Patents Examined by B. M. M Hannan
  • Patent number: 11541869
    Abstract: There are provided a controller and a control method for a hybrid vehicle including an engine with a supercharger serving as a drive power source for travel, a rotary machine serving as a drive power source for travel, and a power storage device configured to transmit and receive electric power to and from the rotary machine. The controller determines whether an operation of the supercharger is limited, compensates for a torque shortage of the engine due to limitation of the operation of the supercharger by a torque of the rotary machine when it is determined that the operation of the supercharger is limited, and curbs a decrease in an amount of electric power stored in the power storage device more when it is determined that the operation of the supercharger is limited than when it is determined that the operation of the supercharger is not limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Yasutaka Tsuchida, Kenta Kumazaki, Tatsuya Imamura
  • Patent number: 11541550
    Abstract: A robot skin apparatus includes polymer membranes encapsulating a pressure sensor. The sensor includes piezo-sensitive material in contact with a pair of electrodes in spaced relationship to form a circuit. The apparatus may include a flexible substrate, with the electrodes thereon. The piezo-sensitive material may be piezoresistive film. The electrodes may be symmetrically patterned on the substrate to form a substantially circular peripheral boundary. The apparatus may include pressure sensors on opposite sides of a plane for temperature compensation, a plurality of pressure sensors arrayed on the substrate, and a data acquisition system. A method of fabricating the apparatus includes a wet lithography process for patterning the piezoresistive film. A system includes a pair of gripper fingers, an actuator connected to the fingers, a robot skin apparatus positioned on one of the fingers, and an electronic unit for receiving data from the robot skin and controlling the fingers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua R. Baptist, Mohammad Nasser Saadatzi, Zhong Yang, Ruoshi Zhang, Dan O. Popa
  • Patent number: 11534913
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for integrating sensor streams for robotic demonstration learning. One of the methods includes selecting, by a learning system for a robot, a base update rate for combining multiple sensor streams into a task state representation. The learning system repeatedly generates the task state representation at the base update rate, including combining, during each time period defined by the update rate, the task state representation from most recently updated sensor data processed by the plurality of neural networks. The learning system repeatedly uses the task state representations to generate commands for the robot at the base update rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC
    Inventors: Bala Venkata Sai Ravi Krishna Kolluri, Stefan Schaal, Ralf Oliver Michael Schönherr, Benjamin M. Davis, Ning Ye
  • Patent number: 11529970
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control device executes trajectory following control to make the vehicle follow a target trajectory. A delay time represents control delay of the trajectory following control. A delay compensation time is at least a part of the delay time. The trajectory following control includes: displacement estimation processing that estimates a displacement of the vehicle in the delay compensation time; and delay compensation processing that corrects a deviation between the vehicle and the target trajectory based on the estimated displacement to compensate the control delay. The displacement estimation processing is effective in an effective period and ineffective in an ineffective period. When the ineffective period is included in the delay time of the trajectory following control, the displacement estimation processing is executed in a temporary mode by using sensor-detected information in the effective period without using the sensor-detected information in the ineffective period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Go Inoue, Yoshinori Watanabe, Hirotaka Tokoro
  • Patent number: 11524414
    Abstract: A sensor unit includes at least three kinesthetic-sense sensors arranged along a plane, each including a first force-receiving part configured to receive an external force. The sensor unit includes a connecting member including a second force-receiving part configured to receive an external force, configured to transfer the external force received by the second force-receiving part to each first force-receiving part and connecting the first force-receiving parts with each other. The sensor unit includes an output unit configured to output signals corresponding to a pressing force in an orthogonal-axis direction orthogonal to the plane and pressing forces in two axial directions parallel to the plane, respectively, the pressing forces being components of divided forces of the external force received by the second force-receiving part, received by the respective first force-receiving parts through the connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakayama, Yoshiyuki Hata, Motohiro Fujiyoshi, Yoshiteru Omura
  • Patent number: 11524669
    Abstract: A brake controller according to the present disclosure that changes an effect correlation value correlating to an effect of braking in a first braking system provided in a vehicle in accordance with a vehicle condition of the vehicle includes a control part generating a braking force by at least one of the first braking system and a second braking system different from the first braking system in a case where the vehicle condition is a first condition based on a braking distribution ratio different from that in a case where the vehicle condition is a second condition and a setting part setting the effect correlation values so as to be different from each other in the case where the vehicle condition is the first condition and in the case where the vehicle condition is the second condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignees: ADVICS CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hayato Kubota, Daisuke Nakata
  • Patent number: 11524570
    Abstract: A control unit is presented for controlling a driving unit arranged for adjustment of one or more first air guiding flaps of a motorised vehicle between a first outer position and a second outer position. The control unit comprises a communication module for communicating with a vehicle control network for receiving first adjustment instructions for adjusting the first flap, a power supply module comprising an input power terminal for receiving power from a vehicle power network and a first output power terminal for supplying a first current to the driving unit. The control unit further comprises a current sensor module for sensing variations in the first supply current and a control module arranged to control the first supply current in accordance with the adjustment instructions and the sensed variations. By separating the control module from the driving unit, functionality of the control module may be shared over multiple driving units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: MCi (Mirror Controls International) Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Marius Brand, Bastiaan Huijzers, Jinku Hu
  • Patent number: 11521496
    Abstract: A lane-borrowing vehicle driving method includes generating, by a control center, a first lane-borrowing driving policy of the vehicle based on a lane-borrowing requirement, a moving trend of the vehicle, and a preset traffic rule, where the lane-borrowing requirement includes a lane-borrowing driving reason, and the first lane-borrowing driving policy includes an instruction for controlling lane-borrowing driving of the vehicle, and sending, by the control center, the first lane-borrowing driving policy to the vehicle. The embodiments of this application are used for temporary lane-borrowing driving and lane-borrowing driving on a tidal lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jianli Zhou, Hui Li, Fuxiang Xiong
  • Patent number: 11518405
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control system capable of, when a swaying phenomenon occurs during towing, preventing the swaying phenomenon from becoming worse due to driving force reduction control based on an increase in steering angle-related value. This vehicle control system comprises a steering wheel, a driving force control mechanism to control a driving force of a vehicle, and a power-train control module to control the driving force control mechanism. The power-train control module is operable, upon an increase in steering angle, to control an engine to reduce an output torque of the engine and, when a reversal of yaw rate of the vehicle is repeated in a situation where the vehicle is performing a towing operation, to restrict the output torque reduction based on the increase in the steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisaku Ogawa, Daisuke Umetsu, Setsuya Kishimura
  • Patent number: 11511433
    Abstract: A collision-detection device for a gripper system of a handling device, with at least two gripping jaws arranged on a flange plate, detects collisions between the gripper system and an object. The device includes a safety device configured to lock the collision-detection device to the gripper system and/or dampen the collision-detection device with the gripper system. The safety device is configured to receive from the flange a change in force and/or a change in torque generated by contact between the gripping jaws and the object. The device further includes a sensor configured to detect a change in distance which exceeds a predetermined permissible change in distance between the flange plate and a reference, the change in distance resulting from the at least one of the change in force and the change in torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Friedrich Hauser, Javier Stillig
  • Patent number: 11511435
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a robot coordinate system of a robot with a conveyor coordinate system of a movable conveyor member, the method including providing a sensor configured to detect positions of the robot in a non-contact manner; detecting a position of the robot when the conveyor member is positioned at a first operating position; detecting a position of the robot and/or of the conveyor member by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at a second operating position different from the first operating position; and determining a relationship between the robot coordinate system and the conveyor coordinate system based on at least one detected position of the robot in the sensor coordinate system. A robot system and a control system are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Anders Lager, Johnny Holmberg, Magnus Wahlström, Michael Stenbacka
  • Patent number: 11513535
    Abstract: Method for operating a parking environment with at least one motor vehicle which has a vehicle system which is designed for completely automatic vehicle guidance and is operated autonomously for parking purposes in the parking environment, wherein the parking environment is assigned a motor-vehicle-external control device which is designed to set up a wireless communication link to motor vehicles which are operated autonomously in the parking environment and to coordinate the autonomous operation of the motor vehicles in the parking environment, wherein, when an alarm signal which indicates an alarm state in the parking environment is present, in particular acoustically and/or optically output via display means of the parking environment, alarm information which describes the type of alarm is transmitted, via the or a further wireless communication link, to all the autonomously operated motor vehicles which are located in the parking environment, wherein the vehicle systems of the motor vehicles receiving the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: David Alexander Badouin, Christian Feist
  • Patent number: 11511804
    Abstract: A parking assistance apparatus obtains a target travelling route from a present position of a vehicle to a target parking position and controls the vehicle such that the vehicle moves along the target travelling route. The target travelling route is obtained such that the vehicle moves backward to reach the target parking position and the vehicle is moves in a region on the target parking position side of a travelling boundary line. The travelling boundary line is a straight line which is in front of the vehicle located at the target parking position and which is away from a reference position by a boundary distance. The reference position is a position at a front end and at a center in a lateral direction of the vehicle located at the target parking position. The boundary distance is a configurable value changed by a driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Minase, Takuya Nakagawa, Junji Horiguchi, Norio Imai
  • Patent number: 11513527
    Abstract: A vehicle control device is a vehicle control device mounted in a vehicle and includes an information provider configured to transmit information on a route from a parking position to a boarding position of the vehicle to a terminal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Noguchi, Yasushi Shoda, Yuki Hara, Ryoma Taguchi, Yuta Takada
  • Patent number: 11511744
    Abstract: A method of providing automated control of vehicle speed in a driver assist mode may include receiving an operator selection of the driver assist mode and a target speed, monitoring vehicle speed, and generating a propulsive torque request and a braking torque request based on a difference between the target speed and the vehicle speed. The method may further include, responsive to vehicle speed being in a selected range from zero to about three miles per hour, initiating a low speed correction to automatically provide a variable modification to the propulsive torque request or the braking torque request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Edward Brewer, Brandon Cameron, Brian Grewe
  • Patent number: 11472395
    Abstract: A method for executing multi-mode turns with a work vehicle includes transmitting initial steering and braking commands for controlling an operation of a steering actuator(s) and a steering brake(s), respectively, of the work vehicle to initiate execution of a multi-mode turning operation. The method also includes determining allowable steering and braking rates for the work vehicle based at least in part on an actual steering rate and an actual braking rate, respectively, of the work vehicle during execution of the multi-mode turning operation, and determining updated steering and braking commands based at least in part on the allowable steering and braking rates. In addition, the method includes transmitting the updated steering and braking commands to control the operation of the steering actuator(s) and the steering brake(s), respectively, to continue execution of the multi-mode turning operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Phillip Duane Dix, Daniel Geiyer, Aditya Singh, Navneet Gulati
  • Patent number: 11465274
    Abstract: A module type home robot is provided. The module type home robot includes a device module coupling unit coupled to a device module, an input unit receiving a user input, an output unit outputting voice and images, a sensing unit sensing a user, and a control unit sensing a trigger signal, activating the device module or the output unit according to the sensed trigger signal, and controlling the module type home robot to perform an operation mapped to the sensed trigger signal. The trigger signal is a user proximity signal, a user voice signal, a user movement signal, a specific time sensing signal or an environment change sensing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Eunhyae Han, Yoonho Shin, Seungwoo Maeng, Sanghyuck Lee
  • Patent number: 11458635
    Abstract: Various example embodiments described herein relate to an item manipulation system including a control system and a robotic arm coupled to the control system. The item manipulation system includes an end effector communicatively coupled to the control system and defines a first end and a second end. The first end of the end effector is rotatably engaged to the robotic arm. The item manipulation system also includes a gripper unit attached to the second end of the end effector. The gripper unit is configured to grip the item. The gripper unit includes at least one flexible suction cup and at least one rigid gripper. Each of the flexible suction cup and the at least one rigid gripper engage a surface of the item based on vacuum suction force generated through the at least one flexible suction cup or the at least one rigid gripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew R. Wicks, Gabriel Goldman, D. W. Wilson Hamilton, Katharina Muelling
  • Patent number: 11458632
    Abstract: There is provided a robot capable of reducing vibration generated in an arm portion performing work. The robot includes: a first arm portion connected to a body portion and configured to perform work; and a second arm portion connected to the body portion and to be controlled to support the first arm portion, in which the first arm portion includes a first connecting portion connected to the body portion, a first end effector located at an end of the first arm portion opposite to an end where the first connecting portion is located, and a support target portion located between the first connecting portion and the first end effector, and the second arm portion is controlled to support the support target portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Saijo, Kiyokazu Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 11453123
    Abstract: A robotic device including one or more proximity sensing systems coupled to various portions of a robot body. The proximity sensing systems detect a distance of an object about the robot body and the robotic device reacts based on the detected distance. The proximity sensing systems obtain a three-dimensional (3D) profile of the object to determine a category of the object. The distance of the object is detected multiple times in a sequence to determine a movement path of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Cheng Peng, Xiaoyong Yang