support control unit for executing braking support by a braking device according to the detected state; and a vehicle stop control unit for maintaining a stopped state of a host vehicle after the host vehicle is stopped by the braking support control unit, and for releasing the stopped state of the host vehicle after a predetermined period has elapsed. The vehicle stop control unit, in a case where by using the detected state it is determined that it is desirable to maintain the stopped state of the host vehicle beyond the predetermined period, the vehicle stop control unit does not release the stopped state of the host vehicle until an operation by a driver is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kei Kamiya, Yosuke Ito, Takaharu Oguri, Takahiro Baba, Ryo Takaki, Shinichi Nagata
  • Patent number: 11807274
    Abstract: A planned trajectory is analyzed by an L4 emergency braking module, before the trajectory is navigated by the autonomous driving vehicle (ADV). An L4 emergency braking signal is generated in response to an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) determining that any portion of a planned trajectory of the ADV has a deceleration that is less than ?2 m/sec2 and a time to collision with the ADV, by a vehicle following the ADV at a speed Z and a distance Y<100 m, during a period of 1 to 8 seconds after time 0 of the planned trajectory, if T X + Y Z ? X for any time X?{1 second . . . 8 seconds} after time 0, wherein TX is the location of the ADV in the trajectory at time X. Optionally, a sharp braking command can be issued by the L4 emergency braking module in response to activating the emergency braking signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventor: Fan Zhu
  • Patent number: 11808582
    Abstract: Techniques associated with improving performance and realism of simulation instances associated with simulation testing of autonomous vehicles. In some cases, a simulation system may be configured to run a pre-simulation test to identify and store occlusion data to improve the performance of subsequent simulations associated with a shared scene or route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventor: James Graham Dolan
  • Patent number: 11809178
    Abstract: A method for autonomously operating a driverless vehicle along a path between a first geographic location and a destination may include receiving communication signals from the driverless vehicle. The communication signals may include sensor data from the driverless vehicle and data indicating occurrence of an event associated with the path. The communication signals may also include data indicating that a confidence level associated with the path is less than a threshold confidence level due to the event. The method may also include determining, via a teleoperations system, a level of guidance to provide the driverless vehicle based on data associated with the communication signals, and transmitting teleoperations signals to the driverless vehicle. The teleoperations signals may include guidance to operate the driverless vehicle according to the determined level of guidance, so that a vehicle controller maneuvers the driverless vehicle to avoid, travel around, or pass through the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Amanda Lee Kelly Lockwood, Ravi Gogna, Gary Linscott, Timothy Caldwell, Marin Kobilarov, Paul Orecchio, Dan Xie, Ashutosh Gajanan Rege, Jesse Sol Levinson
  • Patent number: 11802967
    Abstract: A sensor data fusion system for a vehicle with multiple sensors includes a first-sensor, a second-sensor, and a controller-circuit. The first-sensor is configured to output a first-frame of data and a subsequent-frame of data indicative of objects present in a first-field-of-view. The first-frame is characterized by a first-time-stamp, the subsequent-frame of data characterized by a subsequent-time-stamp different from the first-time-stamp. The second-sensor is configured to output a second-frame of data indicative of objects present in a second-field-of-view that overlaps the first-field-of-view. The second-frame is characterized by a second-time-stamp temporally located between the first-time-stamp and the subsequent-time-stamp. The controller-circuit is configured to synthesize an interpolated-frame from the first-frame and the subsequent-frame. The interpolated-frame is characterized by an interpolated-time-stamp that corresponds to the second-time-stamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Guchan Ozbilgin, Wenda Xu, Jarrod M. Snider, Yimu Wang, Yifan Yang, Junqing Wei
  • Patent number: 11796329
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus comprising a controller comprising at least one processor configured to perform: acquiring a request that a first vehicle join up with a different vehicle; determining, on the basis of a piece of route information indicating a travel route for the first vehicle and current locations of a plurality of vehicles different from the first vehicle, a joining cost related to joining up with the first vehicle for each of the plurality of vehicles; determining a second vehicle that is to join up with the first vehicle and a joining point such that the joining cost satisfies a prescribed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Kaneko, Junya Masui, Yui Nakamura, Ai Fujimura, Keisuke Tsujimoto, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 11780474
    Abstract: When an own vehicle changes lanes to another lane different from the traveling lane by override, a traveling control device for a vehicle generates a first travelable area in the traveling lane based on the predicted traveling trajectory in accordance with the override of the own vehicle and generates a second travelable area along the other lane. The traveling control device for the vehicle generates a third travelable area by connecting the first travelable area and the second travelable area, generates an own vehicle traveling trajectory within the third travelable area and controls a motion of the own vehicle so that the own vehicle travels along the own vehicle traveling trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Renault S.A.S.
    Inventor: Hiroki Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11772638
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for generating a driving trajectory for a vehicle while the vehicle is blocked (e.g., the sensor of the vehicle have detected an object results in the vehicle being unable to move) by an object (e.g., another vehicle, bicycle, or a pedestrian) and executing the driving trajectory when the vehicle becomes unblocked. In addition, techniques are provided for updating a portion of a driving trajectory of a vehicle based on a determination that an object will cross a segment of the current driving trajectory at a later point, without recalculating the whole trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Olivia Leitermann, Eryk Brian Nice