Patents Examined by Dale W Hilgendorf
  • Patent number: 11958474
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprises: continuously monitoring, by an assisted-driving (AD) system using a sensor, surroundings of a vehicle being controlled by a driver; detecting, by the AD system using the sensor, a parking spot that is available; planning, by the AD system and in response to detecting the parking spot, a trajectory for the vehicle to park in the parking spot; and generating a prompt to the driver, by the AD system and in response to detecting the parking spot, to have the AD system handle parking of the vehicle in the parking spot, the prompt performed before the vehicle reaches the parking spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
    Inventor: Abhishek Pathak
  • Patent number: 11952038
    Abstract: A transverse steering method is for moving a vehicle comprising active steering to a target position. The method includes: performing distance and/or angle measurements between the vehicle and the target position enabling the derivation of location and orientation data; deriving the location and orientation data; filtering the location and orientation data into current values, which include current location values and current orientation values; performing control which derives a target steering angle from the current values; and realization of the target steering angle by acting on the active steering of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventor: Oliver Wulf
  • Patent number: 11945266
    Abstract: A system for estimating a tire load of a tire includes a pressure sensor configured to generate a tire pressure signal; an acceleration sensor configured to generate a tire acceleration signal; a temperature sensor configured to generate a tire temperature signal; and at least one processor configured to calculate a duration of a contact patch based on the tire acceleration signal, calculate a vehicle speed based on the tire acceleration signal, determine at least one system model coefficient based on the tire pressure signal and the tire temperature signal, and calculate the tire load of the tire using a linear system model that relates tire pressure, the duration of the contact patch, and the vehicle speed to the tire load of the tire, where the linear system model further includes the at least one system model coefficient for calculating the tire load of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Christoph Steiner
  • Patent number: 11938963
    Abstract: A live map system may be used to propagate observations collected by autonomous vehicles operating in an environment to other autonomous vehicles and thereby supplement a digital map used in the control of the autonomous vehicles. In addition, a live map system in some instances may be used to propagate location-based teleassist triggers to autonomous vehicles operating within an environment. A location-based teleassist trigger may be generated, for example, in association with a teleassist session conducted between an autonomous vehicle and a remote teleassist system proximate a particular location, and may be used to automatically trigger a teleassist session for another autonomous vehicle proximate that location and/or to propagate a suggested action to that other autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: AURORA OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Niels Joubert, Benjamin Kaplan, Stephen O'Hara
  • Patent number: 11932282
    Abstract: Trajectory generation for controlling motion or other behavior of an autonomous vehicle may include alternately determining a candidate action and predicting a future state based on that candidate action. The technique may include determining a cost associated with the candidate action that may include an estimation of a transition cost from a current or former state to a next state of the vehicle. This cost estimate may be a lower bound cost or an upper bound cost and the tree search may alternately apply the lower bound cost or upper bound cost exclusively or according to a ratio or changing ratio. The prediction of the future state may be based at least in part on a machine-learned model's classification of a dynamic object as being a reactive object or a passive object, which may change how the dynamic object is modeled for the prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ZOOX, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy Caldwell, Rasmus Fonseca, Arian Houshmand, Xianan Huang, Marin Kobilarov, Lichao Ma, Chonhyon Park, Cheng Peng, Matthew Van Heukelom
  • Patent number: 11934189
    Abstract: In a network of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, an alert may be triggered when one of the vehicles switches from autonomous to manual mode. The alert may be communicated to nearby autonomous vehicles so that drivers of those vehicles may become aware of a potentially unpredictable manual driver nearby. Drivers of autonomous vehicles who may have become disengaged (e.g., sleeping, reading, talking, etc.) during autonomous driving may become re-engaged upon noticing the alert. A re-engaged driver may choose to switch his/her own vehicle from autonomous to manual mode in order to appropriately react to an unpredictable nearby manual driver. In additional or alternative embodiments, the alert may be triggered or intensified when indications of impairment of a nearby driver or malfunction of a nearby vehicle are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Steve Roberson, Brian Mark Fields
  • Patent number: 11932223
    Abstract: A regenerative braking control device for an electronic four-wheel drive vehicle, may improve fuel efficiency through a regenerative braking control optimized for the electronic four-wheel drive vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jee Wook Huh
  • Patent number: 11926995
    Abstract: A wheel loader includes a lift arm, bucket, a lift cylinder that rotates the lift arm, a hydraulic force detection unit that detects a hydraulic force of the lift cylinder, an arm angle detection unit that detects a rotation angle of the lift arm, and a controller that calculates a weight of the load. A hydraulic force measurement unit measures a hydraulic force with the rotation angle of the lift arm within a predetermined measurement angle range; and a hydraulic-force-change-rate calculation unit calculates a change rate of the hydraulic force with respect to the rotation angle of the lift arm, and then calculates a new hydraulic force change rate within the measurement angle range. The controller corrects an error of the weight of the load occurring due to the inclination angle of the body on the basis of the new hydraulic force change rate calculated by the hydraulic-force-change-rate calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoko Tsukada, Masanori Ichinose, Masaki Higurashi
  • Patent number: 11919499
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating data indicative of a friction associated with a driving surface, and for using the friction data in association with one or more vehicles. In one example, a computing system can detect a stop associated with a vehicle and initiate a steering action of the vehicle during the stop. The steering action is associated with movement of at least one tire of the vehicle relative to a driving surface. The computing system can obtain operational data associated with the steering action during the stop of the vehicle. The computing system can determine a friction associated with the driving surface based at least in part on the operational data associated with the steering action. The computing system can generate data indicative of the friction associated with the driving surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: UATC, LLC, VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott C. Poeppel, Mats Jonasson
  • Patent number: 11922810
    Abstract: A vehicle adjustment system includes one or more processors configured to receive data from one or more sensors coupled to a vehicle that is in a stationary position. The one or more processors are also configured to analyze the data to determine whether an object is within a buffer zone surrounding the vehicle while the vehicle is in the stationary position. In response to determining that the object is within the buffer zone while the vehicle is in the stationary position, the one or more processors are configured to provide control signals to one or more driving components of the vehicle to reposition the vehicle to an alternate position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Yevgeniy Viatcheslavovich Khmelev, Oscar Guerra, Jeffrey Neal Pollack, Janelle Denice Dziuk, Ashley Raine Philbrick, Ryan Thomas Russell, David Patrick Dixon
  • Patent number: 11921510
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for controlling the operation of an autonomous vehicle. According to one aspect, the autonomous vehicle may track the trajectories of other vehicles on a road. Based on the other vehicle's trajectories, the autonomous vehicle may generate a pool of combined trajectories. Subsequently, the autonomous vehicle may select one of the combined trajectories as a representative trajectory. The representative trajectory may be used to change at least one of the speed or direction of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: David I. Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu
  • Patent number: 11912371
    Abstract: A human-powered vehicle component includes an input device, to which first information related to at least one of a human-powered vehicle, a rider of the human-powered vehicle, and environment of the human-powered vehicle is input. The human-powered vehicle component further comprises an electric actuator and an artificial intelligence processor configured to generate second information for controlling the electric actuator in accordance with the first information input to the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 11912310
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a series of road images from a side-view camera sensor of the autonomous driving vehicle. For each object from objects captured in the series of road images, a series of bounding boxes in the series of road images is generated, and a direction of travel or stationarity of the object is determined. The methods and apparatus also include determining a speed of each object for which the direction of travel has been determined and determining, based on the directions of travel, speeds, or stationarity of the objects, whether the autonomous driving vehicle can safely move in a predetermined direction. Furthermore, one or more control signals is sent to the autonomous driving vehicle to cause the autonomous driving vehicle to move or to remain stationary based on determining whether the autonomous driving vehicle can safely move in the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Yiqian Gan, Yijie Wang, Xiaodi Hou, Lingting Ge
  • Patent number: 11913799
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for load balancing for map application route selection and output. A user may utilize a device application to map or route between two or more endpoints, such as geo-locations entered or detected by the device. During calculation of a travel route between the endpoints, real-time data, user preferences, and requesting entities may provide criteria data that may cause determination of a particular travel route, where the travel route may be longer than a most efficient route but within a pre-defined variable time or distance allotment and match the criteria data. Use of the route may accrue a form of compensation for the user. The user may view an application interface displaying the route, which may further include one or more executable processes to cause recalculation of the route. Recalculation of the route may require the user to provide credits or compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: PayPal, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Charles Todasco, Gautam Madaan, Timothy Resudek, Braden Christopher Ericson, Cheng Tian, Jiri Medlen
  • Patent number: 11904898
    Abstract: A method, a computer program, and an apparatus for controlling operation of a transportation vehicle equipped with an automated driving function and a transportation vehicle equipped with an automated driving function which uses the method or apparatus. A first signal state of a traffic light is determined from data of at least one vehicle sensor, the determined first signal state of the traffic light is then validated based on information available in the transportation vehicle, and an operation mode of the transportation vehicle is set as a function of a validation result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Sandra Kleinau, Bernd Rech, Thorsten Bagdonat
  • Patent number: 11904848
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to systems and techniques for identifying collisions, such as relatively low energy impact collisions involving an autonomous vehicle. Sensor data from a first sensor modality in a first array may be used to determine a first estimated location of impact and second sensor data from a second sensor modality in a second array may be used to determine a second estimated location of impact. A low energy impact event may be configured when the first estimated location of impact corresponds to the second estimated location of impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Marina Camille Josephs, Mark Alan Bates, Nam Gook Cho, Subhasis Das, Markus Jost, Amanda Brown Prescott, Valerie Bumbaca Randolph, Subasingha Shaminda Subasingha
  • Patent number: 11904861
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for estimating a road surface friction coefficient relate to an apparatus of estimating a road surface friction coefficient including an additional power control module that arbitrarily adds a braking force, which causes a wheel speed difference, to an axle of the vehicle to which the braking force is applied, and together adds a driving force that cancels the braking force to an axle of the vehicle to which the driving force is applied, when it is determined that a driving state of the vehicle is an inertial driving state, and a road surface friction coefficient estimation module that estimates the road surface friction coefficient by the wheel speed difference caused by a newly added braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Min Ji Chae, Hyun Su Kim
  • Patent number: 11900698
    Abstract: An information processing device and an information processing method that prevent unnecessary warning are provided. An information processing device includes a host vehicle information acquisition part configured to acquire host vehicle information on a host vehicle, a setting part configured to set an allowable range for a driver's sight of the host vehicle based on the host vehicle information, a driver information acquisition part configured to acquire driver information on the driver, a determination part (inattentive driving determination part) configured to determine whether or not the driver is looking at the allowable range based on the allowable range and the driver information, and an output part (sound output part, vibration part, display part) configured to output a predetermined notification based on the determination of the determination part (inattentive driving determination part).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: CLARION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Akachi, Masashi Koga, Hiroshige Furugori, Hiroki Abe
  • Patent number: 11897437
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for sanitization of a vehicle interior, activating an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system and operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the vehicle interior above an upper threshold temperature for a threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes while the UVGI system may supplement the heat sanitizing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan Gutowski, Curtis Jones, Fred Koberstein, Stephen White, Peter Mitchell Lyon, John Rollinger, Scott Thompson, M. Scott Christensen, David Hancock, Adam Richards, Steve Skikun, Frank Fusco
  • Patent number: 11891893
    Abstract: A civil engineering device, in particular a pile-driving or drilling device, has at least one positioner, in particular a working carriage for accommodating an implement, connected with a carrier device by relatively movable links within a kinematic chain and connected by joints and/or linear adjusters and with at least six actuators for changing their corresponding position and/or orientation, and with a control and regulation device for controlling them. The control and regulation device has an input module for specifying a positioner target position, and is connected with a computer module that determines at least one displacement path for moving the positioner from its current (starting) position to the target position, and, using inverse kinematics, the locations of the individual actuators required for implementing the path, and sends these locations to the control and regulation device to control the actuators. A method multi-dimensionally, free positions a civil engineering device positioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: ABI ANLAGENTECHNIK-BAUMASCHINEN-INDUSTRIEBEDARF MASCHINENFABRIK UND VERTRIEBSGESELLSCHAFT MBH
    Inventors: Christian Heichel, Tobias Schmidt