Patents Examined by Daniel L Greene
  • Patent number: 11776326
    Abstract: An information processing method is provided to reduce an amount of data to be monitored in an onboard system of a vehicle. In the method, detection results that indicate whether an abnormality is included in communication data on an onboard network are obtained, and a first log transmission instruction is generated to cause periodic transmission of a first log from the onboard system to a server device. The first log is a log of some of the communication data. A second log transmission instruction is generated to cause transmission of a second log from the onboard system to the server device in a case of the detection results indicating the abnormality is included in the communication data. The second log is a log of more of the communication data than the first log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventor: Takamitsu Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11764723
    Abstract: A solar tracker system including a tracker apparatus including a plurality of solar modules, each of the solar modules being spatially configured to face in a normal manner in an on sun position in an incident direction of electromagnetic radiation derived from the sun, wherein the solar modules include a plurality of PV strings, and a tracker controller. The tracker controller includes a processor, a memory, a power supply configured to provide power to the tracker controller, a plurality of power inputs configured to receive a plurality of currents from the plurality of PV strings, a current sensing unit configured to individually monitor the plurality of currents, a DC-DC power converter configured to receive the plurality of power inputs powered from the plurality of PV strings to supply power to the power supply, and a motor controller, wherein the tracker controller is configured to track the sun position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: NEXTRACKER LLC
    Inventors: Yang Liu, Chen Li
  • Patent number: 11755041
    Abstract: Techniques are described for controlling an autonomous vehicle such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using objective-based inputs. In an embodiment, the underlying functionality of an autonomous navigation system is exposed via an application programming interface (API) allowing the UAV to be controlled through specifying a behavioral objective, for example, using a call to the API to set parameters for the behavioral objective. The autonomous navigation system can then incorporate perception inputs such as sensor data from sensors mounted to the UAV and the set parameters using a multi-objective motion planning process to generate a proposed trajectory that most closely satisfies the behavioral objective in view of certain constraints. In some embodiments, developers can utilize the API to build customized applications for the UAV. Such applications, also referred to as “skills,” can be developed, shared, and executed to control behavior of an autonomous UAV and aid in overall system improvement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Louis Zhu, Hayk Martirosyan, Abraham Bachrach, Matthew Donahoe, Patrick Lowe, Kristen Marie Holtz, Adam Bry
  • Patent number: 11753008
    Abstract: A system and method for adaptive cruise control with proximate vehicle detection are disclosed. The example embodiment can be configured for: receiving input object data from a subsystem of a host vehicle, the input object data including distance data and velocity data relative to detected target vehicles; detecting the presence of any target vehicles within a sensitive zone in front of the host vehicle, to the left of the host vehicle, and to the right of the host vehicle; determining a relative speed and a separation distance between each of the detected target vehicles relative to the host vehicle; and generating a velocity command to adjust a speed of the host vehicle based on the relative speeds and separation distances between the host vehicle and the detected target vehicles to maintain a safe separation between the host vehicle and the target vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Wutu Lin, Liu Liu, Zijie Xuan, Xing Sun, Kai-Chieh Ma, Yufei Zhao
  • Patent number: 11753022
    Abstract: A torque-speed curve or data of load that is used as a standard to determine an external condition in which an electric vehicle is operating such as incline or no incline, head wind or no headwind, high temperature or low temperature. The system compares samples of actual torque-speed of load data to the standard. Based on the comparison, the system determines the external condition (going up a hill, traveling into a headwind, operating at high temperature) or an abnormal operation of the vehicle powertrain, for example, low tire pressure, elevated friction, wheels out of alignment. Based on the determination, the system takes an action to govern a maximum torque output of the motor to control temperature of the vehicle battery; to raise a wind deflector; to govern maximum speed of the vehicle to reduce danger resulting from low tire pressure, elevated powertrain friction or out of alignment wheels; or to initiate an indication of abnormal conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Ching Lin, Kai-Chiang Li
  • Patent number: 11747824
    Abstract: The disclosed threat response system(s) and method(s) provide a mean to secure an area around the clock. The system includes a plurality of microphones strategically located at various locations of the protected area, a plurality of acoustic beacons to provide navigational support one or more autonomous non-flying (ANF) drones, and a central controller. In one example each of the one or more ANF drones are equipped with an acoustic positioning system that uses beacon signals (e.g., mechanical waves) transmitted by the plurality of acoustic beacons to determine its position relative to the plurality of acoustic beacons. Once an acoustic event is detected, it is analyzed to determine whether there is a threat. When the threat is confirmed, the central controller dispatches one or more of the ANF drones to investigate and/or to engage the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher P. Woods, David A. Ksienski, Kyle A. Logue, Donna Branchevsky, Aidan R. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11745597
    Abstract: Inertial suspension magnetic stabilizer that complements the suspension of vehicles and mobiles of different nature, opposing and compensating inertially to sudden impulses; mountable to wheel cups or to the wheel axis support, preferably constructed in a body preferably forming a hollow cylinder containing gaseous or liquid fluids, composed of a hermetic tubular body provided at its ends with fixed magnets and in its central area of a magnetically neutral sliding piston, supported by its magnet ends with equal polarity, facing, to that of the magnets fixed at the ends of the tubular body; sliding piston that in turn divides the tubular body into two hermetic chambers linked together, by a tube provided with a fluid regulating valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Inventors: Luis Alberto Agra, Juan José Barbery
  • Patent number: 11737936
    Abstract: A mobility carrier provided with a vehicle seat and a vehicle provided with the mobility carrier. The mobility carrier includes a carrier body, a seat, an operating portion configured of allowing a user accommodated on the seat to control the mobility carrier or the vehicle, and a carrier controller. The carrier controller communicates with a vehicle controller of the vehicle from outside of the vehicle. If verified through communications with the vehicle controller, the carrier controller controls the carrier wheels so that the carrier body enters a cabin of the vehicle. The carrier controller communicates with the vehicle controller to control a driving unit of the vehicle via the operating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Ho Hwang, Dong Eun Cha, Sang Heon Lee
  • Patent number: 11738618
    Abstract: A method for checking status of a vibration damper of a motor vehicle includes selecting a suitable section of a roadway, via processing circuitry at a server, based on section selection criteria comprising a number of passing vehicles, a data input sufficient for correlation analyses of the vibration damper, and homogeneity of the roadway. The method further includes acquiring data from a plurality of other vehicles while the other vehicles are driving through the section, grouping data items from the acquired data that are specifically associated with vibration damper status, classifying the status of the vibration damper based on the data items, and informing the driver about the status of the vibration damper. The data on the number of the other vehicles may include data indicative of other vehicle vibration dampers in new condition defining reference values for a degree of wear of the vibration damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Cyril Coerman, Georg Maurer, Shi Yan
  • Patent number: 11730646
    Abstract: The invention discloses a system for controlling the movement of a personal mobility vehicle including a processing unit that receives and processes a location data of one or more obstacles over a period of time, determines a change frequency of change of location of the obstacles during the period of time, and generates a movement state categorization of the obstacles categorizing them into either a dynamic obstacle or a static obstacle. The processing unit further determines a dynamic distance traveled by the dynamic obstacle during the period of time, the velocity of the dynamic obstacle, determines movement probability data that relates to the probability of movement of a static obstacle based on the change frequency of change of location, and, determines velocity prediction data of a dynamic obstacle based on the velocity of dynamic obstacles during various time intervals of the time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventor: Rajeev Ramanath
  • Patent number: 11731720
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electric vehicle and the electric vehicle are provided. The method includes: under a condition in which the electric vehicle is in unlocked and motor control shielded states, first predetermined information is detected, wherein the first predetermined information is used for indicating that a rider is located on the electric vehicle; the electric vehicle is controlled to switch from the motor control shielded state to a motor control unshielded state; a predetermined control signal is received in the motor control unshielded state; and a motor of the electric vehicle is controlled to rotate according to a rotational speed corresponding to the predetermined control signal. With the disclosure, the problems of complex operation and poor user experience of a manner for controlling the electric vehicle in the related art are solved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: NINE INTELLIGENT (CHANGZHOU) TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shengqiao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11726505
    Abstract: The present application generally relates to aircraft water management. The disclosed system provides an initial step of verifying the amount of available water on board and dynamically regulating water usage during flight based on projections and comparisons between projections and actual usage. The system implements a series of water conservation strategies modeled on historical data, using a control system to manage water usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: MAG Aerospace Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Deborah Osborne, Nguyen Tram, Arnaud Namer, Jean Gayoso
  • Patent number: 11717937
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shape measuring instrument is provided for measuring a three-dimensional shape of the polishing subject face. A polishing controller is provided for controlling a polishing robot alone or with a polishing tool, based on three-dimensional shape data of the polishing subject face obtained by the shape measurement by the three-dimensional shape measuring instrument. The polishing tool provides a polishing action on the respective part of the polishing subject face through controlling of the polishing robot alone or with the polishing tool by the polishing controller. By controlling a measuring robot and the three-dimensional shape measuring instrument by the polishing controller, the three-dimensional shape measuring instrument moves to a predetermined measuring position relative to the polishing subject face to measure the three-dimensional shape of the polishing subject face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Taikisha Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Manabe, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Hideo Shiwa, Genji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11709498
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method, system and related device of implementing vehicle automatic loading and unloading, so as to achieve the automatic loading and unloading of the unmanned vehicle. The method includes: controlling, by a vehicle controller, a vehicle to drive automatically and stop at a loading and unloading position; obtaining, by a loading and unloading control apparatus corresponding to the loading and unloading position, vehicle identification information of the vehicle; verifying the vehicle identification information and controlling a loading and unloading machine to load and unload when the verification succeeds; sending a loading and unloading completion indication to the vehicle controller after the loading and unloading is completed; and controlling, by the vehicle controller, the vehicle to leave the loading and unloading position when receiving the loading and unloading completion indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING TUSEN ZHITU TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nan Wu
  • Patent number: 11703879
    Abstract: Autonomously driven vehicles operate in rain, snow and other adverse weather conditions. An on-board vehicle sensor has a beam with a diameter that is only intermittently blocked by rain, snow, dust or other obscurant particles. This allows an obstacle detection processor is to tell the difference between obstacles, terrain variations and obscurant particles, thereby enabling the vehicle driving control unit to disregard the presence of obscurant particles along the route taken by the vehicle. The sensor may form part of a LADAR or RADAR system or a video camera. The obstacle detection processor may receive time-spaced frames divided into cells or pixels, whereby groups of connected cells or pixels and/or cells or pixels that persist over longer periods of time are interpreted to be obstacles or terrain variations. The system may further including an input for receiving weather-specific configuration parameters to adjust the operation of the obstacle detection processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Cybernet Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Charles J. Jacobus, Douglas Haanpaa, Charles J. Cohen
  • Patent number: 11703875
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for controlling braking a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. For instance, the vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving mode according to a first braking control mode using a first model to adjust the position of a vehicle relative to an expected position of a current trajectory of the vehicle. Using a second model how close to a maximum deviation threshold the vehicle would come if a maximum braking strength for the vehicle was applied is predicted. The maximum deviation threshold provides an allowed forward deviation from the current trajectory. Based on the prediction, the vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving mode according to a second braking control mode by automatically applying the maximum braking strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Trawick Egnor, Nolan McPeek-Bechtold, James Harris, Andrew Barton-Sweeney, Ruslan Kurdyumov, Spencer Alexander, Ryan Cash
  • Patent number: 11703404
    Abstract: This invention comprises a device for measuring root pulling force (RPF) in a plant. The RPF device comprises a plant grasping mechanism, as well as a force measurement sensor. In certain embodiments, the device is automatic, so that the “hand of man” is not required to exert force on the plant while the root pulling force of the plant is being measured. Also disclosed is a root pulling force motion mechanism, which brings the RPF device into proximity of a plant to be measured. Further disclosed is a method for measuring root pulling force of a plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Colorado State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: John Keith McKay, Caleb Andrew Alvarado, Guy R. Babbitt, Kyle Joseph Palmiscno, Christopher Wayne Turner, Bryce Conrad Whitehill
  • Patent number: 11693433
    Abstract: A thermal relief device (1) is described comprising a housing (2) having an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) connected by a relief channel (5). Such a thermal relief device should have a simple construction. To this end a microporous structure (10) is arranged between inlet (3) and outlet (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Danfoss Power Solutions ApS
    Inventors: Martin Raadkjær Jørgensen, Michael Winter
  • Patent number: 11691301
    Abstract: A robotic system includes a robotic manipulator having one or more contact pads. The contact pads have features therein that are detectable to determine or measure a degree to which they have worn down. Such features may include fluorescent materials, colorful materials, and/or RFID tags. A robotic environment may include one or more sensors to detect such features, and may be configured to generate a signal indicating that one or more contact pads are in need of maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: OCADO INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventor: David Gabriel Hallock
  • Patent number: 11694558
    Abstract: A method and system for continuously re-planning a vehicle's path, in the face of stationary and moving obstacles, dynamically calculates a new path in real time which is both efficient and maintains minimum safety clearances relative to obstacles. Repulsion signals emanating from obstacles and propagating through delineated sections of a grid representing a geographic space are summed along with values representing the relative distance of the sections from the vehicle origin and vehicle destination. The grid sections having optimal values according to a predetermined criteria represent an efficient and safe travel path between the vehicle origin and destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: James W. Herriot